How Hi-Fi Dealers (Audio Stores) Can Bring the Best Value System to Your Home

I purchased my first audio system in 1977 and have owned dozens of fine systems over these past 44 plus years. I spent 3 years selling audio equipment from 1979 until 1982 and have been in auto retail since 1982. In 1993, I purchased a new vehicle auto dealership as a first-generation owner, all while still loving audio as a hobby. So, when our Co-Editor-in-Chief, Carlo Lo Raso, asked me to write an article about the importance of the dealer/store, I gladly accepted. For you, the reader, rest assured there is nothing I stand to gain for writing this article. I have no financial involvement with any audio company. My only interest in writing this is to help lay some groundwork regarding how you can get the best value for your hard-earned dollars.

You have decided you want a good system. This is where we all start. This is also where a quality dealer can be your most valuable asset. There are so many variables regarding what makes a good system, and by doing some homework, you can help the dealer, and yourself, to make what is eventually a great choice. There are no rights and wrongs when putting together a system. For example, you may want a system that can impress your friends and family with how loud it can play without sounding distorted. On the other hand, you may want a system that is just for you, that will allow you to escape your day-to-day grind. Where will your system be located? How much space do you have in your room? Home theater or two-channel? Will there be any headphone listening in the cards? If you can decide for yourself what YOUR goals are for a system, you have taken a major first step towards helping the process. It’s your money, so you get to decide what you want. In my over 40-year tenure as an audiophile, one thing is constant: the system which is something you pick because YOU love it will give you years of joy. The system you pick because you wanted to please someone else will almost always need replacing in the near future.

The audio review can be helpful in selecting the right equipment. If you enjoy reading reviews, or you have audio/video sites or writers that you follow whose opinions you trust, go for it. Keep in mind that all reviewers (the author of this piece included) can help set some general guidelines to follow, but we are in no way a substitute for listening for yourself. You may also have visited some of the audio forums that have been in business since the mid-1990s. These forums are filled with people who either work for audio companies or are “fans” of a particular company. They are the least reliable source of honest information.

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