5/17/07 - Can The AV Industry Sell High End Gear To Generation Y?

[AVRevForum.com]

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[deacongreg]

How can you argue with the editor. He is always on the pulse of what is going on, and right on the money. But I must add a couple of things here. I believe the AV industry, especially the high end does not HAVE to wait that long. But, some things need to change. By the time I was a high school senior, I had developed a taste for good equipment. My first system was a Lafayette (now Circuit City) integrated amplifier with Criterion(their house brand) speakers, and a pair of Koss 2 + 2 quadrophonic headphones!!
To spin my records, I drooled for Dual`s 1229 turntable w/Shure V - 15type cartridge. Where to go to get this, Harvey Sound on 45th street and 5th avenue. A high end store that sold gear I had never heard or seen before. Acoustic Research and McIntosh Amps, Kef and Polk Audio speakers, etc.
The experience sucked. Snobby, tight sales people that had their fingers, well..... To keep it clean, needless to say, after a few trips, questions and some answers, I finally found a great service tech in the back to install and balance my arm and Shure cartridge. But the point here is, what has the AV industry done, to make my generation back then, or the Y now, feel good about their gear. To me, there has ALWAYS been a stuffy, I`m better then you type of attitude in their stores. If I`m not wearing a suit from Barneys, I must not be able to afford this stuff. I paid over 300.00 with my own money I saved and worked for at 17. Took that Dual 1229 home like it was my first car!! This attitude is still prevalent today. Yeah, Y are the down load I - pod kings, but after my 15 year old stepson heard my Grados on his friends I - pod, he has been asking for a pair every since. What does that tell you?

[JerryDelColliano]

The publisher can always argue with the editor - right Andrew?