Visited a Store and was shunned
I live in an area where brick & mortar stores are not easily assessable to demo equipment. While traveling for business, I decided to stop by an establishment on the U.S. West coast. My interest was in the Dynaudio Confidence 20 since I’m looking to upgrade from the Contour 20i. I’m not here to name names or throw anyone under the bus, just purely to voice my frustration and disbelief on how I was treated.
I was greeted with skepticism and a general lack of interest in discussing the product. There were two gentlemen working that day and neither had any interest in answering questions or providing a listening demo. As a matter of fact, when I asked to listen to the Confidence 20 speakers one of them immediately said “no way”. Both speakers were on stands sitting next to several amplifiers so it wouldn’t have taken much time to setup.
I was intent on making a purchase that day and having the speakers shipped to my residence, but decided to leave the store based on my experience.
It’s a shame that most of us have to relay on equipment reviews when establishments such as this lack interest in the customers that support the hobby.
That store was my first foray into high-end audio. My high school buddy Doug work there. I was pleasantly shocked when I heard 3d for the first time ever through a GoldenEar Triton driven by Parasound electronics. Doug claimed Parasound was a high value and completed with more expensive gear, later I verified it was true. Sad that they closed. |
@mitch2 I can state that, for me, my experience in audio is a mimic of participation from a bygone era where the majority of individuals expressing an interest were all mimicking a methodology. The difference will be found where I detached from the Commercial Retail route as a means to receive audio equipment designs, and chose to have commission-built custom designs produced for me. Currently, I have no desire to adopt a modern methodology to have portable battery-powered audio equipment available for my usage, even with my owning basic ancillaries which would enable this to occur. Currently, I am interested in the most relevant Source used for an audio system, especially ones used in system designs I am familiar with. Dinosaur Audio is active; the participants are not large in numbers anymore, almost like a Galapagos Species, where a species is confined to an Island in the archipelago, certainly not to be found in their Billions. Modern methodologies chosen for experiencing music, which, as stated, are typically battery-powered and portable by design, are with a few Billion users. The users are typically able to be spotted in every Country, City, Town, Village, Hamlet, where it is common for the inhabitants to be seen in a public space. The Portable music user is showing an almost ubiquitous dependency on a Headphone or Earbud to generate sound. Certain designs for the modern used Transducer will produce sound that is as attractive as any Headphone design made available to support olden high-end audio systems The user of a modern audio system can't all be met by any one individual, but there are numerous that can be met by olden audio system users when they go about their daily activities; some might already be fluent using this new method for audio. To be out and about and to walk on by without giving a nod or creating an engagement with a fellow enthusiast for listening to recorded music; is promoting an unsociable personality and potentially creating division between like-minded individuals. Typically, a recommendation for a Playlist is added to their already heavily populated storage. This modern design, if adapted from the typical witnessed usage, can give access to replays of Vinyl, CD and FLAC/WAV Files, enabling Source material sought by their predecessors to be experienced and collected, sharing a crossover in interests to Olden methods to access data to enable replays of music. Where I say I am envious is that live music events are enabled to be experienced when out and about, carrying out activities which will be preventing listening to music if other designs for listening to music are in use. The Future is written on the Wall: "The King is Dead - Long Live the King" I embrace the users of new methods to listen to recorded music; they are now the Cornerstone and Keystone of the Structure for the global market for creating recorded music to be listened to. Both olden and modern audio designs are the beneficiaries of the continuation of content to be used for entertainment being extensively produced to satisfy the Billions. |
@allenf1963 Thanks for the Ember @ W/S tip, next jaunt that way I'll attempt to convince spouse to allow my interest to override her reluctance. The only reasons we'd stop there was to visit her now deceased parents, en route to a out of town project, and/or a visit to Costco. The latter has been of late to Spartanburg, 2 hrs. less for the R/T. Soon to have one here in AVL, in the midst of it's planning stages. Yes, sometimes various shows up but more likely on the on-line audio buy/sell/trade classifieds. I troll Habitat (a 5 min. walk from where I'm sitting) for the rare gems (a pair of Polk bookshelves 9/10, a Polk sub 8/10, needed a paint job), a Garrard Z-100 from Salvation Army (needed a cleaning under deck), and a pair of small Maggies spotted by a friend... Spouse likes them as they are, esp. not being the typ. box.... Shop Sweetwater for my versions of esoterics. They seemed to have decided to promote more audio and AV gear, but staying away from flat screens. At this juncture, I'm wanting to commit more 'free time' to my DIY Walsh 'steampunk' drivers/ as a repeatable item of interest.. I've my own windmills to take to task.... 'Free time' being a near laughable concept to yours unruly. moving lock, stock, and socks to a new small home while building a small shop of sorts to contain my 'stuff' and tools.... My 'to-do' and the 'honey-do' list could trigger a heart episode, but my on-board defib will likely interfere and relegate any interference towards these goals into wishful rants. This being one.... ;) Happy Sunday, and thanks again, J
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A few observations. So many people are assuming the OP was judged as not being able to afford the loudspeakers based on how he looked. Nothing in his post indicates that. The anger about naming the shop. People sound emotional about punishing the shop and the employees. The anger here is akin to how a good deal of American political discussion has evolved. Many references to what it was like back in the 80s. Like back before the iPhone, the internet and when Bill Wyman was still the bass player with the Rolling Stones. That's a long time ago and things change. Dare I say "OK Boomer"? |
@onhwy61 Yes, an easy dare to doom us with...*L* Not all, for sure, but the obvious demographic slant of these forums? "Attacked by Mac"? "Krelled Submissive"? "Denon or Dead".... Read that the current crowd is having their area code on an arm, zip code on a posterior cheek..... "If found comatose, apply dB" speaks to me.... ;) |
