Most Underrated/Overrated Component or Brand
- Thread starter Marantzaholic
- Start date
Theophilus Punoval
The Queen says it's OK...
Uncle Paul
Super Member
Vintage_Hi-F
Vintage Audio Geek
Maybe it was my nickname - "Shooter"ity:
If the system contained an STA-110 then it was most likely the system.
Theophilus Punoval
The Queen says it's OK...
Or both.
Nikko75
Listener and Music Lover
Agreed. There are still people flogging their $5000 Beomaster sets. Joe Rosen is one of them.Most overrated: Bang and Olufsen. Now, they did actually make a few nice pieces, but their el cheapo big bucko lifestyle products have earned them most overrated status in my book. Unlike Realistic, B&O could get you laid, however
B&O claims the title over Bose for these reasons:
- Acoustacrap didn't come out until the BPC era
- B&O is probably the inspiration for Bose to become a lifestyle ripoff machine.
Vistance
Super Member
Several months later...
For Underrated:
Yamaha - I have no clue why people don't like Yamaha that much, I always liked their stuff. Nice build quality and very clean. I wish I could find more of it, but it's quite rare in any form.
Technics - Maybe I'm biased because my first receiver was a Technics, but I've always liked Technics equipment. Most of my experience is with the late 80's and the 90's gear and I like most of what I see. I have never had a Technics anything that didn't work perfectly. Only once did I find a vintage Technics that had a fried power supply, but it was an entry model Technics. I love my Technics CD player and wouldn't replace it for nary anything else.
Onkyo - I don't ever hear much about this stuff, but I have always liked Onkyo stuff. Onkyo didn't really cheap out in the 90's, still had nice metal on them and had some heft about them. The vintage Onkyo I see is also pretty nice, but very uncommon - I have yet to see a vintage Onkyo anything in person.
Now to the overrated stuff...boy some people aren't gonna like me for these but whatever, I'm not saying it's BAD stuff, just way overrated...
Marantz - boy, I'm tired of hearing people go on and on about Marantz stuff like it's so wonderful. It's the same level of quality as the other old vintage gear that is well made I've found is. Except it's not too reliable, we had a Marantz before and it had a problem with the speaker terminals and a few of the RCA phono connectors didn't work right. People ask high prices for this stuff and I just don't see it. That and when you see them describing it, they are just gushing about how wonderful it is and how they're so firm on their ridiculous price...and for about half the money I can buy a massive receiver or something from any of the other companies of the period. I also don't like that spin wheel for the tuner - I like my dials!
Pioneer - Almost every Pioneer I have personally owned has had stuff wrong with it. I had a vintage Pioneer SX I think a 9930 or 939, and it had lots of quirky issues with the speaker selector not wanting to stay in, tuner was come and go, had some other annoying problems. I have a much newer fairly mid-fi Pioneer surround receiver, the volume on it doesn't work on the front - rather it only goes UP and not down so you must use the remote. Not to stray too far, but I had a new Pioneer blu-ray too and that thing was pure rubbish. To be fair though, I have my Pioneer PL-71 turntable and it is quite nice - works great and I do love it. But I'm not a real big fan of Pioneer...
Sansui - See above...seriously, every (Yes, I do mean literally every) Sansui I have found has not worked properly either. Be it entry level or flagship model, they're always broken! I had a 9090 not too long ago - and that thing I just could not make work and saw nothing that should have been wrong with it. I hate quirky problems...they frustrate me to no end. Although Sansui stuff generally tends to just flat out not work in a useful way (i.e. - no output to the speakers, amp won't come out of protection, etc.)
Of course I'd still buy any of those I mentioned, it's just that I'm not particularly a fan of them. I seem to have a thing for the less mainstream brands. I like me a nice clean NAD or Adcom! I like low frills, but high quality - hence I usually don't care for vintage receivers with all the lights and stuff, way too showy (Many still sound good though).
For Underrated:
Yamaha - I have no clue why people don't like Yamaha that much, I always liked their stuff. Nice build quality and very clean. I wish I could find more of it, but it's quite rare in any form.
Technics - Maybe I'm biased because my first receiver was a Technics, but I've always liked Technics equipment. Most of my experience is with the late 80's and the 90's gear and I like most of what I see. I have never had a Technics anything that didn't work perfectly. Only once did I find a vintage Technics that had a fried power supply, but it was an entry model Technics. I love my Technics CD player and wouldn't replace it for nary anything else.
Onkyo - I don't ever hear much about this stuff, but I have always liked Onkyo stuff. Onkyo didn't really cheap out in the 90's, still had nice metal on them and had some heft about them. The vintage Onkyo I see is also pretty nice, but very uncommon - I have yet to see a vintage Onkyo anything in person.
Now to the overrated stuff...boy some people aren't gonna like me for these but whatever, I'm not saying it's BAD stuff, just way overrated...
Marantz - boy, I'm tired of hearing people go on and on about Marantz stuff like it's so wonderful. It's the same level of quality as the other old vintage gear that is well made I've found is. Except it's not too reliable, we had a Marantz before and it had a problem with the speaker terminals and a few of the RCA phono connectors didn't work right. People ask high prices for this stuff and I just don't see it. That and when you see them describing it, they are just gushing about how wonderful it is and how they're so firm on their ridiculous price...and for about half the money I can buy a massive receiver or something from any of the other companies of the period. I also don't like that spin wheel for the tuner - I like my dials!
Pioneer - Almost every Pioneer I have personally owned has had stuff wrong with it. I had a vintage Pioneer SX I think a 9930 or 939, and it had lots of quirky issues with the speaker selector not wanting to stay in, tuner was come and go, had some other annoying problems. I have a much newer fairly mid-fi Pioneer surround receiver, the volume on it doesn't work on the front - rather it only goes UP and not down so you must use the remote. Not to stray too far, but I had a new Pioneer blu-ray too and that thing was pure rubbish. To be fair though, I have my Pioneer PL-71 turntable and it is quite nice - works great and I do love it. But I'm not a real big fan of Pioneer...
Sansui - See above...seriously, every (Yes, I do mean literally every) Sansui I have found has not worked properly either. Be it entry level or flagship model, they're always broken! I had a 9090 not too long ago - and that thing I just could not make work and saw nothing that should have been wrong with it. I hate quirky problems...they frustrate me to no end. Although Sansui stuff generally tends to just flat out not work in a useful way (i.e. - no output to the speakers, amp won't come out of protection, etc.)
Of course I'd still buy any of those I mentioned, it's just that I'm not particularly a fan of them. I seem to have a thing for the less mainstream brands. I like me a nice clean NAD or Adcom! I like low frills, but high quality - hence I usually don't care for vintage receivers with all the lights and stuff, way too showy (Many still sound good though).
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Copa1934
My ears are bleeding
I can't believe my eye's. I've seen many brands listed that in my mind have never really been underrated, unless I'm misunderstanding this post.
For me, without question Realistic, no if's and's or but's about it. Period. There are still posts with "wow, whoda thunk anything from RS sounded even good?". I'm not going to talk about speakers here, just receivers like STA-2100, 2100D, 2500, 2600 and a multitude of other TOL RS boxes. Dollar for Dollar only Concept or Fisher could be a better bargain (not talking GW, Garage sale, etc. when new).
Overrated? Hmm, to some degree I would concur with Bose, but based on people who have owned them (speaking only of 901's) AND had them implemented correctly (correct placement, proper room acoustics, etc) they are quite formidable speakers. If you go by Ad hype, Sears, JC Penny, Wards, and at times even RS is guilty of overselling their products. JBL really would be another. When you have so many people so solidly split over their products, something isn't what it appears. Note, I own L3's and I love them, though I would not go so far as saying they're the end all. Next to Bose I think JBL is one of the most recognized names in audio. And for Bose it's more infamous than fame.
For me, without question Realistic, no if's and's or but's about it. Period. There are still posts with "wow, whoda thunk anything from RS sounded even good?". I'm not going to talk about speakers here, just receivers like STA-2100, 2100D, 2500, 2600 and a multitude of other TOL RS boxes. Dollar for Dollar only Concept or Fisher could be a better bargain (not talking GW, Garage sale, etc. when new).
Overrated? Hmm, to some degree I would concur with Bose, but based on people who have owned them (speaking only of 901's) AND had them implemented correctly (correct placement, proper room acoustics, etc) they are quite formidable speakers. If you go by Ad hype, Sears, JC Penny, Wards, and at times even RS is guilty of overselling their products. JBL really would be another. When you have so many people so solidly split over their products, something isn't what it appears. Note, I own L3's and I love them, though I would not go so far as saying they're the end all. Next to Bose I think JBL is one of the most recognized names in audio. And for Bose it's more infamous than fame.
reggaenaut
Addicted Member
????????
I think my Luxman L-430 is very underrated it has a warm but open sound to it and power to burn. It cost over a thousand new in the early eighties and I paid under two hundred and it hasn't missed a beat.
Yamaha is a but underrated as well but not as much as Luxman.
Yamaha is a but underrated as well but not as much as Luxman.
This opinion comes from having a closet full of it. Sorry, just my opinion. I'm not saying that everything made in the decade was bad, but the hands of audio time did not stop on Dec.31 1979.
An '80s Sansui AU-x901 will slay my Sansui 9090db...and I wish it were not so. But it is, to my ears. An '80s Harman Kardon PM-665vxi very surely destroyed my '70s 430 receiver in every conceivable aspect, yet you can find the 665 for very little because it isn't covered in silver and buttons. The '70s weren't my formative years....the '80s were, but I still have no nostalgia for the gear of that era. I just think that in a one on one comparison, there are a lot of gems in the '80s and its a decade that doesn't get much love around here...where the '70s gets probably 80% of the love.
aidynphoenix
Super Member
IMO. underrated
Yamaha
Technics
Fisher
Average (make crap and some good stuff)
Sony
Pioneer
Cerwin Vega
Overrated!!
Sansui
Hitachi
JVC
BOSE!
Samsung
Phillips
i think people get confused when they see Marantz and somehow think its a Mcintosh
Yamaha
Technics
Fisher
Average (make crap and some good stuff)
Sony
Pioneer
Cerwin Vega
Overrated!!
Sansui
Hitachi
JVC
BOSE!
Samsung
Phillips
i think people get confused when they see Marantz and somehow think its a Mcintosh
Elfasto
Super Member
.....Unlike Realistic, B&O could get you laid, however
........I got nothing. I really can't argue with this. LOL
........I got nothing. I really can't argue with this. LOL
They had good frequency response. Frequency of female contact.
Vistance
Super Member
You know, I don't know if B&O still has any sex appeal (Not that I was around when it would have anyway)...most women today I don't think even know what B&O is...hell, lots of guys don't either. If there is a woman who finds audio equipment appealing instead of staring at a cell phone or Facebook all day I'd love to meet them. From what I have seen, most girls (at least in college) closest experience with hi-fi is their iPod with lots of lossy MP3s or a boombox from Walmart (with ripped CDs of lots of lossy MP3s).
markshan
Sir Thrift a Lot
Keep telling people that, maybe you can drive down the prices.
grateful
Super Member
Overrated Dynaco tube gear... muddy sounding with boomy bass and a rolled of high end. No real low end power.
Underrated later Dynaco solid state gear such as the St-150 and ST-400 series. They are often lumped with the the ST-80 and St-120. They are completly different designs.
Underrated later Dynaco solid state gear such as the St-150 and ST-400 series. They are often lumped with the the ST-80 and St-120. They are completly different designs.
reggaenaut
Addicted Member
BTW I never did like the 9090db, my love is the 8080 without the db.
Personally I know I am bias: I get a negative visceral reaction to units not clad in silver. For me the 70 is super.
