Funny and interesting thread. While I don't necessarily agree with the 5% notion, I do agree that you get more for your money than ever before, and that you can put together a fantastic-sounding system for cheaper than ever before. And because of this, I don't find it surprising that the role of the dealer has diminished and that people are price driven.
Isn't it a bit of a dichotomy, though, that in this same thread we're talking about how we're pursuing that last 5% and we're bemoaning why the market doesn't support independent dealers, etc.? There aren't many people who care enough to pursue the last 5% of performance, especially at the price differential, so support any retail outlets. That's no difference than any other specialty industry, and shouldn't be surprising.
The whole music industry seems to want to be able to get away with a 1980's business model, and the high-end wants to follow. I don't know why it's such a revelation that most of the world has passed this by.
Isn't it a bit of a dichotomy, though, that in this same thread we're talking about how we're pursuing that last 5% and we're bemoaning why the market doesn't support independent dealers, etc.? There aren't many people who care enough to pursue the last 5% of performance, especially at the price differential, so support any retail outlets. That's no difference than any other specialty industry, and shouldn't be surprising.
The whole music industry seems to want to be able to get away with a 1980's business model, and the high-end wants to follow. I don't know why it's such a revelation that most of the world has passed this by.