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Who is the WORST Audio Shop?

There seems to have been quite a bit written over the past several years regarding the myriad of reasons one can attribute to the demise of the brick and mortar audio shop. Rarely have I read however one of the most obvious reasons, which based on my experience, has got to be the simple fact that for the most part, they just didn't offer a high end listening experience. That, along with an elitist and careless attitude towards customer service, buried them as much as anything else. So here's my question. Who is the WORST audio shop/dealer you've ever encountered?
jayh31
jellyfish
5 posts
 
Paragon in Ann Arbor, Michigan absolutely sucks.  Very full of themselves.  You are to buy what they say becuase they know more than you and this is what they say works.  Never mind you enjoy the thrill of learning, listening, growing with your hobby, etc.  Owner Larry, a liar.  Salesperson Tom, pure arrogant, snob, schmuck.  Salesperson Ron... babbling bullwinkle.  Salesperson Matt, does what he is told with his tsil between his legs.  Losers.

jellyfish
5 posts
 
Still on Paragon.  Their pricing... some of the worst in my ecperience.  Big inability to answer questions.  Seem to enjoy trying to explain things in ways designed to get you to quit asking questions, stop making them demo ANYTHING for you, shut up and start buying something.  Get in, buy, get out.  Phoney.  Want great service?  Go to Paulson's, in Farmington I think it is, and ask for Strat.
skanda
60 posts
 
Another NY resident here. Luckily no experiences with Lyric, but Singer. Oh boy...i asked him about a Red Wine Audio amp he had and if i could come in an demo it: "at this price, it's a steal. you don't need to demo" and more or less hung up on me shortly afterwards.

Stereo Exchange is a mixed bag. Really sales person dependent. Had a great time talking to one of the fellows (few years back) over there re some headphone gear. However, a different guy once bitched me out for calling B&W 805s "bookshelves". "These are stand mounts. There are a lot of differences between standmounts and bookshelves". This is after he asked me my upstream gear and so, should have had an idea that I wasn't a casual enthusiast!
calvinj
2,302 posts
 
There are not a lot of shops here in Dallas like there used to be. Go in there. They cut alll the big equipment off and if you go in there more than once they walk away and hope you leave quickly. 
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,373 posts
 

Natural Sound in Framingham, Ma.  I had been a customer since the late 70's, having bought a GAS amp, preamp, tuner and moving coil cartridge, Counterpoint in the 80's and Vandersteen speakers in the 90's.  I also brought a few friends in and they all bought equipment from them.  One friend in particular has spent just south of 800K on his system at Natural Sound..

About 10 years ago, I bought a demo Marantz 8001 SACD player and needed some high end interconnects for them.  To make a long story short, I got royally screwed on the pair of cables and when I brought this to their attention, nothing.  I sent the owner who I was friends with an email explaining everything and still nothing.  They will never, ever get another cent of my money and I also tell all my friends not to shop there now.

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