Most Underrated/Overrated Component or Brand

[THF2]

@Magfinity ,

I like the perspective you provide.

How does one respond to this?

Is it by overall an overall manufacturer?

Is it by an overall manufacturer at a given point in time?

Is it a specific model from a given manufacturer?

Is it when that model was manufactured?

Is it an emotional/historical/esthetics POV?

Is it a subjective ( and to be clear perfectly appropriate) POV?

I can go on and on but, i think I made my point.

People place value on things for a myriad of reasons. Who’s to say that any one’s view is either right or wrong.

In the end, we should all be comfortable with whatever choices that we make and try and stay away from comparisons.

 

[jefferylhenr]

Over rated… almost anything Marantz or Pioneer

 

[painttoad]

keeping in mind that some overrated brands do have some nice units and some underrated brands have some some duds. my picks:

over rated: kenwood, sansui, marantz, pioneer, klipsch, b&w

under rated: concept, quadraflex

 

[PabloTincho]

Under rated
Hafler, The XL-280, and the Transnova series
Also the preamps are really good Iris, se100, 915

 

[hopeless]

@Magfinity ,

I like the perspective you provide.

How does one respond to this?

Is it by overall an overall manufacturer?

Is it by an overall manufacturer at a given point in time?

Is it a specific model from a given manufacturer?

Is it when that model was manufactured?

Is it an emotional/historical/esthetics POV?

Is it a subjective ( and to be clear perfectly appropriate) POV?

I can go on and on but, i think I made my point.

People place value on things for a myriad of reasons. Who’s to say that any one’s view is either right or wrong.

In the end, we should all be comfortable with whatever choices that we make and try and stay away from comparisons.

A good manufacturer will drop a deuce every now and then. Every once in a while, a marginal player will hit a home run. As someone who has literally run dozens of components through my system over the years, my perspective is that longer term manufacturers have eras, dictated by the design team. Sometimes these changes produce winners on both sides. Personally, I really like mid 70s h/k, and the Ottala era stuff. I don't like the rolled off highs of Marantz. The hollow brightness of Carver. I just finished up a Sansui AU517 and must say I'm really Impressed. My Electrocompaniet AW100 is incredible. Most modern high end amps seem bright and thin. I remember being mesmerized by a Krell KSA80, and repulsed by the KSA650 monos.

Everyone likes something different, and even then we will have phases if we really start a search for THE sound we want.

 

[Magfinity]

@Magfinity ,

I like the perspective you provide.

How does one respond to this?

Is it by overall an overall manufacturer?

Is it by an overall manufacturer at a given point in time?

Is it a specific model from a given manufacturer?

Is it when that model was manufactured?

Is it an emotional/historical/esthetics POV?

Is it a subjective ( and to be clear perfectly appropriate) POV?

I can go on and on but, i think I made my point.

People place value on things for a myriad of reasons. Who’s to say that any one’s view is either right or wrong.

In the end, we should all be comfortable with whatever choices that we make and try and stay away from comparisons.

you can't overate an entire brand, that's the whole point I am making. Nobody here has heard EVERYTHING they made.

Therefore you can never just conclude what's overrated vs what's not overrated. I see people here mention marantz.

Using the generic argument "it's overpriced" that's not marantz their fault. That we have clowns, that sell it off at 4x its actually original prices. It's a matter of context here.

And then when you ask "how much have you actually heard of said brand" the answer is never ever "I heard it all it's just overrated" no, they come with maybe one or a few models they tried. Or worse , "I heard that at a friends house or a store demo" ..

That's the weakest crutch anyone can have in my opinion. I can't even take some here serious on their opinion because they have so little validity.

I know unpopular opinion.... But that's legit how I look at that

 

[init4fun]

So, , , , a whole bunch of China bashing posts had to hit the bin. Figured I'd post this rather than sending a whole bunch of "your post was removed" love letters.

Friends, please remember that the "most underrated/overrated component or brand" topic really can't be allowed to wander down the world politics path, it's against the rules, feelings will inevitably end up hurt, , , and it's really not a good look for a bunch of sophisticated audiophiles

 

[gizzyman47]

Overrated: NAD
Underrated: Toshiba

 

[Electone]

Overrated: Rega, Linn
Underrated: JVC

 

[Blue Shadow]

under rated: concept, quadraflex

These are just less known stuff. Pacific Stereo was not national and half the country never saw that junk. The concepts are highly rated, just lesser known.

 

[Blue Shadow]

That we have clowns, that sell it off at 4x its actually original prices.

This is NOT the sellers being clowns. If someone sees the going price is 4x msrp and I got one, I'm for sure gonna cash in on that. It is all the talk on ak and other forums drooling all over the Pio/Mar/Sui/Mac gear that runs the prices up well past a premium position.

 

[painttoad]

These are just less known stuff. Pacific Stereo was not national and half the country never saw that junk. The concepts are highly rated, just lesser known.

if you want to get technical then keep in mind that pacific stereo made it to chicago. Thats over half the country.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Thats over half the country.

but probably not half the people



From: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-200-years-of-u-s-population-density/

But then I didn't look at house of reps totals for each side of that Chicago line and they probably were further east than that. But they are much less known than a national brand.

Never been in a PS. but did read their how to sell manual when I was selling in Knoxville.

 

[painttoad]

but probably not half the people

View attachment 3280038

From: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-200-years-of-u-s-population-density/

But the I didn't look at house of reps totals for each side of that Chicago line.

Never been in a PS. but did read their how to sell manual when I was selling in Knoxville.

Ive never been in one either. I dont suppose that you still have the manual...

 

[Blue Shadow]

Ive never been in one either. I dont suppose that you still have the manual...

No, that was a copy the store owner had that we got to look over.

I probably do still have the BMWCCA drivers instructor training folder I got when I went to that training session at Roebling Road in the 90s. But I don't know where to look for it.

 

[THF2]

This is NOT the sellers being clowns. If someone sees the going price is 4x msrp and I got one, I'm for sure gonna cash in on that. It is all the talk on ak and other forums drooling all over the Pio/Mar/Sui/Mac gear that runs the prices up well past a premium position.

@Blue Shadow ,

You have a valid point in that while the individual selling opportunities might not dictate the overall market “sell price” of a given product, why not “Get it while the gettin’s good”.

On the other hand, I come back to my support of what @Magfinity said in that there are a lot of sellers out there (i.e take a look at the sellers other items: (pocket books, knickknacks, other items that are simply not related to vintage audio)) where they have no idea what they have and using on-line pricing to make a quick uninformed transaction that are artificially inflating the prices.

That’s where the real issue lies.

 

[painttoad]

This is NOT the sellers being clowns. If someone sees the going price is 4x msrp and I got one, I'm for sure gonna cash in on that. It is all the talk on ak and other forums drooling all over the Pio/Mar/Sui/Mac gear that runs the prices up well past a premium position.

i am patiently awaiting all the sx 1980,1280 and 1080s. and 1050s and 1250s to be in private collections and off the market. then hopefully the sx1010's price will skyrocket like those did and i'll sell mine. but until then, i am going to enjoy tf out of it.

 

[Blue Shadow]

then hopefully the sx1010's price will skyrocket like those did and i'll sell mine.

And then you can get a pile of most excellent sounding separates to enjoy for their improved sound quality and leave idea of flying the enterprise to those with the big receivers.

 

[painttoad]

And then you can get a pile of most excellent sounding separates to enjoy for their improved sound quality and leave idea of flying the enterprise to those with the big receivers.

Ive got yamaha separates as my main system.

I will probably keep my sx3900 for a long while.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Ive got yamaha separates as my main system

I’m listening to an R-3055 in the summer bedroom.