Crutchfield Turnaround. Audiophiles too.
Igo
Posts: 411
OK. 25 years ago in rural South Georgia before the internet when I thought I was the only guy who thought there was a better way to listen to music (even tho I didn't know exactly what that way was); I found a magazine/catalog on a table in a gas station and that catalog was Crutchfield. Though today we consider Crutchfield to be very basic, at the time I only barely had any idea that such a wealth of fine audio equipment existed. Yet! When MP3 and satellite radio came on the scene and, for a moment, threatened to destroy the high end audio industry (grin) with a 45 year set-back in audio quality, who was the first to jump all over this, for the dollar? Crutchfield.
Now to the point...
Have you seen the new catalog? Splattered from cover to cover: "Hi-Fi 2.0" and subtle condemnation of the iPod and MP3. OMG. Check it out. Is this Crutchfield? Who else here thinks that when Crutchfield and others jumped on the MP3 and iPod bandwagon that they cut their noses off despite their faces? Did they really think that such horn blowing for losey compression was going to be the avenue for growth in future sales? And now do we detect that maybe they very abruptly discovered that coveting crap recording processes does not sale high dollar audio equipment? Take a look at this new catalog then tell us what you think?
Now to the point...
Have you seen the new catalog? Splattered from cover to cover: "Hi-Fi 2.0" and subtle condemnation of the iPod and MP3. OMG. Check it out. Is this Crutchfield? Who else here thinks that when Crutchfield and others jumped on the MP3 and iPod bandwagon that they cut their noses off despite their faces? Did they really think that such horn blowing for losey compression was going to be the avenue for growth in future sales? And now do we detect that maybe they very abruptly discovered that coveting crap recording processes does not sale high dollar audio equipment? Take a look at this new catalog then tell us what you think?
...Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard
Post edited by Igo on
Comments
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haven't actually seen a Crutchfield in at least 6 years... probably way more.Never kick a fresh **** on a hot day.
Home Setup: Sony VPL-VW85 Projo, 92" Stewart Firehawk, Pioneer Elite SC-65, PS3, RTi12 fronts, CSi5, FXi6 rears, RTi6 surround backs, RTi4 height, MFW-15 Subwoofer.
Car Setup: OEM Radio, RF 360.2v2, Polk SR6500 quad amped off 4 Xtant 1.1 100w mono amps, Xtant 6.1 to run an eD 13av.2, all Stinger wiring and Raammat deadener. -
Well I bought my A6 surrounds with them for the free subwoofer thingy so I guess I'm on their list again....Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard -
It's a start in the right direction.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Well, I was never really that into crutchfield, was the problem that they embraced mp3 and similar technology /at all/ or was it that they turned away from the hi-fi market to do it? I would think that as much as audiophiles think mp3 is crappy that it would still be a good move on their part to have embraced it- just as far as making money goes... most of the world is fine with mp3 quality since they can download all their music for free online instead of paying for CD's. With all those ipods and mp3's floating around that's just easy money for them.
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Crutchfield stills sells plenty of high-end equipment. Just go to their web-site. I just recevied their latest catalog and they have the LSi series in this issue. I bought my 4 LSi15s, 2 LSi7s, LSiC, and PSW1000 from them. Also bought a Sony STR-3000ES, Denon 3805, and Sony 3100ES DVd/SACD player.
The biggest problem with Crtuchfield is they charge list price. However, they usually have free shipping. Their biggest plus the is piece of mind they provide. They have a very liberal return policy, and even provide pre-paid shipping labels for returns. Granted, I have been using other on-line vendors lately for lower prices, but I still check their site to see what is available.
I can't believe they are selling Theil 3.7 speakers at only $13,000 a pair.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Picked up my Polk FXi3 surrounds there. The Crutchfield service and delivery were excellent.[
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Well, I was never really that into crutchfield, was the problem that they embraced mp3 and similar technology /at all/ or was it that they turned away from the hi-fi market to do it? I would think that as much as audiophiles think mp3 is crappy that it would still be a good move on their part to have embraced it- just as far as making money goes... most of the world is fine with mp3 quality since they can download all their music for free online instead of paying for CD's. With all those ipods and mp3's floating around that's just easy money for them....Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard -
For me, I order alot of things from Crutchfield if I can't find it locally. I'm a very impatient person when it comes to purchases so I want it right then and there. For the most part, 99.9% of the time, if I order before 5 p.m., I have it before 10 a.m. the next day. If I find I can get it WAY cheaper elsewhere, most of the time I'll order from elsewhere, but if the price is close, I always order from Crutchfield.Money Talks, Mine says Goodbye Rob!!!!
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If Crutchfield told the world anything, it's that homegrown hi-fidelity is dead once they started selling Thiel loudspeakers.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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I bought a TV from Crutchfield before. Excellent experience.Sharp Elite 70
Anthem D2V 3D
Parasound 5250
Parasound HCA 1000 A
Parasound HCA 1000
Oppo BDP 95
Von Schweikert VR4 Jr R/L Fronts
Von Schweikert LCR 4 Center
Totem Mask Surrounds X4
Hsu ULS-15 Quad Drive Subwoofers
Sony PS3
Squeezebox Touch
Polk Atrium 7s on the patio just to keep my foot in the door. -
I live 10 minutes from their home store, so I have the advantage of fishing through their close out sales/ tent sales from time to time. Customer service at the store is top notch, and they actually take the time to learn their products...
And I can't really blame Crutchfield for hopping on the ipod craze for a while there. They are a business, not a speaker, receiver/amp shrine.
Oddly enough, there seems to be a bit of a push for high end audio everywhere now. I am seeing records in stores like Bestbuy for the first time, which blew my mind when I was there last.2007 Club Polk Football Pool Champ
2010 Club Polk Fantasy Football Champ
2011 Club Polk Football Pool Champ
"It's like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my brain!" -
Crutchfield built a significant business by providing excellent customer service and support (albeit at relatively high prices). I think (???) that companies like Audio Advisor (and even some of the higher-end catalog emporia such as Acoustic Sounds or Music Direct) have tried to emulate the Crutchfield model.
BTW, the expression used by the original poster is generally rendered as "to cut off one's nose to spite one's face". :-P -
Well, it is nice to see that Hi-Fi 2.0 splash on their front page. They even have the Wadia 170iTransport...
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If Crutchfield told the world anything, it's that homegrown hi-fidelity is dead once they started selling Thiel loudspeakers.
I do beleive that if Crutchfield starts telling the world that iPod docking stations are out and 2-channel hi-fi is in that there may be at least a little bit of impact. Now if they could just go to the Hoods and tell people that flat frequency responces are the new In....Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard -
mhardy6647 wrote: »Crutchfield built a significant business by providing excellent customer service and support (albeit at relatively high prices). I think (???) that companies like Audio Advisor (and even some of the higher-end catalog emporia such as Acoustic Sounds or Music Direct) have tried to emulate the Crutchfield model.
BTW, the expression used by the original poster is generally rendered as "to cut off one's nose to spite one's face". :-P...Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard -
Crutchfield did what they had to do to keep the business coming in. A company like that cannot survive on top-of-the-line gear alone. While they may have been touting their mp3 docks and the like, they continued selling the same "hi fi" gear in the background.
Personally, I think Crutchfield runs an excellent business. The one time I had to return something, it was a car audio amp that I probably blew up, myself, while hooking up. I even admitted that I had let out the magic smoke. The CS rep looked up the amp, said, "well, I could replace it, but I don't have any more in the warehouse. So, I'll just send you the next step up". The "next step up" was over double the power output rating, and is actually still alive, though not in use. This was... 6 years ago...Ludicrous gibs! -
Crutchfield did what they had to do to keep the business coming in. A company like that cannot survive on top-of-the-line gear alone. While they may have been touting their mp3 docks and the like, they continued selling the same "hi fi" gear in the background.
Personally, I think Crutchfield runs an excellent business. The one time I had to return something, it was a car audio amp that I probably blew up, myself, while hooking up. I even admitted that I had let out the magic smoke. The CS rep looked up the amp, said, "well, I could replace it, but I don't have any more in the warehouse. So, I'll just send you the next step up". The "next step up" was over double the power output rating, and is actually still alive, though not in use. This was... 6 years ago......Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard -
mhardy6647 wrote: »BTW, the expression used by the original poster is generally rendered as "to cut off one's nose to spite one's face". :-P
Dammit, you beat me to it!:D
No, I DON'T have anything better to do than play Grammar teacher on this forum:eek:
(because of reduced hours:()I refuse to argue with idiots, because people can't tell the DIFFERENCE! -
Dammit, you beat me to it!:D
No, I DON'T have anything better to do than play Grammar teacher on this forum:eek:
(because of reduced hours:()...Link to my System Showcase...
"ES - Kind'a simple but I like it"
Sony ES STR-DA4300ES 7.1
Sony ES SACD SCD-C2000ES
Sony 400 Disc CD CDP-CX455
Infinity BU-2 Sub-Woofer
Polk Audio RT800i Towers
Polk Audio CS400i Center
Polk Audio FXiA6 Surrounds
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
DH-Labs T-14 Speaker Cables
Panamax Max 500 DBS Line Conditioner
Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50'-Plasma
Play Station III - BluRay
Logitech Harmony 550 Remote
Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard -
Well, technically, we're talking about idiomatic expressions rather than grammar per se.
(and, also, of course, about Crutchfield)