Speaking as a buyer of equipment and not a dealer, I find that visiting high-end dealers is often one of the joys of the hobby. There are different kinds of dealers with different outlooks, of course. I've visited some that seem to be pretty focused on first-visit sales where staff lose interest the moment they perceive you're still just looking. But that's not necessarily typical in my experience. What makes high-end audio shops most interesting to me is that the staff are often quite knowledgeable about the industry and technology-- not only with the brands they offer, but also those they have offered previously and those they've chosen against adding to their lineup. Unlike your average trip to Best Buy, good dealers will talk to you, teach you, tell you stories about performers and music, and show off their products with pride. They understand why you're coming to see them. They're usually not just sellers, they're also avid listeners. Maybe even formerly or currently recording engineers, musicians, or otherwise involved in music production.
Im my experience, these kinds of high end shops don't get bent out of shape just because you visit them several times. As others have pointed out, they understand their products are expensive and you'll be making a careful decision. They'll invest time in a potential customer and be there when s/he's ready to make a decision.
I suppose my outlook comes from my own story, at least. I was the proverbial penniliess college student who'd fallen in love with ... Wilson Audio loudspeakers, of all things. Not a college budget item. For a few *years* I would visit the shop every few months just to listen during off-peak business hours. Was I wasting the shop's time? I don't think so, because each time reaffirmed my hunger for these things. Then I graduated, found a job, and BANG! They were mine. That was in the mid-2000s and I still own them today. The dealer never treated me like a waste of time; no, they always treated me like a friend of theirs who loves the same things they do. Invited me to Avantgarde and YG Acoustics demos after hours. (I did have the decency to vacate the primary auditioning room when other customers entered the store.)
All in all, what I love about a good audio shop is that the folks there love audio just like we do and will share that love even when you're still saving up to buy.
How many times can u visit a hifi store before it annoys the store if u plan on a purchase
I plan on buying a McIntosh system C12000 and 2 MC611 monoblocks in a about 3 months from this Stereo shop I have chosen. I’ve been to the store about 4 times over the past year and half to listen to various components trying diff equipment.
My question, is, what would be considered visiting the store to much before I buy a system? I plan on spending over 20k but I didn’t know what is proper etiquette.
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I remember back in 1977 going to Lyric HIFi in Manhattan to buy a Dynavector 20B cartridge. Mike Kaye owned the store then. After sizing me up as someone not likely to spend thousands he made me wait in the vestibule while he went to fetch the cartridge. Apparently this was his behavior if he didn’t like the cut of your jib. |
@curiousjim : "...and I just chuckled." |
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