Im tired of seeing uneducated buyers

[Rowdy S13]

Im not aiming this rant at anyone or any group cause it happens all the time with everything. I dont understand why people are so egar to rid them selfs of thier hard earned cash by buying something they know little or nothing about. I have many hobbies and anytime I get into one before I go spend all my money on what one person says to get I try and learn as much as I can and I dont understand why you wouldnt. I know a lot of people who have very expensive sub par stuff for this exact reason. They go to one store and talk to one person and buy what that person says to get. Good example is a friend of mine went out and spen a TON of cash on a Harmon Kardon reciever and Bose speakers. Now is that the worst stuff he could have bought, no but could he have spent that money on better stuff yes. If youre going to get into something such as Home Audio look around do some research and learn what all those numbers and specs mean. Find out some brands reputations see what other people have and more importantly why they have it and what they like and dont like with it. Go to lots of stores listen to everything even stuff thats "not good" and stuff thats way out of youre price range to see whats out there and start to figure out what you like and dont like. Looking at lower quality stuff will help to apreciate better stuff and looking at equipment thats out of youre price range will help determine what features you want and like because usualy higher end equipment has more features. If after listening to everything you can you like something in youre price range great go buy it but if theres something a lil out of range that you feel is worth spending the extra money on then wait and save a lil bit and get it. I dont like to set budgets for this reason Im not gonna go out and spend a fortuine but at least it dsoent limit me to a small selection Id rather find what I like the best and if I cant afford it Ill wait cause I know that it will be better in the long run. This dosent just apply here it applys to everything you spend moeny on. Reviews on stuff are very helpfull and tell you a lot same with sales people but you cant just go on one thing combine all aspects and then decide. Well I think im done whew I feel better

Thanks for reading,
Sean

P.S. Its almost 5AM other wise I wouldnt rant like this but Im tired and sick of seeing people waste thier money. You earned it spend it wisely (Or as wise as an expensive hobby can be)

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hey, it is the instant generation, I want it now. It is only this much...

The marketeers are doing a great job of learning human psychology how to sell to the gullible people. We have been conditioned from early on and for many generations. Why are we the lowest savers???

 

[saurabh]

I guess...not everyone is made same in this world...and so most ppl are not willing to explore, review or gain full knowledge before buying a product and this is true for most consumer goods purchases....how many of us are keen enough to look into the features and pros and cons before buying .......not many.......most of the time its by the brand name or advertisement or just word of mouth which helps ppl to decide what to buy.......not many want to get into the nitty gritties of the specs before they buy.....they just need to have a product in their homes..........so they go out and buy it............period

 

[zipper]

Some people have no sense of quality or just don't care. I have a friend who still has a 20 YO Technics rack system, added some new (4 yrs ago) Boston speakers to it & he proudly proclaims "It cranks". He has no concept of distortion, thinks it's 230 wpc because, well, that's what it says on the back of the receiver, & could care less about DD,DTS,5.1, or anything of the sorts. But he's happy with it. He doesn't have the same passion that many of us do to want to listen crystalline pure music. He'll buy what serves his needs at the best price he can get. He'd just as soon eat at Black Angus than spend $35 for a great steak at Ruth's Criss.

He's not part of the working poor, he just doesn't care.

 

[saurabh]

I would say as long as you are happy with your piece of equipment and are satisfied with its performance, I guess its fine since its all in your mind .

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

What's wrong with Harmon-Kardon?

 

[Audioholics]

More people should practice delayed gratification.

 

[claudermilk]

I have to agree. From my experience, it seems that posession of large amounts of cash has nothing to do with posession of common sense.

I don't recall which audio board I recently saw the request, but I recall within the last couple of weeks someone asked for advice on spending a huge amount of money for a HT system, but they were "a busy executive" and didn't have the time to make an informed decision of their own. I always wonder how someone like that gets to become a money-loaded "busy executive" & how I get in on the gravy train.

 

[Rowdy S13]

Im glad to see that most of you agree with me in one way or another. The big thing is you can get soemthing for not expensive that "gets the job done" but why not see if what youre getting is gonna do the job as good as it says or if theres something better for less mabey. Most people who get into Home audio do exactly what there told and buy brands wich is sad bacause markting isnt the only thing to consider. Espically when there are Thousands of choices out there that arent at best buy or circuit city. But I guess ignorance is bliss.

Sean

 

[BMXTRIX]

I think at some level we are all guilty of it as well. We want a front loading washing machine - so we go buy what we afford with no research, despite a hundred people that say front loading washing machines often leak and don't get clothes as clean as top loading. Or, I have family members that will buy cars without even test driving them... WTF!

Heck, I'm guilty - I just dropped $350.00 on a storm door for my house. What the heck do I know about storm doors?

I think even the more serious a/vphiles get stuck where they don't consider moving their components out from under the TV and into remote rooms and finding good places for their equipment despite them hanging the TV on the wall. Or they MUST have a plasma, yet put deep floor standing speakers out there and then live with the lower quality image over CRT.

Yeah, I think we are all guilty of it at some level, but it is definitely infuriating to hear my brother say the words: "What about Bose?"

DO SOME RESEARCH!

 

[Tom Andry]

Let's be honest - there are only so many hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the year. If I'm going to spend 5 hours a day, 35 hours in a week, 1820 hours in a year thinking about audio equipment and 8 hours a day, 56 hours a week, 2912 hours in a year sleeping, that only leaves 4004 hours a year, 77 hours a week, 11 hours a day for work, love, beer, and sex (not necessarily in that order). Who's got time to research storm doors?

If I spent 20 mins online researching a purchase, I feel I've done pretty good for things I don't care that much about. I subscribe to Consumer Reports and use their website often to inform my purchases. Would I use them to pick speakers - heck no! A lawnmower - absolutely. Do I need the world’s best value in lawnmowers? Get the absolute best bang for my buck? Spend hours a day on an online forum hoping someone asks a question I can answer about lawnmowers? Nope. What I need is one that is reliable, safe, and reasonably effective - and Consumer Reports delivers.


But I can't say that I haven't made a few impulse buys at home depot recently – ‘cause I have – usually stuff by the checkout lane. Thanks American Marketing Machine.

 

[Dan]

When I was younger and much more of a music snob than I am now (not a cure- it's just in remission) I observed that the quality of one's stereo was usually inversely proprtional to one's taste in music. I knew a dude who went by the name Arwulf in Ann Arbor who had 50,000 jazz albums 20 years ago. God knows how much he's got now. His whole house was devoted to storage and he had three crummy stereos of the rat shack variety scattered around the house. I knew a guy later in the eighties with a thousand dollar turntable and big maggies who listened to disco and bad RnB.

I would like to think I am an exception to the rule now that I've got what I think is a good system at least IMnotsoHO.

Has anyone else observed this musical taste hifi gear inverse relationship?

 

[zipper]

LOL..........yeah Dan, the friend I spoke of has a full 3' x 3' rack of cd's...........which is fine with me because I have borrowed & burned more than a few times.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

If everyone researched their purchases, there would be no society. People would spend 24 hours researching and trying to decide what to eat for breakfast, nobody would sleep because they'd have to spend 20 minutes trying each of the 10,000 matresses available at every furniture store in the county. Audio, TVs, cars, boats, house paint, toothpaste, clothes, sneakers, pets, childrens college, et cetera et cetera et cetera...... Everybody just needs to make impulse buys, otherwise nothing gets done.


But I stress: The more it costs, the more you should research (I'm looking at you Mr. Snooty-Gourmet who reads 5 magazines a month and gets on 4-month waiting lists to eat at the latest pan-europa/thailand club, who shows-up in his $60,000 sedan that he's never driven over 35. Its frickin dinner, just chill-out).

 

[Tom Andry]

I'm looking at you Mr. Snooty-Gourmet who reads 5 magazines a month and gets on 4-month waiting lists to eat at the latest pan-europa/thailand club, who shows-up in his $60,000 sedan that he's never driven over 35. Its frickin dinner, just chill-out

Hey I resemble that remark.....except for the car.......and the waiting list........and never driving over 35........but I got the Snooty down!

 

[RJB]

I really agree with you claudermilk, you got it right on the head!

IMO, with the age of instant everything around us, people just don't seem interested in doing their own research. While it's easier to go with someone elses advice, for better or worse, it's a poor substitute for doing it yourself.

Before I got down to spending any hard earned cash myself, I did a ton of research, read reviews & opinions from sites around the world, posted questions on various BB's and spend lots of time in audio / video shops just looking and listening and sometimes, although not nearly often enough, talking to informed sales people about the pros & cons of various products.

The upshot of all this? I got an education on the subject of home audio / video and was able to make intelligent ( I hope ) decisions. I understand the technology behind what I purchased and for me, I believe that adds to my enjoyment.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I research everything before I buy it. That doesn't mean that I still don't make decisions I later regret, but at least I don't impulse buy.

When I came on here I had intended on making an immediate purchase of a home theater system. That was in January. I still don't have a system and don't intend to buy one any time in the near future as I want it to be something I can live with for the rest of my life.

 

[shokhead]

Gee,i just put it in the hands of the salesperson. They have all the knowledge and will steer me in the right direction. Now my apartment has a 75" big screen,bose speakers with a 3K sub,an Emerson receiver and a real nice VCR.

 

[claudermilk]

I really agree with you claudermilk, you got it right on the head!

IMO, with the age of instant everything around us, people just don't seem interested in doing their own research. While it's easier to go with someone elses advice, for better or worse, it's a poor substitute for doing it yourself.

Before I got down to spending any hard earned cash myself, I did a ton of research, read reviews & opinions from sites around the world, posted questions on various BB's and spend lots of time in audio / video shops just looking and listening and sometimes, although not nearly often enough, talking to informed sales people about the pros & cons of various products.

The upshot of all this? I got an education on the subject of home audio / video and was able to make intelligent ( I hope ) decisions. I understand the technology behind what I purchased and for me, I believe that adds to my enjoyment.

Exactly! That's pretty much what I did. I just cannot understand spending at least a little time in understanding what you are spending your money on. I guess maybe that's why som many people get upgradeitis so often, lack of research leads to buyer's remorse which leads to more less-than-informed purchases. I know I've done my research and am confident I've bought the best equipment for me in my price range and expect to get many years of enjoyment out of it.

To me the research and chasing the great buy is as much fun as actually enjoying the toy once it's purchased. Now to turn the research maschine to the next hobby.....

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Hey I resemble that remark.....except for the car.......and the waiting list........and never driving over 35........but I got the Snooty down!

The point is people who spend more time contemplating a meal than on a car that costs tens of thousands of dollars (especially buyers of performance-sedans whose needs would be realistically met with an economy coupe).