Most successful hifi dealers these days offer useful personalized purchase advice and also have some kind of reasonable return policy. I would not buy expensive hifi gear otherwise. It’s not as bad as buying a car and having no ability to return it for a reasonable cost if not satisfied. I suspect even buying jewelry and most other luxury items is similarly worse.
Hi-end audio is a big zero
This is no knock on dealers, It's just how hi-end audio is.
I go listen to some speakers. He has them set up like crap - jammed between 3 other pair. Running on electronics I would never choose so I have to try and compensate for what I imagine they are contributing to the sound. Then after 30 minutes, I am expected to shell out the $4,500.00.
I narrowed it down to two transports from an online retailer. And who knows if those 2 are even a good choice? Told point blank, I am not allowed to buy both and return the one I don''t want. Just pick one and buy it. Shell out $1,000-$3,500 based on what?
One e-tailer will allow purchase 3 speakers totally $12K and return the two I don't want. Sorry, i have a conscience and can't do it to him.
Read all you want. Talk all you want. Listen at dealers all you want. But unless you listen in your own room, it's all meaningless. I'm talking even just 5 to 30 minutes can be all it takes. But that is basically impossible.
Sure you can buy and sell on A-gon or Ebay if you find what you want have the time to go through the process.
If the prices weren't so high or I did not care about sound quality maybe it would not matter.
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Things have changed big time in the last 10 years when I was operating my Audiostore until 2010 you came over had drinks pastries and we sat down and listened ,then spent at least 4-6 hours trying to put together a synergistic system and buy whatever you could afford ,and even let you try out cables . |
Years ago I was deciding between Focal speakers and B+W speakers of equivalent price. A dealer in Monterey CA had both plus the identical McIntosh integrated amp that I owned. Made an appointment and drove from San Jose to Monterey. When I got there, his feet were on his desk and he hadn’t set anything up. After he did, I was allowed to listen to my “test CD” on both speakers for a little while and then after 45 minutes, he stopped the demo and wanted me to make a purchase decision. I asked if I could purchase the Focals on approval. He refused. I had fully intended to pay the (then) full retail price of $8,000 rather than buy online for less. He was a jerk so I bought the Focals online for $5,000 from Canada. Recently I called a high-end dealer and asked if the $8,000 Raidho XT-1’s were on demo. They weren’t and he would not bother to set up a demonstration for me. He expected me to make a purchase decision for an $8,000 pair of bookshelf speakers “sound-unheard”. No sale there either. Good, reputable dealers are a vanishing species. |
@audioguy85 I’d by Tanny’s too but as for the rest some pain mixed in (but mostly fun and a learning process) for the gain. So msny of us don’t think as the room as equipment. Granted that’s not always possible. Buy lottery tickets
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