Audio Hardware Deals: Speakers, Headphones, Turntables, Etc.

my "local" dealer was in manhattan and the epitome of a snobby audio dealer. i went there on a lunch break once because they were the only place that had some of the brands i was initially looking at for amps. the place was empty and they had 4 salespeople in there. not a single one said anything to me because i was in my late 20s at the time and I guess I didn't look the part of someone who wanted to buy some nice gear. one salesman just actively ignored me when i asked for help and pretended to walk to the back of the store. i was about to leave when one guy finally came out from another room and asked if anybody had helped me yet. i ended up buying my amp there since it was the only place i could buy it in person and felt weird ordering online at the time but never went back.
 
I was ready to drop a few thousand dollars there too. They didn't have to sell me on anything. Ended up spending way less than I would have because of how unfriendly they were. They were all working on commission and ran to help out anybody dressed in a suit hah.
I was at the Alfa dealer a few days ago. They were training a new salesman not to judge a book by its cover. He says “Do you think this guy drives an Alfa?” New guy looks at me in a t shirt, jeans and Vans. Says no way. The manager says “you’d be wrong then!”
 
I don't think the two (looking for a good price and working with a local dealer) are incompatible, and I believe that's part of what you're saying. I'm fortunate to have a local dealer of multiple brands (mid- to high-end), which allows me to hear before I buy, and he's very fair with his pricing.
That's exactly what I'm saying :)

I wish I had a decent local, the only one near me is about 45 minutes away and when I reached out to them for a simple question they pretty much snubbed me. I'm happy giving my money to Upscale at the moment, they've really done good by me both in taking the time to discuss options and offering up discounts for being a repeat customer.

In a perfect wall it could be like back in the day where dealers were plentiful and you could find somewhere to demo the gear you were looking into, alas, not the case for most of us in the here and now.
This is another really good point, a good dealer you trust doesn't need to be local. And if you shop with them repeatedly, they will take note, and a phone call can go a long way. Online retailers go out of business too because not everyone is Amazon.
 
For the Ortofon 2M Bronze spinners out there, 10% off a replacement stylus through March 31 at Elusive Disc:
 
That's exactly what I'm saying :)


This is another really good point, a good dealer you trust doesn't need to be local. And if you shop with them repeatedly, they will take note, and a phone call can go a long way. Online retailers go out of business too because not everyone is Amazon.
I can attest to this. The same dealer who I bought my record cleaning machine from also had the amp that I was looking for and during our initial phone call I mentioned that I might be interested in buying the amp and was told not to order through the website when I was ready and to call. I called and got a nice deal on the amp and the dealer even ordered the metal remote instead of the standard plastic one without me asking for it. I would definitely order through them again if I need anything.
 


Just came across these and they seem like a potential bargain at $99. Anyone more knowledgeable than I care to give them a look?
 
This is an older piece but killer and a good price.

 
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