I’m not ambivalent about PSA going direct-only. First, the so-called ‘discount’ I may receive from a brick-and-mortar dealer I know is a feel good, but meaningless gesture and only a reflection of how much margin the dealer is already willing to forego on the sale. We’ll see what this means for PSA’s direct-only pricing approach, but what is the difference if going direct leads to a lower ‘retail’ by cutting out the cost of maintaining a dealer network? It makes no difference to me at all. Second, I’ve found essentially no value-added in recent years going to a brick-and-mortar store for an audition and purchase. PSA has been supporting a free in-home trial program. No brick-and-mortar audition can ever be the equivalent of a trial in my own system in my listening environment with my favorite music. As for service, my experience with PSA’s service folks has been truly outstanding. What am I getting from a brick-and-mortar dealer in the way of advice that I’m not able to get straight from the experts themselves?
Paul’s rationale for the change is indeed a recognition of reality and I see zero sacrifice to me as a consumer and PS audio owner at all. Go for it Paul!
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