This is something I’ve noticed lately. A lot of hifi shops and hifi manufacturers have helpful staff, but just as many are extremely rude and arrogant.
I’ve had people speak condescendingly about my amp when I’m demoing speakers. Same thing for my speakers. I’ve even had someone, and I kid you not, tell me my streamer has shit sound quality.
It seems like hifi shops are either extremely helpful or just downright awful. The same with manufacturers, they either recognise that there exists alternatives or everything sucks ass compared to their product.
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I don’t call myself an Audiophile because of this. People assume I’m an asshole, which is true, but I don’t need to tell them. They find out eventually.
Its documented formally in The Absolute Sound magazine. You can cut the snobbery with a knife.
Now you know how a woman feels in a car dealership. Sucks, doesn’t it.
Try being a woman in a high end hifi shop…
Wanted to buy some new speakers and one local dealer froze and panicked when he saw me. Ended up spending £6k± with my usual dealer, who has only ever treated me as another customer.
Crazy isn’t it. Your cash is just as valuable as mine.
Yes, sadly my local dealer decided to shut up shop after 3 generations. Was never made to feel uncomfortable there. They covered all budgets, including supplying kit to world famous rockstars. They were just just honest, down to earth good guys. Sadly missed!
I plow my way through car salespeople and not disrespectfully either. I bet a woman does feel like some salespeople suck.
Every small company I’ve gone too has been awesome. In northern Colorado there’s a bookstore that sells second hand refurbished audio products, and they’ve always helped me go through as many options as I want and test them out in order to see what I like most. If you go in and say you have 300$ they’ll give you every option and you get to decide
Short story- buy from small businesses. Besides, a lot of them are electrical engineers (like me self) and they’ll tell you which companies are bullshit and a waste of money
Maybe your equipment is substandard in some respects. But there is no reason to be nasty about it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and different people value different aspects of sound reproduction.
When potential customers are treated rudely, it doesn’t serve anyone’s interest. Work with companies and dealers that treat you right. Screw the others.
Same as coin shops, gun shops…
My first experience with a HiFi shop was with such a painfully arrogant owner… I had little experience and wanted information to get my first setup going. He was so damn arrogant and only wanted to sell me really expensive stuff way over my budget. ‘Yeah you won’t find a good setup under €5000’. That was the first and last time I set foot in that store.
Then I went to a different store in another town because we only have 1 audio store here sadly… And that was the complete opposite, super friendly and helpful staff and I told them my budget (~€2500-3000) and they told me all kinds of options that I could go with. The different kind of speakers, receivers and record players. And I learned a lot from them!
Are you me? Literally had this same frustrating experience at a local shop recently. Seems like a terrible way to build a customer base. I get that much of the hobby is nuanced (maybe to its detriment), but I just refuse to spend money with a salesperson/business with such a douchey demeanor.
Not all of them. So are painfully ignorant.
Shout out to Saturday Audio in Chicago. Chill dude with unpretentious attitudes
My experience with arrogant, self-righteous snobs (aside from online groups) was at a knife store.
I was asking a question about a type of steel, got the number wrong and the three guys, and I’m talking borderline mall ninja nerds, started to actually snicker and the one guy walks away from me. This is the best part. He actually walked over to my wife and was trying to hit on her. I love my wife to death, because without missing a beat. She says “dream on little dick. You are lucky I don’t knock you out and let my husband rape you in front of your friends.”
We walked out laughing out asses off.Lots of them don’t care to explain because 1) then they can’t charge to do it for you, 2) they have no idea why things sound good and can’t give you true critiques and upgrade paths especially not knowing the internals and pitfalls of types of hardware etc., and 3) they aren’t in it for the love of audio, they want to sell rich people expensive things and get payed for it l and they may not even believe that audio is a worthy hobby (heard this personally from the owner of a shop that sells Wilson, Gryphon, Sonus Faber, Rockports etc.
I agree, I’m willing to pay extra as to not receive “advice” they are just assholes.
simple, you’re talking to a salesman. they might be arrogant in your perspective but thats how a salesman is to be expected. and weather you like it or not it just works.
This is why you can find a few custom shops here or there and can do very well. They’re usually run and sold by enthusiasts direct to consumer who also have a disdain for the bullshit elitism. Find one locally to you and don’t look back.