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What Are Your Audio Morals?

Assuming:

A. We all want to audition equipment before we buy it;

B. We all want the most for our money;

C. We all can find the same equipment cheaper on the Internet than from high end dealers;

D. We all know that you can't audition equipment on the Internet.

Therefore, the question is: How can you morally audition equipment at dealers when you know you won't be buying there?

After all, the dealer is giving you his time, his advice, the exclusive use of his listening room (all at the expense of customers who may actually biuy from him), a pro-rated percentage of wear and tear on his equipment, and a pro-rated share of his rent, electricity, salaries, advertising, taxes, maintenance, etc.

What do YOU do when you want to audition equipment? Do you:

1. Use your local dealer and buy from him?

2. Use your local dealer and buy elsewhere?

3. Don't use your local dealer, but buy elsewhere as long as you can return it?

4. Take a chance and just buy based on reviews, thinking maybe you can sell it if you hate it?

5. Other?

BTW, I am not a dealer. I'm just aware that if we all use dealers as free audition services knowing we'll buy elsewhere, local dealers will soon be extinct.

Maybe that's OK. Perhaps, with the advent of the Internet, local dealers serve no purpose anymore. That may be a future topic of discussion.
plasmatronic
victor1
13 posts
 
I don't know if this is helpful or not, but the use of the wprds honesty and integrity is writ large from both perspectives.

I was a retailer in the late '70s and formed a single long term association with someone thereafter. I purchased easily $250,000 worth of eq
victor1
13 posts
 

... apparently I rudely interrupted myself. So I purchased a lot of equipment for myself and others.

In the past two years, he has shown me B&W Nautilus, McIntosh, Parasound and Conrad Johnson equipment. In some of these instances when I purchased equipment, I did so through Audiogon. I simply could not afford to do otherwise.

From an integrity/honesty perspective, I told him each time I did. I gave him gifts including a case of fine wine to thank him and he knows very well that I will still purchase a proportionally high number of separates from him. As I stated to him once, without his help I would not have heard the B&W Nautilus line and for that I am forever grateful.

We are friends and I believe I've conducted myself in a forthright manner as one would when dealing with friends or any one else in an open fashion.

Besides, when he offers used equipment that I want, it would be purchased everytime.

Gotta go now... don't want to miss any Audiogon opportunities!
dbw1
173 posts
 
I agree with the honesty perspective. If you tell a dealer your intentions, it is their decision whether to spend time with you or loan you a demo. If they think it's a worthwhile investment, they'll try it, if they don't, they won't. I'm going to borrow two CD/DVD players from my dealer in a couple of weeks, and unless I don't like either, buy one from him. I'm also going to ask him if I can borrow a processor at the same time which I intend to buy used. It's a reasonable request, as I'll be spending 2-3k for the source, and I want to know which sounds better with the processor I intend to buy. I bet he'll agree. If I were just asking to borrow the processor demo and if I liked it, buy it used, that's less clear if it's reasonable. It would still be his decision though, as I'd be upfront about my intentions.
kevziek
323 posts
 
To those individuals who think it "immoral" to audition at a dealer & not buy; I ask you, when YOU sell equipment on Audigon that you didn't like, do YOU tell prospective buyers that you hated the sound of the piece or think it sucks? Do you give them your analysis of the sonics, if you don't like the sonics? No, you don't, because you'd never sell the piece. To chastise others on auditioning equipment in dealerships is a pompous & self-righteous act, & IMO, ridiculous. Spending countless visits & hours to a dealer without any intention to buy anything could be considered less than ideal ethics; but people "window shop" in all varieties of retail establishments en masse every day. It's part of modern life -- don't get so self-righteous & hypocritical about it.
paulwp
585 posts
 
Well Kev, are you chastising others for discusssing this issue? You bring up a couple of interesting points, and lead to another. Are the mark-ups on some products moral? Should anyone feel guilty about paying the fair market price for something auditioned at a dealer who insists on full boat retail?

Are retail salespople honest about the merits and value of the products they sell? Would they sell anything if they were? Should you care if you stiff them? (The ones I deal with are, and I wouldnt.)

With respect to used gear, I am probably naive, but most of the time I think something is for sale because the seller wants to buy something better or a better fit for the rest of his system. There is nothing wrong with the little speakers I have advertised in the past. In fact, I have turned down decent offers for them because I am so ambivalent about selling them, and happily listen to them every day. I just wanted to raise some cash to buy bigger and better ones. Do you need to tell someone you hate the piece youre selling? We all have different tastes. There is a certain well-reviewed and popular high end small speaker that I hate, but other people think its great. Im not sure my opinion of it would be relevant if I had a pair to sell.
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