2. misc-audio
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High end stores closing do you really care

In the last 5 years alot of high-end audio shops have closed or made there emphasis home theater. At first I was really concerned by this but now I could care less. In the past month I have been shopping for interconnects and record cleaner. I have talked to my local stores and they either don't carry what I'm looking for or don't really care. It's easier for me to call the Cable company in Pa (I'm in Ca) And have them send me some cables to Audition. Or to call Music Direct or Acoustic sounds for record fluid. There is only 1 or 2 descent places to get an audition of equipment in general and there brands are limited or they never have anything in stock. One dealer admitted to me that if he didn't have capital from other sources he would of closed down years ago. As much as I love high-end audio the reality
is once guys my age get ready for retirement there will be very few buyers and not enough to keep a brick and mortal store open. The only way the high-end will survive is by mail order and internet sales and I still think it will be a very small market. Like my father always used to tell me " Nothing is forever"
taters
Ag insider logo xs@2x
hi-endaudio
2 posts
 
Where was your first exposure to high-end audio? Where was the place when you first heard a hi-fi system that gave you goose bumps and made the hair on the back of your neck stand up? I am sure for many it was this place that started their passion for hi-fi and enriched their lives with music. For me, it was at a brick-n-mortar store that I heard a pair of Sonus Faber Extremas powered by vacuum tube Audio Research electronics 15 years ago. I still think about that store today and will always be greatful to them. For me, there is tremendous value in supporting my local dealer.
audiomax
161 posts
 
A harder question but on the same topic: What would you think manufacturers have done to contribute to this down turn of closing HE stores? Or are they helping to reverse that trend?
Most HE manufacturers go with the flow by creating more gear to cater not only 2-channel HE but also multi-channel crowd as the market trend dictates. Certainly some reputable HE manufacturers do not want to see their stuff sold on the internet but some would be careless.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
the most effective way of minimizing dissatisfaction from an audio purchase is a home audition.

many "high end" stores do not allow this. visiting such stores and listening there still leaves a bisk risk that buying without a home audition will be a mistake.

when stores of this type close, there is not much loss.
when stores who permit home audition close, it is a loss.
kthomas
911 posts
 
I'll admit I'm not in marketing, but it's always struck me that the manufacturers are as much to blame as anybody for the plight of the B&M stores. If you don't live in a major metropolitan area, you can't possibly see and hear all the gear you might want to consider, and the manufacturer's enforce this tight, and ultimately small, dealer network.

I have no idea what the demographics of high-end audio buyers is - it makes sense that it's boomers, but boomers are also the ones who are currently at the age where one has discretionary money, so maybe when current 20-somethings are middle-aged, they will spend bigger $$ on audio. Even if they do, though, I don't think it will be in the model of high-markup, personalized attention B&M.

The model has to support a customer who has done their own research, doesn't want to pay all the overhead of a B&M store, but is willing to pay for "optional" things like the equipment being brand new, a warranty, a home audition, etc. If you're just going to sit in your B&M storefront and charge me full retail, I'm just not interested.
calbrs03
184 posts
 
The stores in my area are 1) open to home auditions but don't carry the gear I want to hear, 2) closed to home auditions but have the gear I want, or 3) have more of the gear I want but want an appointment to survey my interests. I bought an amp that I could have gotten from dealers 2 and 3 over the internet for half the retail price and only a couple of months old, but overall, I regret not buying from dealer 1, so what am I all about?
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