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life without audio dealers

currently there is a thread eliciting comments regarding the purpose of audio dealers. i would like to go a step further and consider the question:

what would it be like without audio dealers ?

in order to answer this question one should analyze the activities of audio dealers, such as:

providing an opportunity to audition stereo systems.

possibly lending components.

providing advice as to component selection, providing repair service for components under warranty and providing information as to how to deal with component "malfunction" which do not require a technician.

the obvious, namely, ordering and selling components, both new and used

i maintain that auditioning components at a dealer's store is usually not helpful. if you cannot listen in your own stereo system, the demo may be useless.

some dealers may lend components over the weeekend , or for longer periods of time. this is a very useful service.

advice may not be useful, as there is no guarantee that a recomendation if purchased will satisfy your needs. providing advice when a component acts up may be helpful at times. providing service during a warranty period is of value.

lastly selling a component may be necessary if one wants to buy new and is willing to pay the price.

as a consumer, i prefer buying direct from the manufacturer. in that context many of the dealer functions are now provided by the manufacturer.

it would seem that a dealer is not indispensable and while there might be some inconvenience in absence of dealers, i don't think i would suffer too much if there weren't any dealers.
mrtennis

Showing 5 responses by audiokinesis

audiokinesis
2,765 posts
 
Mrtennis, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that we don't need someone else (like a dealer) to tell us what we like.

I'm not arguing that the dealer's role is to tell people what to like.

I'm arguing that the dealer's role is to provide people with the experience of discovering what they like by providing auditions. In cases where the person already has a pretty good idea of what they like, a conversation with a dealer experienced in that type of speaker or amplifier can help them narrow down which of several contenders would be the probable front-runner(s).

For the record, Mrtennis, I know of dealers that will recommend someone buy something they do not sell if in their opinion that something else would better meet the person's needs.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
audiokinesis
2,765 posts
 
The journey of the audiophile is, to a certain extent, a journey of self-discovery. If we all knew what we like, what we don't like, and what we can put up with if necessary - then we could reliably make all our purchases on-line or factory-direct.

Presumably mrtennis has reached the stage where he can reliably predict which equipment will and will not do what he wants. But he has enormous experience from attending audio trade shows and reviewing. I doubt that he is taken by surprise very often when auditioning speakers, for instance. That's not the case for most of us, though - I still hear surprises at just about every audio show I attend.

So one of the roles I see dealers playing is assisting the audiophile in that journey of self-discovery. Unfortunately for the dealers, as hard-core audiophiles become more experienced they need dealer auditions less and less, so they are more likely to buy direct. At the same time, the shrinking market means that not enough new audiophiles are coming into the dealership to make its two-channel operations self-sustaining.

In a world with no dealers, I see audio shows possibly filling that role for those audiophiles in a position to attend such shows; but for those unable to attend, the journey of self-discovery will be longer than ever. Many will never make it because they will never hear anything better than a Circuit City or Best Buy system.

I think in a world without dealers, high end audio will shrink even faster than it's shrinking now.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
audiokinesis
2,765 posts
 
Mrtennis wrote:

"i see no evidence that trial and error without a dealer's assistance is any less effective than getting an opinion from an audio dealer.

"only the consumer can decide his or her preferences. how does one learn? through listening. from a position of ignorance, one listens and then decides that a certain presentation is what he or she likes."

Duke replies:

At least we agree that experience is necessary to deciding what one's preference is. Assuming the person has access to high-end audio dealerships, I maintain that visiting dealers and listening to what they have on display is usually the fastest and most efficient way to gain such experience. It is not as thorough as an in-home audition, but will narrow down the field of contenders for said in-home auditions.

Mrtennis, what do you propose as the alternative way to gain sufficient experience to decide which presentation is preferred?
audiokinesis
2,765 posts
 
Bearotti,

Nice to see you acknowledge the positive role at least one dealer played in your journey. Was this the same one you borrowed equipment from for an in-home audition, and then you turned around and bought the product for less money online?

If you have no need for dealers, fine. But don't steal our time and borrow the equipment we have invested in to help you decide which online discounter gets your business.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
audiokinesis
2,765 posts
 
Gosh Ben - here I try my best to start the new year off by being a jerk and picking a fight with you, and I can't even get you to take offense - instead, you reply with friendliness and wish me a happy new year. Dangit, I guess we'll have to get along after all!

Well done my friend, and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

Duke
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