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Thread: What would you never buy again? What would you like to own again?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default What would you never buy again? What would you like to own again?

    Most of us here will have been through a quantity of Hi-Fi equipment. What is there that you moved on and thought, 'thank gawd that's gone' and what nice item did you sell and knew you should have kept?


    Here's a few of mine.


    Stuff I didn't get on with:

    Dynaudio Contour 1.3 Mk.II speakers, highly regarded, but I just could not get them sounding quite right in my system.

    The several Cambridge A60 and NAD 3020 integrated amps that came my way. Despite their enthusiastic following, I just found them dull and thick.

    B&W speakers. I've owned a few older models and have heard many others, but B&W just don't 'click' with me.

    Rega RB250 and RB300 tonearms. I just don't like the sound.


    Items I should have kept:

    All my Leak Stereo 20 power amps. They are gems that just make music.

    Meridian 206 CD player. Again, it just makes music.

    Tannoy Eaton speakers. A true classic dual concentric Tannoy in a manageable box. Had five pairs and still miss them.

    Cartridges, Decca 4RC, Ortofon SPU and Technics EPC-305MC, they were superb!

    A Trio KA-2000a amp. Dinky, unassuming little unit from the early seventies that sounds as good as a Sugden A21a.




    I dare say I could add more.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    only thing comes to ind is the MF A1000 I would def have again. top amp.

    agin... well I wouldnt have the mission 782 floorstander again.. Good sounding speaker but more trouble than worth..

    edit.. thought of another no... a whest phono...
    Last edited by struth; 13-08-2017 at 07:16.
    Regards,
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  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2017

    Location: Petts Wood

    Posts: 7
    I'm Daniel.

    Default

    I've made quiet a few sideway steps along the way, hence the kit that has made the biggest improvements are the ones that have stuck with me. The ones that I'd have again are, Magnum K speakers. Got them for my 18th birthday. I'm sure they'd sound awful by today's standards, but at the time i loved and would like to hear what they sound like. The original kef 105's. Ugly, not exactly accurate but great fun. But the ones I really miss are pro-ac response 4. Great with any sort of music but unfortunately I had to move and they just didn't fit into the new room. Amps wise I got an amazing deal on advantage pre-amp and mono blocks. Maybe a bit warm sound for some, but with the pro-acs you could listen for hours without fatigue. Unfortunately they went bang due to a leak from the flat upstairs and I couldn't get them repaired. This leads me to items I wouldn't buy again. Celestion A3 speakers. Lots of great reviews, but I couldn't get them to sound right. Aura pa200 amps. Spent more time getting them repaired than listening to them. One of the original Cambridge dac magic's. Can't remember the exact one, but impossible to listen to music quietly because of the amount of buzzing the power supply made. Cambridge Azur dac/pre. No where near as good as the reviews IMHO and poor build quality. Audionet CD player - decent sound, but two expensive trips to be repaired and still went bang again.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: cheltenham

    Posts: 746
    I'm matt.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post

    Dynaudio Contour 1.3 Mk.II speakers, highly regarded, but I just could not get them sounding quite right in my system.
    Out of all the gear I've owned, those were the worst. Just found I didn't enjoy music through them.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Would not buy again: Cambridge Azur 840c cd player. Paid top whack brand new. Tried to like it but couldn't. Expensive mistake.

    Should not have sold (much bigger list)

    Denon PMA250 UK SE with the phono stage
    Celestion A2 speakers - really suited my room
    Kenwood -something or other- linear tracking turntable. Lovely bit of kit with the honeycomb aerolam chassis.
    A brace of TEAC integrated amps, forget the models but big buggers in a sort of hammerite finish. Got them from a dance hall that had closed down. Needed the money at the time.
    My first system: Fisher Studio sound amp and ST70 speakers, Tensai turntable. Would be good to still have it as a measure of how far I've come. Plus nostalgia.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

    Posts: 1,861
    I'm Dennis.

    Default

    Restriction on funds has precluded much 'sideways shifting', and I have moved upwards in big jumps until I sold my ESS Monitors, and went through 4 pairs of ATCs searching for that transparency the Heil had.

    A big error of path judgement which cost me a lot of money over 11 years, ATCs may be more accurate, but IMO they were not very transparent then.

    Now with ESSs again, attempts at rebuild, design changes to increase their accuracy, and realising the limitations of my resources and education, I will sell them, having bought ADAMs which to me are more transparent, and also very accurate and revealing.

    My Mother used to think that this obsession/interest was madness, but I'm sure that if I could compare my 1972 system with what I have now, there would be a world of difference. But what happened then was in youth, and an exciting fresh insight relative to previous exposure, and we are now getting very close to the asymptote I think.
    Last edited by Pharos; 12-08-2017 at 22:22.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    Hmm. Bit like me. I've tried many speakers, but always end up going back to Tannoys. To me, everything else I've tried has just not sounded quite 'right'!
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

    Default

    I keep most of my kit but...

    I would buy again

    Voyd Valdi - I should never have sold it.

    Eminent Technology ET2 air bearing arm. I should never have sold it and I would have another in a heart beat. I was a total idiot selling that

    T&A V10 sold it and I think I didn't give it a good enough go.

    Audio Innovations Series 1000 mk3 power amps I was an idiot selling these.

    What I would not want back

    Pathos Logos MK1 Too syrupy, warm and bass bloated.

    Unison Research Unico - underwhelming.
    Regards Neil

  9. #9
    Join Date: Aug 2010

    Location: Torquay, Devon.

    Posts: 5,684
    I'm Shane.

    Default

    Buy again.

    Sony CDP-X777ES.
    Linn Karik III.
    Grado SR80/325.
    Rega Apollo-R.
    Neat Petite III.
    Acoustic Energy AE1.
    Naim CD3.5.
    Audio Analogue Puccini SE.
    Leak Stereo 20.
    Quad 303/405.
    Townshend Elite Rock.
    Sonneteer Campion.
    Audio Innovation Series 500.
    Audio Note Meishu.
    Audio Note AN-J.
    TDL Reference Monitors.
    Sugden A21a.
    Musical Fidelity A1.


    Feck off's.

    Naim CDX.
    Arcam CD7SE.
    Graham Slee Novo Headphone amp.
    Naim Nait 1.
    All NVA stuff. Their speakers are absolutely shit to my ears.
    Musical Fidelity X-Can V2.
    All the Royd Speakers......Vile!!

    If I can think of anymore, will post.

    S.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    I should have added the Fidelity Research MC-201 cartridge to my 'wish I'd kept' list. That was a real sweetie! (had a couple of them)
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

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