What happened to all the highend stereo shops


What happened to high end stereo shops I mean real high-end stereo shops. I am 78, my father bought me my first stereo when I was 12, I have been hooked ever since. I remember the days when you can go to a nice audio store and not just audition what they had in the store but if you saw a couple of tuners, preamps or some cables that you liked, you could give them a blank check and take the equipment home to audition on your system. Bring one or both back Pay for what you want to keep or get your check back. I don’t understand how someone can buy an expensive piece of audio equipment and not audition it in their system first. Many places today, you buy it and your stuck with it. OH yes you can sell it on Audiogon or eBay. Reviewers are nice and give good reviews but the problem I have is the equipment they are auditioning  is on their system in their treated music room which is going to be different than what you have. 
 

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this thread is actually pretty hilarious. the fact that someone lives his or her life according to a 5000 year old book of fairy tales gives me all the information I need about that person: keep back 500 feet and avoid eye contact. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation as to how the earth was populated via incest (unless there were some other people besides Adam, Eve, and their brood of *checks notes* sons). Thankfully religion is going the way of  the dodo for more and more of the population, but I appreciate the frantic virtue signaling ("society is collapsing because we can't fawn over Skydaddy in school anymore!") as it makes it easier to identify and disregard their opinions.

Religion aside can we just please get back on track. I happen to be in a position where my Hi Fi outlet happens to be a person who I befriended 50 years ago now and he is still trading well past his retiral date. He happens to be the only decent Hi Fi store in Glasgow and I am mighty glad he is still trading. I can trace 90% of my purchases back to him and although I haven't been able to buy much for a while from him he is still there if you have a problem and need someone to steer the ship for you. When my friend and I walk in the first thing is the kettle gets put on and then the talk starts to revolve around classical music and what system would be better for different types of music we are into. I am really glad he is still here and I wish to ask people to to go into established stores for Hi Fi and the knowledge garnered from people like him. Long may they hang in there.

@doyle3433

I had an excellent piece of chocolate cake last night.

i tried to be healthy last night, dessert was just a fresh berry salad with coconut cream

now, what is that we think happened to all the high end stereo shops???

Music is a spiritual experience anyway...

Not only relaxing leisure...

And i dont speak about only choral sacred music here...

Religions had no future right now... The greatest increasing religious movement is transhumanism through corporate monsters ...

Their favorite music is electronica i imagine...

The reason i was so focussed for years to build a top hi-fi system was to be no more bothered by sound...I succeeded.. I come here for friends no so much for mere audio really...

My only possible upgrade will cost me 15 ,000 bucks... Yes i know what i am doing now in audio... I dont need it to be fair but audiophile being obsessed i will do it before dying... I dont know... My system right now is perfect for me, no defects on any counts... But this upgrade of 15,000 bucks will put me over or beside or slightly behind any system at any price...Then i can come here again and dream even if i dont need it at all...😊

I regret high end gear store closing because of the lost of of human relations real life  spots ...

😊