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Your most disappointing purchase or audition?

I've had a few.

bought a Naim Nait 3. Loved it in the store. Returned it within a week- way forward at home

Brought home some CJ preamp to audition perhaps 22 years ago. Noisy as anything and a turn off transient destroyed a tweeter (though years later i bought a CJ 17LS2 which I thought was the finest preamp I ever heard in my home)

Auditioned a VPI table (HW19) in a store- the store just could not get the belt to stay on. Bought a Rega instead. This was in perhaps 1990.

Fortunately, I never really experienced buyers remorse say 6 months or more after settling on a piece of gear.

Finally, there have been too many speakers that got stellar write ups which I just didn't care for.
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charles1dad
10,235 posts
 
Hi Whart,
That's has and will always be the case. This is why so many choices are available in the "small" community of High End audio. I don't expect consensus on any brand or particular model. I know exactly what Syntax means with his comment but again, it just happens to be our personal impression. Mapman thinks the Magico is fine and I can totally understand and respect his opinion. Simply different individual taste.
Charles,
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,865 posts
 
I will qualify that my longest Magico audition was for Minis that went for about an hour or so. Again this was behind >$100,000 worth of tube gear and SOTA DCS source. So how bad could this sound? It sounded very good. FWIW, other similar "quality" setups I heard at the same dealer were well off the mark and I know for a fact not everything in that case was in good working order. That's not acceptable for a dealer that pitches the best stuff to those who can afford it. It also just so happens that well known NYC dealer went under a few years back.
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unoear
141 posts
 
Melbguy1

You made an astute observation about Syntax...on one hand, he is a nice guy, friendly, and giving of his opinions; on the other hand, he works as a business, marketing front, for a Bavarian of dubious history.

Melbguy1, you are right; Syntax, he is a marketing guy. However, what is wrong with marketing guys, they are all over this forum :).

Cheers!
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Such threads are always a bit "cruel" because there will be always someone who loves exactly this product which is a disappointment for the next. But it is always about a product, nothing more. When someone takes "this" critic/disappointment as a personal slap in the face, well, I feel sorry of course. On the other side, I have no problem with Wilson speakers....but when someone wants to know what kind of speakers in that Magico price range are "better" for me --> Verity Audio Speakers. But as usual: Each his own :-)
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
Syntax, don't take my comments personally. I've heard the Q5's, yes they eat watts like a couple of Apogee Scintilla's on heat, but fed with a lot of warm, rich, clean power and they can really sing. They are very transparent to source, so rubbish in, rubbish out applies. I'm not saying they are perfect. I actually prefer my S5's in many respects, but I thought your comments were a little uncharitable. If they were directed at the Q5's sensitivity, i'd would not and agree with you though..
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