2. speakers
  3. 158991-139027

Magnepan dealers

I have owned Maggies in the past and went to their website tonight. This is probably old news out here and I'm sorry if this has been discussed at length but it looks like they're trying a different marketing model. All sales are direct from Magnepan. The dealers (it's the same bunch, at least here in the northeast) are "showroom only." You can go and listen but you can't buy from the dealer, only from the company. (See below.)

I'm interested in this in part because of the many threads on the declining market, the rise of online sales, possible strategies for marketing, and alternatives to brick-and-mortar stores. I'm also very interested in what this means for Magnepan. I hope it works for them. I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts, and I apologize if I've missed any threads on this. Here's the description from their website:

---

"Magnepan is beginning a pilot program to address a problem facing many consumers. With the decline in the number of 2-channel dealers and the proliferation of high-end audio products, many consumers have no opportunity to audition Magneplanars (or other good audio products). As stated on our home page--- "Why in the world would anyone want a 6-foot tall panel speaker? They probably wouldn't......unless they heard it."

The Showroom Only Dealer is being well-compensated by Magnepan to provide a service to consumers in their market area. The Showroom Only Dealer is not permitted to sell Magneplanars. And you are not under any obligation. The dealer is simply providing you with the opportunity to hear Magneplanars in the dealer's facility. Later, if the customer chooses to buy a Magneplanar, they would contact Magnepan directly for the purchase."


northman

Showing 2 responses by northman

northman OP
236 posts
 
I'm sorry, guys. My eyes missed where they list the showroom dealers, which is down the page mixed in with all the others. As @crustycoot points out, there are only four of them. I apologize for spreading my confusion out here.

And thanks for the other posts! I bought my past Maggies from Take-5 in New Haven, now gone/moved, but I do know Natural Sound pretty well, having lived outside Boston for a decade. I LOVE the Maggie sound but, yeah, well, they are big and I have a few things to consider with this next purchase. (If I go that route, it'll probably be the 3.7i.) But I need to hear Vandersteen, so I'll find a way to get down to Audioconnection ... and hear both.
northman OP
236 posts
 
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the website, which is not an especially attractive or helpful one. Because they make no distinction between who is a "showroom only" dealer and who is a conventional dealer, the site gives the impression that they're all showroom dealers now. And they apparently are offering in-home trials through the company, etc. But perhaps this is a way to get Maggies into *more* stores, even if they're not selling them. In that case it's a confusing website.
More to discover