Brick&Mortar vs Internet Direct: Where do you buy your Audio/Video Gear?

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Retail or Internet? Are you having a tough time deciding which is best for you? Both avenues for buying audio/video gear can be great experiences, and each has its distinct advantages (and disadvantages.) A veteran of the Retail Wars gives you his perspective, rife with confessions, anecdotes, tips, and observations.

Do your homework by researching online and seeking out a reputable dealer or manufacturer that can guide you on making the best purchasing decisions to build the ultimate two-channel or home theater system.

Read: Brick and Mortar AV Retail vs Internet Direct: Which is Right for You?

Vote in our poll and let us know how you shop.

 

[Am386SXL]

I always do research of a product online before I buy. You can't buy something blindly just because it looks good and the price is right.

 

[Montucky]

My brick and mortar options are so bad here (as in there are none), that I pretty much had to become a dealer for myself. Not kidding. That said, ID companies these day can be a very, very good experience. Especially with some of the VERY generous trial periods that some of them offer. I'm now a local CI, but my goal is to setup a legitimate showroom as soon as my company grows enough to be able to afford the high operating expenses associated with that. It may not be the most profitable thing these days, but I miss that good B&M experience that is so rare these days and hope to provide a great retail experience for customers.

SO, I guess which method you like to shop really depends a lot on your location. If you live in remote places like me, ID, online retailers, and going through CIs are pretty much your ONLY options. In big cities, some of you have some awesome B&M stores, though. I've thoroughly enjoyed my shopping experiences in the past at a couple of them when you can get really great service and QUALITY stuff. Not the lower end models that the big box chains sell at uber sales prices, and the average customer won't notice the slightly different model number.

 

[j_garcia]

A little of both. Whichever has what I want for the best price. There are very few B&M stores anymore except for the higher end stuff.

 

[XEagleDriver]

What B&M??
- Nothing in local area better than BB, and they don't carry much worth considering.
Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[j_garcia]

I have to drive pretty far to find one that isn't BB.

 

[Montucky]

- Nothing in local area better than BB, and they don't carry much worth considering.

Sadly that's the case for a lot places. The big box chains really made it tough for some of the smaller brick and mortar stores to compete and have driven many under.

When a customer see a certain tv for whatever price at their local b&m store, and then they see it for a couple hundred bucks cheaper at BB, they often (and understandably) just go with their cheapest option. I used to be that kind of customer in my younger days until a salesman at a fantastic HT store in Dallas showed me the difference. I had brought in a BB ad to see if they would price match on the TV I was looking at. He pointed out that their model was like xyz-123, and the one at BB, while very similar was like xyz-123bb. Apparently some of the big chains get special deals from the manufacturer to try and drive the price down to a certain point, but in doing so, they may be getting cheaper internal components and such. I did some research and sure enough, in my case the primary video processing board was entirely different. The color accuracy was superior with the one at the HT store. Thus, I went with the one at the little B&M store, but what was great was that they gave me a fantastic deal on it anyway. Got me very close to the BB sales price. A great experience and a valuable lesson learned. SOMETIMES they may be the same thing, but often times not.

That's the nice thing about a GOOD B&M store...sometimes you get really knowledgeable salespeople who can really educate you on what you're shopping for. That's what you're paying for sometimes, and the experience can be invaluable if you get a good salesman.

However, you can also get a similarly good experience from some of the ID companies. For example, call SVS, RBH, GoldenEar, and many others, at any time and you'll go straight to a real person who can thoroughly educate you on their products and help guide you to the right decision. I've been muy impressed!

 

[RochRx7]

I miss Sound Advice

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Whichever offers the best prices for best gears.

If your goal is very specific, that definitely limits your options.

 

[Mark of Cenla]

I do some of both. In the stereo in my signature the amp and Bostons were bought online. The CD player, tuner, and subwoofer were bought locally. Peace and goodwill.

 

[minirips2]

I purchased my AV gear from a local high end dealer, after looking at several other dealers that seemed more like departments of appliance stores. The listening room was very nice, and I could compare speakers back to back, taking as much time as I wanted and listening to discs I brought, and a few they had on hand. I ended up spending way more than I originally planned to, but the difference in sound was dramatic (to my ears at least). They helped me unbox the speakers and gear in my home and gave some placement suggestions. I had issues with video compatibility and throw distance on the projector, which they gladly solved with two different replacement units. They weren't able to give me discounts on the speakers, but gave me a great trade-in allowance on some truly awful speakers that they probably tossed to prevent from offending anyone's ears. They knew I was outside of my comfort zone financially, and went out of their way to make sure that I knew they would do whatever it took to ensure I was happy. It was one of the best shopping experiences of my life. My system rocks. Period.
The unfortunate end of this story is that they closed the business due to the economic downturn. The only caveat here is that some high end stores are not able to make it these days due to competition from the internet and discount outlets, so there is always a risk that they may not be there forever. as a rule, the better equipment manufacturers will stand behind their products.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I purchased my AV gear from a local high end dealer, after looking at several other dealers that seemed more like departments of appliance stores. The listening room was very nice, and I could compare speakers back to back, taking as much time as I wanted and listening to discs I brought, and a few they had on hand. I ended up spending way more than I originally planned to, but the difference in sound was dramatic (to my ears at least). They helped me unbox the speakers and gear in my home and gave some placement suggestions. I had issues with video compatibility and throw distance on the projector, which they gladly solved with two different replacement units. They weren't able to give me discounts on the speakers, but gave me a great trade-in allowance on some truly awful speakers that they probably tossed to prevent from offending anyone's ears. They knew I was outside of my comfort zone financially, and went out of their way to make sure that I knew they would do whatever it took to ensure I was happy. It was one of the best shopping experiences of my life. My system rocks. Period.
The unfortunate end of this story is that they closed the business due to the economic downturn. The only caveat here is that some high end stores are not able to make it these days due to competition from the internet and discount outlets, so there is always a risk that they may not be there forever. as a rule, the better equipment manufacturers will stand behind their products.

Well, come on now, so what audio system did you buy?

 

[wiyosaya]

I've stuck with brick and mortar. In general, my local A/V/Photo store is competitive on price, and the support is superb.

Plus, If I were to buy new speakers, I would be able to go into the store to listen to them first. You simply cannot do that over the internet.

 

[KEW]

I think you need to add another category to the options. I guess it would be mail order (but not ID)...to include Accessories4Less, Crutchfield, AudioAdvisor, Amazon, Parts Express, Audioholics Store, etc.
And, I have spent a few dollars with Pro-Audio companies like Sweetwater and Musician's Friend (which I guess could be grouped with mail order).
Everything included, I have bought much more gear through non-ID mail-order than any other single category of seller/reseller.

Then there is the used market through Audiogon, Craigs List, eBay, etc. Which is the best option for those with the experience, knowledge, and time to find and know the deals when they present themselves.

 

[Defcon]

I agree that B&M stores can provide good service. But the reality is that no one should buy anything before conducting research on the Internet (on sites like this and others). And no demo room can be as good as your own home.

What I really don't like are people who go do B&M stores to try things out and then buy online for cheaper, sometimes in the same store using their phones. But this is rare because the B&M shopper typically has a much higher budget than the online shopper and presumably has gone to a store for the service.

The sad reality is the overhead of stores, distributors etc means they can never match ID prices, which puts them out of reach of many including me.

 

[Hi Ho]

Having worked in the A/V industry basically my entire working life I have had the opportunity to get some great deals through employee pricing and accommodation programs. Other than those deals it's a mix of online and brick and mortar purchases along with my own DIY projects. I look for the best value regardless of the source.

Best Buy is really focused catering more to the high end customer. They are rolling out Magnolia Design Centers in select stores across the country. You can actually walk into a Magnolia Design Center and listen to an SVS subwoofer and bring one home for the same price SVS sells it on their website.

 

[Defcon]

Having worked in the A/V industry basically my entire working life I have had the opportunity to get some great deals through employee pricing and accommodation programs. Other than those deals it's a mix of online and brick and mortar purchases along with my own DIY projects. I look for the best value regardless of the source.

Best Buy is really focused catering more to the high end customer. They are rolling out Magnolia Design Centers in select stores across the country. You can actually walk into a Magnolia Design Center and listen to an SVS subwoofer and bring one home for the same price SVS sells it on their website.

I am not sure there is any advantage to doing that in the specific example of SVS, in fact its a bad idea since SVS have free shipping and free trials, and by buying in store you lose out on their 'bill of rights'.

The real advantage in mass market stores is when you can find some bargains which are priced for retail but are hi end speakers - e.g. Fry's discounts Primus and Klipsch speaker lines which are both excellent value.

 

[Bizarro_Stormy]

The Good News:
BestBuy's Prices Are Getting Pretty Dang Close to Amazon's

The Bad News:
If you want a warranty from BB, it's gonna cost ya

 

[Paul Scarpelli]

I think you need to add another category to the options. I guess it would be mail order (but not ID)...to include Accessories4Less, Crutchfield, AudioAdvisor, Amazon, Parts Express, Audioholics Store, etc.
And, I have spent a few dollars with Pro-Audio companies like Sweetwater and Musician's Friend (which I guess could be grouped with mail order).
Everything included, I have bought much more gear through non-ID mail-order than any other single category of seller/reseller.

Then there is the used market through Audiogon, Craigs List, eBay, etc. Which is the best option for those with the experience, knowledge, and time to find and know the deals when they present themselves.

Very good point, but my intention in a short article was to compare retail to Internet. And I would still call Amazon, Musician's Friend, Part Sex Press; all of which I've used; Internet. I also understand buying online when you live out where Jesus lost his shoes, like I do. As much as I am loyal to retail and American made, if your local choices aren't good, the Internet has great solutions.

 

[Paul Scarpelli]

I agree that B&M stores can provide good service. But the reality is that no one should buy anything before conducting research on the Internet (on sites like this and others). And no demo room can be as good as your own home.

What I really don't like are people who go do B&M stores to try things out and then buy online for cheaper, sometimes in the same store using their phones. But this is rare because the B&M shopper typically has a much higher budget than the online shopper and presumably has gone to a store for the service.

The sad reality is the overhead of stores, distributors etc means they can never match ID prices, which puts them out of reach of many including me.

Excellent points.