Steven, you forgot to mention Devialet. Regarding your favoured dealer in London, over the lockdown I emailed them about shipping me a pair of Magnepan LRSs (I’d not risk a trip into London but would pay £999 for the fun of trying them) - they didn’t reply to me email. My dealer, Unilet, seems to have everything available (except for products from just a few distributors).
Some would like you to believe it is a destructive path (not calling out the poster I’m responding to, just saying generally), and it’s fair to point out that some have financial incentive to push that narrative.
Here’s a tongue-in-cheek analogy, don’t take too seriously. On the news or social media these days we often hear about massive fraud. Often repeated, and many, it seems, believe this claim, presumably because they believe those contending such and because it is repeated so often. But when proof is required (in court), the narrative breaks down.
So too, here. Yes, some dealerships have closed. Nobody will deny. But I have repeatedly asked for even ONE EXAMPLE of an established hi-end company that had been embedded in dealers and felt need like PSA to pull out and go direct only, blaming it on changing dealer landscape. If indeed this is inevitable result, then clearly such market forces wouldn’t solely affect PSA, but everyone else as well. Where is the evidence?
I will believe it (that it is inevitable that HI END established-at-dealer manufacturers (not startups or solo shops or those who have always been direct only) can’t make it under the existing model when I start to see others doing what PSA did. Merely contending it is so does not make it so.
I am pro dealer and most importantly for me personally the comparative listening experience one can still get there. It takes more work, but it’s doable. I know. I honestly feel it is dangerous to push the narrative that audio dealerships are a dying breed and to compare them to bookstores and ordering a furnace filter online.
For many buying HI END audio is closer to buying a car than to those examples. Car dealers aren’t going away. I don’t want audio dealers to either. That’s why I push back and why I post. Not to argue for argument sake but because I really believe these things.
I’ll state again I don’t have a major problem with the decision (that’s a business decision, no problem with that though I’d like to compare the products at dealer but can’t). I have problem with pushing the narrative the audio dealers are doomed to fail. It may not be undemocratic, but it is unAUDIOcratic.
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When you think about the fixed overhead required it’s easy to understand why stocking dealers with show rooms are disappearing.
Assume a small dealership has 4 employees. The payroll is somewhere between $4k and $8k per week. Utilities are roughly $500 per week. Rent or lease roughly $1000 per week. Inventory somewhere between $100k and $1m. Assuming a 40% markup you need to sell roughly $20k per week just to meet fixed overhead.
That really only leaves very high end components sold at near list prices to leave enough left over to put in the bank or add to inventory, travel, show, transport, advertise, coddle, hand hold, etc.
If you are selling $100k amps $100k speakers this sales model still works. For lower priced and widely available by mail order or internet items you simply cannot compete using a stocking dealership.
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Think of it this way, you are approached to invest in the opening of a new high-end audio dealership. How much are you going to invest?
Most of us would put nothing into such an enterprise, knowing the likelihood of failure is nearly certain.
I understand not liking this reality.
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They took the opportunity of lockdown to do a fairly major refurbishment. I think it took about 6 months. They also have a new room in the basement, my wife wants to buy the furniture. I bumped into the owner in the street around August and he showed me around, there was still stuff stacked all over the place, remember seeing some Magnepan. I’ve had no trouble getting quick responses 24/7 when contacting by email over the last 6 weeks.
There is another new high-end dealer about 5 minutes was way, which is much more than it seems. It’s worth a separate thread.
…what I recognize is, that most dealers are not a fraction as creative as e.g. manufacturers like PSA in changing their concepts to attract new or different customers, offer side or online activities to widen their reception etc. They (in a majority) seem to just wait what happens.
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I think Rhythmik the subwoofer company is direct only if that counts. I know they’re a small one product line company but it fits the question if I understand it.
Just a side question: which amp do you use with your new Wilson’s Steven, the Diavalet?
Devialet 250 Pro.
I don’t get to use them that much. Currently listening to my son’s Spotify, what he calls classical music, Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang (Snoop Doog + Dr Dre from 1992). We’ve just moved on to What They Do (The Roots from 1996). Great vibe. I enjoy afternoons like this.
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I just either was in a groove mode by this nice one, freshly available as vinyl again after being quite sought after.
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This was very true as a Teenager in the 80’s and as a Young Adult in the 90’s. Becoming an Audiophile is an addiction that gets worse as your income and credit limit increases…not LOL !
While true, the shops I’d frequent sold everything from low/mid/high end stuff, others only focused on the “high”. I never went to those places for sheer intimidation (me & my Wallet are not welcome here - buy before you try Son).
While I’d like to support my local Dealers, I can’t because I don’t have the Wallet they need to stay afloat. Others in our region, however do and all the power to them. I don’t have a dispensable income that can afford the best.
With places like The Music Room and their try before you buy policy. I can actually afford used what I can’t new. Great People to deal with and others that I’ve recommended to them also had the same experience.
I been done with B & M for many years now and have no intention to go back.
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The Best of the “good” types I’ve found cater to anyone who is interested in better sound, regardless of their budget.
When I lived “out east,” I dealt with Overture AV (Wilmington, DE) on occasion. 5 years after moving to CO, I can still email the rep I dealt with there with a question and get a helpful response within 24 hours.
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We all have our experiences with dealers closing or existing or whatever. Really none of it matters when it comes to understanding the landscape until someone provides hard data. Like for example the number of Hi-Fi dealers in 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. Also, which came first - dealers started disappearing so companies went direct or vice versa. Without hard data, all this is opinion and conjecture and nothing more.
I sure would like to know more about the new PSA speaker line.
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While not specifically quantified, it is not conjecture but anecdotal - like most discussions here and perfectly valid evidence.
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I actually have 2 dealers within 5 miles of my house in Michigan. Paragon - which some may have heard of via their ads and from shows and overture audio (not the Delaware one).
I too don’t have ‘the wallet ‘ for paragon but they let me come in and listen to 200k speakers playing on 50k worth of amp etc. I’ve had an opportunity to listen to some great gear there - and liked the 40k speakers better than the 200k ones. But ultimately like my 13k speakers better. 
but isn’t that crazy that someone crazy enough to fork over 13-14k on speakers feels…uh…like a misfit toy ? And not because of the shop. Those guys are great. Just …the price tags. Some of it I’d like to borrow and just look at in my listening room. Lol.
And Kzk - I completely understand what you are stating - and I feel no need to reframe it to make some other off shoot argument.
Changing the subject back to speakers…I connected one of Arnie Nudell’s speaker designs back up yesterday, the Infinity Modulus. Two two-way satellite speakers plus a 250-watt, 12" servo-controlled subwoofer, with a small Infinity crossover box between the pre and power amps, allowing the old CJ tube amp to drive just the satellites and not the low frequencies. While they don’t have the same dynamics of newer 97db speakers driven by M700 monoblocks plus (2) well-designed 15" non-servo powered subwoofers, they have a wonderfully clean midrange and still image well (placed 7’ out into the room), and still look ok after 30 years.
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It appears to be in nice shape. Arnie put put some fine speakers in the day. That said they partner well with cj tube amplification.
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Q: Will the new speakers have grounding?
Audiovector speakers R3, R6, R8 and R11 uses a method to transfer high frequency noice, energy from vibration in crossovers and other noice out of the speaker into the mains ground.
It greatly increases clarity. 95 percent of the customers purchases the extra cables for USD 750 (approx - more in longer length)
As Audiovectors Arrete AMT/Heil tweeters are best in class… and open as a clarity window… and PS Audios new speakers also uses AMT tweeter and also a panel midrange, my guess is that proper grounding of crossovers will greatly benefit the design of the PS Audio speakers.
Any news about the AN1 and AN2?