Should high-end shops be "OBLIGATED" to advise about component matching for best sound?

Sunnyjim - Over the years I’ve experience exactly the type of thing you talk of and I’ve come to realize there seems to be two kinds of store...
- those that are just in it for the money.
- those that are in it for the pleasure

The latter is the type of store I now frequent and get the best service from.

I know of only four such stores in the Greater Toronto region (it’s a pretty big area with lots of stores) and each of them will recommend products suited to your system. They are not always 100% correct, but most of the time they provide great recommendations.

The kind of store I like to frequent has sales people that spend time discussing your system, music, likes and dislikes. They also know SOME of the little quirks in components that can cause issues and are willing to share them with you.

And before someone asks....
- American Sound of Canada (amazing high end systems)
- Hi Fi Fo Fum (products known for affordable quality music reproduction)
- Audio Eden (a huge variety of products and quality consignment gear)
- Toronto Home of the Audiophile (some of the more esoteric product lines)

All of these stores are willing to setup auditions that include your components, either from their existing stock or even your own gear( I have done that).

You can easily tell this type of store - the same salespeople are still there on a third or fourth visit :-)

I have a great rapport with the staff at these four stores and often just pop-in to chew the fat about the latest gear/albums/etc. - they are always willing to chat.

I hope you find a similar kind of store in your area.

One last comment - as I have delved deeper into the various aspects of this hobby - I have come to realize it is extremely complex.

A persons knowledge tends to be very specific - like turntables, arms, cartridges, amps, speakers, digital players, cables, etc. They seldom know it all

So - if you ever find a salesperson that has an accumulation of all of that knowledge - stick with them and post their name here.

We’d all like to chat to that person:-).

Personally - I find the accumulated knowledge of the Agon members quite amazing and I drawer on that knowledge when needed. OK - you do sometimes have to sort the wheat from the chaff :-)

I realize that it is very much a case of "Buyer Beware" - but the available information on the web today is vast, and can go a long way to eliminate a bad purchase.

Personally - I’ve never had it so good :-)

Regards - Steve

Whoa there AKG - not dead yet :-)

in days gone by you could actually rely on audio stores for good sound advice. (pun intended)

But I guess with the abundance of choice comes ignorance and it's all about the mighty dollar, so shift that product!

(1) Dealers can only carry certain brands, and the arena of choice in high-end is far too wide to even consider presenting anything more than a restricted sample available. That kills it right there ...full stop.

Granted, but I have had dealers recommend products outside of their current line - they are few, but good dealers often offer "advice" on other products they found of value - and they know I'll come back.

• (3) An "obligation" is a course of action that someone is required to take 
  

So, I should not expect that my car mechanic actually know's one end of a wrench from the other? Well they are licensed, so there is an inferred obligation there I guess - perhaps we should license high end stores?

The OP states High-end shops - not TV stores. High-end implies some kind of extended expertise or knowledge - at least to me.

It's no different from high-end clothing stores or food stores - they "generally" know much more about their market in general and certainly more details about their products.

Are they obligated? - not legally, but people "expect" a higher level of understanding of "their craft" from the "High-End"  stores.

It's becoming more apparent to me that as time goes by that the level of "professionalism" across the board is diminishing - not only in audio circles but across all walks of life.

Do I expect value when I walk into a store - not really, but I'm sometimes surprised

But the stores that DO step up - get my repeat business.

Just sayin :-)

Crazyeddy - if you haven't done so - take a trip down to Hi Fi Fo Fum in Toronto.

It's a great little store, with some great gear.

Alas Steve the owner is not as chatty as Mike, but it's worth a trip. Call first - strange hours

American Sound of Canada (Younge/Stouville Rd)   has some great very high-end gear and some nice quality vinyl album choices on sale. Generally my first choice for vinyl.

Toronto Home of the Audiophile - is perhaps more "business like" of the bunch, but they used to carry most of the Gershman Line of speakers and have them hooked up for audition - very nice speakers.

But you are right - Mike is the most friendly of all of them and always willing to just chat audio and share opinions on gear.

We do need more of them!

Chat Later