25 Most Overrated Speakers and the Better Alternatives, as Voted by Audiophiles

From budget bookshelf speakers to $40,000 flagships, nothing was safe.

Some speakers become famous because of strong reviews, brand reputation, or nostalgia. But among audiophiles, popularity does not always mean better sound. Many listeners feel some well-known models don’t live up to their reputation, especially when newer or cheaper speakers can perform just as well or better.

That’s why we surveyed thousands of audiophiles to find out which speakers they consider the most overrated. The results include vintage and modern high-end models that listeners felt were disappointing for the price or praise they receive.

For each speaker, we also included an alternative that many audiophiles believe offers better sound, better value, or both.

1. Bose 901 (37.77% of Votes)

Introduced in 1968, the Bose 901 used nine 4.5-inch full-range drivers per cabinet: eight facing the rear wall and one facing forward. The goal was to mimic the mix of direct and reflected sound in a live concert hall, rather than projecting sound straight at the listener.

It was a genuinely original concept. Most speakers at the time aimed straight at the audience, so the 901’s wide, room-filling sound felt like a revelation to many first-time buyers. It sold well for decades and went on to become one of the most recognizable speaker names in consumer audio.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Blurry instrument placement – The rear-firing design can make instruments sound less distinct and harder to place in the mix
• Crowded midrange – Vocals and instruments can blend together on busy songs, making the sound feel cluttered
• Weak treble – The top end lacks the clarity and sparkle many listeners expect from modern speakers
• Needs a special EQ to sound right – Without Bose’s dedicated equalizer, the 901 sounds thin and uneven
• Wide but vague soundstage – The sound feels big and immersive, but instruments don’t have precise positions
• Average build quality for the price – Some listeners feel the build quality doesn’t justify the price or the reputation

2. B&W 800 Series (14.46% of Votes)

Bowers and Wilkins’ 800 Series built its reputation through adoption by top recording studios. Abbey Road is the most frequently cited example. The thinking was straightforward: if professional engineers relied on it, it had to be exceptional for home use too.

Each generation brought new driver materials and cabinet updates, and the marketing always positioned it as a benchmark product. Many buyers arrived with that expectation, and it is partly that expectation that has fuelled the backlash.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Drivers don’t blend smoothly – The woofer, midrange, and tweeter can sound like three separate sources rather than one unified speaker
• Loose bass – The bass is powerful, but some listeners feel it lacks detail and texture
• Tweeter and midrange don’t always match perfectly – On some upper models, the treble can feel slightly separate from the rest of the sound
• Bright sound can become tiring – The strong treble may sound exciting at first, but some listeners find it fatiguing over long sessions
• Expensive for the performance – Many audiophiles believe you can get equal or better sound from less celebrated brands at the same price

3. Klipsch Heresy (10.54% of Votes)

The Heresy entered the Klipsch Heritage lineup in 1957, designed as a center channel speaker for Klipschorn stereo systems. The name stuck after a colleague told Paul Klipsch that building a speaker without corner horn loading would be “heresy.”

Its horn-loaded design was unusually efficient. At a time when powerful amplifiers were expensive and rare, it could play loud with very little power. That efficiency, combined with its dynamic sound, earned it a devoted following that has kept it in production for nearly 70 years. It is currently sold as the Heresy IV.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Forward sound signature – The midrange and treble can sound too aggressive or “in your face,” which some listeners find tiring over time
• Sensitive to placement – Small changes in listening position can noticeably affect the sound quality
• Limited deep bass – The Heresy IV does not reach very low bass frequencies, so some music can sound lacking in weight and fullness
• Better for some genres than others – Rock music tends to suit the speaker well, but jazz, classical, and acoustic recordings can reveal its tonal flaws more easily
• Less versatile than fans claim – Critics argue it works well in the right setup and genre, but falls short of the all-rounder its reputation implies

4. JBL L100 (6.18% of Votes)

The JBL L100 Century became a hi-fi icon of the 1970s. It grew out of JBL’s professional 4310 studio monitor line, which gave it a sense of professional credibility that appealed to home buyers. Its look and sound became inseparable from the era’s rock and pop culture.

That reputation was cemented by the iconic Maxell “Blown Away Guy” campaign, which began in 1980 and featured a JBL L100 front and center. Decades later, the L100 Classic MkII was designed to recapture that legacy, and it succeeded on aesthetics and brand nostalgia.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Harsh at high volumes – A notable peak around 5.5 kHz can make the sound tiring during long listening sessions, especially when the speakers point directly at you
• Not very detailed – Some reviews found the sound bold and exciting, but lacking the subtle detail and clarity of more refined speakers
• Part of the price is the reputation – The L100’s history, styling, and iconic status contribute heavily to its high resale value
• Collector hype affects perception – Many buyers want the L100 for its legacy and nostalgia. That emotional pull makes it hard to judge the sound on its own merits

5. KEF LS50 (3.72% of Votes)

The KEF LS50 launched in 2012 to mark KEF’s 50th anniversary, and it swept the awards season almost immediately, winning What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year and the European Loudspeaker of the Year from EISA.

KEF’s Uni-Q driver places the tweeter at the center of the midrange cone. This design promised a level of imaging precision and coherence that traditional two-way designs could not match. A compelling technical story, a strong heritage angle, and unanimous press approval made it the go-to recommendation for anyone new to the hobby.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Long sessions can become fatiguing – The upper frequencies stand out more than some listeners like
• Bass depends heavily on placement – In many rooms, the low end sounds bloated or uneven
• Needs strong amplification – Underpowered amps make the speaker sound flat and thin
• Reviews created huge expectations – Many buyers expected more based on the overwhelming praise
• Strong competition at the price – Rival bookshelf speakers often sound fuller or easier to live with

6. Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy (3.36% of Votes)

The Wilson Audio WATT/Puppy became the defining reference speaker of the 1990s high end. David Wilson originally built the WATT, which stands for Wilson Audio Tiny Tot, as a personal recording monitor. It became a commercial product in 1986, with the companion Puppy bass module following in 1989.

Their combination quickly became shorthand for serious audiophile intent. It ran through eight versions before Wilson discontinued it in 2011. Wilson then brought it back in 2024 to mark the company’s 50th anniversary. The current production version is priced at approximately $40,000 per pair.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Midbass can sound heavy – Lower frequencies sometimes overwhelm smaller rooms
• Bright-leaning sound – Some listeners find the treble too intense over time
• Difficult to set up properly – Placement and room acoustics dramatically affect performance
• Extremely expensive for the results – Critics feel competing speakers offer similar performance for less
• Best with certain music styles – Some reviewers felt it suited jazz and orchestral music more than everything else

7. Pioneer HPM-100 (2.18% of Votes)

Produced between 1976 and 1979, the Pioneer HPM-100 packed four drivers into each cabinet: a 12-inch woofer, a midrange driver, a tweeter, and an HPM high-polymer supertweeter, with published frequency response extending to about 25 kHz.

Pioneer marketed it almost entirely on specification. The driver count, the wide frequency range, and the sheer size of the cabinet all signaled premium quality. At the time, bigger and more complex was simply assumed to mean better.

It sold well during its production run. Today, however, it is one of the most sought-after vintage models among collectors, with used prices climbing well above what the sound quality actually warrants.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Drivers don’t fully blend together – The sound can feel disjointed across the frequency range
• Boxy character – Many listeners describe the presentation as colored and unnatural
• Supertweeter adds little audible benefit – The extra driver looks impressive but adds little in practice. It operates at the very edge of what humans can hear
• Collector prices exceed the performance – Nostalgia has pushed prices beyond what the actual sound quality justifies
• Imaging feels shallow – Instruments lack convincing depth and placement

8. Focal Aria 936 (2.12% of Votes)

The Focal Aria 936 was one of the most popular floorstanders in Focal’s Aria lineup. It gave buyers a more affordable way into the brand’s French hi-fi sound, with Flax-cone drivers, a refined cabinet design, and the same engineering image that helped Focal earn its reputation in higher-end speakers and studio monitors.

For many listeners, the Aria 936 looked like the sweet spot in the range. It was large enough to feel like a serious full-range speaker, stylish enough for modern living rooms, and priced well below Focal’s more ambitious models.

Warm press coverage and strong dealer support helped make it a common recommendation. Still, not everyone felt the performance matched the reputation.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Treble can sound sharp – Vocals and cymbals may become tiring on bright recordings
• Midrange feels uneven – Some instruments seem recessed or less present in the mix
• Needs a capable amplifier – Although rated at 8 ohms nominal, the Aria 936 drops to 2.8 ohms minimum, so weaker amplifiers may struggle to control it properly
• Technically good but emotionally distant – Some listeners admire the detail without connecting to the music
• The newer Aria Evo X keeps a similar character – Critics feel the core sound signature still divides opinion

9. Cerwin Vega AT-15 (1.60% of Votes)

Cerwin Vega built its identity around concert-level output and chest-pounding bass, and the AT-15‘s 15-inch woofer was the centerpiece of that promise. The brand leaned into the idea of bringing live music energy into the home.

In the 1970s and 1980s, loud and dynamic were the main things buyers used to judge a speaker, and Cerwin Vega delivered both. The AT-15 delivered on that promise convincingly. And for a generation of buyers, that was exactly enough.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Bass overwhelms the balance – The low end can dominate everything else
• Highs lack refinement – Treble detail sounds rough compared to more serious hi-fi speakers
• More party speaker than audiophile speaker – Critics feel the marketing oversold its capabilities for critical listening
• Built for loudness over accuracy – Great for volume and impact, less impressive for careful listening
• Hard to justify at current prices – Many audiophiles feel the sound quality doesn’t match the resale value

10. Polk Audio SDA-1 (1.57% of Votes)

Introduced in 1982, the Polk Audio SDA-1 used a proprietary Stereo Dimensional Array system. A dedicated cable ran between the two speakers to perform crosstalk cancellation, producing a wider and more enveloping soundstage than conventional stereo could deliver.

The concept was grounded in real psychoacoustic research. On the right recordings, the improvement was dramatic enough to spread by word of mouth. The trouble is, it didn’t work equally well on everything.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• The SDA effect is inconsistent – Some recordings benefit from it, others sound worse
• Bass feels lighter than expected – The large cabinets don’t deliver the low-end weight many expect
• Cabinets feel less substantial than the size suggests – Build quality disappoints some listeners
• Loses its appeal without the SDA cable – Remove the system and it becomes much less special
• Setup requirements are restrictive – Room layout matters more than with most speakers

11. Yamaha NS-10 (1.49% of Votes)

The Yamaha NS-10 launched in 1978 as a domestic bookshelf speaker, but it became far more famous as a studio nearfield monitor.

Yamaha later released several variants, including the NS-10M PRO and NS-10M Studio in 1987, and the broader NS-10 line remained in production until 2001.

Its growing presence in professional environments convinced consumers that it must be exceptional for home listening. The logic was understandable: if top engineers trusted it for major releases, it had to sound good. But studio logic and home listening logic are very different things.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Harsh by design – The speaker exaggerates flaws instead of making music sound enjoyable
• Studio popularity became self-reinforcing – Engineers used them partly out of habit: everyone else had them, so they became a shared reference point
• Midrange is very aggressive – Long listening sessions can become uncomfortable
• Even fans admit the sound is rough – Many descriptions from the community are openly unflattering
• Better as a studio tool than a home speaker – It was designed for mixing, not relaxed listening

12. Magico A3 (1.46% of Votes)

Magico built its reputation on aerospace-grade aluminum cabinets and some of the best measured performance in the industry. It became one of the most respected names in high-end audio.

Announced in late 2017 at $9,800 per pair, the A3 was the brand’s entry-level model, designed to bring Magico’s engineering philosophy to a wider audience. That promise attracted a lot of interest. But a 25% price increase, pushing the A3 to $12,300 per pair, significantly weakened the value case.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Narrow listening window – The flat-baffle design has uneven off-axis response. Move a little out of the sweet spot and the sound changes noticeably
• Technically impressive but emotionally cold – Some listeners respect the measurements more than the musical experience
• Bass loses control at higher volumes – The lowest frequencies soften under heavy demand
• Price increases hurt the value argument – Rising cost made the speaker harder to justify
• Feels like an entry point to something better – Some buyers end up wanting higher-end Magico models instead

13. Sonos Arc (1.04% of Votes)

The Sonos Arc became the most popular premium soundbar on the market. It combined Dolby Atmos support, a polished design, and smooth integration with the Sonos ecosystem.

For mainstream consumers upgrading from a basic TV speaker, the improvement was immediately obvious, and Sonos’ polished design and seamless setup made it feel like an accessible, low-effort upgrade.

At a U.S. launch price of $799 in June 2020 (now frequently discounted following the release of the Arc Ultra), it positioned itself as a serious audio product without the complexity of a traditional hi-fi setup.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Better for movies than music – Dialogue and effects take priority over musicality
• Full performance requires extra purchases – Many users feel a subwoofer and surrounds are needed
• Atmos effects can sound vague – The overhead illusion isn’t convincing for everyone
• Traditional hi-fi systems sound better for music – Passive speakers at this price often outperform it
• Missing DTS:X support – A notable omission for a premium soundbar
• Brand trust badly damaged – Sonos’ disastrous May 2024 app overhaul wiped out features, broke basic functions, cost the company an estimated $100 million, and led to the CEO’s resignation — hardly the reliability record the marketing implies

14. Sonus Faber Amati Homage (0.92% of Votes)

The Sonus Faber Amati Homage, first introduced in 1999 at $20,000 per pair, is one of the most visually striking speakers ever produced. Its hand-crafted, lute-shaped cabinet is finished in leather and nine layers of fine lacquer, built entirely in Vicenza, Italy.

Its beauty alone made it aspirational. But Sonus Faber also had a genuine reputation for musical, natural-sounding speakers, so the Amati had acoustic credibility to back up its looks. The combination of Italian craftsmanship and a strong sonic reputation made it one of the most coveted speakers of its era.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Bass can sound too soft and rich – Low notes lose some definition and precision
• Upper frequencies can become tiring – Certain recordings push the speaker into brightness
• Demands careful system matching – Poor pairings expose weaknesses quickly
• Craftsmanship heavily influences the price – Critics argue buyers are paying as much for the cabinet as the acoustics
• Very sensitive to room setup – Performance changes dramatically depending on the environment

15. Monitor Audio Silver 300 (0.91% of Votes)

The Monitor Audio Silver 300 sat beneath the brand’s well-regarded Gold and Platinum lines. It picked up their reputation for quality while being sold at a more accessible price. Monitor Audio has a long history of producing well-finished, competent speakers.

The Silver range was the sensible entry point for buyers who wanted British hi-fi without the flagship price. Consistent press coverage reinforced that positioning and kept the Silver 300 near the top of most mid-range recommendations for years.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Never fully comes alive – Some listeners feel the speaker underdelivers for its potential
• Treble sounds artificial – Piano and percussion can take on a glassy character
• Soundstage isn’t as open as expected – The presentation can feel narrower than rivals
• Bright recordings become unforgiving – Poorly mastered music sounds harsher than it should
• Outperformed by rivals at similar prices – Competing models often leave a stronger impression

16. Wharfedale Linton (0.89% of Votes)

The Wharfedale Linton is a modern reworking of a classic 1960s British standmount, brought back in 2019 to mark Wharfedale’s 85th anniversary. It arrived during a genuine resurgence of retro aesthetics in hi-fi. Vintage styling, a warm sound, and a competitive price made it an immediate hit.

For many buyers, it offered a way into classic British hi-fi culture without the risks of buying vintage. That warm reception, though, has since been tempered by some pointed criticism.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Soundstage depth divides listeners – Some find the presentation wide, lacking depth and layering
• Bass depends heavily on placement – Near walls, the low end can become boomy
• Fine detail gets softened – The relaxed tuning smooths over subtle textures and dynamics
• The Super Linton exposed some weaknesses – Wharfedale itself later launched the Super Linton to address those specific criticisms, which tells you something

17. Sony SS-CS5 (0.80% of Votes)

The Sony SS-CS5 rose to popularity primarily through Reddit’s audiophile communities, where it was repeatedly cited as the best budget speaker available. Sony’s brand recognition added credibility.

The Hi-Res Audio certification from the Japan Audio Society, earned through a supertweeter extending to 50 kHz, gave it spec-sheet authority that reinforced the hype. On paper, it looked like a steal. In practice, the measurements told a different story.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Independent measurements reveal significant flaws – Audio Science Review’s comprehensive test found directivity error around 3 kHz at the crossover point. This causes the tonal balance to shift depending on where you sit.
• Sound changes depending on where you sit – Tonal balance shifts noticeably off-center
• Struggles at louder volumes – Distortion becomes more obvious at realistic listening levels
• The Hi-Res badge means little in practice – Supertweeter extension to 50 kHz doesn’t guarantee better sound at audible frequencies
• Tonal balance can feel unnatural – Some listeners find the sound overly sharp and artificial

18. Linn Isobarik (0.79% of Votes)

The Linn Isobarik was produced from 1973 to 1992. It used Linn’s isobaric bass-loading design, with paired bass drivers coupled through a sealed air volume and driven in parallel. This allowed deeper bass from a smaller cabinet.

Linn actively promoted the wall-placement requirement as a feature, arguing their approach was acoustically superior to conventional free-standing designs. For collectors and enthusiasts, new custom-built pairs are reportedly still available today for £24,500.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Imaging lacks precision – Instruments can sound vague instead of sharply focused
• Bass depends too much on wall placement – Too close to a wall sounds boomy; too far away sounds thin
• Wall-placement claims divide opinion – Critics argue the design philosophy was partly marketing-driven rather than a universal acoustic truth
• Dynamics disappointed some listeners – Competing speakers from the same era often sounded more lively
• Warmth came with trade-offs – The speaker’s inviting sound was tied partly to its inaccuracies

19. Tannoy Prestige Westminster (0.78% of Votes)

The Tannoy Westminster Royal is the largest speaker in Tannoy’s Prestige range. Its horn-loaded cabinet displaces 530 litres and houses a 15-inch Dual Concentric driver with a sensitivity rating of 99dB. Tannoy’s Dual Concentric design places the tweeter at the center of the woofer cone.

It has a long and respected history, and the Westminster is its most ambitious application. For the right listener in the right room, it remains the ultimate statement speaker. But those conditions are harder to meet than the marketing suggests.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Treble detail falls behind modern designs – The huge driver delivers scale, but not the last word in high-frequency clarity
• Placement is difficult – The massive bass output requires careful room setup
• Amplifier matching adds major cost – Many owners feel the speaker only shines with expensive tube amplifiers
• The cabinet style is polarizing – Its large, old-fashioned look doesn’t suit every room
• Better value options exist – Other high-efficiency speakers offer similar strengths for far less money

20. Magnepan 3.7i (0.75% of Votes)

Magnepan’s planar-magnetic speakers have occupied a beloved corner of the audiophile hobby for decades. Instead of conventional cone drivers, they use a thin stretched membrane with a wire grid, suspended between magnets to carry the audio signal.

The result is a very large radiating surface. It produces a wide, open, life-sized soundstage that many listeners find unlike anything a conventional box speaker can deliver.

At around $5,995 per pair at launch in the U.S., with current pricing varying by market, the 3.7i has often been cited as a strong-value route into large planar-magnetic speakers. Even so, the design comes with real trade-offs that fans don’t always mention.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Lacks depth in the soundstage – The presentation is wide, but instruments can sound flat front-to-back
• Limited dynamics at high volume – The speaker struggles with explosive, high-energy music
• Very small sweet spot – Moving away from the ideal seat changes the sound noticeably
• Needs a large room – Proper placement far from walls is difficult in many homes
• Older panels may require costly repairs – Aging planar panels can separate or delaminate over time

21. Klipsch La Scala (0.66% of Votes)

The La Scala has been in production since 1963, originally designed for outdoor and commercial use before finding a home in audiophile listening rooms. Its three-way all-horn design produces very high sensitivity, which made it popular with listeners building low-powered tube-based systems.

Heritage, efficiency, and dynamic authority earned it a devoted following that has only grown over the decades, with the latest AL6 version carrying the design into a new generation with revised horns, updated compression drivers, and refreshed finishes.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Deep bass is limited – Older La Scala versions were limited in deep bass, and even the current AL6 does not cover the lowest octave without a subwoofer. However, the AL6 is specified down to 40 Hz.
• Amplifier pairing matters a lot – Performance changes dramatically depending on the amp
• High sensitivity doesn’t guarantee great sound – Poor amplification still leads to disappointing results
• Extremely large cabinets – The speaker dominates most listening spaces
• Expensive despite the bass limitation – Many buyers expect deeper low-end performance at this price

22. MartinLogan ESL (0.60% of Votes)

MartinLogan brought the hybrid electrostatic speaker format to mainstream consumer audio.

Their design pairs a large, curved electrostatic panel with a conventional dynamic bass driver, making it the first electrostatic speaker that real households could practically buy and live with. The electrostatic panel reproduces midrange and high-frequency detail with extraordinary clarity.

This earned it a near-cult following among listeners who found conventional speakers too colored or slow. The curved panel also addressed the narrow sweet spot that had always limited flat electrostatic designs.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• The panel and woofer don’t fully blend together – The transition between drivers can sound obvious at the crossover point
• Sweet spot is very narrow – The sound changes significantly once you move out of the ideal position
• Bass and imaging require compromise – Improving one often hurts the other
• Some listeners notice phase issues – Certain frequencies can sound uneven or disconnected
• Long-term maintenance is costly – Electrostatic panels eventually need cleaning or replacement

23. PMC Twenty5 23 (0.58% of Votes)

PMC, or Professional Monitor Company, built its reputation supplying speakers to broadcast and mastering facilities. That studio background gave its consumer products a credibility that most domestic speaker brands simply cannot claim.

The Twenty5 23 was positioned as the home-listening version of that professional pedigree: a speaker that brought the accuracy and neutrality of a studio monitor into a domestic setting. It’s a compelling pitch, though not everyone agrees the execution fully delivers on it.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Cheaper speakers compare well against it – Some lower-priced rivals sound more engaging in direct auditioning
• Even PMC’s own lineup competes with it – Less expensive PMC models have earned stronger reactions from some listeners
• Bass output is limited – The compact cabinet, at only 162mm wide, struggles in larger rooms
• The transmission-line design has limits here – The enclosure is too small to fully showcase the technology
• Sounds too clinical for some homes – The studio-monitor character can feel cold and detached in domestic settings

24. Mission 770 (0.57% of Votes)

The Mission 770 is a modern reworking of Mission’s classic 1977 standmount, a speaker that helped define the British hi-fi boom of that era. The revival was designed by Peter Comeau, a respected figure in British loudspeaker engineering. It arrived when retro-styled speakers were selling well.

Its heritage story connected strongly with buyers who wanted something with real history behind it. For others, though, the history was the main attraction rather than the sound itself.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Driver integration lacks precision – Instruments don’t sound as focused as they do on better-integrated designs
• Bass feels lighter than expected – The sound is tight, but not especially full or weighty
• Much of the appeal is nostalgia – Buyers are often drawn more to the heritage than the performance
• Competing speakers outperform it – Several alternatives offer stronger technical performance at the same price
• The value is hard to justify – Many cheaper speakers deliver more convincing sound

25. Dynaudio Contour 20 (0.48% of Votes)

The Dynaudio Contour 20 comes from one of Denmark’s most respected speaker brands.

One thing that sets Dynaudio apart is that it builds its own drivers in-house, which is still uncommon in the industry. Over the years, the company has built a strong reputation for accurate sound and easy long-term listening. That gave the Contour 20 high expectations from the start.

Positioned in the middle of Dynaudio’s lineup, it targets buyers willing to spend serious money on a bookshelf speaker. The debate is whether its performance truly justifies the price.

Why some audiophiles call them overrated:

• Competent but not memorable – The speaker performs well overall without clearly standing out from the field
• Similar performance is available for less – Competing bookshelf speakers often offer better value
• Sensitive to system matching – The sound depends heavily on the amplifier and setup
• Unforgiving with poor source gear – Weak upstream equipment becomes very noticeable
• The newer Contour 20i raised questions – The updated version improved enough to make the original feel less compelling