Audiophile 'Attitude'


Okay, we love our hobby: we love the music, the equipment, the esoterica, and the deranged quest for perfection the likes of which would make even the greats of classical composition shake their heads. But you've got to admit that there exists a certain 'attitude' among some of our group that can be..... difficult. Often this is sexist, arrogant, elitist, impatience, and so on. I think this would be a fertile ground for interesting stories, some humorous and some just jaw dropping. Would anyone like to share? Remember, there are many stories about those other folks outside the hobby who don't get our brilliance and force us to painfully tolerate their ignorance, I'm talking 'bout the other side: WHEN
AUDIOPHILES GO BAD!

I will gladly start: when my wife and I decided to sell our entire Vandersteen home theater (this is different tale of audiophile arrogance, btw) we started looking for a new brand and a new sound to replace my
formerly beloved Vandys. My first 'target' was Martin Logan. It just so happened that there was a ML dealership less than a mile from where I lived at the time in Champaign, IL. Wonderful I thought! So my wife and I toddled over there.

Now it should be noted that my wife has become quite an audiophile herself. She wasn't this way when we met, but she has become fairly well educated in matters of audiophillia, she has an excellent ear, and she is a brilliant woman (she is a vice president for Bank of America after all). So we choose much of our equipment together.

So we go into this ML dealership with about four CDs In hand to get a brief audition and ask to hear some MLs. Instead of going straightaway to letting us listen the salesman decides he needs to try and 'sell' us on the MLs, the very speakers we'd come to hear in the first damn place! So after tolerating his drivel for a few minutes my wife's asks a question. Instead of answering her, he answers me.... then he turns to my wife and, while pointing to that screen with holes that MLs have on so many of their speakers, he says, "now this isn't here so you can hang clothes to dry."

It honestly took me a second to realize what he had just said and I think my wife wafinally looted. After a couples seconds I said, "well, I guess we won't want these speakers then." And we walked out. We also scratched Martin Logan off of our list. No one treats my wife that way.

Okay, your turn....
aewhistory

Showing 1 response by johnmcelfresh

In the early 80's I lived in Grand Rapids Michigan and wondered into Steketee's Audio (McIntosh dealer, among other things - long gone). I had always loved music, but knew nothing about the high end. I was poor and in my early 20s.

I'm an inquisitive guy and the salesmen there always took the time to answer my questions patiently. I would wonder in once or twice a week and they took to greeting me with "Hey John, you have to hear this..." Each time, showing me everything from new albums to new equipment at all different prices. The taught me a lot about audio and introduced me to a ton of new music.

Very quickly I was planning my purchases and started with a used cassette deck, followed by an integrated amp, new speakers, a turntable (cartridge, etc.) and a new, far more expensive cassette deck. Even when I moved away I went back to purchase a few more things. At the time I started buying from them, I was making less than $20k per year and I was spending $1-2k of it with them. Not a fortune by everyone's standards, but it was for me at the time - I would buy as much as my wife would allow.

Since that time I've probably spent over $150k more on equipment and countless thousands on records and CDs. I have two pretty high-end systems in my home and I've advised dozens of friends on their purchases.

The guys at Steketee's Audio knew what all good audio salespeople knew in those days. High End customers have to be grown, they don't just walk in off the street. Trust is built over time and life-long customers/audio enthusiasts aren't created overnight. Unfortunately, no one seems to take the long view any more.