if you are a problem solver, you don't need a dealer. learning the basics about component function and mismatches is necessary.
then trial and error will eventually lead you to a desirable result |
the answer is no. the dealer's ears and brain is not my ears and brain.
i am an empiricist.
i would rather listen to different components without dealer input.
experience is the best teacher in audio. |
a dealer can tell you what you like. there is no substitute for experimentation. |
in the last few years many small manufacturers, selling direct have come into existence. no doubt, such a phenomenon poses a threat to an audio dealer.
however, it also raises the question of whether a consumer is better served by a manufacturer or a dealer.
for example, a speaker manufacturer may be a better source as to the suitability of amplifiers for his design.
i think the trend of manufacturers selling direct, especially when they sell more than one component will affect the viability of audio dealers.
in the long run i suspect there will be fewer large dealers and more home sellers.
let me put the issue this way:
if you assemble manufacturers who design all components, i think they are more knowledgeable than any audio dealer. |
hi seattlehifi;
here is the problem :
suppose you set up a stereo system, based upon what you think constitutes great sound. then i set up a stereo system based upon what i consider great sound.
i will probably prefer my stereo system to your stereo system.
what a dealer can do as far as "value added" to achieve the type of sound i want, i feel i can do myself.
i consider myself sufficiently educated to figure out how to reach my goals and can do so, by dealing direct with manufacturers who provide an in home audition.
a dealer can suggest and recommend, but the consumer is in a better position than a dealer to know what he wants and be willing to get the necessary information to achieve his goals.
if a person doesn't want to expend time, effort and emotion, then a dealer may be the answer. |
i would take issue with seattle hi fi as to the propensity of consumers to configure a world class stereo system.
first what is considered worl;d class is based upon subjective criteria.
there are many standards for what is considered world class.
secondly, the stereo system which is most pleasing is probably the goal of most in this hobby.
i see no reason why a reasonably logical person could not
figure out how to create a stereo system which provides immense pleasure.
while i don't doubt the expertise of a dealer with experience and his ability to make intelligent suggestions, he is working within the constraint of the products he carries.
for example, i like planars. if a dealer does not carry panel speakers, it is a big disadvantage, as certain amps are more compatible with panels, while others are not.
a dealer who sells panel speakers knows this, but a dealer who has little experience may be unaware of problems such speakers present for amplifiers.
i think the best a dealer can do is point out a direction someone should go to achieve a goal, but it is upto the consumer to do the hard work.
i think the customer should make the decisions and the dealer hopefully can execute. unfortunately not all dealers carry the set of components that a customer wants to hear.
too often a customer has to visit multiple dealers to sample the components on a short list. in such a situation, the value of visiting four or more dealers and attaining something helpful is dubious. |
hi seattlehifi:
you have not answered my question:
do you think you can configure a stereo system that i prefer, as opposed to a stereo system that i configured for myself ?
if you can't, the basic flaw in dealer effectiveness, is that the customer knows what he likes and he is a better judge of what that is than any dealer.
for those customers who have no idea what type of sound they like, a dealer can be of help.
this is true of food, film, wine and other aesthetic pursuits.
the more one becomes educated the less one is dependent upon opinions to gain satisfaction or enjoyment from some activity.
the more ignorant you are, the more you are likely to be swayed by the opinion of others. |
i did not say that a person consulting a dealer is an ignoramus. but if you can do something yourself, why ask someone else to do it for you.
here are several examples.
as a homeowner, i have done plumbing repair in my house. if i had more experience in practical electronics, i could perform electrical repair in my house.
i don't have to ask a movie critic, or restaurant critic, or music critic what movie to watch, where to dine, or what performance of chopin's 3rd piano sonata is best.
i think the function of dealer is to provide facts about components and component interaction and then provide components for sale. however, a manufacturer is usually more knowledgeable about component design and component interaction. if the manufacturer has a dealer network, he is delegating these functions to the dealer.
the best source is the person who designed the component. especially when considering speakers and amps, the speaker or amp designer is the best source of information regarding advice about amplifiers and speakers.
the amp designer can tell you what speakers may be suitable to use with his amp, and the speaker designer can proscribe requirements for an amp to drive his speakers. dealers can provide the same information, but the final authority is the designer. he has the technical background that a dealer lacks. how many dealers have designed amps and/or speakers ?
the same applies to digital hardware, especially interfaces and the suitability of transport dac combinations.
if i may make an analogy, a car dealer can sell a car, but a mechanic is the better source for technical info about a car's performance. |
i guess i am a somewhat different kind of audiophile. i only like panel speakers and have not found a solid state amp that i have enjoyed listening to.
thus i will select tubed amps and preamps, panel speakers and probably a tubed digital source.
since i pretty much know what i want, a dealer is somewhat unnecessary.
and yes, when it comes to integrating all the components of a stereo system and the room and the ac, a manufacturer may not have the last word.
but a dealer doesn't know about the customer's ac or his room "problems.
point is as, i have said, the more a consumer is unsure of his preferences, the more a dealer adds value. the more a customer has a very good idea of what he wants, the more the customer is self sufficient.
i tend towards components that are not in production, so a dealer could not sell them to me.
live and let live. there is room enough for the direct approach and a dealer network.
let the buyer decide if a dealer adds value or not.
there is however, a certain appeal and fun factor in trying out components bought from manufacturers who provide a home audition period.
part of the fun in this hobby is the quest--trying components until one has had enough.
i think a dealer will have limits as to how many components
he or she will let a consumer audition. |
hi tmsorosk:
all i said is what my preferences are and that since a dealer sells components in production, i would have to buy them used.
obviously you are entitled to your opinion, as i am mine.
i did not discuss my knowledge of anything. |
