What is the worst speaker you've ever heard?

[MattHooper]

1. A pair of locally built (cheap, may even have been white-van) speakers a pal of mine bought when we were in high school. He was all enthusiastic about them and when I heard them they made in indelible impression: the most aggressive, shrill, exaggerated high end I've ever heard from a speaker. Everything sounded like it had been combined with a dentist drill. I swear to this day I can't get that sound out of my head!

2. Mcintosh speakers - those ones with the multiple tweeters (or whatever drivers). When I heard the big ones at a high end store I was aghast at the mediocre sound. I heard another model later, a few years ago, and they reminded me of that old flagship. Tons of little drivers beaming a lot of mediocre sound.

3. A pair of Talon Audio stand mount speaker (Peregrine IIRC). Talon had huge buzz back around 2000 with their big Khorus speakers and I ended up with a pair of their then-new stand mounted version in my place for a while. I could not believe the sound - the most colored speaker I'd ever heard - muffled, dark, weird dips here and there, bulging upper bass etc. I was sure they must have been broken in transit. Sent them back and...nope...that's how they were supposed to sound apparently.

 

[Robin L]

 

[atmasphere]

Don't remember the brand, but they were being shown at AXPONA a few years back in the @atmasphere room. Gigantic, very retro looking, and absolutely unlistenable. I had been touring the show with my doctor (who is also a good friend), immediately texted him to come downstairs to this room to hear "something interesting." His reaction after about 15 seconds of listening: "Is this on purpose?"

So much for the subjective experience ... We've gotten 'Best Sound at Show' with those very speakers. People often comment that they sound like ESLs since they are so fast and transparent.

If this was at the first Schaumburg, IL show, even though John (of Classic Audio Loudspeakers) had been with AXPONA since the inception of the show, after the move he couldn't get a larger room like he likes to have. But at the last minute one was offered to me and I convinced John to come on board. That room proved tricky with its hard folding walls and it didn't help to have Godzilla stomping around on the home theater next door. So we had to be careful not to play it too loud; not easy if we wanted to be heard over Godzilla.

 

[SIY]

So much for the subjective experience ... We've gotten 'Best Sound at Show' with those very speakers. People often comment that they sound like ESLs since they are so fast and transparent.

If this was at the first Schaumburg, IL show, even though John (of Classic Audio Loudspeakers) had been with AXPONA since the inception of the show, after the move he couldn't get a larger room like he likes to have. But at the last minute one was offered to me and I convinced John to come on board. That room proved tricky with its hard folding walls and it didn't help to have Godzilla stomping around on the home theater next door. So we had to be careful not to play it too loud; not easy if we wanted to be heard over Godzilla.

Yeah, it was a big room, downstairs.

I have never heard ESLs sound that awful, not even poor ESLs. I did *not* blame the amplification. They look big, impressive, and expensive, perfect for the "listen with your eyes" contingent.

 

[Dialectic]

1. A pair of locally built (cheap, may even have been white-van) speakers a pal of mine bought when we were in high school. He was all enthusiastic about them and when I heard them they made in indelible impression: the most aggressive, shrill, exaggerated high end I've ever heard from a speaker. Everything sounded like it had been combined with a dentist drill. I swear to this day I can't get that sound out of my head!

2. Mcintosh speakers - those ones with the multiple tweeters (or whatever drivers). When I heard the big ones at a high end store I was aghast at the mediocre sound. I heard another model later, a few years ago, and they reminded me of that old flagship. Tons of little drivers beaming a lot of mediocre sound.

3. A pair of Talon Audio stand mount speaker (Peregrine IIRC). Talon had huge buzz back around 2000 with their big Khorus speakers and I ended up with a pair of their then-new stand mounted version in my place for a while. I could not believe the sound - the most colored speaker I'd ever heard - muffled, dark, weird dips here and there, bulging upper bass etc. I was sure they must have been broken in transit. Sent them back and...nope...that's how they were supposed to sound apparently.

The Talon loudspeakers were lauded in the audiophile press in the early 2000s.

 

[MattHooper]

The Talon loudspeakers were lauded in the audiophile press in the early 2000s.

They sure were, at least by a few reviewers.
Here’s how the Talon Khorus speakers measured. Not surprising I was put off by the sound of their smaller model which was said to sound just like the Khorus:

SoundStage! Measurements - Talon Audio Khorus Loudspeakers (11/2000)

 

[Spkrdctr]

I had the opportunity when I did a too drunk to drive sleep over at a buddy's place. He left Pink Floyd playing so that I could listen to his Dayton-Wrights. They where pretty bright and sharp sounding but it was very accurate and the acoustic guitar was phenomenal. Vocals came right through clear as can be. It was very low volume because they where sleeping but I got a 1 hour listening session by myself and I loved it.

But how did they sound if you were not totally drunk?

 

[Doodski]

But how did they sound if you were not totally drunk?

I never ever heard them when I was sober. At the time I was handling dozens of speakers per day and so auditioning was no big thing. I could hear them just fine.

 

[Spkrdctr]

A few vintage amps I’m listening to atm

View attachment 230566

That is some seriously sweet vintage equipment!

 

[Spkrdctr]

Depends upon your speakers I think. Some speakers have needs so that amp selection takes some care and even listening to them. Some don't. Most people probably just go for big power and figure it will cover any sins.

Hey! This is America. More power will cover ALL sins.

 

[Spkrdctr]

My worst was eons ago. I had on my bench for testing a Bose 201, 501 and a 901. Both the 201 and 501 were absolute junk. If you turned up the volume much they immediately started audibly distorting. The only Bose speaker that could play fairly loud and did a fairly decent job BUT was way over priced was the 901. All the other Bose speakers were made with profit as their only goal and sounded terrible above 80db or so. I had and I am NOT lying, 4 inch drivers with no box just the driver do better than the 201.

 

[ChrisHeinonen]

Probably a decade or so ago, I was working on the Sound Bar guide for Wirecutter, and we went and bought the cheapest Insignia (Best Buy store brand) sound bar they had for $80-100 or so. The thing was just awful, it sounded worse than the 32" TV we had it hooked up to which is saying something. When we moved to blind testing where four bars were hidden behind acoustic cloth, no one had any trouble picking out which one was the garbage one.

 

[Moonhead]

The hideous Jbl L250, french JMR Trente and everything Cerwin Vega.
Never had the pleasure of listening to a Good passive speaker when I Think about it.

 

[Doodski]

Jbl L250

I loveee the JBL L250Ti. Fantastic midrange and bottom end to die for and not much money either.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Some Eve Audio studio monitors
Don't remember the model

 

[Koeitje]

PMC Twenty.22 is up there. I also heard some Raidho and Scansonic speakers that were pretty bad.

 

[Moonhead]

To me they sounded muddy as hell next to a Good active, maybe Im just Old!

 

[Doodski]

What are the 3 manufacturers stacked on the top of the right shelf? (Interesting to see who gets it.)

 

[Doodski]

a Good active

There are good actives out there that should beat it up a JBL 250Ti pretty good. What active where you listening to?

 

[Geert]

I've wondered why in an industry that does all kinds of processing especially EQ why they wouldn't use their best monitors and have a standard EQ setting to roll off the lows and highs for concentrating on the midrange.

The Focal Trio6 and Tro11 allows you to turn of the woofer remotely so the low end frequency range is limited to 90 Hz.