So I ordered some speakers from my hifi dealer - $4500 ProAC’s. I was told they would be 3-5 weeks for delivery. Now I love the audio store and value the dealer network but in this day and age why does anything take 5 weeks. I went with the ProAc due to the dealer support etc but an alternative was a Buchardt speaker.
Buchardt was $2500, gets great reviews, and arrives in 1-4 days anywhere in the world.
In the UK the ProAC speakers are, in todays Exchange rates, roughly $3300. Now I don’t mind the mark up (but it’s a lot). Now assuming the dealer has them in stock why can’t they direct ship to me, or the store in 48 hours. I think it’s time the traditional manufacturers started adopting this style of approach - everyone in the chain can still get their mark up - but customers who be able to get what they want quicker.
This delay is just making me question my purchase — I guess I’m too impatient but it’s the reality of commerce these days.
Speakers are generally large expensive items so most dealers don’t carry much inventory on the floor beyond demos so speakers must be ordered from the manufacturer. In many cases your speakers are custom built for you after your order is placed.
3-5 weeks is a very reasonable lead time I waited 12 weeks for my current speakers and that was pre-pandemic.
A $1200 upcharge to get a pair of speakers from the UK to NZ seems fairly negligible when you factor in shipping costs (try shipping anything heavy or bulky these days), taxes and fees, distributor and dealer markup.
Hang in there and enjoy your Proacs when they arrive!
It takes time to cut the wood, glue them together, wait for the glue to dry, cut the holes, polish the wood, paint it, fit the drivers, solder the capacitors and coils to the PCB and test them to make sure they work etc. If they run out of any of the parts needed then you will suffer delays.
In many cases your speakers are custom built for you after your order is placed.
I am not sure I agree with you there. Most speakers are not custom tuned. They are mass produced in large numbers and then stored in the factory ready to be shipped out to the dealers.
@kenjitI meant built to order and it very much depends on the size of the manufacturer and particularly whatever veneer the customer has chosen. And please don't derail Scott's thread.
A $1200 upcharge to get a pair of speakers from the UK to NZ
Agreed. I’m in NJ, USA.
overall it would be great for the local dealers to know the stock levels at the manufacturer …. And then I could order with a little more information. I’m sure that a lot of the manufacturers are building to order but if they keep it that way too long then the ‘new style’ of online only, manufacturer to consumer with free trials and free returns will be hard to beat.
I fell sorry for the retailers here because they are the people with the real expertise we all need to hear from.
Well even to get the speakers to NJ still costs a lot I wanted to buy a bottle of cognac from France the shipping was going to be $60. Imagine how much a pair of speakers must cost. And good on you working with a retailer if we don't continue to support them they will vanish!
There was a huge surge in audio purchases because of the pandemic. Most manufacturers got behind. This presented a real challenge for small local retailers, because they don’t have the capital to creat large orders to have stuff sitting in stock, while larger internet based ones do.
A friend of mine is a local retailer… and he is completely cognizant that in nearly 50% of the cases having something in stock versus not means the difference between a sale and not. But, they don’t have millions to buy inventory. Personally, these guys are the ones allowing you to audition equipment. Without them, you are guessing at what you are buying. I would try and support them.
I was going to try and order a personalized Sugden A21 integrated amp with a colored faceplate but the seller said that would take 'months' so I bought their demo model with the standard silver faceplate and got it in a few days with a discount. I'm not willing to wait months to get a piece of equipment. Silver or blue--it's a great amplifier!
@ghdprenticei guess I’d expect the distributors to take on that risk until a direct ship model could work.
@jond- ironically my default purchase for equipment is to find a local manufacturer and try and buy there products but local retailers are 100% important. The value of the relationship is greater than any savings I can get from the savings (which is a personal decision).
I am going to suggest to my store to do a hifi day where it’s all about teaching.
It takes time to cut the wood, glue them together, wait for the glue to dry, cut the holes, polish the wood, paint it, fit the drivers, solder the capacitors and coils to the PCB and test them to make sure they work etc. If they run out of any of the parts needed then you will suffer delays.
And in the immediately following post says,
I am not sure I agree with you there. Most speakers are not custom tuned. They are mass produced in large numbers and then stored in the factory ready to be shipped out to the dealers.
Who said you can't keep two opposing (and contradictory) thoughts in your head at the same time (when it's convenient)?
I’m building custom speakers for people from the USA. My target order to ship time is 2 weeks no more. I presently build only Troels Gravesen creations which tend to be on the expensive side, but when youre dealing with made-in-china and big(ger) business, you will have all the corners cut on you. I can understand a 5 week delay from their perspective.
There is a lack of small-business here in the USA that has the customer support that purchases like this require. I’m trying to fill that niche, but people have to be willing to try and trust speakers build and designed by individuals and not corporations.
Dealers purchase / finance their inventory. Government taxes inventory. Solution to both .. don't inventory what you're selling. Wait for the purchase, then order. The margins on everything you buy get tighter and tighter and the adjustment is "you wait" . Manufacturers also don't want huge inventories. They wait for orders AFTER the initial introduction of new products. I'm not talking about toasters.
In some ways, I suspect we've all fallen prey to the Amazon Affect; able to get it sooner than yesterday....*L*
There are the things I order that back up to us with a 50' OTR that require our Bobcat and its' forks to unload and trundle about.
Having that show up in your neighborhood might cause a stir of sorts...getting it to you can be a bit of a bite as well.
Custom made or even stacked at the warehouse (wherever That may be) for a pair of speakers that may show up on a pallet....sometimes requires and may stretch that ligament we call
Patience.
(We have items that have a 3 month lead time....and clients whose flowcharts are....*ah*...'optimistic'...🙄😏...)
I feel it too, Power cords, optical cords, front end equip. It all takes forever if you don't order from le' Amazon. And then of course you fear the knock- off could come for some items. And returns are a breeze.
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