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[deleted] t1_j9vz5ki wrote

You can find shitty salespeople everywhere.

When I was 22 my mate and I went into a Benz dealership and started looking at the E class in the showroom. The salesperson redirected us towards the used cars in the backlot, as "[...] an A class makes for a better 'starter car'".

In one Hi-Fi store they mockingly asked me whether I was at the right place, when I took out my phone and an aux cord to use as a source for the provided amplifier. I just did a 180 and left.

Heck, when I wanted to eat at a fancy restaurant once, they didn't believe me that I made the reservation. Ok, sure, neither me nor my mates wore a suit and tie, but still that ain't how you treat a customer. Suffice it to say, we took our business elsewhere.

Sometimes you just get unlucky.

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StarWarder t1_j9w5dkp wrote

Stuff like this kind of reminds me of CanJam NY 2022. I was at the Sendy table (or a vendor that was representing Sendy indirectly) and I noticed that the pads were installed literally backwards. I pointed this out and the same guy who is literally selling multi thousand dollar amps (I think they were Cayins) claiming that there is an audible difference between this amp and other amps then said “well if we’re going to get picky about the pads….”

Pads are like half the tuning of a headphone. Unbelievable to hear bullshit snake oil come out of the vendor one second and the next tell me I’m anal for wanting the asymmetrical pads in the correct orientation. Shit like this is why audiophiles get a bad rap.

The nicest people at CanJam were definitely Meze. They just seemed happy to be there and they helped everyone else

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halfercode OP t1_j9w0c1t wrote

You're probably right, though I've had a couple of friends smirk at my tale, and explain the insulting onslaught as "typical hi-fi nerd behaviour". I mean, I aspire to hi-fi nerdism myself, even if I don't yet have the purchasing history to prove it...

Maybe I should just find a third shop!

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[deleted] t1_j9w1qj7 wrote

You should try another shop. I've had some great experiences in HiFi stores and I always recommend them to anyone looking to drop money on audio because of that. Support local businesses and all that jazz.

If you believe that you need a "purchasing history" to prove that you are a Hi-Fi nerd, you are wrong.

I think people, pressured by the constant fear of missing out and bombarded by posts from others, who are high on new toy syndrome, have forgotten that it used to be about the music and not about how empty your wallet is.

Nothing wrong with dropping PHAT stacks of cash on your ideal setup. But the moment you stop listening to music and start listening to gear instead, something went wrong, I think.

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halfercode OP t1_j9w2jww wrote

100% agreed. I tend to be a cautious spender anyway, and once I have my cans/amp bought and installed, I expect I'll be too busy with rediscovering my record collection to bother about FOMO!

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Alternative-Farmer98 t1_j9zwrxf wrote

This reminds me of the episode of The wire where the kids from the street try to eat at a fancy restaurant

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