Review
Disappointed (October 30, 2012)
| Ease of Use |
|
(4/5.0) |
| Value |
|
(2/5.0) |
| Performance |
|
(1/5.0) |
| Overall Rating |
|
(2/5.0) |
Reviewed By: Paul B. - Minneapolis, MN
My last review for this may have been too negative, as it never made it onto the site. I bought an open box S8 that Vanns claimed had been thoroughly checked and repaired by an authorized technician. Sadly, it was still very obviously broken when I got it. Loud humming and buzzing from the power supply, even with only the power connected. Connecting it to a source and trying to play music only made it buzz louder and emit popping sounds like it was shredding itself from the inside. Completely unusable, despite trying different cables and outlets. There are a few other stories like this out there about the S8. I have Audioengines A2 speakers which are amazing when paired with any decent subwoofer, and when they developed a problem Audioengine replaced them immediately. They are a classy company, so I did not want to waste their time sending them a warranty claim on a product that was broken when Vanns shipped it to me. I just plain returned it and do not plan on buying another one.
My experience aside, the S8 is beautifully made, but it does seem to have some documented QC issues, and with the manufacturer-controlled pricing, it is definitely not the best value for the money at this price point and not one of Audioengines better products. This experience was also my first major letdown from Vanns, and I am hesitant to order anything else from their clearance outlet if something as obviously broken as that subwoofer could pass inspection for re-sale.