I was getting lackluster performance from LP playback, so I went to my closest dealer for the first time in years (I have been buying used). They tried to sell me a cartridge that was much more expensive than I thought made sense for my system.
I went to a another local dealer. I was thinking a new cartridge or turntable was needed but after relating what gear I had and my reaction to it he suggested first trying a modestly priced phono stage. He set it up in a system similar to mine to audition it and the results where so good I bought it.
This has made LPs much more fun to listen to and I feel like I spent less money, wasted less time, and got better results than I would have on my own. I will go back to this dealer for future upgrades.
There are several dealers in the area who have a good reputation for giving good advice, not just pushing the highest margin equipment.
On the other hand there are some great deals on used gear that are no longer components of the month and some interesting brands are not sold in my area or are only sold direct.
I went to a another local dealer. I was thinking a new cartridge or turntable was needed but after relating what gear I had and my reaction to it he suggested first trying a modestly priced phono stage. He set it up in a system similar to mine to audition it and the results where so good I bought it.
This has made LPs much more fun to listen to and I feel like I spent less money, wasted less time, and got better results than I would have on my own. I will go back to this dealer for future upgrades.
There are several dealers in the area who have a good reputation for giving good advice, not just pushing the highest margin equipment.
On the other hand there are some great deals on used gear that are no longer components of the month and some interesting brands are not sold in my area or are only sold direct.