New High End Audio Dealer in Midwest

@teeball It was my pleasure. You’ve got a wonderful system and I am honored to have helped you to make it sound even better. I look forward to working with you more. :)

@jeffseight The balls aren’t quite there yet. I am working out of my home, giving demos in my homes and peoples’ homes. I do keep a bunch of floor models to swap around and some inventory, but it’s not a public retail location and as such by appointment only. Still - always happy to accommodate your friend as I believe it leads to an even better experience than typical retail. Should the business be successful and is able to scale, I will absolutely expand into more of a retail storefront.

Thank you @jond! It's been great interacting with you.

@rja Thank you for your kind words!

@hilde45 and @stereo5 - Neither of you are off. Bliss Hifi’s business model is more on the boutique and consultative side, especially with the particular lines we are carrying and pursuing. While Bliss Hifi offers sales to customers across the country, we’ll ensure that customers who order from afar are absolutely sure about the products they purchase.

That said, we already do offer in-home demos for people in the Minneapolis region. I agree that hearing a product in your own home is the best way to make a surefire decision, but for now it will be limited to people who are within a reasonable distance and are interested in products whose sales will justify the effort. In the process, I provide guidance on room setup and treatments, along with other optimizations that come to mind.

Thank you both for expressing your support and perspective!

@terry9 Thank you!

@aewarren That made my day, seriously, thank you. If it means anything, I can actually recollect a few instances where I’ve had potential buyers interested in an item I was selling, and I had to talk them out of buying something because it was obviously not going to take them where they wanted to go.

In all honesty, this business is currently not yet my primary source of income. I’m hoping that means that I get to conduct the business in the way that I want, with integrity. What does that mean? Well, the high end audio community is dwindling, and there is a massive generational gap. I believe I have the passion, knowledge, and empathy to help people fall in love more deeply with audio in the way that THEY will want to. Doing so is my best chance of helping keeping the torch lit for this industry and pastime for the generations to come. If I can’t make this work to support that purpose, I will probably just close up shop and keep at my current career.

If it’s of any interest to anyone and any clout, my seller feedback on this marketplace might be an attestation of how I worked with buyers in the past before starting this company.

@anotherbob Good feedback. There is a specific reason that has been holding me back from doing so, but I’m working around it. 

@chocaholic and @bluorion - I appreciate the guidance. It will have to be a careful balance for sure. Luckily, I am genuinely interested and fascinated by other peoples’ current and envisioned setups, as it is an opportunity for me to learn as well, and I feel purposeful if I can consult and guide along the way. That said, being able to read people and understand if they will actually invest in gear or if they’re just taking advantage of a free service will be the key to maintaining some sanity!

@richopp I have a huge affinity for both brands. One thing I’ve come to realize and respect, however, is dealer territory. I’d like to ensure that I am not infringing on anyone’s market share in selling the same product lines as them, and some very notable dealers around the twin cities have been carrying both ARC and Maggies for years. I’m not ready for any type of war, and from what I’ve seen and heard from veterans in the business, infringing on territory can get politically ugly. Most manufacturers of high ticket gear also try to set their dealers up for success and won’t bring new ones on who are too close to existing ones. I am in talks with a number of equally incredible audio brands, so I’m hopeful it will turn out just fine.

@dinov Thank you for the kind support. :)

@hickamore Happy to accommodate you by appointment, and a phone convo makes the most sense to make sure your time here would not go to waste if the drive is long. I can follow up via PM. 

@poketacez I will PM you directly later this morning. 

@curiousjim Ha! Are you in KC then? Perhaps Hickamore and you should come up for a road trip later in the year. :)

Thank you @jjss49, hopefully I can fit the bill for that. 

@dekay Thank you for the vote of confidence. I’ve heard of Gene Rubin Audio and it is reassuring that others have been successful. Let me know if you ever make it back to the Midwest!

@kren0006 You’ve made a number of very thoughtful manufacturer suggestions, thank you. I actually haven’t heard the Fyne speakers personally, though I am intrigued by some of them when I see them on the market. 

@richopp Your experiences are very valuable, thanks for sharing. If it’s okay with you, I might reach out personally to chat with you one day soon and pick your brain!

@mr_m Do keep me in mind next time you’re in town. I also offer shipping services on equipment so if there’s anything particular I carry that you are interested in, definitely get in touch. 

@dlshifi Seeing this quite late, but thank you for your kind words Dan. Hope to see you again soon!

@teeball It’s always great to meet local audiophiles, Terry. I’ll message you direct, and perhaps we can chat on the phone and arrange a visit to hear each our setups and take it from there!