Dealer help

Robert

It's true that you should use your dealer for a lot of things but on the forum a couple of other points come to mind. You have the ability to get help at any point I believe there are people globally who will always be looking at the forum at some point (Follow the sun support!) and also the collective experience of everyone on the forum is considerable and is likely to outweigh that of a dealer just because people will have come across things that the dealers will not have. I have certainly passed on lots of useful info to my dealer which will be of help to their other customers which I would not have been able to do if I was not using the forum.

Not mentioning of couse that the dealers are there to make money

Just noticed your from Darmstadt, nice town, have been there a number of times though not in recent years staying in Greisheim (I think its spelt) - have seen a lot of the whole area
Steve.

I partially agree with Goldstar but if there isn't a dealer in your area and you have to buy the item sight unseen or heard, it's nice to get multiple opinions.

As a generalism the typical dealer knows much less about turntable related equipment than he did ten years ago.I suppose that in the digital age it is to be expected to a degree but I have been shocked at the lack of knowledge a couple of times recently (without naming dealer names).

With this as a backdrop it makes those guys out there who really know their stuff all the more valuable.

ghunter,

Why don't you trust your local dealer?

I agree with Goldstar and Taylermade. The forum allows for useful musings and different thoughts but ultimately its the dealer and his dem that will/should seal a deal.

However, that's if you have a dealer. Those of us who have no local dealer (mine is 1 hour away...in a plane) may find the forum very useful. I bought my second hand CDS1 rather than a CDX based on the strength of forum members. I'd never heard a CDX nor CDS1 (had CD3 at the time) nor would I get the chance to have one. So I plumped for the CDS1 and its brill.

Chris Bell. When I visit my parents in England, I do visit local dealers and one of them, whom I have used in the past, has become very dissappointing. He never replies to my correspondence despite us having made a provisional deal and has never told me how much he sold a piece of my equipment for. I will never use him again despite the general belief that he is v.good. Guess I got unlucky. Maybe he got pissed off once when I arrived 10-15 mins early for a dem (9.45-50am and he officially opens at 10am) and told me to go get a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop. In my quest for future upgrades of several thousand pounds, he won't be consulted.

b

From the replies so far, it seems that there is some dissatisfaction with some dealers. There also seem to be fewer dealers than there were.

In my particular case my local dealer has closed down.

Things aint wot they used to be?

Regards Robert

My local dealer looked at me as if I was a piece of dried up pooh on the pubic hair of the backside of humanity...
and it's cost him quite a bit in profit let me tell you!
& also they don't do interest free!
My fav dealer is 1 hour away from me, contactable via e-mail etc as well as phone, but I too like to read about the experiences and tribulations of fellow forum members.

For technical problems, tips, real world experiences and been there, done that type information, this forum is just the ticket. The postings on more subjective matters (about 98% of the content) are meaningless and therefore makes gripping and compelling reading.

Unless thers's smoke coming out of the boxes, nothing coming out of the speakers or I'm overwhekmed by the need to go listen to a potential upgrade, I will ask here first.

I'm a full time reader of the board but only an occasional poster. On the few occasions where I've been unable to search for something here and asked the board for technical help or factual information I've always been well served by the experience in here. For me this beats ringing the dealer (who I both like and trust) or doing the 70 mile round trip. Besides which it isn't a good idea for me to call in the dealer or hang around in there (which I'm welcome to do) because it tends to work out a bit on the expensive side.

Cheers

Harry

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ghunter:

I've also noticed that when they do a/b comparisons they'll put the component they want you to buy on Fraim and the other piece on the floor, another component, or another rack.

Graham,

That may be the most bizzar dealer complaint I have ever read. I think you are giving that dealer way too much credit. While the Fraim is a great rack, its use (or lack of use) does not consitute a "rigged" demo.

Chris Bell

In an A/B demo there should only be one variable where his is possible. My dealer would always ensure that this is the case.

Even with rack demos you can move the CD player from one rack to another alongside it without disconnecting anything.

Mr Thomas could easily be fooled into buying the dealer's choice of CD player as he doesn't believe that racks can make a sonic difference.

Racks can also skew results; the CD5 sounds better than the CDX when both are placed on an Optimum Prestige rack (the CD5 has softer rubber feet and the CDX has hard metal ones.) OTOH, when both are in turn placed on the QS Ref table, the CDX is clearly the winner.

Regards,

Steve.