Most Underrated/Overrated Component or Brand

[tubeboob]

Wow, this is a vintage thread, but it needs a response. I'm not sure about overrated, but I can say that the Sanyo Plus Series is very underappreciated and perhaps underrated.

The C55 Preamp
The T55 Tuner and
the P55 Amplifier

Preamp is clean sounding, tuner is amazing, and the amplifier a mosfet powerhouse.

Also underrated is the Zenith MC-7051 receiver.

Finally, underrated is the
Sherwood AP-7020 preamp and the matching
Sherwood AM-7040 amplifier

This Sherwood mosfet amp is made in Korea and has 8 hitachi mosfets per side in a dual mono design, putting out a respectful 200 WPC RMS into 8 ohms. All with really nice quality sound, mind you.

Yeah, I know, Sherwood is not a name that is oft associated with quality, but these are two pieces which I have and can vouch for their effectiveness.

Cheers

 

[stereofisher]

You are right about the Zenith Receivers

Wow, this is a vintage thread, but it needs a response. I'm not sure about overrated, but I can say that the Sanyo Plus Series is very underappreciated and perhaps underrated.

The C55 Preamp
The T55 Tuner and
the P55 Amplifier

Preamp is clean sounding, tuner is amazing, and the amplifier a mosfet powerhouse.

Also underrated is the Zenith MC-7051 receiver.

Finally, underrated is the
Sherwood AP-7020 preamp and the matching
Sherwood AM-7040 amplifier

This Sherwood mosfet amp is made in Korea and has 8 hitachi mosfets per side in a dual mono design, putting out a respectful 200 WPC RMS into 8 ohms. All with really nice quality sound, mind you.

Yeah, I know, Sherwood is not a name that is oft associated with quality, but these are two pieces which I have and can vouch for their effectiveness.

Cheers

Bought several through my store in the early 80's and kept the 40 watt receiver til 1989. Cleaned the pots and gave it to a friend about now in '89. Set it up in an old Victrola cabinet with a 6 disc CD changer and a Kenwood cassette. Wired her whole downstairs and the deck. Figured I would have to clean the pots in the mid nineties. Have not touched that receiver since. Visit it several times a month. Still a strong performer in 2007!!!! Who would have figured. Great build quality. Came out in 1978. Too bad Zenith did not introduce them in the late 60's. Too late in the 70's.:tears:

Eric

 

[vinyldavid]

Guys.....Most over-rated in the history of mankind goes to....BOSE!

This might sound like blasphemy to some of you, but a couple of their radios sound OK for what they are. Highly overpriced, those radios are.

 

[MisterFishey]

IMO Realistic is a very under-rated brand. Radio Shack, yes, but since its purchase in 1974 all my STA-47 has needed is a new light bulb. No deoxit, no recapping, nothing. Never skips a beat. The sound quality is ok, but the STA-47 is a low-end model from them, so I bet the TOTL ones are pretty nice.

As for the venerable Marantz: I am fairly new to the world of vintage gear. I purchased a 2250 off the 'Bay just over 2 months ago. Now, keep in mind I have nothing comparable to it in terms of sound quality. In my opinion, a non-experienced one, the Marantz sounds amazing. Great bass, crisp treble, solid midrange - overall excellent. Build quality - superb. Now, is it overrated or underrated? I say neither. People expect it to be excellent, and it is.

JVC is also very underrated. You have to be careful (like Sony - a few gems, but watch out!), but I have many JVC products, and although the build quality is below even Sony IMO, the $12 JVC CD player I have sounds pretty good.

 

[gouldsborogr]

I'd have to agree on the Realistic. I used a 100 watt Optimus receiver for years and never had a problem with it...it was built like a tank and sounded surprisingly good, especially with a little EQ.

As far as overrated, Bose. I tried three different models of their speakers in the past before my ears got a bit of an education; another pair of them will never enter my home.

 

[deeder7001]

I've never really come across a brand I didn't like. My grandma has a good Pioneer system(since '85ish) which sounds really good and it's in good shape. My other grandma's husband has a nice Yamaha system('84ish) but the woofers need new surrounds and it hasn't been used in well over a year. My uncle has an HK home theater system with Infinitys and sounds fine. I have the CD player he bought for that system.

Based on all that, I'd say underrated is Kenwood and overrated is Harman Kardon.

 

[JesusChrysler]

Underrated?


Coral speakers.


Yup.





Matt

 

[persons0]

Overrated:

BOSE (Fool unsuspecting people into buying their crap with fancy displays)
Magnum Dynalab (FT-101A and MD 102T specifically)


Underrated:

Vintage Sony

 

[jhal]

I just realized this thread is 4 1/2 years old. Someone brought out the shovel.:scratch2: I guess I will throw my log on the fire. I have to agree on Kenwood being underrated. My kenwoods were made in the late 70's or very early 80's and are very well made. My only gripe is that the circuit boards are kind of "messy" when it comes to component symmetry. In other words, they aren't neatly placed, and i'm sure it has to do with them being moved around when they went through the wave machine to be soldered. As far as overrated, it would have to be newer (90's) Sony. I had an '96 vintage ES cd changer and it broke twice. The second time it broke, it went to the boneyard. I know the newest Sonys aren't worth the plastic they are made of, and Kenwood did have some nice higher-end receivers (Sovereign line).

 

[Snade]

Underrated vintage speakers (and a little off the radar)

Rectilinear

Allison
​

Overrated speakers:

AR speakers (great speakers but more attention than other, good brands of the same era)​

I know Roy Allison designed AR speakers and they are great, but many do not know Allison made his own speakers under his own name in the 70's and 80's.

Cheers, Snade

 

[Justen]

Okay, I'll jump in this ancient thread.

Under rated:

Denon, Yamaha

Over rated:

Pioneer, Sansui

 

[bowtie427ss]

I hate to "blanket" rate any brand since even in the case of Bose, they made a couple very respectable amplifiers, and IMO 501's aren't all that bad. I have just as hard a time finding very many efforts from Klipsch that float my boat, although i own at least one i seem to be rather attached to.

I agree with the "overrated" in Justen's post above, not to say they didn't make their share of truly awesome gear, but more in the sense that there were many other makers who at one time or another produced a few components that were every bit on par with both the sound and build quality of the best of those two. I think of a few examples from Sherwood, Fisher, and Technics where 150-165WPC receivers are concerned.

Seems to me that all of the vintage companies offered a few "crowning achievements" at some point in their history. One that i think continues to go underrated is Akai, as they had more than a few in just tape machines alone.

Great thread! Now it's time for some beers and tunes!:thmbsp:

 

[guiller]

Hi,

My vote for most underrated brand goes to Nikko.

All the best

 

[centralflori]

Overated or underrated is pretty much based on expectations. Great thread, love to hear everyone's opinion and experience. What cost so much on the used market today is because of the opinions expressed here and elsewhere. As already mentioned, the age and condition of the equipment may make a difference in performance of such old equipment. One may be in excellent condition, while another may not.

Having said this, I have a pair of Magnepan Tympani's that sound great on the low end if you have enough power to drive them. With the 200 wpc amp that I am using, you have to crank it up to get the sound to come out of them good. Even then they do not have the midrange of the KEF 104/2's, or the high end of the ess speakers with the heil tweeters. Maybe they need a rebuild or tuneup, or maybe that is the way they are designed. The bottom line is, most people that own Maggies feel that they are some of the best speakers ever made. They do have their strengths, but just like every other speaker they do not do everything.

As far as underrated equipment I have not heard many pieces of equipment that are not highly rated, thanks to AK and other internet reviews. One piece of equipment that was highly rated that I have purchased that IMO was worth every penny and a bargain based on what it did for all my equipment, was the Richard Gray RGPC1200.

As noted by others, just my .02 cents.

 

[sleddogman]

Over-rated: Bose, Bang & Olufsen

Under-rated: 70's Kenwood and Onkyo, many Yamahas, McCormack DNAs, and the Marantz Professional series CD decks. Tube gear: Sherwood.

 

[wualta]

The C55 Preamp
The T55 Tuner and
the P55 Amplifier

Preamp is clean sounding, tuner is amazing, and the amplifier a mosfet powerhouse.

Finally, underrated is the
Sherwood AP-7020 preamp and the matching
Sherwood AM-7040 amplifier

This Sherwood mosfet amp is made in Korea and has 8 hitachi mosfets per side in a dual mono design, putting out a respectful 200 WPC RMS into 8 ohms. All with really nice quality sound, mind you.

Nice to hear good things from another P55/C55/AM-7040 owner.

 

[Yamaha B-2]

Underrated (in NA) - vintage Sony.
Overrated (in NA) - Anything else (except vintage Yamaha ).

 

[reggaenaut]

Underrated - early Sony.

 

[reggaenaut]

If price vs performance then ppossibly something like the KLH 27. Beautifully built; great pedigree, I love the looks but the sound is almost horrendous new out of the box. And these go for big dollars in relation to so many other units..

Are you referring to the KLH 27 receiver?

 

[JBN]

IMO 3 brands come to mind as overrated:
1) Klipsch- Flat sounding with no emotion......
2) McIntosh- to safe sounding, Lacks inner detail.....
3) Pioneer- Just not Hi-Fi.....