HOW can components be so expensive, and yet customer service is so bad.

You’re not alone—frustration with customer service in high-end audio is a common and growing complaint. While many brands are passionate and responsive, too many fall short when it comes to follow-up support after the sale. 

In my experience, choosing a good dealer is much more important than owning a premium brand. Premium gear without a good dealer support is like a Ferrari without a pit crew. 

Can it truly be "high end" with poor service?  That’s a lot of money that can go down the drain otherwise.

On the flip side, from personal experience over many years, there are many very reliable products out there that can last a long time with no service needed.  Many not normally categorized as "high end" necessarily.

Choose wisely and don’t let labels and price tags fool you.

I thought that I had chosen "wisely". 

I found McIntosh at many high end dealers and so I thought they would stand by their equipment.  As for Revel / Harman, maybe things fell apart after the acquisition. 

I also thought AA in N.Carolina was a good dealer, and I think they were when Leon ran things, but not so much after he became less involved.  

Maybe its time to re-evaluate every year or two.

What brand would you say is now  "premium" and stands behind their "high end" products?

Big mainstream "high-end" manufacturers and dealers want to unload expensive and highly profitable gear to folks willing to pay. They don't want the grief of after sales which cuts into the easy transaction of the sale. The best type of manufacturer is likely the one man shop type of enthusiasts selling quality products for reasonable prices.

Harman "luxury" owns  JBL Synthesis, Mark Levinson, Revel, Lexicon and Arcam.  So that means I can't consider any of those, McIntosh, or Weiss in any future purchases, or AA, since none of them seem to stand behind their products..

“I found McIntosh at many high end dealers and so I thought they would stand by their equipment. ”

Are all dealers offer the same stellar experience? I have gone to McIntosh dealers and no one came around to greet or even ask what can I do for you?  And then, there were dealers that made sure all of my questions were answered. Choose good people (direct manufacturer or middleman) over the brand cause they would double your pleasure of owning a product regardless of the price point. 

I share another story, few years back we were looking for Mercedes AMG Sports Coupe. Went into nearby Mercedes dealer and no one came around to ask if we need any help. A week later, we walked into BMW dealership, greeted by a very nice gentleman, he was polite and patiently answered our questions. 4.5 hours later, we drove off in a $95K M3 Convertible. 

lalitk - Except for McIntosh/Revel/B&W/Harmon etc.  These manufacturers do not respond when contacted for support for their products.  

Yes, I did mention that the dealer whered I bought the product doesn't respond, but I'm primarily talking about the direct manufacturers and their poor support, regardless of price point.

I asked earlier for names of "good people" as you suggest and no one has yet offered any names.

I guess it depends on the company. I’ve always been able to talk with someone at Parasound, Pass, Ayre, VPI, Soundsmith, AVA, Magnepan and other American companies many times the owners themselves,

@mojo771 

Fortunately, I never had the need to knock on manufacture door cause my dealer took care of any support issues. There could be some underlying issues where a manufacturer unable to respond as we have seen from time to time. I would reach out to everyone in their dealer network to find out what’s going on with the manufacturer….i am sure someone would step up to offer assistance. 

VPI is so good, that the owner visited my house to help set up my table, because Upscale did it wrong.  

It’s a growing trend. For example, Parasound was sold by founder Richard Schram in December 2022 and the new owner terminated customer service. Now the only option is talk to your dealer.

I will think twice before I before buying a Parasound component again.

I just tried contacting Revel / Harman again since they have not responded to my email from 5 days ago, and never returned my call from yesterday.  After 30 minutes on hold, I found a different Harman website that had a chat feature.  After an additional 15 minutes she said that she couldn't help me but I could call support, and she gave me the same number that I had now been on hold with for 45 minutes.  

Harman "Luxury" support does not seem to exist.  

Gosh

Sorry to hear you are having such bad luck. It is hard to believe some of it isn’t just bad luck. 

High end equipment is normally tested extensively before shipment. With the exception of a Sonic Frontiers CD player which had an unreliable transport in it. I have never had a problem effecting to performance or function of a piece of equipment in fifty years. I have had some components for nearly twenty years. 

Depending on the company, they often rely on dealers as their front line contacts. I have an outstanding dealer. He is there for me and has become a friend. He delivers and installs all equipment and makes sure it is working at optimum performance. So, he’ll set up the sampling rates, and any setting on my DAC, position my speakers, make sure all aspects of my turntable is perfect... etc. If I have a question he comes to my house.

Once a meter wasn’t registering correctly on my amp. So he came over, attempted to destatic it. That did not work, so he asked me if I wanted a new amp or him to replace the meter. I asked him what he thought... he said, "I’ll get you a new one". He actually called the vendor while we were standing there and in two minutes said, "the new one is being prepared for shipment." When he received it, he came over and swapped them. I did not have to lift a finger. 

I can attest to what CDC has said about Parasound, they stopped answering their phones for customers and even sent a terse email saying that they do not have the time to talk on the phone and may not be able to answer any questions via email as they are busy. 

There is a lot to be said about customer support for high end companies after the sale and in some instances its the support that only the audio company can offer.

You cannot beat the phone and email support you get from companies like Balanced Audio Technology, Ayre, Bryston, Wireworld, Rogue Audio, VPI, Plinius, Eminent Technology, etc.

Many of the companies you mention have been bought directly or through proxies by the Chinese and they really couldn't give a hoot about service.

I'm not talking about smaller Chinese companies which usually offer decent service but Harmon et al are the HIFI mafioso.

Reliability comes at a cost of some fidelity. Tubes are prime example. Solid state is much more reliable.

If you want bullet proof amps go with Naim, Bryston and pre Chinese Musical Fidelity. Of course there are others.

Honestly I have perhaps been fortunate and have not had to interact with dealers or vendors for support in a number of years.  

My opinion however is service is not what it used to be in most cases.   The trend is  for things to last for a period of time then replace when needed.  

Best case is to have someone local who specializes in electronics repair who knows what they are doing, but even that is becoming scarcer over time.

Last hifi repair I had done successfully was with Bel Canto about 10 years back where they did a good job of replacing a defective circuit board in an amp I had bought here used.  So there is that.

I also had a local dealer repair a few vintage pieces around same time ago.  That was hit or miss. One repair on a NAD receiver lasted a few months and that was that.

I have also always had good experiences with getting parts for repair from Ohm speakers.  Nothing I know of would make me expect otherwise these days.  Their customer service has always been rated top notch by customers.

Having said that, its wise to manage your hifi investments wisely and accordingly.  I will never spend a fortune for a premium priced  product that I know cannot offer support when needed.

I remember calling Parasound about a few years ago with a very minor problem.  After being put on hold for maybe 5 minutes, Richard Schram himself picked up and helped me fix it over the phone.  Now I need to get my BP-2 preamp fixed and I'm dreading contacting them.

I have a bunch of older Classe equipment.  I remember working with Classe (even when they were part of the B&W group) and getting great service for repair and parts.  Then they got bought by Sound United and trying to get parts became next to impossible.  

And yet, there are still some that have great service.  So I still have hope.  PS Audio, PSB (speakers), Totem, Schiit, and Conrad Johnson I have had stellar service in the last few years.  I called Magnepan in Jan 2025 about the tread size for the speaker connection set screws  on an older model.  Tech support took my info and told me he would get back to me in 30 minutes.  (He laughed when I told him lost 2 in the carpet.).  30 minutes later, he called back with the specs and let me know that 4 new screws would be going out that day free of charge.

I just hope that sooner or later, not only the big holding companies, but others, realize that in the end, good customer service for parts, repairs, and tech support actually will, in the end, improve sales, revenue, and in the end profits.  Why, because we will not just buy from them again, but also recommend them in furture.

Zesto customer service is great.   Aurender support is excellent.    Had a great experience with Sota when I had a noisy motor.  They were great.   Cyrus was super quick with support.   

Revel was pretty horrible, I don't think I'd ever buy any audio gear under the Samsung umbrella of companies again.  

I'm surprised McIntosh didn't help quickly, I've dealt with them a few times and while not super easy to reach they will answer or get back in my experience 

Subaru

Sorry to hear about your service issues.  I’ve have good experiences with SVS, Arendal, Ascend Acoustics, Philharmonic and Rotel.  Quick responses and even able to talk to someone live in the phone in the case of SVS.  All others are hit and miss in my experience.  I’ve had good experiences with dealers including Fidelis Home Audio, Safe and Sound and AV Therapy.  

Accuphase distributor always responds to emails within a day or two

Aurender and MSB Customer support is excellent. You can call and get phone help. 

Poor customer service isn't only a growing trend amongst high-end audio manufacturers/dealers, it's also a growing trend throughout American society/ businesses in general.           

+1 @lalitk the dealer is most important and a good dealer will stand by you even if the manufacturer won't or is just tone deaf. And will give you loaner gear when you need it and hopefully can execute at least some repairs on their own.

I have found that working with a dealer you really trust and creating a relationship with them beyond just buy/sell has been helpful.  I often reach out to dealers to touch base, see what’s happening in the marketplace and if any new items are coming on the market.  By doing this I have never had any issues when I really needed help. 

You don’t mention if your McIntosh amp is still under warranty or not. If so, I’d head straight to the dealer. If not, give AudioClassics a call. They do excellent work and are extremely knowledgeable of Mc equipment.

I have a dealer who is polite, responsive, makes house calls, and I think that I am going to add him to my Christmas Card list and my Will because it is so effing rare these days.  I will be getting new speakers in the next year or two and have decided that I am going to limit my choices to brands that he carries.  In fact I may as well do that for all gear going forward 

Chris at Ember Audio a fabulous dealer. Always had good responsiveness from Von Scweirkert Audio, Vinni Rossi, Jeff Rowland

One of the reasons I generally don't purchase audio components from large faceless corporations. I've been purchasing components from smaller scale operations for years, direct communication with owner/designer, these guys can be very generous with their time, solve your issues. Minus this, dealers are the key, having in house technical department important to me.

@jfrmusic - totally agree about MSB. Every time I've contacted them about something, I've heard back from either their long-time sales manager Vince or the CEO within a day, generally, and they are very helpful. The CEO got back to me when I asked about a fuse blowing on my MSB S200 amp and he sent me out a new fuse right away. 

The VTL factory is the worse. The best so far:  Decware, Brinkmann and Tube Audio Labs.  Wish there was a So Cal retailer who rose to the occasion.

OP you are not alone, My Marantz sa10  failed. After warranty. No technical service available even if you pay with your own money..Good members here help me find the parts and the right technicians.

In this hobby you should be resourceful as much as you can, my Andra woofer just showed holes on both. I am very fortunate to find VAn L speakers to recone them.And a good friend Markr help me in soldering them back to my Andra.

....I read y'alls' horror stories....buy used so I don't spend energy on dogging phone calls and/or emailing with bleeding fingertips.....

Look gear over to see if the screws are still pristine...
"User Serviceable Parts" decals are pretty rare... 

There used to be 5 good repairman here, now no one.

I would think they would cater to us since most audiophiles will spend lots of money and there are less of us.  I agree, the post sale service is lacking in most cases.  Chinese DAC have manuals you can't understand, are incomplete or outdated.  Better keep a spare if you send one in.  I am glad when I purchased my pieces, post.sale service was a factor.  

Even after Denafrips stopped being represented by Vinshine Audio, they have been responsive to me via email regarding some minor technical difficulties with a DAC.  There is a time-zone gap, but if I contact them late at night, I may get a return email within a few hours or less.

I've had exceptional service from Wyred 4 Sound, Raven Audio, Bel Canto, McCormack and Nola

@sns So, why do you have a Klipschorn? That’s a large faceless corporation, as you might say, with all their stuff floating around in bestbuy. You could have bought a speaker from some faceless "elusive" guy in his garage instead?

Lets see, i suppose i prefer to have stuff from "large faceless corporations" anymore. The perks appear to be...highly trained techs who’ll fix anything, a robust supply chain with replacement parts available years down the line, if needed, etc.

But, the "elusive" garage seller managed all of that for you, instead (better than these faceless corporations)?

We could also open your elusive garage made pieces vs my faceless corporate pieces and compare/determine which one had the adequate r&d, engineering resources, manufacturing savvy, etc...shine some extra light on this topic.

One of the reasons I generally don’t purchase audio components from large faceless corporations. I’ve been purchasing components from smaller scale operations for years, direct communication with owner/designer, these guys can be very generous with their time, solve your issues. Minus this, dealers are the key, having in house technical department important to me.

You can always count on reaching someone helpful and patient at Audio Research and often it's Dave Gordon himself answering the phone! Same with Mcintosh the few times I called with a question on my C53, they either answered right away or followed up and returned my call. Same with Pass Labs and same with B&W, SVS, Bel Canto, MoFi and many more I can think of top of mind. 

Can I add great device manufacturers: Atma-Sphere, Radu Tarta, Charney Audio, Aric Audio, PS Audio, and First Watt to name a few I have experience with. 
Dealers: Atelier 13 Audio  in Nashville has been great. Constantin is always extremely responsive and very easy to deal with. I have never lived close to Nashville, but he gives service like I am his next door neighbor and friend. I would not hesitate to work with him remotely. He has sent me demo equipment to try in my system. Gestalt Hi Fi in New Mexico was similar, although I think he closed shop. 

OP...Cost of hifi gear is no sure indication of customer service. It is indeed a common and growing complaint. See if you can locate a local dealer or audiophile group that may help with any issues you experience. In 2025 so many things are DYI, just the way it is.

@deep_333 My Klipschorns were never an intended purchase, a family member knew someone practically giving them away due to a pending divorce, my intentions were to flip them. Since I heard potential in them decided to keep as diy experiment. My mods were based and purchased from small scale manufacturers such as Crites, Volti, Jantzen, Duelund. The only thing stock left is bass cabinets.

As for large faceless corporations, see far too many audio companies being bought up by investors who don't give a damn about high end audio, just means to an end, that end being profitability. And to call small scale manufacturers garage builders is complete disregard for their expertise. Many small scale manufacturers/designers extremely talented, they make conscious choices to keep their concerns small so they can retain control over all aspects of their baby/business.

I have had good experiences with smaller boutique type sellers and prefer to support them.  They are easier to contact and often are the owner/builder and willing to bend your ear…brands I like are Supratek, Aric Audio, Don Sachs, Mojo Audio, Decware, Vera-Fi, Fritz, Ohm, Raven. All of which I have personally talked or emailed for questions not repairs.  The one issue I had was I bought a used Raven Blackhawk Amp which had a hum at start up that was getting louder with use.  I contacted Raven and after talking with the owners they had me send it to their Tech which he replaced tube sockets and resisters and sent it back to me at no cost.  It only cost me shipping to the Tech.  It’s been dead silent ever since.  Great customer service experience.