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What’s really hurting the audio hobby?

Maybe it’s the audio dealer experience? Where else can newbies go to get started in this hobby. Isn't that where most of you got hooked?  Let me describe my latest visit to an audio store nearby. I won’t use the store name here, as that’s not the point.  Where I live there is really only one audio store left. That’s strange because I live in a very wealthy community. The Friday after Independence day, me and a friend went to this local audio store.  First time back there in years. We are both looking to upgrade. They have 3 audio rooms and two home theater rooms. The hi-end audio room (the store’s term) was an impressive room with extensive acoustic treatments. Mostly McIntosh gear. Sitting in the listening chair, you are looking at 600 watt Mac monoblocks running some nice tower speakers. A massive JL Audio Gotham subwoofer unit sat front and center facing the only listening chair. The McIntosh turntable was spun first. Sloooowww. It took my friend less than five seconds to point out the TT was running slow. The salesman had started to play Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here, and it was noticeably slow. So the salesman flipped the switch to 45 rpm. Yes, that happened. He figured out it was too fast all on his own. Fiddle and poke at the TT for a bit and then the salesman said- "I’ll let them know it’s broke". Then he said he would just stream some music from a server. Bass! All you could hear was bass, and NOT good bass. He turned the subs down a little when asked, but all you could hear was tubby, muddy bass. The big tower speakers were overpowered by the sub.  I really wanted to hear what the main speakers alone sounded like, but could not get the salesman to shut off the subs.  On to the mid-fi room (the store’s term). The salesman tried to play us two different turntables. Neither turntable worked. One would not power up, and one was not hooked up to a system at all. Let me point out we didn’t care what source they used. I did say we both run analog and digital sources. Nothing interesting in the mid-fi room the first time through. Next room (no name) was a wall of bookshelf and small towers run by a wide selection of integrated amps. Not bad sound from some. Again, we were told this is “streaming quality audio”. This was the third time he mentioned we were listening to streaming quality audio. I took a guess at what that meant and asked if we could hear higher quality audio. So he took us back to the mid-fi room. He popped in a CD.I could not tell what CD equipment was being used. I think a Rotel integrated was selected. Everything in the cabinet was black faced behind dark glass. Not sure what CD it was either, but since he only had one, I let it go.

Big change! The Paradigm towers were now making good sounds. A big difference from his “streaming quality” demo. Next we switched to a pair of GE Triton 1s. I seriously might get a pair! They make nice sounds. By far the best thing we heard. There was more that happened that contributed to a poor experience, but I will move on.

Here is my point- What would anyone new to the hobby think of that experience? It took two seasoned audio guys pushing the salesman for over an hour before he played anything worth listening to. Would you buy anything from this place. Would you send a newbie in there? Let me know if I'm off base in thinking these audio stores are killing themselves off by the way they do business. Or is it just my misfortune that I have not been in a good dealer showroom in years?

vinylfan62
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Smart phones will end it . Simple .
tazdevl30
10 posts
 
If you don't have music as a part of your life, then it's like anything else you've missed out on; you don't know it exists as it does. Those class trips to the symphony while in school, Music class 3-5 times a week, taking guitar and piano lessons growing up, all that ingrains music in our lives. How many of the 30 somethings down to single digit students today will be able to boast the same thing?

I was lucky I had a father who was into the hifi scene, played in a local band both his brothers, and took the time to get me started playing Guitar, Sax, Percussion, and singing. He also passed down a top shelf cross section of pop/rock music from the 50's and 60's I was able to listen to growing up along with influences of my own age group. 

Don't forget the huge part radio, especially FM Stereo played in on music especially the better AOR stuff of the 60', 70's even the 80's with new wave/modern music. Radio today is a wasteland compared to what it was 20 short years ago. Even if you do manage to stumble across decent content, the quality is shot to hell. streamed and compressed within an inch of it's life. Radio was a huge influence for music. A few larger colleges still have decent sounding radio stations playing analog and digital sources (actual tape, CD or vinyl), with even a so so tuner you can hear it. Owning a decent tuner today is a waste, but I hold tight to my 10B, MR74 and MR78, among the finest tuners ever made, in case decent music comes back to FM. I used to keep my cassette deck on standby to catch songs from the beginning, making mix tapes as songs would climb the charts, or from Kasey Kasem's top 40 broadcasts.

Being an only child, I was fortunate when I was old enough (10) to ask for and receive a decent component stereo piece by piece holiday by holiday. My dad knew most of the  crews at the local hi fi shops and taking his time picked me up lightly used gear, including a Marantz 2270 receiver, Technics 1600 TT, ESS speakers and a Teac cassette deck. I was buying imported records with paper route and lawn cutting monies, paying 20$ each in the late 70's early 80's for Beatles, Stones, etc albums, when 20$ (with tax incl.) was a of of money. As I improved in paying guitar, got good grades and my own lawn and leaf service by age 12, I was able to replace and improve the gear in my kit, AND but a load of Maxell cassette, along with imported and domestic records to record and playback. 

Folks today are more engaged by the cell phone and the computer. IN my day , for a boy, it was music girls and the first car (not in that order) and by 16, you had a car you worked on, paid for, took care of, along with your music and your stereo. As I said I was lucky I had great influences, father and uncles who took me to concerts shows, band practice, I was encouraged to play an instrument, and enjoy it still, playing with others or the music I like. I had access to gear and the money to get my own system at a young age, the way kids get to shelf computers at an early age today. I had friends, that had decent stereos, as did their parents, of whom my best friends dad had all Mc components with Altec VOTT speakers in a 35' by 60', along with a home studio, instruments and more Mc gear which I with my friend his brothers played with or listened to. That is where and when I knew what my ultimate stereo would be built from,..using the best McIntosh gear I could possibly afford. By age 35 that dream came true. I have all that gear and more I've added to over the last 20 years.

However, if you have none of these types of experiences in your life music isn't going to mean a lot to you, other than in the car or on ear buds while surfing the net. I connected with  local dealers and one sales guy in particular, Elliot from Gramophone Ltd in Timonium Maryland. In 1989 I connected with Elliot and the owners of Gramophone, forging a lifelong relationship that I maintain to this day. Along the way I received a lot of inside information, decent sales discounts most folks don't get (up to 30% on new gear), not to mention heads up when dencent used gear was coming thru for a good price. Elliot has been a good friend, I've bought a lot of gear from him and thru Gramophone. Having a decent local dealer with a relationship/friendship was helpful, but not necessarily essential to my end goal; having the top quality system and components  I always wanted. That came about just as much  from a desire, determination and drive, working and saving and researching from a young age, having the goal. I knew what I wanted because I was exposed to it in a positive way from a young age. I hung out at the shop, asked questions, engaged, and wasn't treated like a young kid with no money to spend. I was treated like an adult and learned quite a bit growing up. Some dealers didn't like kids in the soundrooms, I was lucky my dad knew all 3 dealers I hung around and they knew my dad was serious and spent money, so I was treated well, even allowed to bring records there and play them when they were not busy. I listened to the records they payed as well, and learned about a lot of good music that way.

Because of music, my life today is the richer and better for it. I don't watch much TV, the time on the computer I spend is 90% about audio gear and music or researching about both Playing guitar, drums, keyboards are a hobby, I continue to buy vinyl, and never stopped to tell the truth. I still record, to cassette and open reel, which IMO is still the best sounding format out there period. When I record vinyl to tape, to me it sounds even better, even though it should be exactly the same at best. yea' its expensive, especially recording in 2 track at 7 1/2 ips, but I like the sound.  I'm only sorry that younger folks today are missing out on music and HI-Fi. I hope this changes, than vinyl becomes even more popular bringing popularity to quality turntables, speakers and other essential gear for those who want to hear it sound the same  "as it was payed live" when in the home. 







onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,216 posts
 
Despite faults in our education system people still have ready access to the most expressive instrument ever, the human voice.  Young people still are singing?
schubert
7,386 posts
 
With the world greatest wealth spread that is normal in USA in general .
Country is rich but 40% of population couldn't come up with 500 $ tomorrow.
vinylfan62 OP
119 posts
 
Yyzsantabarbara, thanks for posting the link. This article is encouraging. I guess my perception that the the love of music and quality sound is dying was thankfully not true. And the article points out as you do, that younger people are more interested than I knew. I need to try harder to seek out these people. That’s where you learn about new music (new to me, anyway) and great gear that I haven’t heard.  
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