Best Buy and Turntable IQ

Bob1947

I am not normally a prima donna when it comes to stereo equipment, but I have to share this. Went into Best Buy to look over their discounted Blue Ray's. Started roaming a bit, wandered over to the box stereo area, saw that they had a few turntables on display, very low end. I have just purchased a Music Hall Turntable and was thinking cartridges. I asked the sales person there "do you carry phono cartridges"? Not a clue, in fact never heard of phono cartridges and didn't know what they were. He thought they had something to do with cell phones. We were both speaking english. I just said thanks and walked away. I have had lame Best Buy interactions over the years, but this one takes it for me. Am I getting that old. It's a store that carry's audio and video merchandise. Not a qualifier I guess.

thsmith

Online they appear to carry 1 replacement stylis.

boston1450

Most of our Best Buys up here in Maine do not stock turntables. So you 1step above us. We have to go to NH to see a Magnolia room. They have downsized store sizes drastically. And alot of the young generation has no idea what a turntable is. You may want to say record player in future. Turntable to some, means a microwave..though phono should speak for itself

sucks2beme

But that's not a source, that's a musical instrument?:question:
Welcome to the 21st century.
Another 10 years the cdp will be dead.

specd_out

best buy carries 3 turntables a crappy sony, a crappier ion lp-mp3 player, and during the holidays the crappiest crowley lp/cd/am/fm player.

When people came in looking for a lp player which was extremely rare, I told them to go to a goodwill or a local music store that also sold vintage audio equipment. Better quality for less money

nguyendot

You guys talk as if you're surprised Best Buy let you down......

Lowered Expectations.

specd_out

The thing about best buy is that the focus is not about getting people who are excited about a certain department, and placing them where there strengths are. Its about filling a head count and trying to make someone excited about the department they work in.

I would advise people never ask a Best Buy employee about anything product related. Any info you get will either be wrong or info that you can find in a 10 second search on google. Only question that should be asked to a BBY employee is "is this in stock"

nguyendot

Correct. They are not product specifically trained. They are trained to sell anything and make sure accessories and PSP are attached. PSP being their warranty.

Toolfan66

Best Buy has been dead for ten years!!!

ZLTFUL

Toolfan66 wrote: »

Best Buy has been dead for 20 years!!!

Fixed it for you. The true decline started when they got rid of their commissioned/enthusiast sales staff and moved into the Walmart employee model.
(Worked for Best Buy and was the last commissioned audio sales person at their north Des Moines store in 1993)

Bob1947

Every comment here is true. Best Buy for us folks is dead. Back in the day you could go to a free standing audio store and audition equipment. Most of them are gone as well. The internet rules. I must admit that I rely more on written reviews than actually listening to equipment. I bought a Marantz amp recently and couldn't find it anywhere to check. Finally a friend of a friend had one that I could. In spite of this I still would expect most people who work in the audio department at Best Buy would know what a turntable is and a phono cartridge, but obviously it's my error.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Seriously, you're giving Best Buy crap because the sales rep didn't know what a phono cartridge is? You walked into a Best Buy expecting them to have a cartridge worthy of putting on that Music Hall, I find that more surprising than the kid at Best Buy not knowing about an antiquated technology that probably less than 1% of the population uses.

I should note that I love vinyl, I just wouldn't expect someone working at Best Buy to know anything about that than, say, computer motherboards...

DollarDave

Bob, here is a link to a vendor that can help you out - http://www.needledoctor.com/Phono-Cartridges

You can speak to them for advice, too.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I've used them before and they've always been very good

sucks2beme

I did have a guy in a local Magnolia shop know his stuff.
His exact words were,"thank god, someone who knows something
about audio!" I think he moved on to a real audio store, I haven't seen him
since. There was a kid back in car audio who also knew something about real
audio(not just car stuff) as well. It's more of an accident than by design.
It's kind of like talking about fine wines in a biker bar. Not really the the right
place. I have real places in Dallas that do know this stuff, so BB is just a place to pick up
up something quick, not talk or shop audio.

specd_out

DSkip wrote: »

I don't think you understand this store as its essentially one of a kind. If any place should have workers who enjoy their job, it should be the Magnolia at this store. This one caters to your true high-end client, something like a stand-alone Magnolia would be. Its disappointing that the ONE store you'd expect them to step up their game with, they don't.

Believe me I understand more than you know. I work for the company. First selling now installing HT in peoples homes. Best buy does not hire or promote based on product knowledge. Its not even something they rate employees on.

boston1450

specd_out wrote: »

Believe me I understand more than you know. I work for the company. First selling now installing HT in peoples homes. Best buy does not hire or promote based on product knowledge. Its not even something they rate employees on.

it also helps when they enjoy their job. Ive had some good experiences there. I went to buy a new battery for my old video camera's. The young guy said all i needed was a new charger. Saved me 30.00 vs 50.00 out of my pocket. I had no idea it was still good. He brought it out back tested it ? and said it was still good..come to find out my charger at home was SPENT. I was pleased..

cnh

Well sometimes you get surprised. This is not a BB story but a Kmart one. I walked in to my local store looking for some European cylindrical adapters for my computer so I can plug it into the wall (in Europe end of this week for a little) and when I couldn't find much in the electronics section of the store the young lady in that section guided me to Sporting Goods. As we were walking, I said, Sporting Goods? Really? Why would they be there to which she politely responded, "Oh, we have our luggage in that section" as we were arriving. And sure enough, EXACTLY what I needed! I doubt that this girl was more than High School age or within a year or so? Bravo!

Sorry, no turntables, but how's that for someone who actually KNOWS something about their store?

cnh

Msabot1

Music Hall is fine Equipment....as far as Best Buy is concerned,stick to CDs and the like....you could fill a book with the things that they don't know about stuff!

mhardy6647

wouldn't going to Best Buy for high-ish performance phono cartridges be sort of like expecting your Ford dealer to have top-end, aftermarket performance upgrade parts for your Focus?

I mean, I take a "fit for purpose" approach to retailers - there's stuff I'll buy at WalMart, e.g., and there's also stuff I'd never think of buying there even if they do sell it.

EricFromMich

I've been with BB for along time. I was trained back in 97 by a true audio guy. And yes over the years I've seen my fair share of warm body's . I must say their really trying to make sure all employees are trained, but the down fall was what spec out said. They got ride of product specialist. We have a Mag in our store and I would trust my guys and installers to know at least were locally to to get parts for turntables or recommenced a service tech for vintage gear. We did carry 10 or so cartridges in till about 7 years ago, They never sold or fit what people were looking for. I can't speak for all BB but you come to me with a car audio question I'll be able to give you a opinion on almost anything you can ask, rather we carry it or not. But I also have a job that is a hobby.

specd_out

EricFromMich wrote: »

I've been with BB for along time. I was trained back in 97 by a true audio guy. And yes over the years I've seen my fair share of warm body's . I must say their really trying to make sure all employees are trained, but the down fall was what spec out said. They got ride of product specialist. We have a Mag in our store and I would trust my guys and installers to know at least were locally to to get parts for turntables or recommenced a service tech for vintage gear. We did carry 10 or so cartridges in till about 7 years ago, They never sold or fit what people were looking for. I can't speak for all BB but you come to me with a car audio question I'll be able to give you a opinion on almost anything you can ask, rather we carry it or not. But I also have a job that is a hobby.

Thats pretty much how I am. Its obviously a hobby for me so I could answer 99% of the questions people asked and if I didnt know I knew how to find out. There are usually only one or two employees per store that are that way. The rest only come for the pay check.

All they need is one Product Specialist per department. That would make a world of difference.

nguyendot

EricFromMich wrote: »

I've been with BB for along time. I was trained back in 97 by a true audio guy. And yes over the years I've seen my fair share of warm body's . I must say their really trying to make sure all employees are trained, but the down fall was what spec out said. They got ride of product specialist. We have a Mag in our store and I would trust my guys and installers to know at least were locally to to get parts for turntables or recommenced a service tech for vintage gear. We did carry 10 or so cartridges in till about 7 years ago, They never sold or fit what people were looking for. I can't speak for all BB but you come to me with a car audio question I'll be able to give you a opinion on almost anything you can ask, rather we carry it or not. But I also have a job that is a hobby.

This is the exception to the rule. For every one of you (or me) there are 1000 people there just to collect a paycheck. I worked at BB from 2000-2006 and couldn't stand it anymore with all the focus on PSP and ACCY%, Margin% etc. Yeah the dollar rules retail but you can't make money if you don't deliver a good service. I still go in because the managers are friends of mine and they usually hook me up with insane discounts, however I know not to ask any of the employees questions that I would normally ask here. It's not even funny to anymore. I started in "home theater" and loved it - but eventually it was a dead end and there is no money in that. Now I stop in and look at the Pioneer Elite section until it goes clearance and then have them give me a wicked deal on one of the units left, or other random open box items. I remember when we had multiple phono cartridges but in the 6 years I worked there I think only one sold....the rest collected dust. I remember they had a MiniDisc section way back when.

boston1450

EVERYONE take a deep breath. Now relax. Repeat this if necessary. until we all relize its a chain store

dromunds

Stopped going to big box stores. Haven't been in a Walmart for years. Period. No Best Buy either.