I have a bit of a problem with the title and think maybe 'Relationship with dealer' but my basic question is 'Do you drop in for a chat' regurally and are you continually upgrading.

I think an upgrade should be major [i.e buy soemthing much better, say Rega-3 to Linn LP-12, as I am told] .. I don't really believe in cables. I want a good hi-fi and then listen to music. I have the standard Naim cables and do not want to change them [apart from maybe speaker cable to NACA5].

++++++++++++++++

My experience ...

I have bought all my stuff from the same dealer [he is great !!] and it is as follows ..

In 1978 I bought Quad speakers [I had home-made speakers and,looking for an upgrade, got a demo of Epos but they were not that that much improvement on the ones I had built but then heard the Quads !! -- I started saving for an amplifier].

Over the years brought friends there to buy hi-fi. [I reguarly recommend the shop]. Recently a friend bought a Pro-Ject turntable.

Maybe 20 years later .... I bought a Linn Axis [when my Conniseour BD2 wore out]. This was about 5 years ago.

My Quad 33/303 started to wear out [hum from the pre-amp/power-amp -- never found out which]. Tried 405 on loan an decided that amps make a difference. Finally bought Naim 32.5/SNAPS/250. [Totally different sound, had it on home approval and kept it]. This was [say] 5 years ago.

Upgraded to 82/2xHiCap/250. [When the option came last year].

Recently bought Headline/HiCap. [I wanted headphones].

[Also bought soem stuff for second system].


++++++++++++++

I really only visit my dealer when I want to -- perhaps -- buy something. I don't 'hang around' or waste his time. I wonder what are other peoples experiences.

Maybe I should have a big upgrade but I have gone from 1978 Quad 33/303 to 2005 Naim 82/250 and don't intend to change this for ages. [I have changed amps in 20 years -- still have the same speakers].

Comments please ....

James H.

Not often.

Good dealers are very rare.

kuma - what percentages of dealers are:
bad xx%
poor xx%
average xx%
good xx%
great xx%
and what puts a dealer in each group?
I would have thought that any NAIM dealer makes the great category (my first graemlin)

I don't do percentage, AV.

All I know is I have a handful of accommodating dealers I would like to do business with.

The biggest fault I see is that many dealers are becoming extremely shortsighted and lazy. ( no offence to you, of course, since I don't know you )

There are few dealers that I would love to work with but they can't provide the service that I demand or product I would like to try.

I see Peter busting his balls and good on him!
He deserves all the business he gets.

We need more of his kind.

I have to say that I use a dealer in CHester and wen ever i'm up that way, which is fairly regularly, i always pop in for a coffee.

Its become a standing joke now.....i go in, he tries to sell me something, i refuse, but buy at a later date when i'm able to. He knows my system (he sold it to me) knows my tastes in music and sound, as we've talked about it enough, but never tries to sell me something which wouldn't be an improvemnet over what i've got. He has also given my lp12 a once over, every time i've changed cartridge, for free.
The relationship is more friendly than salesman/customer. So i supposse i'm lucky.

Ryan

quote:

Originally posted by ryan_d:
He knows my system (he sold it to me) knows my tastes in music and sound, as we've talked about it enough, but never tries to sell me something which wouldn't be an improvemnet over what i've got....The relationship is more friendly than salesman/customer.

That's the feeling I get as well ... isn't this the best form of Marketing?

Previously I've used different dealers, but mostly the one with the greatest discount. Last year I've changed route and goes to a dealer in my hometown whom I've spoken with a lot and not just about HiFi. I just got my new Benz LP , but could loan a Benz cart in the meanwhile, the same goes for my next IC (Heimdall). While waiting for it, I could loan a Baldur IC. That's great.

I often points collegues or relatives in their direction, since it's widely known that I'm a HiFi "geek"...

I often call in at my dealers. I don't make a special journey, but will drop in if I'm passing. if he's busy I just say a quick hello and leave but if the shop is empty I'll stay for twenty minutes or so and find out what I should be doing next!
My dealer is in Chester too Ryan. It was Ian at Audio Excellence with whom I'd built up an excellent relationship and regard as a friend. There was an open invitation to him to "drop in if you're passing" which he did a fair few times over the years and gave his advice and opinions on what he was hearing.
However Audio Ex is no more in Chester as it has been taken over by Adventures in HiFi. I called there on Friday to see what stock they were carrying and what the new owners were like. We had a chat and I was encouraged. they seem like good blokes. We've already discussed one or two things I'm thinking of doing next year and they seem like they will pull out all the stops to accomodate me. Hopefully I can become a customer of theirs.
Regards,
Steve O.

Steve O, I tend to stay at the other end of town and use Acoustica. Again a similar experience. He's affable and carries a good range of kit. Like your situation I regard him more of a friend than a salesman.

Regards
Ryan

ps. what kit are you using currently?

i dont use my nearest dealer in the north east so i dont pop in but use Adventures in HiFi and occasionally ring them for a general chat about hi fi and music , i find they have been great and shall continue to use them , advice always been spot on .

Hi SteveO


I bought my CDX through a chap who works for Adventures in HiFi, It was a private sale but during the transaction which involved him having to wait for me to sell some other kit I had in order to finance the CDX, we had a couple of chats about HiFi and he came across as a very enthusiastic, patient and helpful chap indeed. So if this is indicative of the shops attitude then they should be a great shop to do business with.



Dean

Hi Ryan,
I've updated my profile so the system is there.
Regards,
Steve O.

Cheers Steve,
you're a bit ahead of me in terms of quality. I'm sure it sounds damn good.

All the best for the coming year.

Ryan

Interesting stuff ...

I read Newsletters [I get by post], Magazines and go to Hi-Fi shows. Also I read the Magazines/Comics.

I have made a lot of upgrades in the past 3 years but had not upgraded anything [significant] in the previous 20. [A non-significant upgrade was a cassette-recorder so I could record cassettes for the car].

Things started to wear out and I basically switched my record-deck from Connisseur [BD2] to Linn [Axis] my amp from Quad [33/303] to Naim [eventually 82/2xHiCap/250 after 32.5/SNAPS/250].

I hope to have my current system for ages [My Quad 33/303 still works and lasted over 20 years but started to give noise in the volume control and noise on switch-on].

At the moment I hope I have a system that I can 'set it and forget it' for the next 20 years.

I visit my dealer for repairs but don't really ask about new cables etc .. I am happy with my system.

I feel the next upgrade [order of magnitude] is something I can't afford at the moment [and I don't know what it is].

So I don't really visit my dealer [I probably should buy NACA-5 but have run with Richer Sounds 350-strands for years -- it's like cooker cable]

James H.

James,

NACA5 would be a very good low cost upgrade for you, as would a used LP12 that you could then have the arm from your Axis transfered on to?


Kind regards,


Peter

Thanks Peter,

I have avoided NACA5 because it does not bend [I have seen it] but I suppose I will eventually have to get it. Many thanks and you are pushing me more and more towards it. [I bought the Richer Sounds stuff when I had Quad 33/303 and Quad ELS and believed in 'damping factor' [i.e. use cooker-cable with minimum resistence]; later I got Naim 32.5/250 and later 82/250 .. the Richer sounds stuff works .. it probably has a resistence of zero; by-the-way my Quad 303 manual says something like 'the resistence of your speaker wire should be less than xxx so if you want long runs use thicker cable' i.e. no bell-wire].

I had the Linn/Axis/Rega-something but upgraded the cartridge to Ortofon-moving-coil but because of building work have not heard it yet [I had to upgrade when I went from 32.5 to 82 and the new amp only had moving coil; dealer said it was better to buy a moving-coil than change the cards to noving-magnet ... I believe him]. I am working on getting a wall-shelf.

Really appreciate your advice.

James H,

By the way ...

My dealer sells wall-shelfs but thinks my home made one may be better in that his ones [when he can get them are for Pro-Ject].

My one is from my previous house and is 'ugly'. Two big wall brackets and a piece of 1/2 inch plywood.

JH

James,

Keeping an eye on cost again......... It maybe worth your while looking at the Quadraspire website as they do a nice looking (and sounding) wall shelf!

Hopefully, this will keep everyone in the houshold happy.


Kind regards.

Peter

Thanks Peter,

My dealer only does Pro-Ject wall-shelfs and he thinks it won't take the weight of my CD plus turntable. My plan is to put my CD player [Wadia 301] on the shelf and my Linn/Axis on top. If either is off it wont effect the other and I am not that much into vinvy.

Nobody in Ireland seems to sell such shelfs any more. [We have wooden floors].

James.

quote:

Originally posted by James Hamilton:
I have avoided NACA5 because it does not bend

You could try a hair dryer...