Will Internet Distroy High End ?

internet will change the retail behaviour, not yust for hi-end, but for *all* retail. dunno what the final results are, but retail as we know (knew?) it is history. longplate's example can be repeated w/most *any* commodity. dds-hifi may be headed on the rite track as to how some of these changes may come about.

but, hi-end *won't* die - as long as there are those who want the *live* sound in their homes, hi-end will exist. mite make it thrive ackshully, as prices could be forced down, & there's more potential for product exposure to more people...

doug s.

I think there will be growing pains as local dealers adjust to the new environment. However, the internet is making high-end audio known to an ever-widening number of people which can only be a good thing in the long run. I also think it may force companies to offer more value for the money as it is easy for people to share information about high value equipment and low quality equipment as well.

Personally, I'm thankful for the internet. With the price of good stereo equipment, I would have had a difficult time affording my modest system. Online, I picked up what would have cost around $4700 new for around $1400, mostly used. Besides a CD player and turntable for me, I needed a tuner, DVD player, and remote for my wife to justify the expense. Add the fact that it all sits in a big room with tall ceilings and you can see that putting together something at a local dealer would be difficult at best, especially considering that there are no decent used dealers where I live.

My choice, and I do not think my situation is unique or at all rare, was not buying online or buying locally, it was buying online or not buying at all for several years.

Eventually a few subjectivists will agree to be dbt'd and the results will destroy the high end industry. The internet will be a valuable tool in getting the lack of real differences between most components information to the public. And in this fashion will contribute but not be the actual cause of the downfall of hign end charlatans, whether they be on the corner or online. This doesn't necessarily mean the end of tubes and turtables as the love of distortion (or warmth) will ensure t'n't's survival despite proof of both's lack of transparancy and addition of coloration.

the more tings change, the more they stay the same - the subjective wersus objective argument is as old as hi-end itself. proof that it's not dead, but alive & flourishing! :>)

doug s., wery happy w/my low-distortion (0.07% thd) low colouration, accurate, neutral, transparent, toobed preamp... ;~)

As my now long gone local high end dealer/proprieter was fond of saying, "You know Frank, most of these customers just can't hear!"