Sorry it's late, ugly day QOTD: What's teh worst speaker of the decade?

Jstas

Everybody talks about the best stuff. Nobody ever talks about the worst. We,, here's your chance! Only caveat? It's in the question. It's gotta be in the last decade. If it was all-time it's too open. Leaves too much to the imagination and can often be hard to quantify because one person might have heard the speaker but others didn't.

Of course there are the knee-jerk responses like Bose or calling out entire manufacturers like modern KLH, a Taiwanese conglomerate, a mere shell of it's past glory. That's all well and good but there has to be a speaker you heard somewhere that just reminded you of goats farting in a church. Well, time to name names! Let's hear it! What's the worst speaker you've heard from 2000-2009?



Me? It has to be the Sony Xplod Mobile ES speakers. Specifically the 6.5" coaxials. Back in the mid-90's Sony Mobile ES was the bees knees and major bang for your buck. It was Sony flexing their engineering muscle. Then they cheaped out and went for the Xplod series which was dog poo. Not too long ago, Sony announced that they were switching gears and getting back to quality stuff instead of quantity stuff. They announced the Xplod ES series. I was intrigued. Then the warning signs came up...only sold in BestBuy. That ended up not being true but it was a huge red flag. I went and listened anyway. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because of the installation location but I was so sorely disappointed. Such potential and it wasn't any better than the entry level Dual crap next to it but almost 3 times as much. Very sad.

turbopantera

You know, I think I have to agree with you. Those Sony Xplode speakers are gosh awfull. I had Sparkomatics and Kracos that were better.

concealer404

I've heard some bad stuff this decade, but man.... the entry level Dual crap really takes the cake.

MrGlobe

Can't agree with the Dual slander. The first set of subs I put in my car were those Duals that you buy already installed in the dual bandpass plexi front box. DAMN were those things loud! When I finally fed them 1000w they really pounded. I upgraded to a nice set of pioneers for about 5x the price and thought I would be getting 5x the power, but it was barely 1.5x what the duals would put out.

I have only listened to the 12" duals, a few 10" dual models and some dual amps and boxes thouhg

Knucklehead

any speaker you plug into an ipod.....like fingernails on a chalkboard.

MrGlobe

Haha ok just thought of it, I once took the 1" diameter speaker out of a handheld monopoly game and hooked it up to my receiver. It was a plastic cone, and couldn't have weighed as much as a quarter. Once I put it in a shoebox (speakerbox attempt) It got loud, until it fried

concealer404

MrGlobe wrote: »

Can't agree with the Dual slander. The first set of subs I put in my car were those Duals that you buy already installed in the dual bandpass plexi front box. DAMN were those things loud! When I finally fed them 1000w they really pounded. I upgraded to a nice set of pioneers for about 5x the price and thought I would be getting 5x the power, but it was barely 1.5x what the duals would put out.

I have only listened to the 12" duals, a few 10" dual models and some dual amps and boxes thouhg

I was just being a jerk. I've been plenty happy with my Sony speakers, haven't heard Dual, so i can't comment.

I"d have to say the white van "Acoustic Reference" Liquid cooled speakers that one of my buddies had.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ele/1510472593.html

There's a pair there. OH god they were terrible.

Fongolio

I always thought those Yamaha surround bars were totally overhyped for what they delivered. I haven't heard the Polk equivalent but if it's anything like the Yammy...... And I like most Yammy products.

nooshinjohn

The Yamaha speakers sold in RatShack are way up on that list for me...

mmadden28

Knucklehead wrote: »

any speaker you plug into an ipod.....like fingernails on a chalkboard.

I've heard a few decent (relatively speaking) iPod docks and speakers just for iPods--thay have their place, but for me the JBL OnStage II was literally like nails on a chalkboard--tinny as all get out, super bright-instant headache.

mesquitehead

The "white van" specials sold under the names of "Kirsch", "Affinity", "Genesis", DiVinci, "Olin Ross"....anything sold in a parking lot! I actually threatened to administer a beating to some punk in a car wash parking lot a couple years ago as he tried to spew his BS about his "speakers left over from an install". Most overrated...BOSE!

halo71

^ Don't forget the White Van speakers made by Dalhton! I had a friend that bought a pair of these in a pawn shop once for $150. They looked pretty nice until we got to his house and hooked them up.

bigaudiofanatic

I have a few

Yamaha
Bose
Dual
Rocket Fish
White Van Speakers

Toxis

Not trying to be typical speaker enthusiast but the Bose 301 bookshelves are quite possibly the worst "full range" speaker I've ever heard. In car audio but not the cheap ****, infinity kappa components. Dear god they were horrible.

xj4094dg

Klipsch horns.

sucks2beme

mesquitehead wrote: »

The "white van" specials sold under the names of "Kirsch", "Affinity", "Genesis", DiVinci, "Olin Ross"....anything sold in a parking lot! I actually threatened to administer a beating to some punk in a car wash parking lot a couple years ago as he tried to spew his BS about his "speakers left over from an install". Most overrated...BOSE!

And with Ebay/ CL these things just won't die. Ads for Polk with
"insert picture of crappy speaker". Or glowing descriptions with no brand name.
Or with a brand name and how they paid $2000 for them.

Willow

Any speaker built in TVs. I can't stand when people watch Tv and get the sound from it's crap speakers.

domflane

For what they cost, I vote for the Bose 301. They sit next to Klipsch Icons and Polk TSi100's at Best Buy and beg you to compare them. Obviously there is no comparison. They sound terrible and cost twice as much. No bass from the 8" woofer and the highs are airy and just plain bad. I hate to be a Bose hater, but your ears don't lie.

unc2701

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/550550-REG/Sony_HT_IS100_HT_IS100_BRAVIA_Home_Theater.html

The sony micro "speakers"... Basically, it's 5 tweeters crossed at 800hz and one "subwoofer" that takes everything under 800. Pure crap!

zombie boy 2000

I think this is a really good question. If possible, maybe we could steer it relative to price-point (excluding BOSE) and throw out some less obvious answers as Sony HTIB's and speakers from a white van. How about some recent Audiogon purchases you may have had high hopes for but ended up sounding like garbage?

I know Ted likes to say that no one "likes having their baby called ugly". How about some of us throw caution to the wind by slapping the baby around for being so ugly? Or at least looking too much like the mailman...

I like the OP's question, so I'm going to try to put some more thought into it and get back.

dkg999

I walked into one of my favorite audio stores and they had a pair of Dali monitors set up and playing some familiar music. I listened for a couple of minutes and said "I sure hope those are trade-ins because those sound really bad", not realizing the Dali rep was just inside the listening room behind me and had brought these monitors to try and convince the store owner to carry that line of speakers. I stopped back later in the day and the owner agreed they were really bad and he declined to carry the line.

nguyendot

The "element" line of speakers from Circuit City... or perhaps KLH from best buy.

mmadden28

unc2701 wrote: »

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/550550-REG/Sony_HT_IS100_HT_IS100_BRAVIA_Home_Theater.html

The sony micro "speakers"... Basically, it's 5 tweeters crossed at 800hz and one "subwoofer" that takes everything under 800. Pure crap!

I was just thinking of those too. I haven't heard them, but without the sub, they can't sound that good.

concealer404

It's pretty bad... not as bad as Bose htib, though.

everpress

Nothing to see here... Move along.

rayslifecycle

the Bose Wave Radio
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