Thiel/Crutchfield

Andrewdoan, so you are willing to buy a $5000.00 pair of speakers from Crutchfield sight unseen, sound unheard? That's the other problem with highend-audio mail order. Who in thier right mind would buy something in that price range without auditioniong them? It's impractical. And if you quote some liberal return policy as your reasoning, let me ask: what do you think Crutchfield is going to do with those returned speakers? They're going to sell them to next buyer of course, which very likely will be you.

Crutchfield does indeed seem a strange choice of online retailer because they sell nothing to support the purchase of Thiel speakers. They're aimed at the cheap home theater market. Does it make any sense that someone would order a Pioneer receiver and a pair of Thiel 2.4s for their home theater? It would be more logical to see them offered in Audio Advisor or Music Direct, for example. At least they sell real amplifiers that might stand a chance of making Thiels sound decent. The Pioneer receiver would likely go up in smoke.

The point I'm trying to make is that it is terribly unfair to take the time of your local dealer to audition their Thiels and then go home and order them from Crutchfield. Crutchfield is doing nothing for the sale, yet they get the commission. And the dealer who was kind enough to let you hang around and listen to their gear gets nothing. So this arrangement works - and should only be available - in those areas where there isn't a local dealer. One final note, what do you do when you blow a tweeter? Is Crutchfield carrying replacements like your local dealer would? Or would you go directly to Thiel for warrant work?