Was I Expecting Too Much


Hi everyone.  I'm looking for a heading check with a situation I encountered yesterday.  

Background:

I'm planning to upgrade my turntable later this year - Q3 is my target.  After my research, I've narrowed down to AMG and Brinkmann.  I was able to audition an AMG Viella yesterday, and was looking to audition a Bardo or Taurus for comparison.  I know my thought of trying to fit in a Brinkmann demo was last-minute, and some dealers are particular when it comes to appointments and allowing them time to setup their demo.  

The Situation:

So I called the local Brinkmann dealer and inquired to see if a bardo or taurus happened to be setup.  The salesman I spoke with said they had both, and he was going to check if a demo was possible.  After a few minutes, I get a phone call back from the owner who seemed rather dismissive of my request.  I explained that I'm currently doing my research and looking to hear some demos to help down-select, and that my purchase would be a few months from now.  He asked for my budget which I found strange as I already stated what I was interested in demoing.  Then the conversation turned to what gear I already own, which I understand sort-of.  Then the owner basically said it doesn't make sense for me to demo anything now and to call back when I'm ready to purchase.  

How am I going to know what I want to purchase without demoing the options?

Was I expecting too much by asking to hear equipment that I'm interested in?  My opinion is a sale isn't guaranteed and an audio dealer, just like any other dealer, needs to invest some reasonable amount of time to capture a sale.  You don't capture all the sales, but I didn't think I was being unreasonable in my request and certainly was not trying to waste anyone's time.  I was pretty transparent with where I'm at and I guess he was reciprocating my transparency by telling me to go away.  I felt "less-than" by this experience.  As if I wasn't worth investing any time into.

Thoughts?

 

cbl117

It’s difficult to compare two different tables with two totally different components on two totally different systems.  I think he figured none would be gained by these demos. 

Now I know why you don’t see stereo equipment in home listings.  He sounds like a dealer.  You know they are doing you a favor if they even talk to you.  Is there another dealer you can talk to.  Perhaps contact the manufacturer and have recommend who to talk to.  There are certainly a lot of snobby dealers.  
 

 

$15,990 is the list price of the Brinkman Taurus. 

B&M audio sales is no picnic these days, but it is not your responsibility to support a dealer that doesn't understand how to make spending $16K a rewarding and fun experience for their customers.  Find another dealer.

Another thought - for $16k +/-, I'd look into the Stabi R and Kuzma 4P - there are good Kuzma dealers in the greater Los Angeles area where you might be able to audition the table/arm.  At that price point, the tables are pretty comparable.