Say it ain't so...


Went into a Best Buy today and came across a section called "Magnolia". It was a "Home Theater" department. They had Definitive Technology, Martin Logan, Boston Acoustics, REL, Denon, and a few other brands generally associated with HiFi Buys/Tweeter or better audio stores.
How about that...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=category&cmp=&id=pcmcat42900050008
Ag insider logo xs@2xmuzikat
"It ain't so".

OK, there I said it. However, that doesn't change anything! This is old, old news. Magnolia has been around in Best Buy for quite a while in some markets. It isn't here in Cincinnati yet, but it's probably just a matter of time.

Of course, like most things, there are pros and cons to having a "high-end" store in Best Buy. The pro is that it may introduce a completely new audience to "high-end". The con is that it may cause the Walmart syndrome and kill off all of the smaller dealers in your town.

TIC
Yeah it is. Magnolia HiFi is a chain out of the Northwest US. Nice stores. Best Buy bought them several years ago. If you know any kids that work at Best Buy, they can get some good deals on the stuff.
Yes, BB bought Magnolia. Don't woory, they will run it into the ground soon enough. When was the last time you walked inot a BB and got any kind of service? People who buy "Hi-end" want service, not some young kid ignoring them.

On a side note, Tweeter has been on the edge of Bankruptcy for the last few years. Why should I go to BB to be ingored by a young kid in a blue shirt when I can go to Tweeter and get ingored by a guy in a suit?
Higher volume sales of these higher end products should mean lower prices. And a larger number of these same products on the used market. As long as the quality stays the same.
To add to TIC, I also find that most people working in smaller dealers are also passionate audiophiles, as opposed to big box store salespeople, who at best are barely hi-fi educated. I can foresee people leaving Magnolia believing that the best high end is only in their stores. And, let's not forget, was it not these very same sales people that made the masses believe that everything they sell is "hi-fi"