It seems I'm lucky in that my dealer welcomes me to sit in at auditions, and demos of outlandishly expensive equipment he knows I can't (or wouldn't) purchase. When I find equipment in the used market, I inform him and ask for his opinion; we have kind of "tacit agreement" in that he will offer his opinion in exchange for my open communication. He has suggested I go for a piece of used equipment rather than buy new from him (a brand he sells). But then, my dealer is also the shop owner -- which makes things simpler(?).
What Are Your Audio Morals?
Assuming:
A. We all want to audition equipment before we buy it;
B. We all want the most for our money;
C. We all can find the same equipment cheaper on the Internet than from high end dealers;
D. We all know that you can't audition equipment on the Internet.
Therefore, the question is: How can you morally audition equipment at dealers when you know you won't be buying there?
After all, the dealer is giving you his time, his advice, the exclusive use of his listening room (all at the expense of customers who may actually biuy from him), a pro-rated percentage of wear and tear on his equipment, and a pro-rated share of his rent, electricity, salaries, advertising, taxes, maintenance, etc.
What do YOU do when you want to audition equipment? Do you:
1. Use your local dealer and buy from him?
2. Use your local dealer and buy elsewhere?
3. Don't use your local dealer, but buy elsewhere as long as you can return it?
4. Take a chance and just buy based on reviews, thinking maybe you can sell it if you hate it?
5. Other?
BTW, I am not a dealer. I'm just aware that if we all use dealers as free audition services knowing we'll buy elsewhere, local dealers will soon be extinct.
Maybe that's OK. Perhaps, with the advent of the Internet, local dealers serve no purpose anymore. That may be a future topic of discussion.
A. We all want to audition equipment before we buy it;
B. We all want the most for our money;
C. We all can find the same equipment cheaper on the Internet than from high end dealers;
D. We all know that you can't audition equipment on the Internet.
Therefore, the question is: How can you morally audition equipment at dealers when you know you won't be buying there?
After all, the dealer is giving you his time, his advice, the exclusive use of his listening room (all at the expense of customers who may actually biuy from him), a pro-rated percentage of wear and tear on his equipment, and a pro-rated share of his rent, electricity, salaries, advertising, taxes, maintenance, etc.
What do YOU do when you want to audition equipment? Do you:
1. Use your local dealer and buy from him?
2. Use your local dealer and buy elsewhere?
3. Don't use your local dealer, but buy elsewhere as long as you can return it?
4. Take a chance and just buy based on reviews, thinking maybe you can sell it if you hate it?
5. Other?
BTW, I am not a dealer. I'm just aware that if we all use dealers as free audition services knowing we'll buy elsewhere, local dealers will soon be extinct.
Maybe that's OK. Perhaps, with the advent of the Internet, local dealers serve no purpose anymore. That may be a future topic of discussion.