Shopping Local Audio Gear is Getting More and More Challenging

[Mikado463]

The reality is that most retailers are now on line rather than in stores. It has been happening for the last 20 years. I'm trying to think if I have anything left that was bought in an audio store. I have a Pioneer Elite AV receiver in a closet upstairs that was bought from a friend who used to operate an audio and AV store. It works fine but I replaced it with a smaller one. I have a pair of speakers that I Use in my exercise room. I bought them at a big box store. They aren't very good but they keep the beat while I exercise. Everything else came from an on-line source. Oh, sorry, my two TV's came from Best Buy. That's it.

Friends don't let friends buy 'fake audio' from Best Buy !

Best Buy is low-fi, now those stores so spec'd with a Magnolia section do offer a dose of quality audio

 

[highfigh]

The reality is that most retailers are now on line rather than in stores. It has been happening for the last 20 years. I'm trying to think if I have anything left that was bought in an audio store. I have a Pioneer Elite AV receiver in a closet upstairs that was bought from a friend who used to operate an audio and AV store. It works fine but I replaced it with a smaller one. I have a pair of speakers that I Use in my exercise room. I bought them at a big box store. They aren't very good but they keep the beat while I exercise. Everything else came from an on-line source. Oh, sorry, my two TV's came from Best Buy. That's it.

The point of the article and many comments: we can't go to an audio or AV store the way we used to, in order to try before we buy and this is important when it comes to things like speakers. While the sound differences aren't as large, seeing how to operate an AVR in a video doesn't provide nearly the info as seeing/touching it in person.

 

[Mikado463]

The point of the article and many comments: we can't go to an audio or AV store the way we used to,

as I said earlier, some of us still can !

 

[fmw]

The point of the article and many comments: we can't go to an audio or AV store the way we used to, in order to try before we buy and this is important when it comes to things like speakers. While the sound differences aren't as large, seeing how to operate an AVR in a video doesn't provide nearly the info as seeing/touching it in person.

I agree that it is a problem but there is no solution. We have to rely on reviews. I bought my AV speaker system based on reviews and they are quite satisfactory. I didn't get a chance to hear competing brands or models but I don't know what I am missing either. The sound of my system is good. I don't spend any time worrying about it. The marketplace decides what will be available to consumers and one can only consider that the consumers weren't great enough in numbers to prevent the loss of audio and AV stores.

 

[lovinthehd]

Friends don't let friends buy 'fake audio' from Best Buy !

Best Buy is low-fi, now those stores so spec'd with a Magnolia section do offer a dose of quality audio

Fake audio? Low-fi? What in hell are you talking about? Could be an example of why "high end" audio is dying....derisive terms based on consumerism of "low-fi" or "fake audio" from someone who has such a silly amp as you use? Fidelity is fidelity, and most stuff these days is pretty high in fidelity....even the less expensive stuff. Fake audio to me are people following the general idiocy of the "high end" in terms of cost rather than actual performance....

 

[MrBoat]

I didn't care for the last wave of B&M stores. It was necessary for shipping access more than anything else. But I found most of the salesforces of the '80s onward, to be generally FoS so I used to avoid talking to them anyway.

The last era of B&M stores that I liked, also had a repair shop in the back. Since they serviced what they sold, they were less likely to "talk up" any potential lemons to you. Especially if you were a repeat customer. After that, everything has just seemed like some middleman drop ship op. That's half of what got me into DIY and buying used gear. Since you can't find the people *in the know* in the back of service shops anymore, you have to root what's left from the underground.

I am likely set for the rest of my days with audio gear. I still have DIY projects ahead, have 4 amps, and 2 other amp kits and all the parts to build them. I had no inclinations to fund this industry by way of constant upgraditus anyway.

The internet is a highly resourceful place. I have never had better than a near field guess of whether I could work with a speaker or not at home, from any store audition. Anymore, I can kind of tell from the freq response charts if it's in my neighborhood. After that, I know I can pretty much trust JBL to provide a high value/performance product if I really need something new, since I generally find their sound agreeable, and for a number of decades by now.

Finally, I am probably one of those rare people that if I buy something and I like it and it lasts? I'll keep it until it dies. The music I listen to has given me great joy at times with lesser quality than what I own now. I've exceeded the style and size of my living spaces, along with the capabilities of the recorded music itself.

 

[Mikado463]

Fake audio? Low-fi? What in hell are you talking about? Could be an example of why "high end" audio is dying....derisive terms based on consumerism of "low-fi" or "fake audio" from someone who has such a silly amp as you use? Fidelity is fidelity, and most stuff these days is pretty high in fidelity....even the less expensive stuff. Fake audio to me are people following the general idiocy of the "high end" in terms of cost rather than actual performance....

LOL, I knew I could 'bait' you into a reply !!!

Silly amp ?? LOL, Nelson Pass has forgotten more about amplification than you will ever know ! and if you think the speakers offered at Best Buy(excluding Magnolia) is anything but budget junk you haven't a clue !

 

[lovinthehd]

LOL, I knew I could 'bait' you into a reply !!!

Silly amp ?? LOL, Nelson Pass has forgotten more about amplification than you will ever know ! and if you think the speakers offered at Best Buy(excluding Magnolia) is anything but budget junk you haven't a clue !

That's all you've got, rather than something solid to base a post on? Good grief, your "class" of consumer continues to exceed any actual usefulness. You haven't a clue in most things, whether audio or politics....or even corporate bullshit.

 

[lovinthehd]

LOL, I knew I could 'bait' you into a reply !!!

Silly amp ?? LOL, Nelson Pass has forgotten more about amplification than you will ever know ! and if you think the speakers offered at Best Buy(excluding Magnolia) is anything but budget junk you haven't a clue !

I can always count on you to over emphasize the amount of money you can spend in terms of what returns you actually get....typical boardroom bullshit.

 

[Mikado463]

That's all you've got, rather than something solid to base a post on? Good grief, your "class" of consumer continues to exceed any actual usefulness. You haven't a clue in most things, whether audio or politics....or even corporate bullshit.

awwww come on LuvNuts, you're my left coast liberal expert

 

[lovinthehd]

awwww come on LuvNuts, you're my left coast liberal expert

It's got nothing to do with politics, rather your poor ability to make decisions based on facts....

 

[Mikado463]

I can always count on you to over emphasize the amount of money you can spend in terms of what returns you actually get....typical boardroom bullshit.

You have no clue how much $$ I've spent, like others you assume my gear was bought new at msrp, that and the fact you have never heard my system yet criticize it at every opportunity you can shows how little you actually know........

 

[lovinthehd]

You have no clue how much $$ I've spent, like others you assume my gear was bought new at msrp, that and the fact you have never heard my system yet criticize it at every opportunity you can shows how little you actually know........

I know how limited you are, as well as the gear you've listed previously. Just not impressive, more you seem impressed with yourself as far as spending more on stuff than something effective. If you buy at msrp you are much bigger 'phool than I anticipated in any case, but wouldn't particularly surprise me based on your posts.

 

[lovinthehd]

awwww come on LuvNuts, you're my left coast liberal expert

Likewise you're a reflection of the idiotic right I suppose....not that that's much to aspire to.

 

[lovinthehd]

You have no clue how much $$ I've spent, like others you assume my gear was bought new at msrp, that and the fact you have never heard my system yet criticize it at every opportunity you can shows how little you actually know........

And who cares how much you spent? Was it a good spend or a silly spend? I'm leaning towards the latter in your case.

 

[mono-bloc]

It looks like the children are out from play school again. I expected better from Mik'e. And you can't expect more from the other idiot, He's simply running to form. Upsetting people with his fairy stories on what he considers news. And home made audio.. But to get back in the subject of audio establishments and the closure I'm very limited to quality outlets in OZ, Sydney is something like 600 kilometers south and Brisbane's close to 500 kilometers north. There are a number of box sellers in some of the smaller towns selling big screen TV,s and soundbars. And not much else. We have a local HF store, quite close 120 kilometers round trip for me, which is more or less round the corner, that specializes in HT installs and is open a couple of days a week for audio gear, Naim, Linn, Rotel Middle range B & W speakers. The big two in Sydney are ultra High end selling and importing the exotic brands, But if you want Wilson speakers or Dan "D" amps, Audioconnection is the place to go. The other one in North Sydney has the normal high-end. But also concentrates on high-end home theatre Hundred grand home theatre sales are considered average, And really specializes in home automation, and the sky the limit, with regard to cost.

 

[highfigh]

I agree that it is a problem but there is no solution. We have to rely on reviews. I bought my AV speaker system based on reviews and they are quite satisfactory. I didn't get a chance to hear competing brands or models but I don't know what I am missing either. The sound of my system is good. I don't spend any time worrying about it. The marketplace decides what will be available to consumers and one can only consider that the consumers weren't great enough in numbers to prevent the loss of audio and AV stores.

If the market decides what will be available, the consumers don't get to complain that B&M stores don't exist- they caused the death of retail.

 

[fmw]

If the market decides what will be available, the consumers don't get to complain that B&M stores don't exist- they caused the death of retail.

The cause was really the wold wide web. Consumers gravitated to lower prices and convenient delivery. I make my living in e-commerce. I've seen the transition happening over the past 26 years. Competition is what drives our capitalist system.

I bought a new TV yesterday from Amazon to replace my current unit which is acting up. I saved a couple hundred dollars and got free delivery. It will arrive some time later this week. For me it beats driving 60 miles round trip to Best Buy and spending more time and money only to get it delivered later this week. It is what it is.

 

[highfigh]

The cause was really the wold wide web. Consumers gravitated to lower prices and convenient delivery. I make my living in e-commerce. I've seen the transition happening over the past 26 years. Competition is what drives our capitalist system.

I bought a new TV yesterday from Amazon to replace my current unit which is acting up. I saved a couple hundred dollars and got free delivery. It will arrive some time later this week. For me it beats driving 60 miles round trip to Best Buy and spending more time and money only to get it delivered later this week. It is what it is.

Customers always wanted low prices- imports became popular because members of the US military had brought various items and equipment back during/after Korea, having bought these at the PX and during leave in Japan. In the '50s, people wanted and bought imported transistor radios, but they couldn't be called 'pocket radio' until the clothing industry made shirt pockets larger. Then, when Japanese cars became available, the American Big Three ignored advice to become more efficient and to make better products, so Toyota, Honda, etc kicked our car making ass because of the arrogance. Easy, cheap/free shipping only adds to the draw.

The part I don't understand- many items need to be touched, felt, used in demonstration for the potential user to really find out if it's suitable but living in a remote location makes this an attractive way to buy, just like Sears and Montgomery Wards catalog sales. I get it, but I don't like a giant corporation to kill off small dealers. The personal service from local stores definitely can make life easier, if they would only understand why they exist and that if they continue to hire people who don't have a clue, they'll become one of the "I wonder what happened to the '___________' store?" statistics.

 

[fmw]

Customers always wanted low prices- imports became popular because members of the US military had brought various items and equipment back during/after Korea, having bought these at the PX and during leave in Japan. In the '50s, people wanted and bought imported transistor radios, but they couldn't be called 'pocket radio' until the clothing industry made shirt pockets larger. Then, when Japanese cars became available, the American Big Three ignored advice to become more efficient and to make better products, so Toyota, Honda, etc kicked our car making ass because of the arrogance. Easy, cheap/free shipping only adds to the draw.

The part I don't understand- many items need to be touched, felt, used in demonstration for the potential user to really find out if it's suitable but living in a remote location makes this an attractive way to buy, just like Sears and Montgomery Wards catalog sales. I get it, but I don't like a giant corporation to kill off small dealers. The personal service from local stores definitely can make life easier, if they would only understand why they exist and that if they continue to hire people who don't have a clue, they'll become one of the "I wonder what happened to the '___________' store?" statistics.

I haven't changed my mind. It is competition with the world wide web that is killing audio and AV stores. Not all of the internet merchants are huge conglomerates but they do just fine. Crutchfield and B&H are a couple of examples. Many AV stores and manufacturers have an internet presence. Amazon and Walmart aren't thinking about putting anybody out of business. They are just implementing their business model. One must either compete or fail.

My industry isn't nearly as large as the AV industry but I compete just fine with Amazon and Walmart. The reason is that I am an expert at my industry and my industry is just some of millions of products with which they deal.