What is the worst component in your system? For me it was a URC MX-900 Genesis remote that a friend gave me for free. I quickly found out that in order to use it I would have to download the MX-900 editor software. Although this looks pretty straightforward, in actuality the software is not available on lie unless you are a professional installer or bough the remote from a dealer who is still in business. Even though the remote was free I threw it out because I didn't need another paperweight.

I don't really have a worst component in my current arsenal. All of my components are strong BUT my AVR (Onkyo 906) now used as a pre/pro has had an HDMI meltdown. The HDMI board was problematic for this unit and to get lossless audio I'm going 7.1 analog. Just waiting for the ever-dragging Outlaw 978.

I guess the worst component I ever owned was my first set of speakers....Soma SE-1500c. The foam surrounds fell apart. They sounded bad.

I've got a Magnavox DVR/DDR That's strictly general usage quality, but it's the only unit available with the functionality that I want and . all things considered, isn't too shabby.
Beyond that, my Polk speakers are probably my weakest link.
Though, tey're still too good to replace.

You know you can get foam rebuild kits for almost any speakers. I have rebuilt my Advents twice and it is really easy.

http://www.newfoam.com/kits.asp

Probably my NAD 517 CD changer. I purchased this before I purchased any streaming media players. IN fact, it was this unit that prompted me to move to the non-compressed wav-file-streaming world. I had no issue with the 517 per se, until one day, it just got very particular about playing certain discs. I cleaned its lens, looked for obvious issues with its internals, but couldn't really find any.

It got to the point where a disc would load and play successfully maybe 55% of the time, with the remaining 45% of the time the player sitting there like it was attempting to play the disc, but never quite accomplishing said task. This was odd, because I have owned various NAD gear over the years, and never had an issue with any of it - until the 517.

That was more or less when I decided to start converting my CD library to wav files, and streaming them via my cat5 network.

I haven't looked back since, and now the 517 just sits on a shelf.

I had a pioneer 5 disc changer, I think it was a DVD changer, that just seeminly disintegrate in there. I opened it up once it stopped working and there were gears everywhere, like it had been shaken. It was only about 3 years old and went directly to the trash. I guess it just didn't want to live with me anymore, or it was making a comment on what choice of DVDs I was choosing to watch.

Interesting question, especially over time. I would have to say that absolute worst was a Phase Linear Dynamic Tick and Pop filter that I purchased and returned in the 70's. It worked but got rid of a lot of music too. In my current living room system, it would have to be the TV and the DVD player.

I used to have a Kenwood CD player about 20 years ago that had a 6 disc magazine which you loaded and then inserted into the player. I got the player as a door prize from a company picnic and didn't use it for about a year after I got it. Once I set it up I only used it about three times before the magazine would not eject. I finally had to disassemble it to get the CDs out of it and when I did I found several nylon gears inside stripped from trying to eject the magazine. I actually had it fixed under warranty at Circuit City but when I got it back it would get stuck at the end of a CD if the CD was more than about 40 minutes long and just go into a condition where it kept repeating the end of the track as jibberish. I threw it on the junk pile and bought a single play Sony that still functions today.

For me it's got to be a Yamaha CD player from the late 80's. It lasted just long enough to get out of waranty then the disc drawer wouldn't always open. It would tease me first though, and then slam shut again, cruel player. This cat and mouse game went on until the player grew tired of me and wouldn't open at all.

At the time there was a local stereo store that I frequented and the salesmen would actually care about their customers. (Unlike today where the only store in town starts with a B and ends with Buy and the employees don't care and are even less knowledgable.) Because it was out of waranty the salesman couldn't fix it for free but he did feel bad for me and offered to sell another player at cost which turned out to be about 1/3 off. Even some of the specialty shops in the larger cities near my home have closed. I really miss spending an afternoon playing with the latest gear that I can't afford.

That post made me LOL repeatedly! I had a Yammy from the late 80's too and it grew pouty, not reading or skipping at first until it was good and ready. I'd be kneeling in front of the Yamaha praying for it to work and trying one of those lens cleaning discs that the dealer suggested, but this changed nothing. Yamaha made some crap back then, they also failed big time in the mid 80's with car gear.