As someone who has only recently developed an interest in HiFi, I've tended to buy at the bargain end of the market. (It's also all I can afford).

Well, a lot of the products I've bought have been from the same manufacturer that tends to get good reviews in the popular HiFi press and sell it's own products.

Over the last twelve months I've had to return an amp, speakers and now my CD player has broken down while they've all been less than six months old.

I've got no problem with the after sales service and their preparedness to replace the items. What I do have a problem with is having to cart heavy boxes across London before I can get a replacement or refund.

Still, come the end of year reviews I'm sure they'll be getting five star ratings.......again.

It might be better if products were only given a proper seal of approval if they've:

1) Already been available to buy from the shops. (I've seen products reviewed without store employees knowing anything about them.)

2) Had time for reliability problems to feed back.

The final point this raises is whether the machines sent for testing to magazines are particularly souped up versions? Surely not?

Anyone else had similar problems?

Patrick

You seem to have been extremely unlucky. In c30yrs of buying kit of all qualities and makes I have never had any problems in or out of guarantee period. I've blown a few speakers (my fault!)but that all!

I'd be interested to know the gear that gave you the problems.

Mike

Can't say i've encountered too many problems over the years. The only major problem I had was with a Sony SACD player that had a faulty laser. Machine was replaced under warranty.
Very frustrating though when things go wrong. I suppose any piece of equipment can go wrong. It's just we don't expect them to these days.

The stuff I've had is Cambridge Audio, all purchased within the last twelve months.

A friend(who's had an interest for a lot longer than I have)has said that Cambridge have had issues with build quality in the past, and the Azur range was supposed to mark an end to that.

Well my CD player is an Azur 640 and is rated across the spectrum of Hi-Fi magazines as punching well above it's weight for £250. I've not taken it back yet as it's under a three year warranty and I'm wondering whether I should try and just get my money back, or hope that when the new version is available (next month maybe?) they will swap it and it will prove more reliable.

Small point in fairness, although the speakers weren't Cambridge, they were from Richer Sounds. I've also had problems with my DAB from them as well.

I think it can only be explained as shockingly bad luck I'm afraid Patrick.

Thanks Euler, just call me Unlucky Alf.

Is it only me, or does anyone else think it could have something to do with Chinese manufacture of "British" products?

Aside from the self review facility on this forum (which I don't feel sufficiently knowledgable about to contribute to)

Isn't it a shame there's no equivalent to a Top Gear type annual awards voted for by people who use the equipment. Instead of expert only, where the machine will probably be pre tested to make sure it doesn't go wrong for the magazine write up?

yes patrick i agree with the whole british stuff bolted together elsewhere, i bought a mf xray v3 had it for 3 weeks then it developed a fault, i took it back to my dealer and waited 5 weeks to get my player back, i shall be asking mf for an extra month to be added to my warrenty.

It's bad enough at the cheaper end of the market, I'd be apoplectic if I was lashing out MF prices.

Patrick, i don't think you should worry about not thinking your qualified to contribute to the user review facility. At the end of the day you've brought some products and had a bad experience so IMO you're in a perfect position to comment!

I'm sure people would appreciate that kind of information as it could help to save them from the problems you've experienced.

fortunatly for me this is the only failiure i had over the years (dropping my nautilus 803 and busting the tweeter trying to screw in spikes) seems to be the only other thing i can honestly recall, still i feel that stuff generally is not built to a high enough standard anymore ive had friends with cambridge stuff and arcam who have had some terrible experiences. i recently bought a rotel rsp1098 + rmb1075 dirt cheap off ebay only for my local dealer tell how many they have sent back for repair. considering how much these cost new. its just so disheartening when you slash out your hard earned cash only to recieve low rent reliability.

Thanks Euler, in that case perhaps I will. It's just that I don't have the experience or all around knowledge a lot of the people who contribute seem to have.

Carl - Dropping your 803's OUCH, that's got to hurt!

How did you find your e-bay purchases, the e-bay buying debate can rage forever on how good it is, any problems with the kit? ( I don't know what it is to be honest. )

COST £100 TO REPLACE so wasnt to painfull, as for my rotel i scanned ebay and the rotels were listed in the wrong cat and starting bid was 1500, i was prepared to go to 2250 but no one else bbid, so when i won i drove to bath to pay cash and collect and it came from paul green hifi and they bwere selling it on behalf of an old chap with more money than sense, so i got real lucky, although i did buy some electrostatic headphones from ebay and they were falty so i now always collect myself and pay after i have seen stuff.

sorry my the stuff i have from ebay are rotel rsp1098 prossesor and rmb 5 channel power amp, i have also bought quite a few speakers over ebay and have not yet been let down, i always read feedback and have good coms with people i deal with. theres bargains out there i guess ive been lucky

Aside from you having the back up of the warranty,which means this doesnt really apply in your case, my wife has a little saying, which seems to ring so true.........."buy cheap...buy twice!"

have had nad 372 go wrong twice from new so bought mf x150 to replace it, arcam cd73 has also gone wrong once. maybe it's just the nature of things?

Thanks Mat

Seems I'm not the only one who has fallen foul of unreliable CD players at the budget end of the market.

As for Mr Icehockeyboy's comments, what can I say.........it's not that I'm cheap per se, just that I can't afford something more grand.