Is PS Audio going direct sale only?

Everything Else
676

“It is expensive and challenging to work directly with our HiFi Family members “

Not disagreeing necessarily just trying to understand this comment. What is expensive about it?

The website? A extra customer service people to handle what dealers otherwise might? The advertising?

Not seeing any direct sales model expenses that would remotely stack up to the kept profits. But that’s why I’m asking (because I don’t understand).

Again, not trying to argue- only trying to understand the provided explanation, thanks

677

Everything a dealer might do is now done in-house. Thus, PS Audio now absorbs all of the costs the dealers would have had - especially sales questions, equipment, advice, etc.

678

Well, except the most important thing that dealers do, of course

679

Providing the opportunity to demo head-to-head against other competing gear without any financial outlay by the customers, so that customers can compare options head to head easily, and then move to home demo for those that are worthy.

No, a home demo alone cannot replace this. Not even close. As mentioned, that home demo option is available from dealers also typically.

Edit: this post in response to question from Elk to me asking what I was referring to in previous post. I received his question by email, as happens when someone on thread directly replies, so I assumed he’d asked publicly, and I just responded also by email without returning to the thread

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680

I deleted my post before you responded, anticipating correctly you wanted to argue again against PS Audio’s decision to go direct rather than to understand Paul’s post.

Been there, done that. Do not want the t-shirt.

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681

How is responding to your provocative question arguing? You asked. I did not post it until asked, and was not planning to.

For the record, here was Elk’s question:

“And this mystery thing is?”

Sensitive much? I don’t blame you for not wanting to argue that issue

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682

Yes, theoretically, one could line up several makes and models of speakers or kit one is interested in and do some comparative listening.

In reality, in my entire lifetime as a Hi-Fi hobbyist (even when there were many more “actual dealers” out there in the wild), I have never been able to listen to more than one or two pair of speakers (or pieces of kit) I was remotely interested in at a dealer. My experience was that one had to hop around from dealer to dealer (and more likely town to town) over weeks, if not months to get to hear a variety of speakers (often in less than ideal set up situations) or kit of interest.

What are the odds today that a single dealer has/would have several pairs of speakers of “short list” interest at one location and would allow you take the time and space to do a reasonably proper head-to-head comparison in the same room with the same source components? Same thing with swapping out source components…

Maybe you have enjoyed a good, productive demo experience at a single dealer (recently?). I never have.

Rather, I have mostly found listening to speakers in a dealer’s show room to be a maddening and frustrating experience and found it to be pretty impractical to swap kit in and out of a showroom system to do comparative listening.

There is no substitute for trying out speakers and kit in one’s own room with one’s own equipment. I wish more manufacturers would make it easy and cost effective for their customers to do so.

Many share your observations and are critical of PS Audio’s decision to go direct. Given the dearth of dealers in and around my city, PS Audio’s decision has no discernible impact on my prospects for listening to new gear.

Respectfully yours.

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683

We have already debated, ad nauseam, Ps Audio’s decision to go direct. I see no need to go there again, exhuming the well-beaten buried horse. You are however free to argue the point yet again if you would like. I am not interested, and accordingly withdrew my post before anyone responded.

But on the actual current topic, one of the expenses PS audio now absorbs is the cost of the speaker home demonstration program.

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684

I have dozens of times.

But even so, can anyone name even one way that the consumer is better off under the current exclusive direct sale method than they were when both dealer model and direct sale model were concurrently available?

I’ll settle for even one advantage to the consumer

685

Also, the sound of speakers in a dealer’s showroom was never what it sounded like in the customer’s listening room.

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686

Who does this? Not asking just to be disagreeable. Rather, I think/would have thought dealers would not appreciate such dual approach.

Would be nice to have, but this strikes me as a mutually incompatible proposition.

Anyway, are you still situated such that you have the opportunity to have enjoyable and productive visits to nearby dealers? Lucky you, if that is the case.

Cheers.

687

That’s fine, Elk. But you said “everything” a dealer did previously was now handled by PSA, and I couldn’t let that mischaracterization stand

688

No mischaracterization: Dealers demo speakers; PS Audio demos speakers.

I appreciate you do not like one of the methods. But the cost is now absorbed by PS Audio.

689

Nothing beats an in home demo—well, except long term ownership.
Showroom and other “public” listening are typically 2 steps below a biased review on YouTube!~

690

PS Audio as a ‘national’ dealer should have lower costs, as a percentage of sales, through economies of scale as compared to much smaller local dealers around the country.

691

Here’s one. Not having to deal with an uninterested or biased dealer that is not really wanting to sell you their lowest margin product. There were/are plenty of good dealers…and a fair share of ones that really are not.

692

Two more: jamesh and elk!

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693

I thought the direct sales model would be good and cutting costs for the customers.

The truth is, it’s bad news.

Dealers recommend products to a huge audience most likely many that have never heard of PS Audio or Buchardt or any other brand that sells direct.

Dealers see direct sellers as competitors and recommend anything but direct sales products.

Dealers have the strongest argument, while you are in their shop they can let you listen to those products for free and without hassle. You do not need to pay anything up front, pack it up if you don’t like it, return the package and then pray it arrives back in one piece such that you can get your money back swiftly.

Dealers sell other brands that you like, so it is easier to negotiate package deals for the customers as the likelihood that you buy a lot if not everything from that dealer is much bigger than buying individual components on line.

Dealers will come back and make a revival, who wants to sit any longer at home after Covid-19. Even though I am driving 2 h to my favorite dealer and the same time back, it’s a treat. He is located in a nice historic town and I love to explore the shop to the last corner as he always has something interesting, whether new or second hand.

You do not get that on-line.

The service of my dealer is excellent. When I had issues with the equipment I purchased from him, he called the service departments of the rep and manufacturer to solve the issues and they did, swiftly and effective.

And since there is no financial incentive between buying from PS Audio as a direct supplier or the dealer I prefer the local friendly service of the dealer, good for regional economy too.

Why Gato (Denmark) was able to cut costs in half going direct and Buchardt is clearly a bargain buying direct with same price and shipping and trial conditions globally and PS Audio is not able to do that?

I would have liked to get the PS Audio on line deals a couple of years ago when I was in for a SGCD. But PS Audio refuses to offer on-line deals in Europe, so I had to go to a dealer. I am grateful for that, as long as there are good dealers around that offer good alternatives, I will not buy direct.

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694

So the extent of the benefits to consumer (I asked for one legitimate benefit) in going from the previous dual model (both dealer and direct) to the current direct only model are:

being able to skip the dealer (well if you call that a benefit, that was possible before under dual model too), and James and Elk?

Okay. So for James and Elk you lose ability to compare against competing gear (as well articulated by Rudolf’s post above this one), and pay 40% higher vs regularly available dealer deals?

Got it.

Edit: Correction: you pay 67% more now if reported dealer discounts of 40% from msrp were accurate. Example: msrp $100. 40% discount dealer price = $60, the baseline under dual model. Now if price back to $100, that is 67% above baseline. Obviously good for PSA. Good for consumer?

695

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