Most Underrated/Overrated Component or Brand

[gladiator335]

Over-rated?
Bose is an undisputed leader.
Sony starting mid 80's. In my experience almost all Denons I had where problematic. McIntosh? Can anyone prove that $2,500 McIntosh amp sounds better than $300 Yamaha amp thus justifying 8 times price difference?
Don't think so.

Under-rated? Yamaha, but picking up. Fisher, Technics, Kenwood.

 

[Parnelly]

Im gonna have to say that bose is the most over and under rated.

The company used very clever marketing to sell products, thus creating an opinion that was apparently backed by science and technology. Many people purchase these products with expectations that this stuff is the leading company in sound technology, and that it will sound better then anything around.

It is under rated due to all the Bose haters out there. Most opinions of the equipment is based on a set of speakers that was heard at one time that didnt quite live up the expectations of the Bose name. Bose made many products that most people never heard. Sure weve heard 901's but have we heard them with Spatial Receiver or an 1800/1801 power amp. Has anyone heard the bose 360 receiver. Or has anyone used the 360 turntable. Most negative opinions are based on the one set of speakers that werent ran right or did not have the eq(or whatever). There are a lot of vintage products that Bose made and werent even given the time of day due to an unpleased ear from a set of speakers that someone didnt know how to run.

 

[bowtie427ss]

The fact that the Mac still brings 2500 proves something, i'm just not sure what.

 

[Parnelly]

I have never heard a mac. I would love to hear one though. They go for large money on ebay. And they seem solid in every aspect.

 

[bowtie427ss]

It is under rated due to all the Bose haters out there. Most opinions of the equipment is based on a set of speakers that was heard at one time that didnt quite live up the expectations of the Bose name. Bose made many products that most people never heard. Sure weve heard 901's but have we heard them with Spatial Receiver or an 1800/1801 power amp. Has anyone heard the bose 360 receiver. Or has anyone used the 360 turntable. Most negative opinions are based on the one set of speakers that werent ran right or did not have the eq(or whatever). There are a lot of vintage products that Bose made and werent even given the time of day due to an unpleased ear from a set of speakers that someone didnt know how to run.

Completely agree! Don't forget the Bose 800 industrial speakers also.

Interestingly, i have a vintage hifi book that actually purports the 901 to be on par with the Klipschhorn, IMO, that's complete and utter hogwash, and i think the Klipsch guys will fully back me on this.

Aside from converting electrical energy to acoustic energy and having a wooden cabinet, i cannot fathom another single common characteristic between the two. That comparison is also neither made by Bose or Klipsch, but an independant author so we cannot really lay blame for that ridiculous claim on the part of either maker.

 

[Brian]

If you need proof that Mc sounds better than a Yamaha or even a Soundesign then save your money and go with the Yamaha or Soundesign. Mc owners and lovers have no need to prove or justify anything or maybe you should prove to us Mc owners a Yamaha is as good sounding. My experince has been that Mc owners are more interested in the music than the equipment and hence don't play the equipment rolling game as much as other margue owners.

 

[bowtie427ss]

My experince has been that Mc owners are more interested in the music than the equipment and hence don't play the equipment rolling game as much as other margue owners.

Exactly!

For many owners, it's simply "social camoflage".

Just my .02 y'all understand.............................

 

[legal eagle]

Ahhh, the Million $$ thread...

Most underrated: Probably JVC, Hitachi and Onkyo. Have owned several JVC's, and LOVED them. Got Hitachi amps and a Preamp which are just sweeeet, Have not owned Onkyo's but was always blown by the sound. For some reason, JVC/Hitachi/Onkyo don't get the respect the others get, and for no real reason. That makes them into sleepers IMHO:yes:.

Reading the several Marantz and Mcintosh bashers :grumpy:, I must stand up and defend: Got both, and apart from the Marantz shameful lettering and Mc annoying bubbles, these are superior brands to most by a margin: they just sound better. They are musical.

Overrated: Pioneer. Sorry, but I don't like it. It's a decent to more than decent make, but I fail to see the wooha. Kenwood seems better built and better sounding to me (question of taste really)

 

[hifidolatry]

I have to concur with Realistic being underrated/overlooked. For whatever reason, they just weren't considered a sexy brand back in the day. Probably had to do with the product line being perceived as an afterthought, since the Shack's core competencies seemed to revolve around RC cars, metal detectors, and hearing aid batteries. I've found that even the later Korean-manufactured receivers have a presence that sets them apart from their contemporaries. If you can find one under $30 to test out, by all means jump on it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Technics gets a bad rap occasionally for being entry level. In my travels, no cassette deck packs the sizzle of a mid-80s Technics. Sure, you can collect them like baseball cards nowadays, but they have that...I don't know, Eddie Van Halen calls it the brown sound.

 

[JKent]

:thumbsdn:Overrated: Definitely SONY! I've had Sony CD players (in the early 80s I think--Model 102? followed by an ES model), ES Cassette deck, ES Surround-Sound processor/preamp (was it a 1000?), Trinitron TV. All crap. Died early deaths. Also overrated: Dynaco. Don't get me wrong--they were cheap (especially kits) hi-fi. Terific value. But when I sold my 40-yr-old $45 ST-35 17-watt tube power amp on ebay for $450 I laughed all the way to the bank!

:thmbsp:Underrated: The Aiwa cassette deck ran circles around the Sony and lasted forever. Onkyos are bulletproof, but I would not say underrated because most prople seem to know Onkyo gives the most bang for the buck. I'd say Technics is underrated. Dismissed by many as "mid-fi" Have you ever seen/heard or tried to lift any of their 80s "R&B" (Recording and Broadcast) stuff? I had an SU-A4 preamp that was beautiful, understated, transparent and included both MM and MC preamps!

 

[max-ac]

there's nothing wrong with the font used on our MARANTZ models. it's part of what is so 'tube-like' and mellow. also, after more than '3 martinis', you can still read the fact that you're listening to a MARANTZ!!!!!!

 

[ManFromPorlock]

Without being too specific, I think that any receiver above a certain output power is overrated. The smaller ones have the virtue of compactness, but at the 'monster' end of the spectrum you'll get as good or better performance from separates, have better flexibility, not do yourself a mischief horsing them around and probably spend less money. Not sure where the crossover point is, though.

 

[cp2buy]

I may have missed it but who is doing the rating!
Regarding Marantz products, I only have a 1981 amp/tuner but it must be acknowledge that they do have excellant resale value.

 

[Damage]

Underated TOTL - Technics, Aiwa, JVC
Underrated receiver - Yamaha R9
Overated - Pioneer HPM-100s
OverInflated price - Marantz

 

[Joe19582001]

Sherwood S7700, 8000 receivers and tube amps under rated. great stuff for the money today!!!!!!!

 

[Brian]

Yes, I am referring to the Model 27 receiver. I suspected that the design had high T.I.M. as the annoyances I had with it were evident in amps that later proved to have high T.I.M. My service tech in the stores did something with the 27s that improved them and eliminated what I was hearing. He did visit KLH to discuss whatever he was doing to them early on when they were in production. I do not know if it resulted in a production change or not. Sadly, I never tracked what he was doing as it was not that important at the time. I still love the looks of this receiver and it is on the low end of my list to buy if I ever found 1 locally in very good cosmetic condition.

 

[MoparMan]

I agree with most of the posts I've read. But I have to say that vintage Kenwood, Luxman, Sherwood, Realistic, MCS and a few other not so big names are underrated. Overrated brands are Bose, Sony, & Mcintosh and of course certain Pioneer pieces. Don't get me wrong, I love the old heavy-duty Pioneer receivers but don't think they are light-years ahead of any other good vintage receiver. (in terms of sound)

 

[70salesguy]

Nice post!

If you need proof that Mc sounds better than a Yamaha or even a Soundesign then save your money and go with the Yamaha or Soundesign. Mc owners and lovers have no need to prove or justify anything or maybe you should prove to us Mc owners a Yamaha is as good sounding. My experince has been that Mc owners are more interested in the music than the equipment and hence don't play the equipment rolling game as much as other margue owners.

I love the premise of your post. Simply restated it is:

The stuff I like (Mac) is the best. Accept it without proof, but be ready to prove anything else is comparable.

The part about Mac owners being more interested in the music than the equipment is bogus. Many times in years past when I was talking with Mac owners they would state that "everyone knows Mac is the best" and so on.

If a Bose Wave radio would give me the sound I desire, I would own one. The fact is that it takes more significant gear than that to reproduce music with accurate reproduction (to my ears) is why I have more gear than that.

As I view posts from several Mac owners that always post with their latest acquisitions, one might think that all the gear made by Mac up until that time was now obsolete!

Just my humble observation. Enjoy what you got!

 

[reggaenaut]

The part about Mac owners being more interested in the music than the equipment is bogus

I guess it all depends on the Mac owners that you know or encounter. One thing I know for certain Mac creates a buzz. I have own several Mac pieces over the years and visitors always get excited over the Macs whether they were making good music or not. What portion of Mac owners buy them for the buzz factor I really do not know.

 

[reggaenaut]

Words of wisdom from a former mac owner:
Avoid early ss Mac pre amps.
If you love Nat King Cole, Billy Ekstine or Sarah Vaughan get a Mac 240 in your system.