The Demise of the Hi-End Audio Store


Ok. So I've read hundred's of forum posts from a lot of people and one question keeps popping into my head. Where does everyone listen (test out) all of this equipment? I don't know about you but I live in a fairly populated area, Cleveland/Akron Ohio area, and while there are a few (and I only mean a few) high end audio stores in my area, there are limited hi end brands in those stores. Ten years ago that was a different story, but this is the reality today.

So while I want to listen to equipment I'm interested in (Jolida, Prima Luna, Silverline, LSA, the list goes on and on), there isn't the opportunity.

Does everyone really travel hundreds of miles to listen to new components or do you do your research and buy what you think will work and go from there?

Thanks
panfish

Showing 5 responses by schubert

Since the hi-end model shifted to making a lot of money off each unit from making a decent amount off more units, stores can only operate in places with a large amount of fools with a lot of money. In the USA this means the financial centers like NYC, SF and CHI.
Could be that rich asians tend to be better educated and more cultured than rich americans.
In NYC. amomg Wall St and Forex traders, 50 K is an impulse buy. In Mpls. to young MBA crowd it requires thought, the average young Mayo Doc wil burst out laughing
Chayro, well said.IMHO given the state of music today, an Ipod is overkill.
In the 40 yrs I've been an audiofool, I've never understood why anyone who doesn't listen to acoustic jazz or classical music bothers with audio in the first place.
I know if not for Bach, Brahms , Miles etc this old retired teacher would never had made the sacrifice my modest 15K system represents to me.
One reason I'm off tubes, buy a 2k pre and then need 3k worth of NOS tubes, which likely as not, are fakes anyway.