You never see this anymore

Try MBL.

Mrtennis
'if you agree with me, then customer service is irrelevant.'

Yes, I agree. I think, price is the most relevant factor.

hi rock2id:

if you agree with me, then customer service is irrelevant.

"They had 3 price ranges"

What were those? Malibu price range, Rancho Palos Verdes price range, and Bev-hills price range?

Mrtennis
'i see the problem of the utility of dealers as basically, an unrealistic environment for assessing the nature of components, not so much a problem of customer service.'

I agree with your assessment. However dealers could be a little more customer friendly. They some times take on attitudes sort of like butlers in ultra rich households. Forgetting that the person with the money, is the most important in the whole equation. It could be that audio as we know and love it, is becoming a niche market. Music is a youth driven market, and they are into convience and portability. The attitude of some dealers and the outrageous prices, do nothing to attract the young. i.e. the future.

hi rock2id:

regarding dealers, i see the problem of the utility of dealers as basically, an unrealistic environment for assessing the nature of components, not so much a problem of customer service.

customer service is overrated.

There was a time when Linn tried to dictate what other brands dealers sold and how they demoed Linn equipment. One dealer I knew called it blackmail.
Funny part was when they trained the sales people to sit motionless and detached as they listened to the competitor's system. Then when they switched to the Linn gear, they were instructed to tap their foot and nod their head like they were getting into the music. Marketing.

I had the same reaction as Rrog, especially with Linn, a company which has names for its systems, complete with cables. Rega is another. A store local to me, Audio Concepts, has a list of recommended systems at variable price points on their website. I am sure they would be happy with put one together for you.

'Oh, yes I have hi end brick and mortar store in my town but never go there anymore. Why? They know nothing about great customer service.'

Acting like audiophiles??

Am I missing something here? Or maybe I don't understand the question. Isn't this what Naim does? And Linn? Audio Note? And many others. Audio Research offers everything except speakers in varying price ranges and so do other manufacturers.

I agree with Elizabeth's comment about mixing and matching "With varying degrees of success".

Hey, where have you been. Just drop into a B&O store, and be sure to bring a fat wallet. There sound is always great and you can bring it back within 90 days if you don't like it. I have such a store in my town and do drop in for a listen, every once in a while. Oh, yes I have hi end brick and mortar store in my town but never go there anymore. Why? They know nothing about great customer service.

There may not be a manufacturer, but there are companies that do it such as Ciamara.

Mark did the same thing with Red Rose - I believe he had a dedicated studio in NYC. However, much of the stuff had a more than superficial resemblance to much cheaper stuff made in China, which I would imagine put some people off. Whether it was actually the same, I couldn't say.

Cello was run by Mark Levinson after he sold his name! Was a marketing genius, he recruited a friend of mine to sell for him in that era. Some of the Cello gear was really good, most was marketing and sales though!