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If you had to pay full retail, would you...???

I recently got the Music Direct catalog in the mail. Lots of cool gear, interesting tweaks, awesome LPs. Looking over the catalog several times, I said to myself, "man, there are a lot of expensive tweaks which the un-initiated must think is simply crazy". What also struck me is that all the stuff I want, is ultra expensive and the stuff at "real-world prices" are nothing really spectacular. Even at the low end side of "high-end" gear, I would be laying out considerably more than if I went to Best Buy and bought an All in one system.

So, here is where I am headed. I have put together a pretty nice system, almost entirely found here on Audiogon, over back in the day at Audiomart. I scored my amps which retail for $13,000 for $4000. My speakers retailed for $7500 and I got em for $1500. My turntable was $500, which retail was $2500. If, I bought a new $500 turntable, I would get like a Music Fidelity MF, entry level one.

if you bought most of your system used, if you had to start from square one and had to buy Full retail, would you still be into this hobby?

Entry level high end gear really does not interest me. it lacks pizzaz, like the Avid Reference has. For what I paid for my AudioLogic tube DAC, I could only afford a Mid-level Marantz. I beleive I would still be a Music lover, but if forced to spend Full retail for high end gear, I think I would opt for mass market mid-fi, or simply do a laptop based digital system through a mass market company.
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jndean
132 posts
 
I have had the same system for about 7 years and, though I could've afforded more, I have been quite happy with it. I have heard better speakers and better gear but enjoy music and have chosen to be content. I have done some mild tweeks and may have a totally different and more expensive system one day, but probably not. Contentment is a choice and the law of diminishing returns kicks in early. Most here would say that I'm not an audiophile and that my gear is mid fi, and that may be true. But I read audiogon daily and listen with friends and visit retailers on trips to other cities. However, I still believe it's about the music... and no, I bought half at discount from a local retailor and half online.
john
kurt_tank
1,189 posts
 
Yes.

I did before Ebay and Audiogon came into being, so if for some inexplicable reason they were gone, I would, reluctantly, go back to buying new.

Luckily, I am just about at the point of being at the end of my upgrade process, so it probably would not affect me for a decade or so. (I typically upgrade every 10-15 years or so.)

My two cents worth!
vitalik
22 posts
 
D_Edwards, if you had told the customer that you can't give him 20% because of such and such, but you will give him 10% or 5%, you might have had the sale. Some people--many people, though I'm not one of them--can't be happy unless they feel they are getting an "edge" somehow

Agree. Doing sales on a side I learned that it's better to make some money then no money. There always will be people who want some kind of a discount and if I see that I can make some money I'm selling it and moving on. Just my opinion.
d_edwards
204 posts
 
Drubin,

I made the sale, my point to the client was that I was all the "edge" he needed and the fact that his behaviour did impact the type of advice and products he would be shown. I sold him stands at cost to make him feel his edge :).

Cheap people need love too.

Addressing McGrogans trust issue; my anecdote is I send the customer (many actually) to another store to buy something at the competitions, being very specific and the doofus at the other store wouldn't take his order and gives him a hard time about the advice I'd given him or her that they'd come back and buy "the wrong stuff" from me. Sometimes this would be a $3-4K amplifier! Can't fix stupid I guess the saying goes.

Audio retail is not perfect and the press and manufacturers scratching each others backs has a great deal to do with this. Because " good business" means carrying the best selling products not the best sounding products. The easiest thing to do in the world is take an order. Interesting anecdote; I never demoed a piece of Mark Levinson gear that I sold and I never sold a piece of mark Levinson gear that I demoed?! Just so you know how the popular "lifestyle" brands actually get sold.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 
I have not paid full retail for any of the things I have purchased. I base my component on large part to whether or not I can either get it used or at a good discount. This has limited my selection considerably and it takes me some time to get what I want but in the end, I am pretty happy with my gear.

That being said, I also agree that you are better off in the long run working with a local dealer. The relationships i ahve formed my with dealers have allowed us to work togehter much more openly. I trust that he is giving me a good advice and a good deal and he knows that I am a loyal customer, a win win situation.

The internet has also helped me to connect with other audiophiles. In the past I have been able to get together with a few for a "group" purchase, allowing me to save almost 30% off retail.

Using all of these different avenues has saved me about 40% from retail (for my entire system). Believe me, I would not have purchased my gear at anywhere near retail!
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