Today I have mostly been...

[Lindsayt]

Nice reviews George.

The amazing thing is: you see people recommending the CM8's and Silver 8's from time to time.

[George Hincapie]

I forgot to add, the salesman said my Marantz CD63 was 'garbage' and tried to sell me one of his own CD transports; a Trichord Digital Turntable or a Meridian G98.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Hi-Fi Shops - salesmen - flash high profit margin crap backed up by What Hi-Fi advertorials. Why do people think they get service from this system. All you get is people who try to rip you off and treat you as an idiot. Surely you must see that now, walk away!

[Lindsayt]

It's worth going into a dealers from time to time just to find out what mediocre (at best) value for money products they have for sale. Also for spotting the odd item that might be worth buying 2nd hand in 10 years time.


Grorge, having heard what your dealer hasd to offer, how good a speaker for the money do you think you would get by buying 2nd hand instead of new from a dealers?

[George Hincapie]

Grorge, having heard what your dealer hasd to offer, how good a speaker for the money do you think you would get by buying 2nd hand instead of new from a dealers?

That's more difficult to say, but generally the expectation would be to buy something that cost at least 1.5 - 2 times when new the amount being spent. But that clearly won't be true in every case and condition and demand will play a huge part.

[George Hincapie]

Hi-Fi Shops - salesmen - flash high profit margin crap backed up by What Hi-Fi advertorials. Why do people think they get service from this system. All you get is people who try to rip you off and treat you as an idiot. Surely you must see that now, walk away!

Absolutely. I am no salesman, but if I were I am not sure that slagging off a prospective customers components (regardless of the truth) would be the best approach to securing a sale. But that might just be me.

[BillyBones]

I forgot to add, the salesman said my Marantz CD63 was 'garbage' and tried to sell me one of his own CD transports; a Trichord Digital Turntable or a Meridian G98.

At which point I would have told him his selling skills were "garbage" and left.

When I was buying a new phone a couple of years ago, the sales assistant barely out of 6th form college, when outlining the various benefits of a particular phone, told me that it had Beats Audio, "the very best audio you can buy!". I never knew.

I went in a shop in Manchester a few years back and mentioned Cyrus. The sales assistant told me he was not familiar with the brand. Bearing in mind this was a bespoke hi-fi retailer, and not withstanding the merits or lack of Cyrus products, I thought how on earth can you be in the hifi business and never heard of Cyrus?

[_D_S_J_R_]

Hi-Fi Shops - salesmen - flash high profit margin crap backed up by What Hi-Fi advertorials. Why do people think they get service from this system. All you get is people who try to rip you off and treat you as an idiot. Surely you must see that now, walk away!

Audio T and Sevenoaks sales people may well be hobbled by corporate agendas and need for maximum commission (and some southern Audio T stores are awful in my experience). I wouldn't disagree about the CD63-KI Signature, which was a bit of a 'Hifi assault' on the ears to me. I repeat that not ALL store sales people are bad and many independents do care about the customers they have - their livelihood depends on maintaining good relations and friendships in my experience.

There was a more exalted Hifi salon in Oxford, selling Absolute Sounds and bigger Naim stuff. Maybe there, you'd have heard more and better for the money.

Anyway, hope this means the Cube 2's will be staying?

[Lindsayt]

DSJR, do you mean Oxford Audio Consultants, where for £2000 you can audition?

Kef R700
PMC Twenty 22
Sonus Faber Chameleon T
Devialet Phantom

[_D_S_J_R_]

Again - oh dear...

The KEF's might be ok if driven right, the OMC's are a $5 bass unit in a cheaply veneered box, designed for maximum profit on all sides. I like the SF Venere's though (don't know the Chameleon) and I respect Devialet as a brand, but haven't heard the speakers..

Even more reason to keep the Cubes

Had I any recommendation it would have been for the new Rega RX3, or at a pinch, one of Spendor's floor standers at around £1500 - A5's? - they're changing a bit too frequently for me to keep up.