Better deals can be found…
Those two BAT power amps in the same Music Direct email look nice
Which focal’s did you get. I had the exact experience. Auditioned at 6 different dealers all around the world before purchase!
Focal Electra 1028 Be… I paid full price for them.
I never heard another speaker sound as good even near the price. What was odd, was Focal lower line of speakers. They sounded … well pretty bad to me. Like 2 seconds and … “turn 'em off”. Coming from the Magnepan 20 speakers was a pretty high bar… I sold them and moved my sound system into my office, a much smaller room… the Focals are so much more fun! I am listening to my old harder rock records again. A “forward” sound but it is all there… and an easy load for my PrimaLuna HP integrated tubed with KT150 power tubes (way more power than needed but the bass is just so articulate with these KT150 tubes). Just fabulous.
I miss the beauty and imaging of the Magnepans… but these Focals are just really accurate and dynamic… fun!
Peace
Bruce in Philly
Dude - go on the Pricing Forum and explain why you paid retail…
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Ahhh…Parts Connextion…a trip down memory lane Paul. My first Homebrews crossovers’ Solen Caps and Solo Foil Inductors were bought from them and they had had Audioquest “Quartz Crystal Hyperlitz” cable by the foot which I bought and cobbled RCA plugs onto to them at home.
Degree in hand while stamping fenders in Milton, Ontario. Building those cabinets and “designing” those x-overs was the only thing on my mind and the motivation to stay at that job until the Speakers were complete. The benefit of living with Mom. Circa 1994/1995.
BTW. Sonic Frontiers was the parent to The Parts Connexion (I had a tour back in the day). Very friendly folks as I recall. Are they part of the Anthem/Paradigm/Martin Logan umbrella ?
No, Chris Johnson and his partner sold the Anthem name to Paradigm and got out of the equipment business. They continued to this day as the service center for “original” Anthem gear and all SF gear. He went back to the Parts Connexion business on his own and also sold some “closeout” gear from various companies. He is just now getting back into the “New Audio” dealer business but most of those lines can only be sold to Canadian customers.
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Thanks for the update. I just remember them as very helpful people who asked all the right questions when I would shop there for parts. I still wish for an Assemblage DAC but updated with Sony DSD goodness. But who actually builds kits at home anyways…
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They are still the same, great people to work with. I still have a Sonic Frontier Line 2 preamp that has been upgraded to SE+ status. It took a trip to the GTA a few months back for a new volume control chip upgrade and a gain reduction. Sounds great even today and you’ve got to love the “Hockey Puck” style remote.
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I know of a recent experience where dealers used this law to stop the manufacturer undercut them. I’ve also worked on a couple of claims that litigated.
I’ve used two dealers, one since 1980 and the other since they started 10 years ago. They are called KJWestOne and HiFiLounge. The industry would be poorer but for dealers like them. They put together systems for people who like music, to meet their tastes and budgets. They provide great service and have superb listening facilities. They have regular events, product launches etc. They do not push particular brands. Most of their customers probably just want a good long term audio system. Although they are both 30 minutes from home, I would travel a long way to visit them. Both businesses are financially successful.
I have bought from another dealer in Scotland who I’ve never met. He carries a lot of brands and is efficient at sending boxes and gives a discount.
Thinking about it, selling direct seems to me like giving in. A lot of these dealers sales are complete systems that are delivered and installed. You can’t do that direct, certainly from a brand that does not manufacture complete systems.
Maybe the problem is letting other people like Musicdirect sell your products online in the first place.
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I suspect in the early days of the arrangement Music Direct was their sales channel for moving B-stock and open box products, and over time they ended up selling everything.
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One thing I hope PSA implements is Chat support during business hours. I hate talking on the phone (to anyone…not just retailers). It’s really nice to set up a chat to answer questions or even make a purchase if one has an account set up. As a pro photographer, I purchase tons of gear from Adorama. Utilizing their chat, I can order and set up special shipping instructions, etc. Plus, Adorama is more than happy to let you know if an item has a special coupon code, etc.
Just something to consider
Their on-line tools and systems will now be critical with the dealer network gone kaput. I suggested they have a support ticket system where every support ticket gets logged with a case number and assigned an agent to follow through to the end of the process. The way things have been, issues can fall off their radar and you need to poke them a few times to get things happening.
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Maybe PSA should keep all products under 15kg boxed. I do wonder how on earth they expect to sell speakers other than through a dealer network. Sale or return only works on small, light speakers with cheap packaging. Others have tried it with larger speakers and units rapidly get damaged and the expensive packaging rarely survived 4 or 5 trips.
That’s interesting and something normal consumers don’t get notice of.
ZU Audio sells 100% online. ZU sells large speakers, subwoofers, etc. SVS is pretty much online as well. Sweetwater sells large amplifiers, PA systems online. Music Direct, etc…has sold speakers for years. This is really not a big deal whatsoever. If you demand that you listen at a dealership, you would probably be disappointed anyway since many dealers do not stock large amounts of inventory.
Although I may be priced out of many components that I want, I have to say direct is the way to go. I am guessing most dealer purchases are dropped shipped anyway (dealer takes money, orders, PSA ships to client).
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A good dealer can put together a good system to meet any clients needs. I trust my dealers.
I can tell if I like a speaker in an hour. If I had to do an overnight trip I would do it if I could listen to a range of speakers form different manufacturers, and with my own dealers. I would not do sale and return.
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I agree…
I have learned, over many years, what dealers to trust and who just load up on the “hot” equipment. But unfortunately, there are so few dealers anymore. I mentioned Overture in Delaware… total trust from me there.
Regarding speed of understanding… I can tell in like 5 seconds if a speaker has color or not and can image. Then it takes about 20 minutes to know if I will really like the speaker or not. This was then my “short list” and I would head to another dealer for different brands… but no more other dealers. So at Overture, I just purchased the one that did it for me. So far, after a few years now, my Focals were a very good purchase.
When you have been in a hobby for 40 some years… you develop some ears.
Home trial for speakers? Are you kidding? The effort to box and ship via truck? No way. This system just rewards the marketing wizards.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
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Quick thought: PS Music Rooms East, West?
Fascinating how retail is changing these days, e.g. Cruthfield pioneering on-line speaker auditioning, Amazon opening retail stores etc. I see the rationale for PS audio going direct as most of their sales are there already and many of the remaining dealers are on-line dealers anyway. A bit sad about the demise of traditional dealers. I compared and purchased my Focal speakers at Overture in Delaware also and they are great. I hope they find a formula that works for them.
While 30-day auditioning and free returns works for electronics, I understand the challenge and cost of shipping 100+ pound speakers by freight, and people having to move and install them, but there are off course other options to provide in-person listening opportunities while still having a direct model:
- Demo at more shows. PS does RMAF and Axpona but there are regional shows in every corner of the USA
- Open up ‘PS Audio Music Rooms’ in key markets like the east and west coasts, key countries. I saw a Bang & Olufsen one in NYC for example. Major brands like Adidas and Nike are doing similar ‘experience centers’ that carry no or little stock and are purely in support of modern-day on-line shopping. Its a brave new world.
I imagine PS Audio has thought about these and other options. Awesome how Paul radiates energy and keeps pushing the envelope (at 70), I am impressed.