Over and over we read that this or that speaker compares favorably, or beats, others that cost 2 or 3 times as much. So how about it? What are the expensive speakers that don't come up to scratch? At the risk of opening up a very large can of worms, I ask, who are the Bose of higher end audio. What equipment have you heard that has left you feeling decidedly underwhelmed?

My thoughts offhand, the B&W 603 series.

Nice sound, costs about 1.5 times the price of the Axiom M60s. Definitely not superior in my opinion, although a nice speaker, but i believe the point was 'more expensive same performance' right?

"I believe the point was 'more expensive same performance' right? " Partially. I also meant to include those which are more expensive and do not perform as well.
A few years ago I listened to some Linn speakers matched up with McIntosh equipment. The Linns were bookshelves and about the same price as M60s. I have to admit that I loved the look of the McIntosh, but the sound from the Linns was so uninspiring I could hardly believe it. I remember thinking at the time that I didn't know how he kept a straight face when he told me what they cost.

I was going to mention these as well (last years model). I'm no expert in sound, I just know what I like to hear. In my opinion, these were too warm sounding for my taste. I could sense more detail than my Infinity's, but only if the volume was turned up at higher levels. The reviews of these have been great, but they didn't suit my taste. The dealer wanted to sell them to me at $1000 US dollars which is more than twice the amount I paid for my Infinity RS4's. If they would have satisfied me twice as much as my Infinity's, I would have probably bought them.

Mary

Surinder

I really like this question.

I second B & W speakers. When I first got into high end high price audio a few years ago, it was when I walked into a dealership selling almost only B & W. I thought they were amazing, even though they were 12,000$ CAD a pair for some of the nicest ones they had. I returned to that store about 2 months ago, and I am very UNIMPRESSED. Even their higher models don't really sound good. They often sound muffled, and have thumpy bass. The highs are tame and boring.

I have also been unimpressed with:

Bose
Lynn amps
a pair of Cabasse I heard that was $5000 a pair
and NORDOST CABLES!!!

Infinity Composition Overture 3 towers.
Infinity RS3 bookshelves.
Infinity CC3 center channel.

My M3Tis are more "real" sounding than any of the above speakers.

My Merak MC6H center channel is so superior to the expensive CC3, it almost makes me cry that I spent so much on such junk.

NORDOST CABLES?
HOw can you possibly not like Nordost cables?!!!

Good lord man, they cost several thousand dollars, they simply have to be amazing, they just have to be!!

(jus kiddin)

But yes, the B&W seems to take the cake.
Good call on the Bose there Ravi.

I absolutely agree with your assessment of the Infinity line. I auditioned them along with a pair of Polk RT25s. The Polks are similar to the M2s but in my opinion are not as alive. The Infinity speakers seemed to swallow the sound. I thought that they were very inefficient and when they were pushed the sound was muffled and flat. Very dissapointing considering I thought that they looked great.

I agree. I still have a pair of Rt25s which I'm advertising in my local on-line recylcer. These little Polks are decent speakers, an honest effort at an honest price. I have much more respect for Polk than for Infinity. Still and all, the M3s are just on an altogether higher audio plane than the Rt25s.

I have to agree fully about the B&W's. I've hear the 303's and the 603's and I was less than impressed. Their midrange was muddy and high were lacking in crispness. I wasn't impressed by their tonal balance in any way, shape, or form.

The B&W's didn't impress me, nor my wife. Sounded muddy, almost muffled, like I just wanted to get up and rip the grill right off the sucker to see if it was true what I was hearing. Some of their speakers are moderately priced, but I would have to agree that there is way too much hype about these speakers.

I think Mirage is another one. I know they have alot of drivers in their floor standers, hence the high cost, but the sound you get from them would only be suitable for HT use in my opinion. So for me the price to performace ratio is way out of balance in the Mirages.

Let's see what other speakers I've demoed. Totem speakers are good speakers, a little bright but still a good prduct. Price to performce ratio is unreal though. Just for the little Arrow speakers you might as well chop off your arm and leave it on the counter! Anything more advanced than the arrow you might as well say good by to your right leg as well!

Bestboy4

Where do you even start?

I believe I listened to a speaker by a company called Royd that ran about $6000 Cdn a pair, advertised as "the most accurate speaker on the market"...hooked up, of course, to the $9000 in electronics necessary to extract enough detail for said speaker to reveal. It was a good sounding speaker, but did nothing a pair of M22s couldn't do for less than 1/10 the cost with the same megabuck electronics.

I've heard that Krell speakers are extremely overrated as well.

Cables and high-end electronics can be so astoundingly overpriced there's no point even beginning to list major offenders.

And hey, if we're to believe their advertising, technically BOSE is the BOSE of high-end audio.

A large can of worms indeed......but were to start???

**Please note - opinions here are solely my own (like anyone else would want them!). Your mileage may vary**

All things being equal, if greater money is applied to the material and engineering aspects of audio gear, theoretically the end product "should" be better than a price constrained model.

However, as we all know, this is not the truth.....by any stretch of the imagination. While I am the first one on this board to classify myself as an audiophile "snob", I have the sense to realize this can be true, but is not always true. I would venture to say that there are more lower cost products that are garbage than higher cost - and cost is subjective to the individual consumers monetary situation, as well as subjective audio judgements, and what they are considered, midfi, hifi, lowfi.

So, on to my list - and I will include companies in general at all levels:

Polk, Carver (I once spoke to people inside Carver who termed most of the "innovations" touted as "Bobism's) Verity Speakers, Infinity, AMC, Anthem,....I jsut realized I could go on with models in lineups that are substandard to the rest of that mfg'ers line.......

...and if we wanted to include all pieces in a system, boy would that swell!!!

A company that has the resources, engineering power and market share to have excellent quality products marketed - and yet has delivered nothing I would consider quality (at any level) Sony. If they ever decide to enter the hifi market....watch out, they could take over! But I suspect they are in the market segment that provides the greatest movement of product.

Hey chess,

what if you could get a pair of 603's for $1100 CAD brand new?

man have you resurrected an old thread.....

Chess has not been spotted on the board in some time. See the OT thread on "Missing Persons" for others.

sorry,

I keep forgetting to read the dates of the posts.