What Products Have Been Most Reliable and Least Reliable for You?

[Anderton]

Doesn't just have to be music. For most reliable, I'd have to say:

 

Brother printer. Bought a cheap MFC-7440 B&W laser printer well over a decade ago. It made sounds from day 1 like it was going to fall apart at any minute, but it's still working, still reliable, and you can still get toner for it. 

 

Shark vacuum cleaner. I bought a Shark for around $100 ten years ago, and it just sucks. In a good way, of course.

 

PC Audio Labs computers. I've been using their machines since the mid-2000s and work them really hard. They just keep working. 

 

Macbook Pros. I have two, and the only thing that kills them is incompatible updates. Even then, they don't die. They just get re-purposed. 

 

And on the other side...

 

Samsung refrigerators. I had a Samsung with "advanced" features. When it died after what seemed like too few years, I started looking around for what it would cost to repair it. I saw nothing but comments from repair people saying their Twin Cooling machines were cursed and you might as well give up. When I went to buy a new refrigerator, even the salesperson said "Samsung refrigerators give us more trouble than anything else."  

[KenElevenShadows]

Brother HL-2270DW B&W laser printer just keeps going. This has got to be at least ten years old.

 

Mac Pro 1,1 2006 computer and Pro Tools just keeps going too. Seventeen year old computer, and because it has an SSD in it and tons of RAM, it operates faster and better than when I got it. Tons of tracks and plugins for days if I want it.

 

Pentax K-1 is such a solid workhorse of a camera. They have videos of people taking showers with this camera, only to have it keep working. This is one of my two workhorse cameras for night photography. The other one is a Nikon D750, and while that one isn't built with as much weatherproofing and robustness as the Pentax, it's really not too bad either.

 

SM-57s. I've had some of them since I as a kid, purchasing them used for $15. Sounds great!

[KuruPrionz]

Peavey guitar amps. I don't think I've ever blown one or had it malfunction. From memory, I read Hartley's white papers and they had all sorts of things go wrong early on so he went "bullet proof everything" on the production lines. 

 

and

 

Cheap guitar jacks. I've worked on lots of newer guitars and one of the biggest problems is the jack is total crap. 

[Threadslayer]

Canon printers. I bought an all in one laser printer/fax/scanner/copier well over 20 years ago and it still runs like a champ. Canon unfortunately stopped supporting it after Windows 10 so my Win11 machines won't work with it. I'm bummed.

[dmitch57]

Most reliable: Mackie 1402-VLZ mixer. I'm all for digital equipment, amp sims, etc.... But this Mackie, which is the router for all audio in my studio, works as well as the day I got it about 20 years ago; of course it never needs a reboot or a software update; I've never had to open it up to clean the pots or anything else. It's certainly the most reliable piece of gear in my studio.

 

Least reliable: Roku Ultra streaming box. I don't even want to go into everything that was wrong with it; I ditched it for an Apple TV 4K and streaming is just so much easier now.

[Dave Bryce]

2 hours ago, dmitch57 said:

Most reliable: Mackie 1402-VLZ mixer. I'm all for digital equipment, amp sims, etc.... But this Mackie, which is the router for all audio in my studio, works as well as the day I got it about 20 years ago; of course it never needs a reboot or a software update; I've never had to open it up to clean the pots or anything else. It's certainly the most reliable piece of gear in my studio.

 

I hear that. My 1202-VLZ is decades old - never had a problem with it.

 

I’d give my MiniMoog props, too.  I’m the original owner - bought it brand new in 1980.  Been in the shop once about five years ago for a complete cleaning, but pretty much no problems otherwise.

 

 

2 hours ago, dmitch57 said:

 

Least reliable: Roku Ultra streaming box. I don't even want to go into everything that was wrong with it; I ditched it for an Apple TV 4K and streaming is just so much easier now.

 

Couldn’t agree more.  The stick is even worse.

 

I’ve had Roku replace my Ultra once, but it still overheats and has to be rebooted.  Apple TV is much more reliable, IMO.

 

dB

[RABid]

The Good:

 

Roland gear - Keyboards, beat boxes, all built like tanks. Never had the glue issue some had.

Line 6 - From the early kidneys to the latest Helix line, never had an issue. I've had a lot of these devices including pedals and amps.

 

 

The Bad:

 

Goodin central heat and air - My new build house had one. Repaired it 3 times in the first two years, then had it replaced. They are a cheap Lowes product that too many builders use to save a buck. Can hear them going out all over the neighborhood.

Maytag refrigerator/freezer - Worst design ever in ice makers. There is nothing that can be repaired. If it goes out they replace the entire freezer door. The design has a major fault in that the water line going to the ice maker freezes up, yet the water line going to the chilled water dispenser never freezes. Call them about it and they want to replace the freezer door, even though it is freezing up in another area. Tell them that and the response is "But the manual says if the ice maker stops working we have to replace the freezer door."

Moog - True love, hate relationship. MiniMoog, MemoryMoog, Source and Voyager, all with problems. Why does something that sounds so good give me so many headaches. I have a DFAM that I really like and would already have the Mother 32 and Subharmonicon to finish out the set, but...

 

[KenElevenShadows]

Good:

RME Fireface UFX. This could not be  better. Always connected. Always sounds great. Always works. I will likely always buy RME from now on. I've never had such a great audio interface before.

 

Roland and Korg analog synthesizers: JX3-P, MKS-70, and the Korg MS-20. They just keep going and going and going and going and going.

 

_____

 

I didn't do my "bad" list.

 

Presonus Firestudio - the first one arrived DOA. Sweetwater sent another one. That one worked, but it kept losing connectivity. I finally got sick and tired of it and got an RME Fireface UFX. That thing is rock solid. When the Presonus did work, it was a pretty decent value. But too many issues. I'm forgetting one or two of the other issues it had as well, but wow, what a hot mess that was. 

 

[Notes_Norton]

Most reliable:

 

ThinkPad computers. I still have a 2002 that is working.

 

These synth modules, Yamaha VL70m, Yamaha TX81z, Roland MT32, Roland SC55. The TX and MT are pre-General MIDI.

 

Buchla Thunder tactile MIDI controller

 

AMC Jeep CJ5. Mrs. Notes bought it new in 1978, has over 300k miles on it, and still runs like a top. She's had the transmission rebuilt and replaced the carburetor.

 

1925 King Alto sax. I bought it used for $50 back in the 1960s, still works fine. Like all saxes, needs re-padding from time to time, but that's it.

 

Least reliable is hard to say. I've dumped most unreliable things long ago. But here goes:

 

Ever since COVID I find myself gigging 3-4 days a week outdoors. The US Weather service, The Weather Channel, and AccuWeather. If I played as many wrong notes as they make wrong predictions, I'd be laughed off the stage. OK that's half in jest because the nature of weather, but we've cancelled on rain-out days and set up only to be flooded out on sunny days. Once we had a 4% probability of rain, and it was torrential.

 

 

[Anderton]

45 minutes ago, KenElevenShadows said:

That one worked, but it kept losing connectivity.

 

Actually, I'd extend "Least Reliable" to FireWire as a protocol.

[KenElevenShadows]

57 minutes ago, Anderton said:

 

Actually, I'd extend "Least Reliable" to FireWire as a protocol.

 

There is that.

[RABid]

Even though most of my Apple products have held up very well I didn't put them on my good list because my first MacBookPro suffered from the expanding battery issue that hit that generation. It killed the touch pad and I had to send it off to get the battery replaced. I still consider myself lucky. If I had bought it a few months earlier I would have been in the batch with batteries that would burst into flames. I still have that old 17" MacBookPro, and the MacBookPro I bought 5 years later, and the next MacBookPro purchased 5 years later, and now a M1 MacBookPro that I bough 6 years later.

[surfergirl]

My WEN sander, polisher and router have all exceeded my expectation, especially considering the price. 

I can't think of anything I've had that I would consider unreliable.

[KenElevenShadows]

4 hours ago, RABid said:

Even though most of my Apple products have held up very well I didn't put them on my good list because my first MacBookPro suffered from the expanding battery issue that hit that generation. It killed the touch pad and I had to send it off to get the battery replaced. I still consider myself lucky. If I had bought it a few months earlier I would have been in the batch with batteries that would burst into flames. I still have that old 17" MacBookPro, and the MacBookPro I bought 5 years later, and the next MacBookPro purchased 5 years later, and now a M1 MacBookPro that I bough 6 years later.

 

I didn't put my MacBook Pros on the "good" list for that very reason. I have had a couple of those (2011 and 2012), and both have completely dead batteries. Thankfully, we did not experience anything that was much worse than that. Bursting into flames is not a feature I want in a laptop.

 

All my other Apple products have been more than solid.

[harmonizer]

Limiting this to musical gear:

 

Reliable: my Roland KC-150 has never had a reliability problem. It was demoted to a backup when I purchased an EV zx-a1. Had to pull out the KC-150 from my car when the zx-a1 overheated and shut itself off during an outdoor gig. I believe my KC-150 will outlast the apocalypse.

 

Unreliable: I bought a Behringer two channel preamp, which failed after limited usage. Really I blame myself, because I had read enough before I bought it such that I should have known better.

[Polychrest]

Home studio gear:

 

Reliable:  RME audio interfaces, Focal studio monitors, Jim Roseberry’s Purrrfect Audio PC DAWs.  Good brands that seem to care about quality control.

 

Unreliable:  JBL LSR 4326 and 4328 series studio monitors and subs.  The rubberized coating on their plastic facings liquifies and turns to sticky goo.  UV exposure seems to accelerate the process.  Even the control buttons were affected.  Removing the sludge is a lot of work and leaves skid marks.

[Anderton]

36 minutes ago, Polychrest said:

 The rubberized coating on their plastic facings liquifies and turns to sticky goo.  UV exposure seems to accelerate the process.  Even the control buttons were affected.  Removing the sludge is a lot of work and leaves skid marks.

 

Unfortunately that's a common issue, but I've found a solution - Goo Gone. Put some on a paper towel, rub the affected surface, then wipe it with a new paper towel. I can't tell you how many things I've had to do this to over the years.

 

As to your picks for Reliable, :Thu:. The only reason I don't use Jim Roseberry's PCs is because I discovered PC Audio Labs first, and they've been awesome. But it's great to know there are these kind of alternatives to buying some generic Dell at Office Max

[Sundown]

In the musical realm, I have to give my original, first synth the crown (Roland D-20). I’ve had it since 1989 and I have yet to replace the memory backup battery. That might be a record … 34 years? That’s pretty amazing. My original Wavestation would chew through a battery every 3 years.

 

I don’t buy a ton of music hardware, so I can’t really cite anything that has been a major disappointment reliability-wise. I also don’t play live, so that cuts out 80% of the opportunities for issues. My gear stays in one clean place.

 

As far as other consumer goods, it’s a long list … Vornado fans. They are awesome for air circulation but I’ve bought far more replacements than I should in a short period of time.

 

Refrigerators, washing machines, etc. have become short-term commodities. I don’t care what you buy, you’re lucky to get 5-10 years.

 

Printers, ugh. Don’t get me started. Both HP and Epson drive me crazy. I got so tired with both of them that I buy Brother now. I can’t say I’m disappointed with Brother (they’ve been fine), but it was a conscious choice to avoid buying anything more from HP or Epson. 

 

As far as positive reliability, I have to give the iPhone some props (I presently have a v13). I carry it everywhere, my kids toss it around, and it’s the nucleus of my digital life and I almost never have an issue. That’s pretty impressive. I have no interest in an Apple computer, but their consumer devices are solid.

 

Todd

[Mike Kent]

I rarely regret spending more money on higher quality music accessories:

I've got about 30 Mogami cables from the 80s that are still going fine today.

I have 8 Roland sustain pedals, 4 of them from the 80s. One of those just died this year after being dragged to hundreds of gigs.

An M-Audio sustain pedal I got 2-3 years ago died after 6 months of studio use. My friend had exactly the same experience.

 

Another value in a product beyond reliability is repairability.

My race team runs Camaros made in the 60s and 70s (along with more modern purpose-built).  American cars of that era are crap compared to modern automotive engineering. But there is no failure that we (hack mechanics) can't repair. Modern cars are far more complex. They are more complex, more expensive to repair, and you need diagnostic software from the manufacturer.

 

 

 

[Anderton]

9 hours ago, SynMike said:

My race team runs Camaros made in the 60s and 70s (along with more modern purpose-built).  American cars of that era are crap compared to modern automotive engineering. But there is no failure that we (hack mechanics) can't repair. Modern cars are far more complex. They are more complex, more expensive to repair, and you need diagnostic software from the manufacturer.

 

Another facet of Mike Kent of which I was not aware   Next I'll find out you were an extra in a James Bond movie.

 

As to cars - I did all the work on my 66 VW. The only work I can do on my 2000 VW is check the tire pressure.

[Anderton]

16 hours ago, jazzpiano88 said:

- Sony

 

I thought I was the only person who has nothing but trouble with anything Sony. The only Sony thing I have that hasn't given me trouble is a Minidisc recorder.

[Sundown]

I’ll add another turd to the list … GE (General Electric). From ovens that short-out when the drawer warmer is turned on, to extortion-level service part costs, etc., I’m done with GE. We switched to Whirlpool on major appliances and it’s been better thus far.

 

If you like to cook, I give a thumbs-up to Thermoworks. Their Thermapen Mk 4 (or less expensive Thermopop) are both great products and they will run circles around any other instant-read thermometer for a reasonable price. If you want to take steak, chicken, beef, pork, etc. to the next level, a great instant read like these is a good buy.

 

I’ll give another thumbs up to Dewalt tools. I know they are Black & Decker with fancy yellow coloring, but I’ve never been disappointed. My whole cordless (and non-cordless) collection is Dewalt and I can always count on their power tools. I don’t typically buy their hand tools, but those are quite good too.

 

If you like hand tools (screw drivers, sockets, etc.) and you’re not turned off by price, Wera makes incredible stuff. I own a few of their ratcheting screw drivers and bits and they are definitely a cut above (made or designed in Germany).

 

Todd

 

 

[surfergirl]

Very reliable, Warn locking hubs.

50+ years old on our Jeep CJ5 and still work perfectly. 

[Polychrest]

20 hours ago, Anderton said:

Unfortunately that's a common issue, but I've found a solution - Goo Gone. Put some on a paper towel, rub the affected surface, then wipe it with a new paper towel. I can't tell you how many things I've had to do this to over the years.

Great minds think alike.  I used Goo Gone to clean my LSR 4328s, but JBL's fake rubber formulation was more maniacally persistent than most when I applied the stuff.  It would just eat paper towels and add bits of their fibre to the mess.  I wound up using non-abrasive scrubbing pads to loosen and remove most of the residue, then rubbing alcohol and cleaning cloths to soak up the rest.  They scrubbed up OK...at least they don't grab your fingers like superglue anymore when you touch their facings.  I was going to sell them, but COVID got in the way.  They're good nearfield monitors underneath the crud, a steal at what I'd take for them, but too big for my current mixing space.   

[jazzpiano88]

6 hours ago, Anderton said:

22 hours ago, jazzpiano88 said:

- Sony

 

I thought I was the only person who has nothing but trouble with anything Sony. The only Sony thing I have that hasn't given me trouble is a Minidisc recorder.

 

I used to love the XBR TVs but they've all gone south after the CRT.  My PCM-D50 recorder is solid as a rock though.   The D100 was supposed to be even better, but they killed it due to supply chain failures.

[David Emm]

The once & future mini-kings are my three CME XKeys, still going strong after FOUR years. Arthritis says I can no longer wail on anything the way I once did with my Wurly, but as deceptively toy-like as they seem, the XKeys deliver. They're responsive in all the right places.

[KuruPrionz]

2 hours ago, David Emm said:

The once & future mini-kings are my three CME XKeys, still going strong after FOUR years. Arthritis says I can no longer wail on anything the way I once did with my Wurly, but as deceptively toy-like as they seem, the XKeys deliver. They're responsive in all the right places.

I have an Xkey 25 that I've used off and on (I'm not a keyboard player of any stature) and it's always worked fine. I like it, very compact.