The Hi-Fi Industry and Hobby

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Fear of the unknown, maybe the age of our customer base, established convention, etc etc the things that keep retailer and hi-fi mags in business. Forums are not the story, direct low cost selling is!, via ebay via amazon whatever. In virtually all other areas of sales on-line is slowly killing traditional retailing and shops are closing. All my argument are in the OP they do not need repeating. I would be interested in the relative difference in turnover of DC's shop and on-line shop.

DC is right about forums but only because they are their own worst enemies, narrow thinking, blinkered egotists as owners are the main problem. You could say they need to become professional, well we have that with the New Wigwam, is it better is it a source of change, not on your life, it is motivated by a desire to cash in on the remaining slurp.

The two who are creating the most damage are Marco and TonyL, fiefdoms do not create change. We have obviously had every bit of shit possible thrown at us as we point at and chronicle these events, but someone has to do it or we will never change. That probably makes us a part of the process of change but now probably too controversial to be the solution. The solution will have to be commercial and professional which is why I had hope of the New Wigwam but he has gone the opposite way as a prop for the old ways. It will just become as corrupt as Pig, just larger.

[_D_S_J_R_]

That's not really fair DQ. People 'hear' audio gear with their eyes, the proof of that littered all over other forums imo. They need to SEE the stuff and twiddle all the knobs, pick it up and weigh it for quality (you think I'm joking?). You can't do that with forum recommendations and I'm not sure if a total stranger could walk up to a bod at a meet/bake-off and ask to play with an exhibitor's audio gear.

In my case, if I was an ordinary punter after some Rega or Linn/Naim gear, having heard it's good by reputation, I'd make my way to Signals for a dem or three and probably ask what else they had to compare. In this case, it's probably little to nothing now, but in the good old bad old days there were enough dealers with a mixed range of stuff within not too far of each other, although I accept that Linn (with Naim hanging off their back until 1985) held a form of strangelhold. Indeed, in the South herts/Nth London area, we had serial demo hunters who'd do the rounds and waste hours of everyone's time (I hear you shout HORAY!), and then buy something nobody's ever heard of from Dynamics in Welwyn, the then source of used top end gear for our area)

[jammy395]

Which all goes to prove my point that big business is not to be had from forums ? And there are better ways of selling products without the drama ?

Yep , talking shite to people with more money than actual hifi knowledge

A fool and their money are easily parted.......A dealers blessing and saviour.
It is a bloody crime though, to sell a product costing x amount for a 50-300%
gain...... ......We can but try and educate the gullible.


DC is correct though, big business is not to be had through forums.

Would be interested to hear of DC's " better ways of selling products " though.

[Geoff.R.G]

There will always be a small group of people prepared to pay for the convenience of picking up the box and taking it home. Now, with car parts there is a good reason for having a physical dealer on the high street, or more likely out of town, but with Hi-Fi I am less sure of the real need for a physical store except for demo purposes and that creates other problems.

[Dave Cawley]

DC is correct though, big business is not to be had through forums.

Would be interested to hear of DC's " better ways of selling products " though.

I did document it here recently (last page Mon Dec 26, 2016 12:10 am).

However take a look at my eBay shop, the discounts that manufacturers don't like me making, and the sheer volume of sales ?

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Please stop spamming us with bullshit Dave. Give us figures not marketing.

[Dave Cawley]

What figures would you like Richard ?

[Lindsayt]

I agree with Martin Colloms about the bland nature of modern hi-fi mgazine reviews.

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=critics&m=85417

http://www.colloms.com/pages/magazine.aspx

[Daniel Quinn]

Isn't Colloms moaning about reviews analogous to an man moaning about the abhorrence of murder whilst having 22 bodies buried in his garden,

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It may be a reaction to the article I wrote for Paul that Critic was supposed to publish, I would think that Colloms sat on it, as only parts and quotes have appeared.

The article I wrote is first post in this thread.