gofar99 Messages: 1906 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, I always go for quality. But then I also design and build much of my stuff. Quality though in the market place is a bit difficult to accurately determine. Manufacturers know that bright and shiny stuff sells well and boring things don't. They also often hide the performance characteristics in flowery terms like powerful, wide response, low distortion.... But without some sort of reference they are meaningless. Worse some inflate the characteristics. If I could have a dollar for every add I have seen for mini speakers that handle 100,200 or more watts of power I could buy a mansion. Try that with most and they will quickly become incandescent. It used to be that how much something weighed was a fair indication of quality. The shysters figured that one out and added chunks of iron (they banned lead) to the cases of their products and then doubled the price. Reviews were a good idea until the companies "hired" folks to write good ones for them.
So...what to do? After deciding on something that might work for what you want and listening to it (when possible) look at fit and finish. Look at the materials used to make it. Are the markings painted on, or etched, engraved or powder coated? Is is made of something other than plastic? Real wood not plastic, thick metal panels not super thin ones? If it has connectors are they sturdy, do not be fooled by "gold plated" parts as that is only one aspect of connectors. BTW I have many connectors that are tin or copper and not gold. Each kind has good and bad points.
Check the warranty. Do you have to pay to send it to them? How long does it last? What is actually covered? What are their options if something isn't right? How about returns to sellers? Do they allow it?
Finally don't be fooled by name brand stuff. Most of the legacy brands have been sold to companies that have nothing to do with the company that established the brand. I get a real laugh out of "Jeep" brand boom boxes. Get real folks.
'nuf from a guy who has seen (and bought often times) the good stuff. Right now I'm listening to a 40 year old LP through a Marantz amp I bought in 1969.
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