Are Dealer Recommendations Useful or Useless?

Isn't the fact that a dealer carries a specific product line a recommendation for that product? Hopefully, they have mixed and matched their electronic lines with their speaker products such that each complements the other. I don't think you should be surprised, nor suspicious.

The best experience I've had at a retailer was when the "consultant" refused to recommend or share his likes and dislikes. Sound is subjective and we all hear differently. What they like and listen to has no bearing on what you like or will listen to (of course, unless you want it to!).

BTW, that was Goodwins Hi-End in Massachusetts.

Quicke, then exactly what was the 'consultant' consulting?

I think I understand the point you are trying to relay.

But the sad part is that nobody is ever going to benefit from consultant's knowledge base and experience.

If the 'consultant' is not sharing his expertise, then he is not deserving of a commission.

Unless, of course, he get's you a nice cup of hot coffee and quickly swaps in and out the different products you are demo'ing.

Of course, the other side of this coin is that I'd rather have the consultant who is trying to earn a commission relay his 'expert' opinion such that it was more of a fragrance rather than an odor.

Imagine that our entire country took on the same philosophy as your 'consultant'. Regardless of subject matter.

First thing we'd have to do is disband the National Education Association and shut down the public school system.

Hey, wait a minute. I think your consultant may be on to something here.

-IMO

Bigkidz,
Did you actually go into each store, or were you doing this by e.mail or phone? Your comment about just a "quick note back" from them leads me to suspect that you were doing this by e.mail. If that is how you approached your research, you're lucky they even replied to you.
If you live hundreds of miles away from any dealer, that's different. But if you're close enough to go a take a look & listen, you should be doing just that. A dealer will be more likely to spend some time with you if you're there, instead of an anonymous person on the phone or on e.mail.

Another thing to note on the objectivity of dealers when it comes to recommendations, of course he'll recommend his products. However don't forget that he has probably tried or heard MANY OTHER brands, has rejected them and does not carry them in his store. So, his experience may be much wider than you would think.

My friend was shopping at Sound by Singer in NYC and he's got a recommendation for Tannoy R2 speaker. Not the speaker to my tastes, but after that the dealer offered him Monster M2.4 $600 speaker cable. When he brought this real thick Monster I showed him that the price shows nothing and high quality RadioShack wire does nearly the same saving him nearly $600 for better amplifier not speaking of the first mistake of purchasing R2 speakers.

The moral is that whenever the dealer has the highest mark-up he will promote the product and such product should deserve minimum or no attention from the consumer. The higher markup the higher bull-hit.