When design has gone wrong

[RoA]

Arcam. Their old FJM range looked great, high end with their green displays and 'precision instrument' look. Distinct. It went downhill with the SA range of which I have the SA20. In fairness, it is rock solidly built but I do not agree with their design 'improvement'. The colour is somewhere between black and a bronze/grey ... . It has, imho further deteriorated with the latest range and the yellow go faster stripes, the overhanging case on the rear which makes it more difficult to access sockets from above and a display which looks like vaseline was smeared over it. Terrible design department.

All subjective of course and you may well disagree.

Technics SL turntable. I have the 100C. Great unit but ... the decision that you have to lower the tonearm first to place it in the holding cradle (what is that thing called?) AND THEN RAISE IT AGAIN BEFORE CUEING ... is imho absolutely stupid. My partner nearly took the stylus off when she forgot to raise it, moved it across and bent the needle because it bumped into the platter. Luckily it was the cheap conical one rather then the new Microline. I managed to carefully bend it back, still ... .

 

[RoA]

Should that be in the Hifi section?

 

[Al ears]

Arcam. Their old FJM range looked great, high end with their green displays and 'precision instrument' look. Distinct. It went downhill with the SA range of which I have the SA20. In fairness, it is rock solidly built but I do not agree with their design 'improvement'. The colour is somewhere between black and a bronze/grey ... . It has, imho further deteriorated with the latest range and the yellow go faster stripes, the overhanging case on the rear which makes it more difficult to access sockets from above and a display which looks like vaseline was smeared over it. Terrible design department.

All subjective of course and you may well disagree.

Technics SL turntable. I have the 100C. Great unit but ... the decision that you have to lower the tonearm first to place it in the holding cradle (what is that thing called?) AND THEN RAISE IT AGAIN BEFORE CUEING ... is imho absolutely stupid. My partner nearly took the stylus off when she forgot to raise it, moved it across and bent the needle because it bumped into the platter. Luckily it was the cheap conical one rather then the new Microline. I managed to carefully bend it back, still ... .

Quite a few turntables work in that manner.......

 

[davidf]

I quite like the look of the Radia stuff - it's the win,y looking AV Amos I don't like - reminds me of this emoji

 

[abacus]

In the turntable hey day lifting the arm up before moving over the platter was normal, (You didn't think about it as it was what everybody did, so there were never any problems.
Turntables are pretty much same today as they were then, so hardly surprising that they operate the same.
As to Quality and looks, then for me the Michell Gyro deck still reigns supreme.

Bill