# Worst speakers you have ever heard



## Tjj226 Angel

This is a thread where you get to bash talk any speaker that you have heard that just makes you question the sanity of who ever designed them. 
  
 There is a similar thread for the worst headphones you have ever heard, so I decided to make a sister thread. 
  
 I will start. 
  
 Monitor Audio PL300. At about 1500 bucks, I think this is one of the worst speakers ever made. My friend and I listened to them with a decent amplifier and CD player, but there was simply no bass and the mids were ridiculously thin. We listened to diana krall and we honestly thought we put in a different disk because all the body of her voice was just out the window.


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## ProtegeManiac

Any speakers some schmucks ever thought of mounting on scooters. And some sorts of public transport, like this one:
  


 Along with their atrocious driving (stopping everywhere, then jumping out of the lane only to thrust back in just to get ahead of another driver picking up passengers), their blasting New Wave or gangsta rap at 100% distortion (I exaggerate but you get the drift) just makes me hate taking public transport, damn all the hippies who criticize me for it. For one, those hippies shouldn't even support these guys because they use really old, badly maintained Isuzu engines spewing black smoke. Think of the worst 30-year old Chevy engines that are still running with half the cylinders and about 10x the pollution.


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## Chris J

My friends Bose surround sound system.
 Wretched.
 He thinks it's awesome.
  
 He's a nice guy so I don't have the heart to tell him it sounds like doggy do-do.


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## Dave74

chris j said:


> My friends Bose surround sound system.
> Wretched.
> He thinks it's awesome.
> 
> He's a nice guy so I don't have the heart to tell him it sounds like doggy do-do.


 
  A lot of people think Beat's and Bose are awesome.  When I was plugging my Verza into my iPhone at the end of the day to use for the bus ride home, a co-worker asked what the Verza was so I told him it was a portable dac/amp.  I let him listen to it with my M-100's and he told me they sounded  really good and very detailed.  Then from across the lunch trailer another co-worker came over and without even listening to them he said "I bet my headphone's sound better", I asked what he had and he told me he had beats studios.  He also felt that Bose and Monster were right at the top of the audio chain.


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## Chris J

Bose, Beats and Monster.
  
 The Unholy Trinity.
  
 To makes things worse, my friend drives his Bose surround sound system with a Yamaha Surround Sound Receiver.


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## Dave74

chris j said:


> Bose, Beats and Monster.
> 
> The Unholy Trinity.
> 
> To makes things worse, my friend drives his Bose surround sound system with a Yamaha Surround Sound Receiver.


 
 Lol.  Yup, I had a Monster power conditioner for my HT system before getting my Furman 15 pfi and one of the lights on the back was out on it without me even knowing. I think it had taken a surge because a while before noticing the light was out it was making a long beeping sound after a power outage.  At least the Furman can reset itself after taking surge. 
  
 I actually didn't mind my old Yamaha RX V2400, which I sold to my dad after around 10 years of use.  I do find my SC-68 is much better for movies though, It is much more dynamic sounding receiver, but it is also higher priced and 10 years newer technology.  
  
 As for bad sounding speakers, my Bose 2.1 computer speakers are the reason I got into a headphone setup.  Very few songs sounded good on these and I would have to eq  at that.


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## Chris J

dave74 said:


> Lol.  Yup, I had a Monster power conditioner for my HT system before getting my Furman 15 pfi and one of the lights on the back was out on it without me even knowing. I think it had taken a surge because a while before noticing the light was out it was making a long beeping sound after a power outage.  At least the Furman can reset itself after taking surge.
> 
> I actually didn't mind my old Yamaha RX V2400, which I sold to my dad after around 10 years of use.  I do find my SC-68 is much better for movies though, It is much more dynamic sounding receiver, but it is also higher priced and 10 years newer technology.
> 
> As for bad sounding speakers, my Bose 2.1 computer speakers are the reason I got into a headphone setup.  Very few songs sounded good on these and I would have to eq  at that.




I shouldn't dump on Yamaha too much, I used to own a Yamaha CR-2020 receiver!

I have a Monster power bar.........and yes, one of the Indicator lights has failed!


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## Shaffer

I don't even know where to begin....

Worst speakers I ever _owned_? The Cerwin Vegas I had for 3 months, before discovering BA A40. That was in 1981.
Worst sounding speaker line I ever worked with? A tossup between Spendor and Epos.

Edit: No, wait. The Polk Monitor 60s I bought for my kids' TV a couple of years ago were absolutely horrid. I don't know if they were worse than the aforementioned C-Ws - too many years in between - but these things were wretched. Mud sounded better.


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## Tjj226 Angel

I went to a audio fest last year and there were these god awful electrostatic speakers there. Normally I am a fan of electrostatic, planar, and weird panel speakers, but these things just sucked. 
  
 I wish I could remember the name, but they were near 40K for a set. 
  
 Another group that I am starting to dislike more and more is bowers and wilkins. Their new speakers with their microphone style tweeter sounds very flat. I can definitely tell that I am listening to speakers. My friend and I heard some of their floor standing speakers, and two seconds later we were gone.


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## Shaffer

tjj226 angel said:


> I went to a audio fest last year and there were these god awful electrostatic speakers there. Normally I am a fan of electrostatic, planar, and weird panel speakers, but these things just sucked.
> 
> I wish I could remember the name, but they were near 40K for a set.
> 
> Another group that I am starting to dislike more and more is bowers and wilkins. Their new speakers with their microphone style tweeter sounds very flat. I can definitely tell that I am listening to speakers. My friend and I heard some of their floor standing speakers, and two seconds later we were gone.




Speakers need to be setup within a given space. That's not as easy as it sounds. Higher resolution speakers need precise setup. Gauging quality based on seeing something at a show or walking by a display in a store is simply meaningless.


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## ProtegeManiac

shaffer said:


> Gauging quality based on seeing something at a show or walking by a display in a store is simply meaningless.


 
  
 The thing is, if you're showing off a product, shouldn't the distributor or manufacturer take care to set it up properly? That said, I don't know how other shows are done, but here in (Metro) Manila they rent two hotel floors for this, but even then, marketing budget can severely handicap some brands. For example the Dynaudio C5.4's (along with Olive music servers and Macintosh downstream) and the Sonus Fabers were set-up in a hotel room (although they didn't sound that bad), while in the floor below, the Focal Stella Utopias (with VTL's) were set-up in a small convention room that really gave them the room they need to perform well.


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## Tjj226 Angel

shaffer said:


> Speakers need to be setup within a given space. That's not as easy as it sounds. Higher resolution speakers need precise setup. Gauging quality based on seeing something at a show or walking by a display in a store is simply meaningless.


 
  
 Mmmmm 
  
 True, but at the same time electrostatics are not that finicky. Quad ESL57s and the large martin logan speakers can just be thrown up in a room and will sound ok. They probably will not sound amazing, but they will sound decent enough. 
  
 No this was simply the only panel style speaker I have ever heard that was muddy sounding.


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## Shaffer

tjj226 angel said:


> Mmmmm
> 
> True, but at the same time electrostatics are not that finicky.* Quad ESL57s and the large martin logan speakers can just be thrown up in a room and will sound ok. *They probably will not sound amazing, but they will sound decent enough.
> 
> No this was simply the only panel style speaker I have ever heard that was muddy sounding.




...if you say so.

Unsubscribing.


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## TsukiNick

chris j said:


> Bose, Beats and Monster.
> 
> The Unholy Trinity.
> 
> To makes things worse, my friend drives his Bose surround sound system with a Yamaha Surround Sound Receiver.


 
 I can see the hate on Bose Beats and Monster but Yamaha?
  
 Yamaha is a great company and their receivers are phenomenal for the price.
  
 I have an RX-V473 and have had no issues with it with my surround sound set up.
  
 2x Polk TSx440T Towers
 1x Polk TSx250C Center Channel
 2x Polk TSx110B Bookshelfs as rears.
 And a JVC subwoofer don't know the model it was just some thrift store sub.


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## Tjj226 Angel

shaffer said:


> ...if you say so.
> 
> Unsubscribing.


 
  
 Face palm. I have owned quads and martin logans. If you put them about 5 feet apart from one and other and angle them slightly, they sound fine. Do they sound amazing? No. But at least I can hear clear mids and highs, and then I go back and fiddle with them to get decent bass. 
  
 These speakers did not have clear anything at all. Sorry, but that is not room effects. That is just the speaker.


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## bigfatpaulie

About 15 years ago when I just really getting into audio, I use to frequent high-end audio shops and give stuff a listen.  I became friendly with the sales staff and even though I obviously couldn't afford the gear, they were nice enough to let me listen to whatever I wanted.  Anyway, they had a pair of Revel Saloon's hooked up to all Proceed electronics (remember Proceed?) and I listened to a HDCD.  It was spectacular and to this day is still one of my most memorable listening experiences.
  
 To the point, after visiting the shop, I had to head over to the mall to get something from RadioShack.  There was a stereo store in the mall, one of those places that sells both car and home audio.  Still on a high from my listening nirvana, I couldn't help but walk in.  The salesman took me to the back to listen to their reference system...  A company called "Nuance" powered by Harman Kardon.  He cranked it (because, you know, that's how it'll sound best).  It sounded like a night-club.  Boomy, distorted and harsh.  Just awful.


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## eugenius

bose acoustimass - sounds like an elephant and a mouse farting at the same time.


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## TsukiNick

Instead of beating the dead horse of Bose, Beats, Monster..

I'd say the Yamaha HS-10 Studio Monitors. Them sounding bad is probably by design being some sort of successor to the NS-10s

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## kuhchuk

I work at a catering place that will remain anonymous, and we recently did a giant promotional party for a large multinational company (that will again remain anonymous).  They hired a DJ, and he had simply the worst sounding audio setup I've ever heard.  It consisted of four absolutely GIANT JBL speakers that had 3 or 4 woofers each and a tweeter or two. 
  
 I'm assuming that it had less to do with the speakers themselves and more to do with the way he had them set up, but there was a ridiculous quantity of bass (which was to be expected, given the situation, although I will admit it was VERY clean and punchy), absolutely awful mids that made vocals sound like the singer was in a cave with a narrow opening, and absolutely skull-piercing highs.  I have no doubt in my mind that the guy had this monstrous rig EQ'd to look like a giant valley.  Gave me a severe headache, and I had to endure it for about six hours.  Definitely not a fun night, and definitely awful audio.


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## cel4145

tjj226 angel said:


> This is a thread where you get to bash talk any speaker that you have heard that just makes you *question the sanity* of who ever designed them.




I don't question the sanity of why they did it, because I know why (they know how to market them). But Bose Acoustimass is one of the worst that I've heard for the money. First time I ever heard them was at a relative's house about ten years. When we were watching a movie and the male voices starting coming out of the bass module, I couldn't help but think how much better just my old pair of Paradigm Phantoms sounded than the whole expensive Acoustimass set. The highs were no good out of the cubes, because of course they don't have tweeters (LOL).


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## cel4145

protegemaniac said:


> Any speakers some schmucks ever thought of mounting on scooters. And some sorts of public transport, like this one:




We don't have this speaker problem in the US, but I definitely feel for you


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## ProtegeManiac

cel4145 said:


> We don't have this speaker problem in the US, but I definitely feel for you


 
  
 People think I'm just some fancy Catholic school kid (kind of like the Manila equivalent of NY's "upper east side kids," except we're on Long Island or something) when I don't take public transport, but really the point is that 1) their music is horrible and their distorting speakers make them much worse, and 2) when I'm on my car these bastards drive like absolute horse s**t, so handing them $0.25 makes me feel like I'm supporting what makes my life hell every morning and evening (and I don't want headhones stolen by snatchers). Then again, I'm handing over $5 to some Sheikhs and such people so they can order Pininfarinas they will cancel later, or import more starlets from Manila, but if I take public transport, I'd be doing both, so short of an electric car, my own car is still better (I think).
  
 Liberal economics and freedom my arse


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## sealykojac

While definitely not the worst speakers I've listened to I would say the most disappointing speakers have been B&W 600 series speakers. They are always well reviewed and sound decent but the competition from PSB, Paradigm, Monitor Audio, and similar brands have always impressed me more for the dollar.


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## ProtegeManiac

sealykojac said:


> While definitely not the worst speakers I've listened to I would say the most disappointing speakers have been B&W 600 series speakers. They are always well reviewed and sound decent but the competition from PSB, Paradigm, Monitor Audio, and similar brands have always impressed me more for the dollar.


 
  
 What amps have you used with PSB? I've listened to them several times in stores but haven't come across any amp that reigned in the loose bass on their multi-driver towers.


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## sealykojac

protegemaniac said:


> What amps have you used with PSB? I've listened to them several times in stores but haven't come across any amp that reigned in the loose bass on their multi-driver towers.


 
  
 I used a high end Marantz receiver and later a Bel Canto integrated when I had PSB towers.


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## ProtegeManiac

sealykojac said:


> I used a high end Marantz receiver and later a Bel Canto integrated when I had PSB towers.


 
  
 Thanks, I'm gonna go out and try those sometime. Will need to visit a mall here that has several audio shops, including one that trades in vintage gear, right next to a PSB dealer.


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## cel4145

protegemaniac said:


> What amps have you used with PSB? I've listened to them several times in stores but haven't come across any amp that reigned in the loose bass on their multi-driver towers.




Sounds like you might be a candidate for monitors and a good sub instead of towers. Best way to get good bass


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## ProtegeManiac

cel4145 said:


> Sounds like you might be a candidate for monitors and a good sub instead of towers. Best way to get good bass


 

 Not really - I had a sub before and integrating it was a PITA without a good crossover network like in my car's receiver (3-way hi-, band-, and low-pass with time alignment). Also the bass is kinda flabby, but I know someone who used his old 8" car sub in a sealed box (aesthetically not the best, but he might have built a new box for it by now), put spikes on it, then eventually transferred the spikes to the panel opposite the driver baffle and it fires upwards between the speakers. Alternately, someone else just put a front-firing sub on a platform and raised it to the same level as the speaker stands.
  
 In any case that was mostly just the PSB - my NAD was able to drive the B&W (600 or CM, I don't remember) towers with multiple bass drivers (not the one with an active sub amp built into them), and the bass was tight. It kicks my chest when it needs to, like in Deftones' _Digital Bath_, but playing Jane Monheit and other jazz artists, the standing bass was very well-controlled and somewhat groovy. If I didn't give up on speakers in the house I'm in right now (still the house I grew up in, but I'm living alone now) or as it is right now, I'd have kept the 304. The D3020 is amazing too.


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## cel4145

protegemaniac said:


> Not really - I had a sub before and integrating it was a PITA without a good crossover network like in my car's receiver (3-way hi-, band-, and low-pass with time alignment). Also the bass is kinda flabby, but I know someone who used his old 8" car sub in a sealed box (aesthetically not the best, but he might have built a new box for it by now), put spikes on it, then eventually transferred the spikes to the panel opposite the driver baffle and it fires upwards between the speakers. *Alternately, someone else just put a front-firing sub on a platform and raised it to the same level as the speaker stands.*




Why would someone do that? LOL

But sure. Subs are most easily integrated with speakers using AVRs since nothing else comes with crossovers these days. And then you need EQ to make them sound their best. And typically more than one, well placed in the room.


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## ProtegeManiac

cel4145 said:


> Why would someone do that? LOL


 

 In theory sub frequencies are omni-directional, but that doesn't mean they cannot absolutely be localized. Easiest example is in a car - moving the bass to the front involves time alignment and usually placing a gap in the crossover settings. At home, as it was in my set up, the bass guitar wasn't well-defined, and yet if I put my ears next to the monitors and the sub, it didn't at all sound wrong. Also while the bass drum may be on the floor, tha band is supposedly on a stage, not the same floor as the listener, plus having the bass guitar coming from near the floor isn't right either. Obviously, it was having some time alignment issues in the room, especially with the listening chair only 5ft+ away from the equipment rack in the center of the two speakers, however, hooking up a car audio receiver with time alignment to a 12VDC power supply just to use TA is a lot more expensive than raising the sub.


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## cel4145

Yeah. 5ft is kind of close. Makes the bass more localizable. Sounds like you need duals


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## ProtegeManiac

cel4145 said:


> Yeah. 5ft is kind of close. Makes the bass more localizable. Sounds like you need duals


 
  
 Nah, I need a new house. Already drew up plans but it won't happen any time soon given the sort of people that moved into our neighborhood and likely lowering potential (not actual, taxable) value for buyers. Think of pants-less kids walking around everywhere while Moms are talking on the front porch yapping with high pitched voices. The only way I can sell this house for enough money to start building my own will be if some shady character feels generous, but then again they're also the types who go on buying sprees of cheap houses in Vegas post-2008.
  
 In any case the plans I drew up will have a library with an audio room on one side, door on the inside of the library. The audio room itself will have an antechamber for my collectibles and CDs, further encasing the audio room so as not to disturb the neighbors, measuring at least 16ft x 20ft. Ventilation/cooling will be a split-inverter A/C that sucks in air from outside and also keeps the noise there. Too many other features that cater to specific needs are in my plans too, which is why I can't just buy somebody else's house.


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## cel4145

protegemaniac said:


> Nah, I need a new house. Already drew up plans but it won't happen any time soon given the sort of people that moved into our neighborhood and likely lowering potential (not actual, taxable) value for buyers. Think of pants-less kids walking around everywhere while Moms are talking on the front porch yapping with high pitched voices. The only way I can sell this house for enough money to start building my own will be if some shady character feels generous, but then again they're also the types who go on buying sprees of cheap houses in Vegas post-2008.
> 
> In any case the plans I drew up will have a library with an audio room on one side, door on the inside of the library. The audio room itself will have an antechamber for my collectibles and CDs, further encasing the audio room so as not to disturb the neighbors, measuring at least 16ft x 20ft. Ventilation/cooling will be a split-inverter A/C that sucks in air from outside and also keeps the noise there. Too many other features that cater to specific needs are in my plans too, which is why I can't just buy somebody else's house.




A dedicated audio/video room would be nice


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## ProtegeManiac

cel4145 said:


> A dedicated audio/video room would be nice


 
  
 2ch audio rig will be as I described above. HT/gaming rig will be in the living room for a number of reasons, primarily so that guests won't have to go far into or up the house with finger food. I won't get too anal with the speakers but I'm looking into using omnidirectional speakers; I'm just not sold on the prices. I could DIY some designs, and ask a local horm speaker fabricator to help design diffusers, because if done right I can get away with a phantom center, and only four speakers around the seats. I'll porbably use PVC pipes and coat them with automotive paint, so unlike MDF they won't bloat from moisture, since aside from refreshments, I'm planning on using an intake fan that takes cold air from above the roof (with a water spritzer). Saw that on an episode of World's Greenest Homes in Arizona.
  
 Now, given those speaker plans, there's a good chance that if I even get around to building a house as is, if I build custom omni speakers, I might just end up posting here in this thread about them


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## cel4145

protegemaniac said:


> 2ch audio rig will be as I described above. HT/gaming rig will be in the living room for a number of reasons, primarily so that guests won't have to go far into or up the house with finger food. I won't get too anal with the speakers but I'm looking into using omnidirectional speakers; I'm just not sold on the prices. I could DIY some designs, and ask a local horm speaker fabricator to help design diffusers, because if done right I can get away with a phantom center, and only four speakers around the seats. I'll porbably use PVC pipes and coat them with automotive paint, so unlike MDF they won't bloat from moisture, since aside from refreshments, I'm planning on using an intake fan that takes cold air from above the roof (with a water spritzer). Saw that on an episode of World's Greenest Homes in Arizona.
> 
> Now, given those speaker plans, there's a good chance that if I even get around to building a house as is, if I build custom omni speakers, I might just end up posting here in this thread about them




I think I'd stick to headphones (lol)


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## GLBright

I've heard some Ohms that didn't sound particularly appealing. But the worst were speakers that I actually auditioned in store before buying them: Phase Technology 730es. Harsh. Very harsh. Especially noticeable after comparing them side by side with the Infinity Overture 3s I bought sound unheard to replace them. Night and day.


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## Haverty2004

Most stage wedges!


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## Alex--o

The speakers on the back of flat screen TVs are the worst


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## kuhchuk

Do people actually use those? I'd assume most people would at least have the sense to buy a cheap sound bar. Still not going to be the greatest experience, but certainly better than the built in speakers.


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## ProtegeManiac

kuhchuk said:


> Do people actually use those? I'd assume most people would at least have the sense to buy a cheap sound bar. Still not going to be the greatest experience, but certainly better than the built in speakers.


 
  
 Actually the cheap $10 multimedia speakers in most office computers suck a lot worse than better-brand HDTVs. Samsung and Sony have decent sound, and so do the other brands of similar caliber; it's the cheaper brand HDTVs that skimp on speakers, and why people who buy them are either tone-deaf or have an actual HT system and have never even heard anything out of those speakers.


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## Alex--o

kuhchuk said:


> Do people actually use those? I'd assume most people would at least have the sense to buy a cheap sound bar. Still not going to be the greatest experience, but certainly better than the built in speakers.




Most people I know don't have a sound bar. I would try to save a little more money for an expensive one because they can be a lot better. I have a Yamaha sound bar but I can't remember the model name.


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## eugenius

Other than the usual 10$ computer speakers, the Bose Acoustimass whatever system.
  
 What's funny is that the owner was proud of it and was blasting it into a huge amount of awful distortion. It was like music mixed in with pig squealing.


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## TwinACStacks

tjj226 angel said:


> I went to a audio fest last year and there were these god awful electrostatic speakers there. Normally I am a fan of electrostatic, planar, and weird panel speakers, but these things just sucked.
> 
> I wish I could remember the name, but they were near 40K for a set.
> 
> Another group that I am starting to dislike more and more is bowers and wilkins. Their new speakers with their microphone style tweeter sounds very flat. I can definitely tell that I am listening to speakers. My friend and I heard some of their floor standing speakers, and two seconds later we were gone.


 
 I agree with your assessment of the NEWER B&W's. I have a Home theater setup with matching 602's, Center and Surrounds with a Huge ASW4000 Sub/amp they are the older style and sound just superb. I was getting the itch a ways back to upgrade, so I went to My Hifi Dealer to see about some Newer Models. Needless to say I still have the 600 series. The worst 2 I've heard were the Cerwin Vegas and JBL's (after they sold out around '80's??? to Harman)
  





 TWIN


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