Another audio dealer closes his shop

Yes, competition is ruthless. I tend to think the manufacturer is a big part of the problem as well. It is difficult to draw more people into this hobby when the price of admission becomes more costly. For example an entry level preamp is $7000. For a shrinking market it is difficult to recruit new customers with that kind of cost.

As taters mentioned about the super rich mainly having theater rooms but no dedicated 2 channel systems. Could this be the reason why dealers are doing better in the HT market. I agree with taters that everyone I know who owns high dollar systems would be considered middle class living in modest homes (me included). So perhaps the industry has their numbers crossed. They need to be charging outrageous prices in the theater market and come down to middle class prices in the 2 channel market :)

I have often wondered, if the High End industry were much better at marketing to the general public. Not just in audio mags, and nowadays audio websites. If things would be a bit better for them.I have been a newspaper press operator for over 30 years and have only seen one ad. I have been a fan of music ,musical instruments and nice stereos since I was a teenager. I never had a problem finding where to buy music and instruments.They always advertise ,and I always see the ads. Not so with High end audio.Im many cases Ive drove miles to out of the way audio dealers that I heard rumors about,or drove down a unfamilier street and out the corner of my eye caught the word audio or stereo.I would have started much younger if only I had known!I think more folks would get into the hobby were it marketed better.My two cents.

I think two channel audio is a shrinking market and the
higher end manufacturers need to charge more for their
products to cover costs and make a profit. And as costs go
up you push even more out of the market place. Ten Thousand
dollar amps, pre-amps and turntables have become the norm.
People simply can not afford or justify such purchases for a
hobby when usually only one family member enjoys. Home
Theatre in most respects is different as the whole family
can sit down and enjoy watching a movie and they prefer the
amazement of multi-channel listening.

And I certainly think the internet has changed the way we do
business and make purchases in this hobby. Some brick and
mortar places will continue and do fine as they have
probably changed their businees model to adapt while other
who have not will fold as we have seen. Cost Structure and
the way we do business has been and will continue to be
their demise
Oh well just my two cents and sorry for bloviating

Like Phaelon, I just attended the AXPONA show. For every room that
sounded excellent, there were three that sounded average. There were,
possibly, a quarter that sounded awful. Some of the better rooms were set
up by dealers, some of the worst by equipment reps. The reps seem more
like the general public with limited overall system knowledge. It's a shame
that dealers with skill and good customer service have to work so hard to
compete with the retailers Phaelon has described.