You’re An Independent Dealer, Which Companies And What Products Would You Represent?


Hey All!
 I live in an average sized city where there are two brick and mortar audio stores. One is modest in both budget and square footage but has great customer service, offers quality products from entry level to high end and works with customers on price. The other one is a mega store with a huge inventory from entry level to very high end, has great customer service but won’t budge on price and wants to be the biggest store on the east coast. Personally, I like rooting for the underdog. So today, I stopped in and chatted with the salesperson at the small store, who I’ve come to know over these many years. He was telling me that the bigger store was carrying the same brands and products that they’ve been carrying but that they were buying inventory in mass quantity. And, that the only way for the small store to separate themselves from the mega store would be to represent companies and products that the mega store can’t or won’t showcase. However, which companies and which products, this is the question. The first thing of course that popped into my mind was to regurgitate everything favorable that I had read about on these forums and from the reviews on 6 Moons, What HiFi, Stereophile, etc….But I stopped myself and I’m glad I did and I said, ‘well there’s certainly a lot to choose from.’ And this is where you come in. So, if you were the owner of a smaller (think size of an average three bedroom house), independent brick a mortar audio store, what companies and products would you ideally choose to feature in your showroom? As I mentioned previously, anything (pragmatic) from entry level to high end. Let’s say for clarification that the $50,000.00 McIntosh subwoofer would be thought of as too extravagant. Eventually, my hope is to direct my dealer friend to this post as a means of inspiration.

Thanks!

 

goofyfoot

Showing 5 responses by inna

Anything but 'audiophile mass market'.  No Rega, Rotel, B&W, Dynaudio, Luxman, ARC, McIntosh, Sonus Faber etc. This is all boring stuff, let that megastore handle it.

Something is wrong in the way things work. As a consequence of it we will get less choice, higher prices and worse service.

 

Kharma

JM Lab Utopia line

VAC

Boulder

Nagra

Add some turntables, dacs and cables and it should do it.

realgoodsound, what else is obvious to you? Dealer's cash flow is not my problem, I mentioned some brands that would be of interest to me. There are many others, of course. Including Conrad -Johnson.

If I ever need Rega or Rotel I'll just get it on-line and return it if I change my mind. It's like buying stuff on Amazon or elsewhere. When I come to Hi Fi store I want to be able to compare five turntables and ten cartridges, in addition to amps speakers and cables. And I don't want them to match anything, I'll do it myself if  they got the equipment for me to work with. I will listen to their recommendations, though. In other words, they would have to talk less and move the pieces around more. No easy sales, no BS. 

By the way, I will never come to Hi Fi store without serious considerations to buy. If I am comparing those five turntables, there is a high probability that I will get one of those.