advertisement


Worth a read...

Thanks for that, it makes a lot of sense. I am glad I am not a Hi-Fi dealer as my understanding and tastes in audio technology is so last century.
 
A lot to agree with there.. but I'm more than a bit sceptical of the last paragraph re 'custom install'.

Due to some quirk of my past dabbling in audio retail/distribution, I still receive copies of 'Custom Install' magazine. I mostly give it a cursory glance and then bin it because it is of no relevance to me. Unless you can afford a total in house rewire, or a separate 'cinema room' etc., etc.. I doubt this stuff is of relevance to 'yer average' music lover or hi-fi hobbyst. We may be a dying breed.. but we won't be revived by spending thousands on hidden wiring and complex audio distribution systems. Custom install is I'm afraid very much a luxury and lifestyle thing which is of little interest to most of us and doubtfully affordable if it was. It is frankly even less known by the average punter than the fact that the UK actually still has an indigenous and World Class audio manufacturing industry.

Before you can get people into 'smart homes' and especially into the audio aspect thereof.. you need them to accept that something better than the output of Curry's and increasingly the Tesco/Asda monopoly exists and is 1. Obtainable and 2. Desireable.

I have friends who hear my system..tell me it sounds fab.. they love it etc..
Then go on to say that they have better things to do personally with their time/money etc.

I.O.W. 'Yes it's better.. but I don't want it'.

Bizarre logic.

Remind you of anything going on in the country at the moment? :)

Mull
 
I remember some years ago looking for a new old fashioned stereo amp at Richer Sounds.
The salesman seemed keen to demonstrate a multi room digital music system driven by ipad thingy. This would be the future.
At the time I just wondered why I would want a multi room musak system.

Still don't; but the ipad thingy is creeping into the house and taking over somewhat!
 
Great article and thanks for posting.

Been a huge fan of vinyl for a few years now, including all the faffing that it entails.

Will be also investing in something smart and far easier at some point in the near future :)
 
I have friends who hear my system..tell me it sounds fab.. they love it etc..
Then go on to say that they have better things to do personally with their time/money etc.

I.O.W. 'Yes it's better.. but I don't want it'.

Bizarre logic.

Mull

Not bizarre at all. I have mates with big TVs, surround sound, BluRays, all the bag, and I go round and say "yeah, it's great" but I don't want one. I could afford it, but I have a standard issue TV (is it a 28, or a 32, or similar?) and that's all I want. It would be nice to record stuff, but I'm not prepared to put the time into working out how to do it.

I still have the Wall of Quad that dominates the lounge and takes over the room, because I appreciate it. This is far more of a pain to live with than a big TV, but I don't want a big TV.

I'd listen to a dealer who offered me a multi-room system that stored all my CDs and other digital music on a hard disc and then piped it to the rest of the house via wifi. I know this technology exists, and I'd pay to have it installed. So come on dealers, sell me something to fit my 21st century lifestyle.
 
I'd listen to a dealer who offered me a multi-room system that stored all my CDs and other digital music on a hard disc and then piped it to the rest of the house via wifi. I know this technology exists, and I'd pay to have it installed. So come on dealers, sell me something to fit my 21st century lifestyle.

Step right this way, sir.

Seriously though, if you would like to have a chat, I have a few options here.
 
I'm not into technology or this intangible digital stuff, but I WOULD go for a nice big TV. There's no question of the picture superiority of modern large TVs (but not the sound). Unfortunately, with 27" wide speakers, I can only fit in a 40" TV between them, and I've no more walls to knock out.:)
 
Chaps

The simple truth is that hifi retail is useless, the staff and the managers just do not have a clue on the very basics of selling.

They talk down to prospective customers, they treat wives who accompany the men as a pain in the arse, have these idiots ever thought of having a decent loo in their shops for the wives, they slag off the competition which most of us don't like and above all they get on forums such as this and say the same daft stuff as us lot, they have just not heard of the word "professionalism".

Their industry has suffered and they are the root cause of it.

I feel sorry for the manufacturers, who the hell wants their products being sold by this bunch of drongos.

The customers with the real money (us) are now buying pre owned and paying a fraction of the price the dealers are charging. Instead of using forums such as this to their advantage, they just wash their dirty linen in public, slagging everything off and then wonder why no one walks across their threshold.

The millenials, who are their future will just use the net and what do the dealers do to combat this - nothing.

They are useless bloody dinosaurs.

Regards

Mick
 
Well said Michael, direct selling is the way forward without the 30-40% markups.
I bought my previous dac for £900 direct from the maker, he then went into selling through a certain dealer who used to post here who put the same dac on his site for £2000, guess what he sold none and so went back to direct selling.
 
Chaps

The simple truth is that hifi retail is useless, the staff and the managers just do not have a clue on the very basics of selling.

They talk down to prospective customers, they treat wives who accompany the men as a pain in the arse, have these idiots ever thought of having a decent loo in their shops for the wives, they slag off the competition which most of us don't like and above all they get on forums such as this and say the same daft stuff as us lot, they have just not heard of the word "professionalism".

Their industry has suffered and they are the root cause of it.

I feel sorry for the manufacturers, who the hell wants their products being sold by this bunch of drongos.

The customers with the real money (us) are now buying pre owned and paying a fraction of the price the dealers are charging. Instead of using forums such as this to their advantage, they just wash their dirty linen in public, slagging everything off and then wonder why no one walks across their threshold.

The millenials, who are their future will just use the net and what do the dealers do to combat this - nothing.

They are useless bloody dinosaurs.

Regards

Mick

I've encountered a few dealers like this since I first started buying proper hifi at the age of about fifteen... I worked my ass off and saved hard so had a bit of money to spend at that age. But a few dealers instantly decided that I was just a kid and had no clue about real HIFI and even if I did, that I wouldn't have any money. One dealer in Birmingham was really rude and abrupt and just told me not to waste his time. I went back in a few weeks later whilst in the area with a bill of sale for a Linn Majik and a Rega Planar 3, he looked very sheepish. I think that shop had closed down by late 2001 leaving just Superfi, Richer Sounds and Griffin Audio in Birmingham. Other dealers with a similar attitude have met a similar fate.

The best service I have had is from Sound Cinergy, Griffin Audio (sadly Bob Griffin died in about 2007 from cancer but I don't doubt he'd still be in business if he was alive today, Audio Affair operates from the same premises today) and Richer Sounds. All of these dealers are/were friendly, accommodating, irrespective of budget and are happy to diversify.
 
Chaps

The simple truth is that hifi retail is useless, the staff and the managers just do not have a clue on the very basics of selling.

They talk down to prospective customers, they treat wives who accompany the men as a pain in the arse, have these idiots ever thought of having a decent loo in their shops for the wives, they slag off the competition which most of us don't like and above all they get on forums such as this and say the same daft stuff as us lot, they have just not heard of the word "professionalism".

Their industry has suffered and they are the root cause of it.

I feel sorry for the manufacturers, who the hell wants their products being sold by this bunch of drongos.

The customers with the real money (us) are now buying pre owned and paying a fraction of the price the dealers are charging. Instead of using forums such as this to their advantage, they just wash their dirty linen in public, slagging everything off and then wonder why no one walks across their threshold.

The millenials, who are their future will just use the net and what do the dealers do to combat this - nothing.

They are useless bloody dinosaurs.

Regards

Mick

Mick,
My business could not be more different from what you describe. I make a point of it. Please consider giving us a try.

Regards,

Lee
 
Griffin Audio (sadly Bob Griffin died in about 2007 from cancer but I don't doubt he'd still be in business if he was alive today, Audio Affair operates from the same premises today) and Richer Sounds. All of these dealers are/were friendly, accommodating, irrespective of budget and are happy to diversify.

Bob was sound, let me mess about with a NAIM system even though he knew it was not within my means, the Rega was though. Spent a while in the shop after buying a Miles Davis LP and plopped it on the LP12 :p
 
Bob was sound, let me mess about with a NAIM system even though he knew it was not within my means, the Rega was though. Spent a while in the shop after buying a Miles Davis LP and plopped it on the LP12 :p

Yes he was, I used to routinely pop in following a visit to Reddingtons and he'd play some of my purchases whilst we had a drink and a natter. I will never forget the day I walked in to find out that he'd passed away literally a couple of days before. A couple of members of his family/friends were there trying to get organised. I kept myself composed whilst I was still there out of respect for them but I sobbed all the way home. He was a true gent and was well liked by a lot of people.
 
Mick,
My business could not be more different from what you describe. I make a point of it. Please consider giving us a try.

Regards,

Lee
Lee, even if you are the most professional salesman in the world and have toilets fit for Her Majesty to churn one out on, I would still have no interest in buying anything from you. Why? This part of Mick's post still very much applies: "The customers with the real money (us) are now buying pre owned and paying a fraction of the price the dealers are charging."
 
Lee, even if you are the most professional salesman in the world and have toilets fit for Her Majesty to churn one out on, I would still have no interest in buying anything from you. Why? This part of Mick's post still very much applies: "The customers with the real money (us) are now buying pre owned and paying a fraction of the price the dealers are charging."

I sell used equipment too. And we do have a lovely toilet.
 


advertisement


Back
Top