What A/V brands do you avoid?

[red_5ive]

I'll cast my vote for Samsung as well (although my tv is Samsung). The stories I read about performance/slow firmware updates with their bd players and also the recent experience a friend of mine had with their customer service on his tv will keep me looking elsewhere.

[ceiph]

ive helped my family buy 5 samsung lcds. diffrent sizes and models and i LOVE them. i agree with the fluff issue. i detorched mine right away and i turn off the fluff if i set them up. i didnt mind my dads samsung bd player till i got my ps3 which i love. so i wont turn down a sony blu but im sure in the future ill go with a pioneer elite or an oppo. that said i avoid the smaller no name tvs, sony audo, htib anything

[Linksys2.4]

Originally Posted by ceiph

that said i avoid sony audo

...although I'm sure you meant "Sony audio"...

[nyindallas]

What's your problem with Samsung Bluray. I bought my daughter one for 299 with Netflix and I used the 5.1 analog out to an old receiver. The sound and picture is first rate. Only issue is cheap remote and slow start up. Still it was half the price of my 2 home th units.

Originally Posted by Linksys2.4

+1

[sokrman14]

A lot of people have failure issues with them, faulty firmware which doesnt always play newly released discs, hand shake issues with other equipment, and just sluggish performance. When they work, they do perform just fine, but a lot of people get mixed results from them

[drago3451]

Although unpopular I will no longer buy Samsung Electronics of any kind. I have had troubles with them in the past and have a tainted view of them now. I have had a TV that I returned due to image issues. I have also had cell phones that had problems.

Because of the facts presented here on Blu-ray.com I will no longer look at BOSE as anything special either.

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

I'll cast my vote for Samsung as well (although my tv is Samsung). The stories I read about performance/slow firmware updates with their bd players and also the recent experience a friend of mine had with their customer service on his tv will keep me looking elsewhere.

Me too!
Samsuck is the pitts for customer "dis-service"

[mjbethancourt]

I've owned many Panasonic products, and every single one of them failed me miserably. None of them lasted much more than about a year. so I am finished with them.

I've owned or used some Onkyo products, and I thought they performed terribly. The last Onkyo receiver I had, I could have used it for a stove-top, and it gave off a hum like a bug-zapper. So, I'm not impressed there, either. No Onkyo for me.

I don't like Klipsch for the same reason most people don't like Bose: at that price, and with all that hype, they should perform so much better. I also don't like Bose... I have no interest in paying a huge markup to cover their exorbitant advertising budget.

I have no confidence in Monoprice cables. I went through two of them, they both put "sparklies" on my display, so I decided "the hell with them, I'll try something else". 0-for-2 doesn't cut it for me.

I've owned many, many Sony products over the years, and have never had a single problem with any of them.

[repete66211]

I've had two Samsung TVs so far. Perhaps it's because I haven't had to deal with their customer service, but I have been 100% satisfied with them both. On the other hand, my PS3 failure made me somewhat unhappy with Sony products and very dissatisfied with Sony's customer service.

[Linksys2.4]

Originally Posted by nyindallas

What's your problem with Samsung Bluray. I bought my daughter one for 299 with Netflix and I used the 5.1 analog out to an old receiver. The sound and picture is first rate. Only issue is cheap remote and slow start up. Still it was half the price of my 2 home th units.

I've never had any problems, personally, with any of them, but have read and heard about nightmare stories from people who have owned them.

[Linksys2.4]

Originally Posted by mjbethancourt

I've owned many Panasonic products, and every single one of them failed me miserably. None of them lasted much more than about a year. so I am finished with them.

That's surprising; my very first DVD player, a Panasonic non-progressive model, still works after being in burning hot storage for years and with a cracked faceplate (I don't use it, but it works) and my current DMP-BD10A Blu-ray player is still going after years of use and it being a first generation BD player. But my folks lost a Panny DVD player to the dreaded "ERR" message and I've heard this happens after years of heavy use on their products.

I've owned or used some Onkyo products, and I thought they performed terribly. The last Onkyo receiver I had, I could have used it for a stove-top, and it gave off a hum like a bug-zapper. So, I'm not impressed there, either. No Onkyo for me.

LOL; Onkyos are notorious for running hot -- their upper-deck models use massive transformers and oversized internal components because they're built very well. In all the many years I'm using Onkyo receivers, I've never had one shut down on me though or overheat.

I don't like Klipsch for the same reason most people don't like Bose: at that price, and with all that hype, they should perform so much better. I also don't like Bose... I have no interest in paying a huge markup to cover their exorbitant advertising budget.

Forget about Bose, because you're right there, they're all hype -- but what problems have you had with Klipsch that you say "they should perform much better for the price"?

[mjbethancourt]

Originally Posted by Linksys2.4

That's surprising; my very first DVD player, a Panasonic non-progressive model, still works after being in burning hot storage for years and with a cracked faceplate (I don't use it, but it works) and my current DMP-BD10A Blu-ray player is still going after years of use and it being a first generation BD player. But my folks lost a Panny DVD player to the dreaded "ERR" message and I've heard this happens after years of heavy use on their products.

Two DVD players, an A/V receiver, a TV, and back in the days, a VHS player, a "boom box", and a stereo, all crapped out quickly.

I have a 1983 Emerson 21" television that still hums along almost like new, and that seems to be a hated brand in this thread... go figure, huh?

Forget about Bose, because you're right there, they're all hype -- but what problems have you had with Klipsch that you say "they should perform much better for the price"?

I hate the sound of their speakers: too bright, "tinny", forced treble. The range just sounds all wrong to me, just not very dynamic. They sound worse to me than a lot of cheaper brands. I think their cerametallic woofer concept is innately flawed. I don't know, maybe they'd sound OK in an ideally engineered sound environment, driven well below their rated output.

I've never owned a Samsung product, but I intend to heed all the warnings, all the horror stories I've heard over the last couple of years. Seems to me that the majority assessment is that their TV's look great in the stores and on spec sheets, but once you get one home the nightmare begins. I'm glad now that I've approached them with skepticism from the beginning. To all who took one for the team on that one, thanks for the heads up.

[THE_FORCE]

Saisho and Matsui.

I wish Onkyo products were a little bit prettier to look at and I might be more interested in them. Shallow, but true.

[rpatt]

In my many years of auditioning speakers I have found that I don't care for the sound of most Japanese speakers, just a personal preference thing. The exceptions are some very old speakers such as the Pioneer HPM-100 & CS-911 and Yamaha NS-690 & 1000. I owned a set of Yamaha NS-690s for a short time but didn't have an amp that could do them justice, not their fault.

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by mfarnswoth

bose is an obvious one here, but brands like rca, ge, jensen, they are all junk too. the tricky ones are brands that make good products, but also have a line of subpar ones. ei sony! es line is great lower line of audio is junk. pioneer is another one. elite line is nice but other equipment is garbage!

Wow, Jensen. That brings back some memories. They were the king in the 70s. I had four in my 71 Pinto with a quad 8-track. The good old days.

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by THE_FORCE

Saisho and Matsui.

I wish Onkyo products were a little bit prettier to look at and I might be more interested in them. Shallow, but true.

A redesign has been long overdue.

[THE_FORCE]

Originally Posted by ZIPPO

A redesign has been long overdue.

I agree ! The internals are more than capable, and they do have a distinctive look, but I feel they may appeal to a wider audience if they were brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

[ZIPPO]

I think a receiver/speakers should be heard & not seen. But if it has to be out in plain sight, then make it look good. One of the best looking speakers I've seen on this site belongs to "rded". They were Dynaudio Confidence C2s( http://www.dynaudio.com/eng/systems/...dence_c_2.php# ), a very sharp looking speaker. I think I remember them because the speaker driver arrangement made the speaker look like it was dressed in a tuxedo.

The concave face plate on the Onkyo has been around for awhile( at least 3 or 4 model # changes ). All the other mass market electronic companies( SONY/ES, Marantz, Denon, Pioneer/Elite, Harmon Kardon, Yamaha ) & some lesser known electronic companies( Arcam, Cambridge Audio, NAD, Rotel ) change receiver appearance more frequently. Hell, even Integra receivers look better. I guess that's one unique feature of an Onkyo receiver, its identifiable silhouette( don't have to see the nameplate to know it's an Onkyo ).

[SilentNight]

wow, I am surprised to hear Onkyo in this thread. I have owned Onkyo products for about 9 years now and love them. My Onkyo PreAmp is amazing. That being said, I bought a Memorex Blu-Ray player and immediately returned it. One of the worst A/V components I have ever had the misfortune of using.

[sheedoe]

I do like Onkyo products, but imo they fall short in the customer service/after sales support area.