@bjesien Ive seen this also. In fact, some of the suggestions made above are home-based.
Nowhere to hear speakers and amps anymore!
When I started buying stereo equipment in the 1970’s (yes, I’m old) in Seattle, there were many retail stores where I could hear and compare equipment. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1982 and found the same number of great stores until 2000 when they started disappearing and now there are none! There are plenty of Home Theater contractors, but I can’t find an audiophile store anywhere short of going to LA or back to Seattle! Is there an “audio desert” in my area? Seems like an opportunity for someone! Am I missing something?
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I have a buddy about a brisk 5 minute walk away from our Seattle home who runs a fantastic appointment only business. Think Dohman, CH, Kuzma, Magico, Wadax, Consternation, IDEON, Aurender…. etc…. Another appointment only dealer close to me in winter paradise in San Diego…. Seek them out in your neighborhood |
In RIchmond, VA, we are very fortunate to have a beautiful new audio store, Carytown Sound (carytownsound.com), which just opened this fall. It has a nice range of equipment and an enthusiastic owner and staff who are very low pressure. Really a gem at this time when brick and mortar stores are disappearing. |
The disappearance of retail stores has been supplemented with the emergence of a vibrant online used market. Do your research and buy used smartly, and if it doesn’t work out turn around and sell it for little/no loss. In some ways it’s almost better because you get to hear a piece of equipment in your own room/system that’s often not possible through a traditional dealer, and you often get a 50% discount for your trouble. I’ve had much success doing this, but it obviously works less well with things like large/heavy speakers. |
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