How do you get to listen to high end speakers?


Wierd question.

Since I was a little kid and my father bought his first "Hi Fi" rig, Ive been hooked on the stuff.

I am a fan of the hobby and my interests in it have flucuated throughout the years. Kind of bouncing between a mild involvement to nuerosis.

I am absolutley entranced by the workmanship, build quality and engineering of some of todays high end audio gear manufacturers.

So that brings me to my question.

How does a guy, that simply cannot afford the best the industry has to offer, get a chance to listen to some of it every now and then? If for no other reason than to hear what he might strive for in his own personal system.

For example, Wilson Audio. While Im not poor by any stretch, I also just cannot afford a pair of $125,000 X-2's, let alone the front end worthy of such a mighty speaker. Does that mean that I should forever be shut out of the kingdom of audio nirvana?

Dont get me wrong, Im not asking someone to let me take a pair home and audtion them. However, is it wrong to find a high end dealer that might have a pair on display as demos and ask to take a listen, at least for a song or two?

Im not asking for the keys to the kingdom, maybe just let a fan of the craft take a peek through the front doors now and again.

I live in South Florida and found a local high end dealer that had a set of MAXX's on demo. While in there to buy a $350 center channel speaker cable, I asked if I could take a listen. I was told no. That auditions were for potential buyers only. Meanwhile, two guys had just walked out of the room after having them cranked up.....employees, not customers.

Now dont get me wrong, I dont expect them to just let anyone and everyone in the world to come in and start jamming with their $175,000 rig. Im not just anyone. Im a customer that over the years has probably spent $3000-$4000 dollars in various stuff there. Cables, speaker stands and the like.

Am I on the market for a $40,000 set of speakers? Absolutley not.

Would I love to listen to them? Of course.

So has Hi Fi become the new class system. The realm of the rich and mighty where the "haves" dont even let the "have nots" take a peek into their realm?

If I was the owner of the business, I would love to let true fans of the hobby take a listen to perfection, even if I knew they could never afford the product. I would love to inspire people, to give them a glimpse of what is possible. To teach people to be excited about Hi Fi and music again and to give them a goal to work towards with their own personal systems.

Besides, a guy that knows that once a awhile he can listen to the newest and latest in esoteric gear, will frequent the store more. Knowing that, what Hi Fi junkie walks into audio nirvana without at least buying something?

Seems like a good way to get repeat customers.
nm512
On the other side of the coin,

I called Straightwire this week because Im buying a new DLP front projector and I needed a long run of RGBHV cable for my new Dwin.

I spoke with Jerry from Straightwire and he quoted me a price on a 25 foot run of their better cables that while Im sure it was worth it, it was a little out of my range considering what I just spent on the projector.

He explained that he understood and said for me to think about it and give him a call back whenever I decided what I wanted to do.

The next day, he called me back.....I didnt have to call him. He told me that he really wanted to work with me and he understood what it was like to work on a budget. He said, "let me look through our B stock and see what I can come up with for you".

Ten minutes later he called me back and told me that he had a 32 foot run of some very nice cable that they had used for a trade show and that I could have it for $275.

Since Straightwire is local here in South Florida, I spun by there to pick it up that afternoon. Now, here I am, just got off work in shorts, a T-shirt and sneakers and Im here to buy a $275 cable. Jerry greets me up front and gives me the red carpet treatment. He brings me in the back and starts showing me all of their high dollar cables and explains the extrusion process on some of their more expensive stuff. He introduces me to the owner Steve and his father. He went out of his way to help me out on a cable that saved me a significant amount of money and still treated me like I was their most important customer.

I left there feeling like a million dollar customer. I was almost stunned by their sense of courtesy to their patrons.

That kind of service wins me over every time.

Straightwire has earned a customer for life. I will never buy another cable without first auditioning what they have to offer first.
Nm512, it's sad to hear a story like yours. A lot of us have been in your situation at one time or another, and for those who haven't, count your blessings.

Sedona's example is perfect. His brother did the right thing, going back to the Mercedes dealer and speaking with the sales manager to tell them that they lost a sale (and future sales) and WHY. The latter is important, and while it's a bitter pill for the dealer to swallow, if he's smart he'll learn from the experience and do better with other customers.

I don't agree that someone wanting a demo should call the manufacturer to be introduced to the local dealer and have a demo arranged. If the dealer isn't going to help you, that's his problem! Like the Mercedes dealer, he should be told after the fact that he lost a sale and why, but except for a few cases he doesn't deserve a second chance. By the same token, a little mutual respect can go a long way.

My story that dates back to around 1977 is about when I happened to be working in the area for a few weeks and decided to take the train into Chicago to visit a dealer or two I'd seen ads for in some of the high end publications. One of them carried most of the stuff you would see mentioned, and on that Saturday in the summertime there turned out to be a fair number of customers in the store. The memorable moment came when one of the salesmen, dressed in a WHITE SUIT, walked over to where several of us were standing around and loudly proclaimed, "anybody who's here to A/B preamps today might as well forget it" and marched back to whatever he was doing.

As it turned out I did get a chance to audition some gear that day and gather some literature, but that day will always stand out in my mind as a bad experience.

Conversely, I had some wonderful experiences back then with Mel Hodes and John Thomas of Perfectionist Audio, a home based dealer in central Pennsylvania who's long gone. These guys had killer stuff, and they demo'd the stuff in an unpretentious manner: Dayton Wright, Quad, Magneplanar, Dunlap Clarke, Audio Research, and the list goes on and on. To this day I vividly remember leaving John Thomas's home in total awe after experiencing his Tympani IIIA's triamped with ARC tube gear. WOW! More than anything, it was Mel and John's sincere approach as music lovers and audiophiles that made a lasting impression and served as an inspiration for what a high end dealer should strive for. Since I now wear the hat of a dealer as a home based dealer in my spare time, I have a good example to live up to.

Brian
I really see nothing wrong with a newbee, calling to have that personal invitation.
Certainly it's partly true that if the dealer won't help its his problem; the issue is that the customer STILL hasn't been serviced. That only points out the bad dealers and doesn't help the customer.
I have given personal introductions to dealers from customers who called the factory for information.It is a very simple process that helps BOTH parties.
The dealer is on the ready for the, sometimes intimidated customer, putting him or her at ease and gives him great treatment.
It should be that all experiences are that way but they aren't.
I have made many customers VERY happy by giving them a simple intro to their local dealer.
Best,
Nm512, Jerry from Straightwire is a very wise (and accommodating!) man, indeed! I really admire a businessman who treats a new potential customer as a future loyal client, whether or not this actually occurs. This type of "marketing campaign" costs no money, just an investment of time, decency, and courtesy. So many dealers will either treat a potential customer as a "mark" or as a "waste of time", depending on the salesman's mood, or cursory initial evaluation. The old marketing adage is true: a loyal customer provides a priceless source of advertising, and while a satisfied customer may not tell others about his experience with you, an unhappy and dissatisfied customer will tell EVERYONE about his experience with you!
Nm512, I'm also in S. Fl.
Sounds a lot like Sound Components in the Gables.
I'll never set in that place there again.
What's really funny is, they are just a bunch of sales clerks putting on airs.

KP