Attracting Non-Audiophiles To High End Audio [message #60558] |
Sun, 09 August 2009 07:20 |
AudioFred
Messages: 377 Registered: May 2009 Location: Houston
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Illuminati (1st Degree) |
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Houston, we have a problem. Our oldest high end audio store, and one of only two that displays two-channel gear in a city of 4 million inhabitants, Audio Concepts, closed its doors last month. Almost everybody likes music and listens to it regularly in their car. Many listen on their computers or their iPods, but few are buying even mass market home audio equipment, and almost none are buying high end equipment.
My solution to this problem is very simple, it's just not the solution most audiophiles (or any high end audio dealers) want to hear: Let people hear what high end can sound like on my audiophile system, then help them choose the compoenents they can afford to build a mass market system.
Some ideas I've considered, but which I believe are not practical for non-audiophiles, are:
1) Building a high end system from scratch. Few people, even those with lots of disposable income, aren't willing to spend the $1.5K minimum needed to buy even an entry level system.
2) Buying used equipment. Non-audiophiles know nothing about what brands are good, what works together, etc. Also, they have no experience with used audio equipment and would be concerned about getting ripped off.
3) DIY. Not a practical alternative for somebody with no knowledge or skills.
One idea that may be viable is to start with whatever they are now using as a source, such as an iPod or a computer, and build a system around that.
What do you think?
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