A little hifi story

[Covenant]

My job as a residential valuer takes me to five or six houses every day and I always have a look for what they use to play music. OVer the years I have come across the odd Rega, NAD, Marantz etc. Last week I visited a property in Warrington and was shown around by a gentleman in his 70's. I got to his living room, stopped and said "Wow-B & W". He had a pair of 8 series B & W floor standers in white with a Mark Levison amp and a Naim streamer.
Five minutes later he had me parked in his favouite chair listening to music and asking my opinion. Of couse, I had to tell him it was good but the reality was, I was underwelmed. The soundstage was weak and there was little separation of instruments. I asked him who advised him on equipment and he named a local dealer who was now trying to sell him bigger B & W speakers. The ones he has cost £16500. I asked him if he went on the forums and he said he had been on the Naim forum once or twice.
The moral of this story is that, for all their faults, the genuine unbiased advice you get on a forum will beat sales advice in a shop.

[Marco]

Interesting, Jerry... I concur with your views. Care to name the dealer in question?

Marco.

[Beobloke]

Did he like the sound? If so, then surely it’s his opinion that matters, not yours?!

[Covenant]

Did he like the sound? If so, then surely it’s his opinion that matters, not yours?!

He didnt comment one way or another and I didnt want to go into details that may have upset him.

Marco
He did but there is no chance of me naming and shaming!

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[Pigmy Pony]

If it's Warrington, the dealers name probably rhymes with Slim Shady. I wouldn't be so quick to blame them though - the old feller probably went in with a shitload of cash and not much knowledge, and just bought the most expensive stuff he could afford. After being told 'I want that, that and that', the dealer would put them together for a demo and old guy just said 'Great, I'll take them'.

If he was happy to 'show off' his system, he's clearly happy with it all, and really that's all that matters.

[Jac Hawk]

If he had been a bit clever he would have taken the £16500 he spent on the speakers and looked down the 2nd hand route, I know from experience that good sound doesn’t have to be expensive, yes ultimately the more you spend the better the sound should be, but equally the individual components have to complement each other and the room needs to be set up to get the best out of the system. In this guys case I think a bit more time evaluating, for what he’s spent I would expect the dealer to let him trial in his own home before he takes the plunge.

[Barry]

If the gentleman in question did spend all that money, the dealer should have installed and set up the system in the customer's home. And if the dealer was reputable, he wouldn't have left until the system was sounding as best as it could.

Sounds to me as if the customer hasn't positioned the speakers optimally, or if he does perceive the failing is willing to do anything about it.

[Covenant]

If he had been a bit clever he would have taken the £16500 he spent on the speakers and looked down the 2nd hand route, I know from experience that good sound doesn’t have to be expensive, yes ultimately the more you spend the better the sound should be, but equally the individual components have to complement each other and the room needs to be set up to get the best out of the system. In this guys case I think a bit more time evaluating, for what he’s spent I would expect the dealer to let him trial in his own home before he takes the plunge.

Absolutely. The dealer was also trying to sell him Nordost speaker cable to replace Chord.

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[Covenant]

If the gentleman in question did spend all that money, the dealer should have installed and set up the system in the customer's home. And if the dealer was reputable, he wouldn't have left until the system was sounding as best as it could.

Sounds to me as if the customer hasn't positioned the speakers optimally, or if he does perceive the failing is willing to do anything about it.

The speakers were well positioned. The system didnt gel imho.

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[struth]

Cabling might not suit especially speakers