Interesting… My last speaker shootout was the Magnepan 1.7i vs. the Triangle BR08. I still have both. The BR08 were damn impressive for $1500. Were the 1.7i better, yes, in my 24x18 room with a REL S/3 sub. I have had Magnepan 1.7, 3.7 and 3.7i in that room for 15 years so I have the set-up dialed in. But, those BR08 were impressive!
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Reading that Atlanta has a dirth of Audio stores is a discouraging sign. It’s a sprawling Metro area with plenty of affluence. Based on the traffic that I have experienced there, I am guessing there’s no shortage of car dealerships.
I keep hearing many people referring to their Sonos, Bluesound, and smart speakers. I wonder if the on-line availability and relative ease of use has had an effect on the rest of hifi. I suppose they are a step up from $6 earbuds.
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Spot on. These have also come to define “great sound” for so many people, friends of mine included. Convenience is everything—or the only thing.
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I auditioned some Vandersteen Quatros at that HIFI Buys. I’m certain that they were set up correctly with excellent electronics(ARC, Audioquest, and a DCS digital stack) but the magic just wasn’t there.
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Hey I’ve got good news for you. 5 minutes of online searching identified at least four well stocked audio dealers in/near Atlanta that all stock amazing brands higher up on the food chain. Don’t let the home theater in the name fool you - they carry Gryphon. If you haven’t heard of it, I assure you it’s not home theater.
Anyway:
HiFi Buys
Kemela Contemporary Audio
Sight & Sound Gallery
Evolution Home Theater
Why don’t you visit them and see for yourself? Get off the computer and check them out, rather than posting misinformation.
4 thriving stores in metro area proximity is great. Gotta be realistic in expectations. As was mentioned above, I’d much rather have 3-4 really good stores than 10 marginal ones.
I wish I’d invented Bluesound. I’d have the knowledge of creating a great product popular worldwide and I’d have the added benefit of rolling in money. If and when PS Audio ever release their streamer, they should be delighted if the software is half as good as Bluesound’s BluOs. In the UK it is mostly sold through a retail store chain. I used one happily for years.
I also listen to most of my music through ceiling speakers. Not Sonos. The designer of a famous brand of hi-end speakers selling for up to $100,000 as used by @aangen decided to put his talents into such a device, with truly excellent results.
Personally, I think convenience - or “ease of use” - should be a design goal for any product.
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Agree the BlueOS interface is really good. And while the dac in the node 2 and 2i wasn’t too good, apparently the one in the current model is much better (though still entry level)
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I’ve been. Half of those have very nice web pictures…the “showrooms” are a bit different.
Perhaps it would be more helpful if you got off the computer and went to see yourself 
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I think it’s a trend that killed many businesses. There are still a whole bunch of people that prefer stores. Don’t think they will disappear entirely.
We have cities where big chains abandoned the city centers, for a couple of years those centers were abandoned.
Guess what, the people got sick and tired of it. Big chains with the same of everything in every place are out. Small operation retail stores with extremely interesting and unique product and service portfolio‘s are hot.
Why, because personal contact and the idea that you do/buy something unique, and meet nice people and receive personal attention matters to a lot of people.
Shops offer combinations of:
- art and products
- coffee / tee and products
- clothes and small furniture
These city centers are booming again, all those places are ideal to meet each other and can do business in a really nice atmosphere.
Prime examples are Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, and Århus, Denmark. Danish places have artistic features anyway.
In the USA there are also places where small interesting retail shops never disappeared. Fredericksburg and Wimberley, the very home of Rupert Neve’s audio company in Texas Hill Country are such places. I love them, we hope to go there again in spring next year.
Small retail shops become more popular again. There will be a balance between internet shopping and retail shops. The shops will never entirely disappear.
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That just isn’t my lifestyle.
When were you there?
If not in last 2 months I bet it may look different than you remember. Like I said earlier, my experience is floor equipment has exploded over last few months.
83% of US population live in large metro areas. Another 10% probably within a four hour or shorter drive.
So very few Americans are unable to experience typically good dealers without too much trouble, if we are talking expenditures in the mid five figures.
There are exceptions of course
Yup, here is an exception, as I mentioned earlier:
There are no audio stores of repute in our state (Idaho), and Seattle/Portland (300 + miles), or SLC (600+ miles) would be the closest. The time, drive, hotel, food, hassle, etc. just isn’t what I would call fun, or even money well spent.
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Not in the last 2 months for sure. Last time was pre Covid.
Of course, there will be millions of exceptions : )
but yet 90+% within doable distance.
But at least in Idaho you probably have plenty of open space and few crowds, which maybe makes up for no stores haha
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Covid is exactly when it started turning around
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There may not be, but in Boise there appears to be a guitar store on every corner, plus pianos, bass, etc., you could even learn the harp. There is a store called Dunkley’s so huge, never seen anything like that in the whole of the UK. Plus, if I lived in Idaho I wouldn’t stay at home listening to music! So it seems to be more cultural differences.
Fortunately for me, unfortunately for you, I live 6 hours away from Boise. One reason I don’t obsess sitting at home listening to music in every room. Yes, we do exhibit cultural differences.
As a former subject of the Queen, and the King before her, It is my pleasure to let you know that the state of Idaho covers 83,642 Sq Miles, while the UK covers 93,628 Sq. Miles.
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Frankly if you live 6 hours from Boise you could be accused of purposefully avoiding retail altogether, let alone audio.
I walked past an audio store this evening called Audio Lounge, owned by Ajay Shirke who hails from Pune. Its only been going about 5 years, he was a cricket administrator and then decided to buy audio brands, including Spendor, SME, Loricraft, Siltech and a few others. I always thought it would be a good idea for some aggregation by manufacturers and then do retail, or just buy a bunch of brands and open some shops.
We were on our way to a dance show, the second night of Sharon Eyal, in the Selfridges car park. Here’s a pre show snap. Francesca Hayward in Romeo & Juliet at Covent Garden tomorrow, hopefully a bit warmer.
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I dont think it’s possible to respond to that one. 
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Vern, We have to suffer his logorrhea illness 
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