Not for a few... But we cannot match with all...
Thanks for your kindness and patiencec with me...
The pleasure to meet anew is for me too...
hey, mahgister's back. that's a good thing
What happened to all the highend stereo shops
What happened to high end stereo shops I mean real high-end stereo shops. I am 78, my father bought me my first stereo when I was 12, I have been hooked ever since. I remember the days when you can go to a nice audio store and not just audition what they had in the store but if you saw a couple of tuners, preamps or some cables that you liked, you could give them a blank check and take the equipment home to audition on your system. Bring one or both back Pay for what you want to keep or get your check back. I don’t understand how someone can buy an expensive piece of audio equipment and not audition it in their system first. Many places today, you buy it and your stuck with it. OH yes you can sell it on Audiogon or eBay. Reviewers are nice and give good reviews but the problem I have is the equipment they are auditioning is on their system in their treated music room which is going to be different than what you have.
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126 responses Add your response
Yeah. We have to face the fact that the music industry was eclipsed both in popularity and financially, long ago by the video game industry and THAT is where it is at today for anyone 35 and younger. Music that sounds disposable (today’s pop, rap, and cookie cutter metal) is disposable. It all becomes the "flavor of the week" if they even pay attention to it. |
As Mick Jagger implores in the film Gimme Shelter, "Cool out!" (I hope I'm right in this film reference). Cobbling together and listening to high fidelity systems should be fun and fulfilling, if perhaps a bit tough on the wallet, house mates & neighbors. There's no reason to catapult components at each other.🙂 |
You are right... I am insecure when you post your sarcasm RIGHT AFTER my post.... And as you know "sarcasm" is never a clear thought with a clear meanings... It can be read in many ways and aim many target... But i am glad to be wrong if it is the case and happy that you dont bother with me... thanks for that...
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Hate is a very attentive focussing mind attitude but always miss the essential... I will repeat it then...
And if you dont know what is transhumanism growing religion, take less time reading my post and trailing me with your useless sarcasm and childish hate and try a book... Did i troll and trail you? I try to contribute here with my music posts thread and with my audio advices... I like discussing any subjects without hate... it seems you hate for life...You are mostly prolific in cartoons and sarcasms ... I am not interested in that stuff... Stay away from me.. |
Music is a spiritual experience anyway... Not only relaxing leisure... And i dont speak about only choral sacred music here... Religions had no future right now... The greatest increasing religious movement is transhumanism through corporate monsters ... Their favorite music is electronica i imagine... The reason i was so focussed for years to build a top hi-fi system was to be no more bothered by sound...I succeeded.. I come here for friends no so much for mere audio really... My only possible upgrade will cost me 15 ,000 bucks... Yes i know what i am doing now in audio... I dont need it to be fair but audiophile being obsessed i will do it before dying... I dont know... My system right now is perfect for me, no defects on any counts... But this upgrade of 15,000 bucks will put me over or beside or slightly behind any system at any price...Then i can come here again and dream even if i dont need it at all...😊 I regret high end gear store closing because of the lost of of human relations real life spots ... 😊 |
Religion aside can we just please get back on track. I happen to be in a position where my Hi Fi outlet happens to be a person who I befriended 50 years ago now and he is still trading well past his retiral date. He happens to be the only decent Hi Fi store in Glasgow and I am mighty glad he is still trading. I can trace 90% of my purchases back to him and although I haven't been able to buy much for a while from him he is still there if you have a problem and need someone to steer the ship for you. When my friend and I walk in the first thing is the kettle gets put on and then the talk starts to revolve around classical music and what system would be better for different types of music we are into. I am really glad he is still here and I wish to ask people to to go into established stores for Hi Fi and the knowledge garnered from people like him. Long may they hang in there. |
this thread is actually pretty hilarious. the fact that someone lives his or her life according to a 5000 year old book of fairy tales gives me all the information I need about that person: keep back 500 feet and avoid eye contact. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation as to how the earth was populated via incest (unless there were some other people besides Adam, Eve, and their brood of *checks notes* sons). Thankfully religion is going the way of the dodo for more and more of the population, but I appreciate the frantic virtue signaling ("society is collapsing because we can't fawn over Skydaddy in school anymore!") as it makes it easier to identify and disregard their opinions. |
other thing i would add here, is that i really try hard not to take the bait of posters who have just joined, give no info of themselves in their profile, and seem to post and post all of a sudden on one topic only, just to get a rise out of the long time readers and users here -- responding just energizes the troll, giving them what they want, which is just to jerk chains exception perhaps being when i smell an outright shill, or someone trying to dishonestly influence people’s hifi purchases, i do feel the need to call that out |
No. But the answer is none of your self-righteous business. I have assisted with numerous efforts over the decades, helping where and when I am able in relief efforts of varying magnitude for varying causes. The only time I question whether there is a higher being is when I witness the unnecessary mass suffering of others....oh, I also question it as well when rednecks attempt to claim the moral high ground. Now, go pound sand. |
Regardless of the answer it shouldn't matter in an audio forum of all places. Plus, who are you to even ask? The Internet is vast and I'm completely lost as to why you chose this forum to save a bunch of old men and women from themselves. You have 11 posts, all of which have been about religion - I simply can't imagine 999 more posts revolving around your "truth" regardless of whether we agree or disagree with you. |
@ghasley So you are denouncing God ? A simple yes are no will suffice... |
@jjss49 I 100% agree with you! I also apologize to any of the "normal" Audiogon crew but this guy just drop some bombs into our playground and I thought he should receive a "reply". He won't like it but hey....
I too miss the old radio store where there were certainly a few radios, tv's, hifi's for sale but 70% of the stock in the back were replacement tubes and speakers! I also remember walking into almost any store and there was always a standup tube tester up front. |
Your self-righteous diatribe assumes you are the only virtuous person on Audiogon. Many here are ladies and gentlemen from whom you could learn alot regarding audio, sprituality and life. Most rational members here leave their religious affiliations at the Audiogon door so as not to offend or push any stupid assumptions. We have a diverse membership of all religions and nationalities. It is equally offensive that you assume you are the only person who gets "it". You are not.
The "truth" is unfortunately, subjective when it comes to religion. The one with which you align seems to have a few inconsistencies (Lot and his daughters???? Its amazing that the male scribes got that one past the male editors of the day but hey....rationalizations know no bounds). The "book" to which you cling is actually a set of short stories compiled and voted upon at the council of Nicaea (4th century AD). And don’t get me started on the inconsitencies with the King James re-interpretation.
There is alot of good to garner from religious study, all religions...and there is alot where when overlaying simple, common logic (the story of Jonah??) things tend to fall apart. Its best to take it all in and throw out the parts where even the most objective might assume that human error litters the tundra of the texts.
The best practice on a hifi site might be to keep your religious beliefs and paranoia to yourself. The best practice on a religious belief and paranoia site might be to keep your hifi opinions to yourself. And before you pronounce from your self manufactured throne that you must be the modern day equivalent of Noah (which by the way was a nice tale but it didn't happen the way it was described), please recognize that many here have studied a great deal, have traveled extensively, they come from families with sometimes multiple clergy in their lineage (some even are clergy themselves).
Please keep the topic here on audio or please, respectfully, go pound sand.
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It looks like you have me confused with someone else, @crlambert. All I've done is ask a question. I suggest you correctly identify the person you claim attacked you, and then alert the moderators. That's what they're for. |
@cleeds Why you have taken my words out of context to attack my character, to attack Christianity is beyond me? All I was stating is that people need to read the Bible of God. The Bible of the Israelites ! The Bible of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham and preferably the KJV, King James Version. It's not my Bible. It is the Bible I choose to read and follow. You can read anything or any Bible you want, I don't care. That's up to you. I was simply pointing out that our younger generation is predisposed to believe and follow doctrines that are immoral. I don't hate people from the various alphabet cultures. My fight is not with them. My battle is with higher principalities in dark places. I am taking a stand for God. I am speaking the truth ! No one wants to hear the TRUTH. The TRUTH is ugly. The TRUTH is God's word. Boy I sure pulled the Bible haters out didn't I ? If anyone here spoke against me for the speaking the TRUTH, then they are rebellious against God. They have proudly shown their stance on these positions. The Bible teaches me to not hate these people, but to love them. I don't hate them. I simply don't agree with what they are doing. What they are doing is immoral. It breaks down society. It destroys lives. It destroys marriages. It destroys families. Sex and the occult have been linked closely together since the earliest of time. Baal, Ishtar and Molluck are still influencing and brainwashing our young. It's all about the children. I returned here today wearing the armor of God, and sharing the TRUTH. Jesus said. If they hate you, remember that they hated me first ! Any particular reason why you decided to jump on the bandwagon to ridicule me ? |
Woke up this morning missing my days at The Speaker Shop in NE Ohio. Saturday morning, cup of Irish coffee in hand, listening to great music, setting up whatever combo I wanted, having great and sometimes heated debate with my boss and a couple of chill dudes we just to call Siskel and Egghead.. good times.
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60 year old audio/music lover here. issue one is listening style. Sitting down and listening to music was normal for our generation. Black and white tv with 7 channels and horribly unreliable tubes, was the only competing media. Phone calls actually cost money per use. Our parents had time as there were no play dates, we walked or cycled to little league or music lessons. My younger colleagues have no time to listen to music other than in the car issue two. Cd audio introduced before the technology was ready. Turntables competition from BIC, Dual, Garrard, Sansui, was increasing reliability and speed. The early cd players all sounded the same, and were uninvolving, making a rack system from circuit city all you needed. Cost. Very friendly dealer is 25 miles from me in a major market city. Most merchandise is priced to the Uber high end, with speaker cables and power cords priced higher than my speakers. When I started practicing 30 years ago, most of my colleagues had high end systems. I know if only one now, and the dealer said his customers are ceos cto or cio types that listen to the products, put together a great system and pay with an Amex black card without regard to pricing |
Hopefully the troubled stores will get a clue and clean up their act before they too become extinct! I have a few stores I deal with across the country and have remained loyal to them because of their exceptional customer service. I don’t mind spending or referring future customers to them. My motto is this, I don’t care how far I have to go and get something. If the local companies have terrible attitude towards me as a customer, I will go to great lengths to buy from another state and pay the shipping because they treat me well. Audio Element, 3M Audio, Moon Audio and Audio Advise are some examples of a great attitude towards customers. They will continue to receive my money for their products. Also, I can’t forget Cary Audio, Wilson Audio, YG Acoustics, Boulder, JL Audio, and Jeff Rowland for great service and response to issues, big or small. Thanks for your support! |
If you want the honest truth instead of circling around the existence and reason for their downfall, learn to except all customers who walk in their store without prejudice and stereotypes. Now some of you may claim that this doesn’t happen but it does. The sad part is that my daughter witnessed the whole thing in front of her eyes. Here is what happened a few weeks ago at an high end audio store in Las Vegas by the name of AV Luxury Group. We walked in looked to hear some equipment, potentially wanting to make a purchase for my daughter and getting the young adults into HiFi and the first words that comes out of the salesman’s mouth is, “sorry, we don’t carry anything Best Buy carries. There’s a Best Buy near by.” I said, “that’s funny because I didn’t know that Best Buy carries Boulder Amplifier.” Not that it matters that I do own Boulder gear but wow, there’s your reason. I along with others especially young adults would not support a store like this one. Now some may want to defend the store and so forth but until you walk in our shoes, you have no leg to stand on and are part of the problem, not the solution hence the reason why Best Buy are putting these small mom and pops stores out of business because the way they treat potential customers walking in their store that doesn’t look like them or the type that can afford what they are selling. |
Honestly now that I have thought about it I was mostly misled and ripped off and taken advantage of by "brick and Mortar"- I would rather research and order online and take my chances- I also love streaming- I don't much miss record stores either and I'm 70; And I saw 400 Dead shows in analog for starters. You can order anything half way decent out of the box for daily use noe unless you're a Russian oligarch and require that kind of high end service and and pay for that kind of respect. And I know we have a few here... |
I believe any music lover might be open to hearing about how their music might sound better. The problem begins and ends with the prices. The stores that seem to do well have made a huge investment to stock the ultra high end. Bottom line if I can't listen in your store you have offered me nothing more than an online seller. |
I feel like it's a management and communication problem. People, old and young, male, female, black, white, any and all minorities love music. Manufacturer's web sites are horrible, listening to systems is nearly impossible, how would someone with limited time and budget put together a satisfying system? Most of us have good hearing and at least one in 10 is head over heels for listening to music in high, mesmerizing quality. We used to have local shops, Circuit City, Tweeter, Lechmere, etc. now the last one: BestBuy is downsizing, all we got left is online. There has got to be a better way.... |
Sadly most of them are going away. This younger generation only cares if they can hear it, on their phone, Bluetooth speaker. They really don't want to experience it. Luckily for me there is a good shop that does new and used equipment and will let you take home stuff and audition it for 14 days if it's used more if it's new. And if you don't like it bring it back and get your money back. Worked out great for me, I went through three sets of speakers before I found the ones I liked. |
You’re missing out if you choose not to read it. The book contains sex, romance, love, sword fights, epic battles, mysteries, miracles, fantastic creatures from other worlds, fantastic beasts, fantastic tales, hope, heartbreak, vengeance, and promise for all mankind. It also answers the questions why are we here and how we got here. Now regarding audio: In order to build an audio system either modest or grand the first question is, “What do you want the system to do?” Having brick and mortar stores in the past helped guide buyers to make those decisions. These days it seems people get the cart in front of the horse. |
Discussion about religion really doesn't belong here but given that it's being tolerated now, I'll ask @crlambert: When you say I need to read my Bible, what you really mean is that you insist I read your Bible, right? |
The marketing of products is horrible. No good explanation of what the products do and why. Most of the salesman, and there are exceptions, don’t understand the products they are selling. If you’re able to read product descriptions and understand all they’re saying, you are a rare breed indeed. Further, many of the higher end products are just not available in the store to see. And it’s very geographically dependent. AB testing is not done very effectively aside from the lack of availability of many products. Which makes sense as each Store is pretty much required to buy anything they show you. It’s an awful business to be in, and requires someone who truly is dedicated to the craft and not necessarily interested in making a lot of money. The true craftsman who sell hi-fi products, if you're lucky to live near one, are really really nice people and you can learn a lot from them.
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It's a rough time for all brick and mortar retail. Small boutique shops that specialize/focus on the best stuff available in any area of interest have all but disappeared. Fine butcher shops, delis, bakeries, lumber yards, woodworking shops, electronic supplies...you can't even buy a nice suit in most towns these days. I think it has much to do with the reduced size and relative lack of wealth of the middle class compared to the 70's and 80's...when many of us got our audio start. It was easier to splurge once in awhile. You could pay for your car in 24 to 36mos, your phone bill was $20, and student debt was minimal. (Tuition at the best public universities was $500/semester!) The wealthy are much better off today and many more can afford a $100k system. I'd guess the total dollars being spent on high end may be a record...but the total units have declined. It takes fewer dealers to sell fewer units. The wealthy always had the finest things delivered or by appointment. Twas the the splurges of the middle class that paid the store rent. That said, I can sit in my chair and watch Miles Davis play full concerts from just about every year he performed on YouTube. Or listen to every recording he ever made. On demand. If it's about the music, there's never been a better time to be a fan. And IPods sound betta than the average all in one record changer in 1972. |
I attended Axpona 2023 in April, and the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center where Axpona was being held had so many people at the show that the hotel had to constantly run a fleet of shuttle buses between the Convention Center and several outlying parking lots because their main parking area was overflowing. Although there were plenty of middle-aged and older people there, I also saw quite a few younger people. Once people who’ve grown up accustomed to hearing their music over smartphones and BlueTooth earbuds get a chance to hear what really good sound is like, they may find themselves, like anyone who’s blessed with good hearing, WANTING to explore and learn more about this new-to-them world of quality audio. Furthermore, with a little research anyone can now put together a decent audio setup and stay within their budget, even if today’s reality with brick-and-mortar audio dealers requires that most of us must now shop for our gear, unseen and unheard, over the Internet. There are trustable reviewers out there covering most if not all of today’s better-known brands such as Denafrips, Schiit Audio, Holo Audio, Gustard, plus numerous other brands in every category from streamers and DACs to amplifiers and headphones/speakers, not to mention all their interconnects. There is enough decent audio gear to satisfy nearly everyone’s income bracket. I think it was no accident that there were so many people in every age group attending this year’s Axpona event. Quality audio seems to me to be alive and well. |
In Bloomington MN we have a high end audio store. I auditioned in a private room for an hour, treated like a king. He asked what system I had, about the room and speakers, my expectations for sound. About what I liked to hear, type of music. There sat 50k a pair speakers. I asked for something else more like my rather bright speakers. He connected paradyme $4500 / pair. I took home an integrated and on my system it sounded great. Nothing but a wonderful experience and top notch customer service. |
I was in college in the 1970s. I was using photography for income shooting sports for the local newspaper so that I could eat. We had a few camera shops in town but I found that I could mail order gear at a 30% discount at the time. As I developed a rapport with these shop owners- buying film, paper and chemicals from them I could sometimes get a good discount on gear from them- but not always. My best over the counter purchase was an electronic flash with a one year replacement warranty. It was not professional grade- ie not for everyday use. I would wear the flash out in about 6 months. The shop owner replaced it for me over the counter, no problem for about two years. I miss those relationships. A few years later I walked into a camera store and offered the owner cash at a discounted price for a lens. He kicked me out of his store. Gotta take the bad with the good. I miss all the stereo shops and camera shops but we all got what we deserved. We chose discounts over personalized service. My biggest frustration is it takes me an extra 20 minutes to search through the big box store looking for a schedule 40 elbow when back in the day all I had to do was walk into the hardware store, show the proprietor what I needed and he would get it for me. Plus he would offer helpful advice on how to best complete my little project. Looking back, all that helpful advice was priceless. |
This is a great topic. I’m 48 and I think I missed the era of borrowing new equipment. However, I have a friend who is a sort of concierge for used audio equipment. I’ve been able to demo products and learn a great deal about audio. It has helped me immensely in finding a system - both new and used - that fits my many constraints. |
Yawn…ok then, did you get kicked out of another forum on the internet and somehow found Audiogon? Are you just killing time here until you are sentenced for your role on Jan 6? When you were reading the first ammendment, did your lips get tired?
When the time comes? Just remember, 100% of those who have predicted the end of the world have been incorrect.
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