Loved it then Hated it!

[JohnMichael]

Reading and responding in another thread I thought of something to discuss. Have you ever purchased a piece of audio equipment that for the first few months you thought was great only to begin to dislike it later?

I have two examples and possibly three.

1. Monitor Audio RS 6's which at first I enjoyed the slightly more foreward sound and deeper bass. Then several months down the road there was something about the sound that irritated and caused fatigue. I once agreed with the Stereophile review and ratings but no more. Whatever was causing the unhappiness did not turn up for many months. Longer than any store audition or home trial could have covered.

2. Onkyo A9555 which at first was so much quieter and cleaner sounding than an early version of the Cambridge A640. This integrated amp uses a Class D amp. Again for a good many months I was pleased and impressed with the sound. Then it began, that slowly drifting away from listeneing to music. I found that I rarely sat and listened to music but used it for background noise. I went from being impressed to being annoyed.

3. Again it is too early to tell but the Audio Technica F7 may join the group.

Anyone else who has experienced a short honeymoon with a component?

[dakatabg]

I had a Kenwood KA-128 integrated amp that I liked so much. After I introduced myself to some of the Marantz and Sansui gears, I hate it and I can't even look at it anymore. I hooked it up few weeks ago to hear it again and it sounded so horrible. I can't believe I liked the sound before

[YBArcam]

Sometimes it's hard to tell unless you got something to compare a component to. Or perhaps I just haven't had enough experience hearing systems to know what I'm missing.

My Audiolab 8000S sounded great to me, even when I first added it to my system and subtracted the Exposure 2010s2. It was less harsh and had a fuller sound (which I was looking for). Only after I listened to it for a while, and then tried the 2010s2 again, did I realize the Exposure totally outclasses it. That fuller, warmer sound was largely due to the fact that the Audiolab was much less revealing, it felt like a blanket was covering the speakers. That's certainly not what I wanted out of my amp. Likewise, I didn't realize the deficiencies my old sources and speakers had until I had another CD player or pair of speakers to compare them to. You learn a lot in this hobby from just trying different things. When you get a new component and it excels at, say for speakers, driver integration, then you know what good driver integration sounds like and that your old speakers didn't have it. You may have liked them, but now you realize that hey, they weren't as hot as I thought.

But usually my dissatisfaction is apparent right at the outset, whether it due to the component itself, or just poor partnering with the rest of the system. If I don't like the sound I get early on that isn't going to change. Likewise, if I really enjoy the sound early on them I'm likely to continue enjoying it.

By the way, I owned the Monitor Audio RS5 for a while, I thought it was really good at everything, except for the highs. They were just overpowering, and really obscured the lows and mids.

[Ajani]

Nice thread... I wonder what thread gave you the inspiration

My first serious setup consisted of a NAD Integrated amp and CD Player with Mission Towers... It sounded nice in the store and was good when I took it home... I enjoyed it for a few months, but more and more I found that I lost any desire to turn it on... Something I never experienced previously with my cheapo all Technics gear... Truth is that the NAD combo while technically HiFi and very well reviewed was just too boring for my tastes... I suspect with some much more lively speakers the combo would have been good... Anyway when I switched the NADs to a Rotel pre and power with Marantz CDP my speakers really came alive... The music was truly involving again...

[Feanor]

How about long honeymoons?? For literally decades I felt I loved my Phase Linear 400 amp and my B&W DM7 speakers. Granted, for the last decade or so I was really "out of" hi-fi and music, focusing on kids and other entertainments.

When my music interest finally revived I soon realized how truly atrocious these devices were.

[GMichael]

I don’t think this is what you mean, but I hope no one minds if I vent it here.

When I bought my main speakers, I was in love with them. They do still sound great and look beautiful. When they were first purchased, my plan was to buy the matching center and surrounds that were in the works at the manufacturer. Years later, they were never made. I asked and asked when they were coming out but didn’t receive a single response. Then word came out that the manufacturer was shipping a lot of defective products on their new subwoofer line. They seemed to have more and more problems. The great company that I had once bought from was now not responding to customers who had problems. More and more issues came about and now the company is out of business. So not only will I never get the matching center and surrounds, I also won’t be able to get replacement parts for the speakers I have if they ever fail. Although they still sound great, the market for them is less than half of what I paid. Selling them seems like a huge waste. The money I would get for them would not let me replace them with anything that sounds as good.
So here I am now. Speakers that sound great, but have little value, and can not be matched for my system.

[Luvin Da Blues]

. Speakers that sound great, but have little value, and can not be matched for my system.

They have a value to you right? That's all that matters. Too bad about the matching speakers tho. I'm sure you could find something that voices well with the mains.

[GMichael]

They have a value to you right? That's all that matters. Too bad about the matching speakers tho. I'm sure you could find something that voices well with the mains.

I could build my own, but I'd have trouble matching the finish.

[TheHills44060]

I don’t think this is what you mean, but I hope no one minds if I vent it here.

Had to look at your profile to see which speakers you were talkin about ;-)

[GMichael]

Had to look at your profile to see which speakers you were talkin about ;-)

Sorry,

I’m not sure if all the legal stuff is done and if I’d get in any trouble for including their name.

[Feanor]

Had to look at your profile to see which speakers you were talkin about ;-)

Here's an item "related" to the source of GM's speakers ... HERE at Audio Asylum.

[pixelthis]

I don’t think this is what you mean, but I hope no one minds if I vent it here.

When I bought my main speakers, I was in love with them. They do still sound great and look beautiful. When they were first purchased, my plan was to buy the matching center and surrounds that were in the works at the manufacturer. Years later, they were never made. I asked and asked when they were coming out but didn’t receive a single response. Then word came out that the manufacturer was shipping a lot of defective products on their new subwoofer line. They seemed to have more and more problems. The great company that I had once bought from was now not responding to customers who had problems. More and more issues came about and now the company is out of business. So not only will I never get the matching center and surrounds, I also won’t be able to get replacement parts for the speakers I have if they ever fail. Although they still sound great, the market for them is less than half of what I paid. Selling them seems like a huge waste. The money I would get for them would not let me replace them with anything that sounds as good.
So here I am now. Speakers that sound great, but have little value, and can not be matched for my system.

If they "sound great" then they have value.
Sometimes you have to let go, write it off as a bad job and get on with your life.
Set up an audio only system with these, or take a loss and sell them.
I HUNG ONTO crappy speakers for years, would have been better to write off the substantial investment and dumsterize em.

Ever hear about how natives find water? WELL, they use monkeys, monkeys always
know where water is, but first they have to catch one.
So the put a tasty treat in a hollow tree, with a hole just the right size. THE MONKEY
sticks his hand in, grabs the treat, but his fist won't fit through the narrow hole.
AND A MONKEY WILL SIT THERE, and allow a bushman to put a rope around his neck,
refusing to let go of his "treat". Humans are bad about this also, being stuck because
they refuse to let go of their "treat", never occurs that it might not be worth their freedom.
Sell or give away the speakers, tightwad, or learn to enjoy them, and to live with the relatively minor problem of timber matching with a new center.
Or let the bushman rule you.

[GMichael]

If they "sound great" then they have value.
Sometimes you have to let go, write it off as a bad job and get on with your life.
Set up an audio only system with these, or take a loss and sell them.
I HUNG ONTO crappy speakers for years, would have been better to write off the substantial investment and dumsterize em.

Ever hear about how natives find water? WELL, they use monkeys, monkeys always
know where water is, but first they have to catch one.
So the put a tasty treat in a hollow tree, with a hole just the right size. THE MONKEY
sticks his hand in, grabs the treat, but his fist won't fit through the narrow hole.
AND A MONKEY WILL SIT THERE, and allow a bushman to put a rope around his neck,
refusing to let go of his "treat". Humans are bad about this also, being stuck because
they refuse to let go of their "treat", never occurs that it might not be worth their freedom.
Sell or give away the speakers, tightwad, or learn to enjoy them, and to live with the relatively minor problem of timber matching with a new center.
Or let the bushman rule you.

I was just venting. They do ok with the system I have. If I needed them to match all that bad, I'd drag the Infinity Primus 360's out of my little girl's room and put them back in the living room. Bang! Just like hat, a matched system. But the living room is where I listen to the most 2.0 music. These do a great job of that.
It sure would have been nice to have a whole system of these though. It was my plan when I bought them. I hate it when a plan falls short.

I do feel that this is dragging the thread a little off topic though. I don't remember ever loving a system or component and then ended up hating it. I still love the Infinity's, but the Mini's were a step up.

[pixelthis]

I was just venting. They do ok with the system I have. If I needed them to match all that bad, I'd drag the Infinity Primus 360's out of my little girl's room and put them back in the living room. Bang! Just like hat, a matched system. But the living room is where I listen to the most 2.0 music. These do a great job of that.
It sure would have been nice to have a whole system of these though. It was my plan when I bought them. I hate it when a plan falls short.

I do feel that this is dragging the thread a little off topic though. I don't remember ever loving a system or component and then ended up hating it. I still love the Infinity's, but the Mini's were a step up.

THEN YOU ARE LUCKY.
Nothing worse to spend you budget on a bright and shining piece of gear, and them be stuck with a white elephant. I LIVE on a budget, and if I make a wrong decision then I AM STUCK WITH IT , usually.
Mostly this is speakers, they turn on you worse than anything.
I spent my three thousand dollar speaker upgrade on a set of Klipsch, soured on them
after a week, lost a ton of money, was lucky to get my B&W speakers back.
Decided to live with those for awhile, they are my brand. But if they break then I am
toast.

[LeRoy]

Reading and responding in another thread I thought of something to discuss. Have you ever purchased a piece of audio equipment that for the first few months you thought was great only to begin to dislike it later?

I have two examples and possibly three.

1. Monitor Audio RS 6's which at first I enjoyed the slightly more foreward sound and deeper bass. Then several months down the road there was something about the sound that irritated and caused fatigue. I once agreed with the Stereophile review and ratings but no more. Whatever was causing the unhappiness did not turn up for many months. Longer than any store audition or home trial could have covered.

2. Onkyo A9555 which at first was so much quieter and cleaner sounding than an early version of the Cambridge A640. This integrated amp uses a Class D amp. Again for a good many months I was pleased and impressed with the sound. Then it began, that slowly drifting away from listeneing to music. I found that I rarely sat and listened to music but used it for background noise. I went from being impressed to being annoyed.

3. Again it is too early to tell but the Audio Technica F7 may join the group.

Anyone else who has experienced a short honeymoon with a component?

I had high hopes that it would surpass the performance and musicality of the MS 902i. The AV2 had no chance of even getting close to the musicality of the 902i.

The AV2 is simply a laggard with the timing of the bass notes and tonally was generally too warm for my tastes. Overall, it did not have the excitement or punch of the little 902i of the previous line.

edit: What I had initially loved about it was it's larger woofer, deeper bass, and 45Hz rating. But it was all for naught since it couldn't even keep time correctly.

[JoeE SP9]

Reading and responding in another thread I thought of something to discuss. Have you ever purchased a piece of audio equipment that for the first few months you thought was great only to begin to dislike it later?

I have two examples and possibly three.

1. Monitor Audio RS 6's which at first I enjoyed the slightly more foreward sound and deeper bass. Then several months down the road there was something about the sound that irritated and caused fatigue. I once agreed with the Stereophile review and ratings but no more. Whatever was causing the unhappiness did not turn up for many months. Longer than any store audition or home trial could have covered.

2. Onkyo A9555 which at first was so much quieter and cleaner sounding than an early version of the Cambridge A640. This integrated amp uses a Class D amp. Again for a good many months I was pleased and impressed with the sound. Then it began, that slowly drifting away from listeneing to music. I found that I rarely sat and listened to music but used it for background noise. I went from being impressed to being annoyed.

3. Again it is too early to tell but the Audio Technica F7 may join the group.

Anyone else who has experienced a short honeymoon with a component?

Number 2 is an afirmation that amps sound different. Whenever DBT testing is suggested I suggest "LTT" (long term testing). That's what resulted in your doing less listening.

[JohnMichael]

Number 2 is an afirmation that amps sound different. Whenever DBT testing is suggested I suggest "LTT" (long term testing). That's what resulted in your doing less listening.

Yes long term listening is important. I am glad the Krell is still satisfying after many months. The components I have now in my system I think will be there for a long period of time. Other than adding a pair of DNM Reson IC's for the phono preamp to int. amp I think things are set.

[JohnMichael]

Well the Audio Technica F7 has moved into the loving it category.

[TheHills44060]

Infinity SM155 for me. I got em an took em right back the very next day.

[SlumpBuster]

Infinity SM155 for me. I got em an took em right back the very next day.

Ha! I just posted in another thread how I've wanted to take a pair of those for a spin.

And it was AV123 that went out of business. The Colorado grand jury indicted Mark Schifter on 5 felony counts, which quickly led to the shut down of the company. I ain't worried about getting in trouble.

[TheHills44060]

Oh really haha!!! They played loud but didn't have the bass to be a great party speaker so I took them back. It really was an impulse buy at the time. I do remember my dad loving them though...it was so funny. I was jamming some trance thru em and he came up to my room asking what the name of the song was. He saw the speakers and actually sat through a few songs. He's a stickler for accurate speakers (clinical to my ears) so I was shocked by the enjoyment factor he got from them. Different strokes for different folks i guess.

[rakeford]

I had a 4 decade honeymoon with my Onkyo A-5 integrated amp. Then I dumped her for a younger model, a Yamaha RX-797 receiver.

I didn't know I hated the A-5 untill I got the RX-797. The A-5, old hag she is, had scratchy volume, balance, tone controls, and switches. I could hear radio stations in the background when playing CDs and other media. Back in the day, when I lived with my folks, I could hear my dad's Ham radio transmitter through the speakers.

Last year, the Yamaha RX-797 changed all that. With the CD source on, there's no audible noise, even at full volume. She's young, sweet, sexy, gorgeous, and has a tremendous voice. I look forward to the years ahead with her.

I realize cleaning, recapping, and DeoxIT would benefit the old hag, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. I don't see myself falling for her again. Thank you A-5, but we must part our ways.

[Jimmy C]

...my Revel M20s could be quite the *****.

They had room-shaking bass when called upon, very clear and clean, they stayed buttoned-down at high SPL, but never really musically (in retrospect) "did it" for me.. that is, unless the recording was perfect (or close).

My Twins Sigs do piano about 50x better (more body, realism, and weight), just a better speaker overall. Much less fussy, more communicative, and simply more fun - I don't need to go speaker shopping anymore...

I'm also a soft-dome guy now for life... not that all metal is bad... they're not, just that I have'nt heard one I want to live with... but I do like Vandy... off topic now...

[Jimmy C]

... "B" word!

I'm a nasty man!