The future of high end retail

anhchungdoan

mantis wrote: »

LOL just adding to the thread of existing places to go. Can't hurt to drop a line here and there. Someone may need something ...:D

Hey, Mantis. When you have a good deal on Primare Intergrated. Pm me , plz.

Check this out, real stuff. No homeless audio allowed though. www.soundworldaudio.com/Brands.html-

Ranger0912

Excellent points Jax. I've been involved with 2 channel for a long time and at all price points. One of the barriers I've noted, especially in larger metropolitan areas where high end tends to be concentrated, is the intimidating atmosphere that is often present in those shops. Mix in the condescending attitude of some sales people and it's easy to see why people feel more comfortable at Best Buy. We know that this equipment is often complicated to understand and, without patiently delivered information, even harder to appreciate. It probably doesn't help that the two most popular publications, Stereophile and AS aren't really geared to the novice. Living in Chicago I was fortunate early on to get involved with the folks at Audio Consultants who patiently exposed me to "High-Fi" and worked with me through the years (and systems) to assemble what was right for me as my tastes and budget evolved. As I venture into digital and all the great promise it holds I hope to continue encountering folks as helpful as those I've met in the past.

Huck344

First off, I will preface this by saying that I don’t consider myself an audiophile. I want to be one, but I’m not one yet. Sure, I’ve listened to music my whole life, but I never really “listened” until a few years ago. For me it was always a concept of the louder the better. SQ was never considered.

My first venture into audio WAS the route of HT. I wanted the loudest, most surrounding immense feeling that I could find. That was one of the reasons why I bought the RTI line of speakers. All the reviews stated that they were great for HT. But, you can only watch movies for so long and after a while I realized that I could actually use my speakers for listening to music as well. Now, the speakers sounded good, but they didn’t sound great. So, I did some research on forums and realized that maybe I needed an external amp to power these speakers. So, I bought a used Sunfire amp and it set me on my way to wanting better.

With regards to the OP’s subject, I have my own theories as someone who did not “grow up” as an audiophile.

1.) I feel that one of the best ways to recruit people into the world of good 2 channel is to offer HT support. I’ve seen way too many “HiFi” sales people look down there noses at me because I like home theater.

2.) Have knowledgeable sales people who are willing to educate their customers. I’ve just moved to a new area and have visited my local hifi store 4 or 5 times now. Yes, I have bought a few things, but nothing real expensive. Every time I come into the store, I bring a notebook and take notes. The guys in the store get a kick out of it, but have never been rude and have always patiently answered even my most mundane questions. I have compared their prices to online outlets and yes they are about 5%-10% more expensive, but for me the knowledge is worth the extra cost.

3.) Have education/training classes. Home Depot used to do this. Hell, I learned how to tile from a class that they had at my local home depot store. I would love to be able to go to a hifi store and experience the difference between a tube and solid amp. I’ve read all about them on forums, etc., but I have no idea what it’s all about.

I guess the bottom line is that HiFi shouldn’t be a secret that only the special few who know the secret handshake are allowed to appreciate. Haughty comments like, “there is no journey from IPod to Krell” are what alienates people from ever even wanting to dip their toes into the hifi pool.