2. misc-audio
  3. 1132888704

whats changed in audio & is it better

if you've been in the hobby long enough you must remember when there was very little choice for consumers as to what kind of gear was available for them to demo & what kind of service they were forced to accept & you will also remember when dealers shelves were full of trade in gear.

i truly believe that the web & audiogon have changed the way that manufacturers & dealers do business for the better but i also believe that it's made us more fickel about our gear as we now have a source for endless options of gear & a source to sell the gear were not pleased with.

the only thing i really miss about the old days before agon was getting to see & hear all the trade in gear that dealers had but other than that im glad to see things changing especially in the customer service area.

my question is this,has the introduction of the web & hi end changed the hobby for the better or worse in your eyes?

mike.
128x128bigjoe
mdhoover
695 posts
 
Plato: I agree with that philosophy.
bigjoe's avatar
bigjoe OP
693 posts
 
wow howard,thanks & im glad i could be of help.

i also remember when owning a hi fi set up was important to people but now its like most younger people feel the need to keep busy outside of the home instead of any leisure time at home & music has turned into more of a time filler instead of an art form.

im not so sure though about the net killing off the dealers,i think its part of the reason but i think the main reason dealers have dropped like flies is how fast paced the newer generation is,they dont want to take the time to go & listen to a real hifi system when its so much faster to pop into a best buy & take home their purchase with them instead of waiting even if they are buying pure crap its instant gratification,i also think that most salesman have lost the ability to size up a customer.

dealers got me started in the hobby but the web got me much more interested .

mike.
phd
1,320 posts
 
The personal computer (a modern inconvenience) has changed the way we do business and our lives forever. I'm a tire kicker and much prefer to see, touch & hear a piece of audio gear before I buy it. Of course once you bring it home sometimes it didn't always sound quite as good as when it was heard at the showroom.

I believe that even dealerships that use to rely on mostly walkins are now having to rely more on the web to sell their gear, more coverage. In fact all members of Audiogon have become salesman in their own right. On the positive side, I feel that the web gives us far more choices and better deals but for the worst it lacks that hands-on personal touch. I can tell you one thing for sure, FedEx & UPS are laughing all the way to the bank.

taters
1,149 posts
 
If it was not for the brick and mortal stores I would have never gotten involved in this hobby. Those stores ruined my life! (Just kidding)
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