Wonderful visit and 5-star customer service at Audio Doctor in Jersey City, NJ!

Excellent write up! This kind of service makes it worth buying from people like the Audio Doctor! The value from being able to thoroughlytest equipment is priceless.

FYI I had an Anthem pre-DSP about 15 years ago. The AVM 20. I was extremely dissapointed as that pre-DSP is the only device I have encountered that audibly improved with a power conditioner. It was one of the best pre-DSP in terms of functionality I have owned but the power supply design was obviously 2nd rate.

Obviously, I upgraded and I am reticent to try Anthem ever again. Of course some people prefer gear that is finicky and unreliable but for me I got rid of this component as soon as I had the opportunity to do so. My philosophy is that if it isn't working properly in a normal set up then how can you ever know that it is performing 100% no matter how many conditioners you try!!!

Thank you Shadorne.

I have been doing this as my main vocation for over 30 years. 

High end retailing in the late eighties to the ninties was so different. 

Customers were treated like royalty the salespeople were excited to be seeing  people and demoing and talking about audio and music was fun and exciting. 

Once the industry started allowing internet sales, rampant discounting, and started treating hand made limited production products like a commodity here is why stores are disappearing.

The Luxury goods model needs to be followed in all price ranges for high end to work. Stores need to exist to allow for neophytes to be educated, and to gain the experience of actually hearing what music can sound like when played on all manor of systems.

In our shop we have a large assortment of inexpensive really good gear, from the Micromega myamp $600.00 the Nad C368 $899, the Nuprime IDA 8 $995.00 to the $50k T+A gear.

The problem the industry is facing is the internet, if company A sells direct to customer B that customer may never get a chance to be introduced to better systems and the journey becomes a one way trip and growth is limited or curtailed. Its like in Fight Club got that wardrobe issue solved. 

Look at the success of Sonos, too many people that could afford a simple easy high end system such as streaming amp/dac and a set of speakers for $300-500 a pair are being led down a path which doesn't embrace the experience of actually reproducing music and educating the customer to how their appreciation and joy of music can be radically enhanced by buying better gear and then introducing that starter customer into the entire gamut of great gear. 

One of the products we really recommend is the Naim Muso and the Uniti line, because they represent an easy step into the world of quality audio so we can take a Sonos buyer and show them a better streaming speaker and then show that same buyer that a high quality streaming amp/dac with a set of real speakers sounds so much better and boom we have now created a person with an interest in high quality music and whose eyes and ears are awoken into the possibilites or what an entire industry can offer.

Allowing interenet sales is dooming many industries into a downward spiral getting people into stores all stores needs to be embraced, for the only way for people to purchase better anythings is to be introduced to them in a meaningful way.

Dave owner
Audio Doctor NJ

My last point is that the experience of shopping for high end luxury goods needs to be just that, an experience.

Women and signifigent others needs to be brought into the stores and educated that high end audio can be a fun hobby for them as well.

Far too many stores especially in the New York metro area are all about closing the sale rather than finding out just what product or series of products is right for the client, for this reason Audio Doctor displays many different lines so we can find just the right product for that client.

I personally loved being given a glass of wine when I was in a famous New York high end clothing store and experience was fantastic.

Our store offers  extended hours from early morning appointments to late night ones. I remember working for a big NY store and I had to escort out a potental client for a $40k system because the store mananger was in a rock band and had to leave for a band practice. The customer never came back.

 When you are in this kind of business you need to treat your customers like friends and family members because that was what worked in old time retail sales it was about creating a relationship that transcended just the sales process.

Dave owner
Audio Doctor NJ

For those that have been enlightened by this chat, so far...

I highly recommend a book...

"The Celestine Prophecy" (for heavy reading only).

DeKay

@dekay LOL thanks for that!