What's wrong with buying speakers online

Sure, you can probably score a better price buying audio gear online, and it's certainly easier, but is it a smart way to go? I don't think so.

First, buying hi-fi without listening to it is a bad idea. Smart buyers compare one product to another, it's simply the best way to learn what your choices are. Granted, it's not the same as hearing speakers in your own room, but at least you're hearing them in comparison to each other under the same conditions.

An Innovative Audio listening room in New York City.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Online reviews, including the ones I write for CNET and print magazines offer my opinions about sound. But reviews by me or anyone else can't predict about how, say a speaker, works with a receiver that's similar to yours. I have no idea about your specific needs, your room size, acoustics, taste in music, etc.

Use my reviews as a starting point and then try and listen for yourself.

User reviews? Hey, I make my living writing audio reviews and my opinions are drawn from my experiences with literally thousands of audio products. I can point you in the right direction, but at the end of the day, its your ears and your money. Buy what you like; just make sure you've heard it.

A good salesperson can offer sound advice based on your specific needs. That's a huge advantage online sales outlets can't duplicate. Yes, finding the right store or salesperson can take time, but that's true for doctors, lawyers, plumbers, and contractors, but once you've found a good one, their advice and council can be a huge asset. If you're spending $500 or more for speakers or a receiver try to make the effort to hear the thing. A successful salesperson has lots of happy customers, there's no other way to be successful. I sold audio for 16 years, I know from where I speak.

Then there's the service question: The better brick-and-mortar dealers provide service and hands-on help that online sites can't. When your amplifier conks out or your speaker's woofer buzzes, a local retailer might handle service on site, or ship it back to the manufacturer for service. They might even supply a loaner while yours is being serviced; my store did that all the time.

But those services cost money that online dealers don't have to spend. So sure, they can undercut a good brick-and-mortar dealer. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer shops to choose from. Big-box stores definitely count as brick-and-mortar, but if they sell computers, microwave ovens, printers, and audio they may not be the best sources for sound advice or service. For this blog I'm referring to specialty audio shops, and you may not live anywhere near one.

That's too bad. Too many hi-fi buyers wind up with something worse than they would have bought from a good brick-and-mortar shop. If you're planning on investing on a really nice system it might be worth your time to travel to a good store.

If you're lucky enough to still have a good one nearby, call up, and make an appointment to drop by and listen to some things. Bring a few of your favorite CDs or LPs and see how good they can sound. And if you find something you like, buy it from the store. Using a brick-and-mortar dealer to figure out what you want and then buying it online is downright unfair. When you use a service, pay for it.

If you have a local dealer you love, tell us about the store!

Dealer and online retailer horror stories? Share 'em here.

[hafenbrack]

Of course you can always listen to the product, THEN purchase them online. Even many retailers sell the same product on their website cheaper than in the store.

[mattharms]

People, please do not do this. Don't waste a salesperson's time in a store, leveraging him or her for expertise, simply to walk away with the full intention of buying the exact same product online. The salesperson in a high-end audio shop is giving you their expertise and guiding you through the entire process, something that an online retailer can't do. While it might cost you 10% more, reward the salesperson's expertise by purchasing through them.

If you don't, ultimately your "free" local expert will go out of business altogether. Can you go in, test the product, and learn from the salesperson, simply to walk away and buy it online? Sure. But should you? Absolutely not.

[adam_m_frederick]

@mattharms

Actually, i do this with EVERYTHING i buy. Clothes, electronics, hiking gear, etc etc. Then again, i don't go to places where salesmen operate off commission.

[mattharms]

@adam Like I said, yes you *can* do it, but when you're working with high end components that are best understood by experts, then you *shouldn't* leverage them for their time and resources, simply to walk away after the fact. If enough people do that, your local audio expert goes out of business, and you're left purchasing stereo components in the dark, crossing your fingers that UPS is going to deliver something that sounds nice.

Buying tube socks is one thing, but buying a $10,000 stereo is quite another.

[hafenbrack]

Sorry, but I have never found a saleperson to be the "expert", unless you're in a boutique store, this will be the case.

[soundman45]

Agreed Steve. There are a number of problems you can encounter trying to buy loudspeakers online. First and foremost, any speaker I've ever purchased , the seller had to be an authorized dealer, which rules out mail order for me. Second, the cost of shipping is usually up there if the speakers are of any size, and lastly and of course most important is sound. Who buys a car without driving it first ?
Also, I like to support my local hi fi dealers if they are reputable. It's just good business.

[half_n_half17]

I've got great service at Audiovision in San Francisco! I spent about 3 hours comparing speakers before I settled on a pair of Dali's. Audionut just outside of Pheonix was also a great place to check out before the owner died and they closed their doors.

[mrahm]

Myer Emco (DC area stores) has been my saving grace. Not only are the sales people knowledgable, but they are extremely patient. I wanted a system that would be for 50/50 music and home theater. After several hours of listening to multiple speaker and recievers, I finally decided on what I thought sounded the best. The best part was that they have a 30 day in home trial period that they extend because they know what you hear in store may not be the same at home. Customer service after purchase is fantastic as well. I was having an issue with my reciever and sent an email through their website at 10:15 PM. By 10:30 PM the VP of Sales had responded!!! Next day they not only replaced my reciever, but replaced it with a model 2 levels higher than the one I purchased. Based on this event alone, I will never buy my gear from anyone else, even if it means that I have to spend a few extra bucks. Myer Emco is the best.

-Michael, Fairfax VA

[shopkins82]

Steve,

I'd like to write a rebuttal to your stance on online audio purchases, especially from internet direct brands.

First, I agree 100% that you should not commit long term to an audio purchase, especially speakers, without extensive listening. To take that a step further, however, audio showroom listening can be fruitless and particular disappointing when you take a product home and it sounds completely different in your own environment. You, of all people, should know that room acoustics can play as much or more a part in the sound as the speaker themselves, and usually more so than the electronics involved. Internet direct speaker companies offer in-home trial periods, usually 30 days, so you can audition the speakers in your room and see what they will sound like day-in-day-out in the environment where they will actually be used. This in-home trial period gives you a chance to experiment with placement as well as judge inaudibles like how the aesthetics fit in your home. Most ID speaker companies will refund your purchase price and shipping one way if you decide to return, while some are now eating shipping both ways to make it a truly risk free proposition.

The ID speaker market probably isn't for the uneducated or casual listener, and also not for the listener not willing to take the time to research what's out there. The online audio community is extensive and can go a long way to help point a person in the right direction. One of the most common reccomendations is for a prospective buyer to go out and listen to B&M brands, see what they like and why, and come back for reccomendations on ID brands they may like as much or more. While this may take advantage of the B&Ms to a degree, it's also part of the comparative shopping process. I, honestly, trust the opinions of others who have listened to speakers far more than those of someone trying to sell me speakers. I go to seller for technical info (of which ID brands are usually willing to share far more of than traditional retail brands) and I go to users for real-world experience. I go to salesmen for cars. Just as much a a speaker salesman makes his living on happy repeat customers, ID brands make theirs on word of mouth.

Happy ID customers usually make for very vocal free advertising. Unhappy ID customers, doubly so. This makes ID customer service standards extremely high in most cases, and those cases where it is not are usually widely known. While a B&M might help you out with facilitating warranty work, an ID brand will almost always help you diagnose the problem and then provide a replacement along with a prepaid shipping label for the defective. I've never seen ID turn-times on warranty work matched by B&Ms. The only times most B&Ms will offer a faster turn-time is if you're within your return period (which are shortening more and more these days, especially on high-end goods).

If your main point is that people should listen before buying, I agree whole-heartedly. But they should listen in their home in the room where they'll actually be using what they're buying. If the B&M can facilitate this, that's great. If not, move along. Almost all ID brands make this a cornerstone of their business model. ID brands shouldn't be dismissed, they should be weighed fairly against the B&Ms for performance, aesthetics, service, and most importantly, value. There are great B&M speakers out there, and great ID products. The more I listen (and I've done so extensively), the more ID products I find offering exceptional value for the educated consumer.

[nickdallas1]

I agree completely with shopkins comment. I have a family member that went through Axciom to get a 7.2 channel setup in his home theater. Instead of showrooms, this company uses a network of customers that choose to audition their home theaters sporting the Axciom speakers to potential customers interested in buying. My family member found a local guy in this network and went to his house with his favorite music and movies to audition the speakers. The bottom line is that he ended up loving the speakers and purchased them. He also had a trial period to make sure that they worked with his setup, which they did. They also provide him excellent customer service and they have incredibly knowledgeable support people there as well for assistance in choosing the right product. There are definitely exceptions out there that give you that same experience as a brick and mortar store and still allow for significant cost savings. I definitely agree with Steve that you need to audition any speaker prior to taking the plunge.

[nickdallas1]

just realized I spelled Axiom wrong - DUH!

[cvaldes1831]

Steve is right.

I've bought speakers from a couple of the local audiophile shops. At least here in Silicon Valley, there are so many gearheads that the used equipment is often in mint condition, practically new since these guys are upgrading their components almost yearly.

[punisher1001]

I beg to differ I find that "salespeople" try to sell you more then you need and are more interested in sales vs helping the customer find what they need.. Axiom Home Theatre which does online sales gives you a 30 day guarantee you can choose to see if you like the speakers in home or you can send it back. Also many of the Axiom owners open there homes for auditioning. Also you save a heck of lot more money dealing directly with the manufacturer. Save yourself the money and do your own research.

[umbrae]

I agree you have to listen the products; however, B&M stores have Salesman. They are, in most case, not experts; they are there to make you buy something and usually don't care what. I have listen to reps at many types of store talk to other customers, and it is almost always sales BS. They are just as bad as car salesman.

Do you research, listen to the product, then buy where it is cheapest. With heavy products you will want to watch the warranty coverage and shipping costs, so a store might make sense. However, telling people to listen to sales rep is just bad advise, and comparing them to doctors and lawyers (who actually have credentials which can be cross checked) is irresponsible.

[tw1975]

Hey Steve,

When is the next Police Academy movie coming out?

; )

[pubmat]

you're a dork.

[beowulf74]

LOL or the next "Short Circuit" flick. :-D

[feverboy777]

simply put, It's like buy in a mail order bride... you really don't know what you've got until you get it.

[faberryman]

You have been living in New York too long. You assume that bricks and mortar audio stores still exist. Except in the top ten major metropolitan areas, most of them have closed up shop and/or taken the custom install route. In most of America there is no place to audition a variety of speakers, unless you are suggesting that the talented sales people who work on commission at Best Buy are whom you should rely on to guide your purchase.

[Renegade Knight]

I read the reviews, found the best rated speakers that fit my budget and bought online. Great speakers in both cases. Retail speakers are so vastly overpriced that it's not worth the trouble.

[Gutten-SHILL]

And you just lost all of the respect which you had. You are showing that you are simply a shill for the over-priced 'hi-fi' crowd. The speakers you can buy online are usually 1/3 the price for the same quality, and through the NUMEROUS offers to listen in your OWN HOME for free, they represent a far better product than the crap you get at your usual B&M, not to mention, the usual B&M is staffed with brain dead SALESMEN. Their only goal is to get you into a new set of overpriced speakers that will sound like CRAP once you get out their perfectly controlled environment. They are lower than used car salesman, and usually less knowledgeable.
So, give up the BS shill act and actually try out some real quality speakers from online vendors.

[mattharms]

You're so angry...

[vvdiaz]

Niice Innovative Audio pic! Those Linn 242 speakers look awesome!

[minimalist]

The only hi-fi shops around me in a metro area of 500,000 people are custom installers and they have a very limited selection from of each brand they rep actually on the floor. I suspect this is true with many places in the country outside of the biggest metro areas. The hi fi shop, like the record shop, has disappeared from much of the country over the last 15 years.

So the proliferation of factory direct equipment manufacturers on the web with free shipping both ways and no commitment trial periods has been a godsend for those of us in less populated areas. In fact some of these companies have the best service I?ve had from any retail shop in a long, long time. My recent experience with Aperion?s customer service was fantastic. These guys are on the ball. The customer service agents are all over the web in forums looking to offer help and advice and they use all the systems at their disposal (chat, e-mail, phone) They helped me tweak my system for the size and shape of my room and provided advice on setting everything up.

Anybody who is web savvy can use the information available online to whittle down their choices to a few companies and the factory direct system can take it from there. It?s just another way of doing business.. It doesn?t have to mean you don?t get service anymore.

[research1st]

Same here in my hometown. Custom Home Theater Installers are the only places that "carry" higher end audio. And they carry very little inventroy and usually ony have 3 or 4 systems setup as "Demo" rooms. Everything is pretty much custom order at these place. The "Stereo Stores" of yore are long gone.
I'm probably not a "real" audiophile anyway since I only have around $4,000 invested in all of my audio equipment combined.
And I have haven't bought any new equipment in at least 5 years..... I don't see me buying any $10,000+ speakers anytime in the near future.
I don't necessarily agree that you need to hear the speakers before purchasing. Unless those speakers are being demo'd with the same equipment as your home equipment, it's a moot point. Just use some common sense when making your purchase, whether it be at a brick and mortar store or over the net.
And remember!! Just because it costs more...., doesn't mean it's better.....

[minimalist]

Anybody who cares about sound enough to make their system sound as good as they can is an "audiophile" in my mind. It doesn't matter what you spend.

I have even less invested in my system than you, but the sound is still great. And part of the way I was able to get to that point was by buying my equipment factory direct. To get the same quality speakers in a B&M store I would have likely had to spend another 500-1000 dollars in markup plus another couple hundred in taxes. Oh and I would have had to drive 3 plus hours to a bigger city.

[griz_fan]

Great points, and often overlooked, too. Personally, I take great exception to those who insist that you have to listen before you buy. First, as you pointed out, few people even have access to a local store with any sort of selection. In addition, several internet direct brands offer free in-home trials. The landscape for buying speakers has changed dramatically over the last few years, and it is pretty apparent that quite a few people still haven't caught up yet. Buying speakers online is a completely viable solution, and for most people, the only real option.

Also, I think one's speaker budget must also be considered. Were I spending $5K + on speakers, I'd probably make the trip to a larger city to audition myself. But, like most people, I don't have that kind of budget. I only had about $1,000 to spend on EVERYTHING, including the receiver. In that price range, buying online is really the only option.

So don't knock buying speakers online, it is a great option for most people

[bisquerick]

Steve, when it comes to speakers, I respectfully disagree. For the average shmoe with a 1000 bucks to spend on speakers, the bang for your buck at the online dealers makes it a no brainer. Go to Best Best Buy (excuse me, Magnoooolia) audition to your hearts content, then take your new speakers home and put them up against 1000 bucks worth of Axioms.\\

No contest everytime.

[rjplummer]

You're not going to find the speakers you want to compare at a single shop. And chances are good that none of the "good" salespeople will have listened to the speaker their shop doesn't carry. They're probably not going to know more than the reputation of your electronics unless they carry the brand.

And as several people have pointed out, listening to the speaker in the shop isn't particularly helpful. Most online places offer in-home trials. And unlike internet stores, my experience with local shops is that they'll only offer credit rather than a refund if you don't like it, which has always seemed pointless.

If you have a shop that loves the same sound you do, great. But if not, you'll do better on the internet

[tweeterbro]

I'd like to briefly reply to "What's Wrong With Buying Speakers Online". But first, I need to confess a few things. I have a vested interest -- I work for Aperion Audio and we sell our speakers almost exclusively online. Secondly, I agree with just about everything said in Steve's blog post. At least as far as it went. Lastly, I've long valued Steve's opinions and appreciate the honestand thoughtful reviews -- which have included our products.

The most obvious advantage to buying speakers online is that, by cutting out the middle man, you should get a better deal. Seemingly the biggest disadvantage -- and I think the most important point of Steve's position -- is that you ought to listen before deciding on the speakers you're going to live with. But I'd maintain that this actually can be one of the biggest advantages to buying online. We (and some others) offer free shipping, free & easy return shipping, the opportunity to listen for a month in your own environment (hell, the opportunity to take them to your local dealer for comparison if he's cool), and the chance to listen with your buddies (and their speakers if they're cool) over a good beer. I agree that you really should listen before you buy. It's just that I'm convinced we offer a better way to listen -- more relevant, not to mention more fun.

Steve's other points? Well taken but I believe we too offer sound advice (try calling anonymously) and invest in great customer service (read our unfiltered customer feedback). So, by all means, check out your local dealer -- I worked at such a store for over a decade and value their contributions to our industry -- long may they live! But why not check out online alternatives as well?

Ken Humphreys

[minimalist]

I received better service from Aperion than I have ever received from just about any brick and mortar store. Along with Zappos and Apple they proved that the art of customer service is not dead.

[SanjayGolf]

The better ID companies usually offer free in home trials. It is impossible to truly know how a speaker will sound if you only listen to it at a B&M store. You need to know how the speaker will sound in your house with your equipment. These people in the B&M stores cant tell you anything more than what you could already research yourself and you have to remember they are still salesman trying to get you to buy their product. And that product is severely marked up to pay for the salesman and the marketing of their big business. ID companies are usually very small and you have direct access to the owners and engineers of the company. You cant get that with the brands in the B&M stores.

[EricShook]

Obviously you must think HiFi shops are all just like Best Buy (mildly retarded)

So you are saying you would rather take the advice of the manufacture over a broadly branded retailer?
That's like asking a child's mother if she believes her child is exceptionally bright and well behaved.
Of course the manufacturers think they're product is great--They made it. Take Audio by Van Alstine for
example, I admit he makes a good product -- but you do have to drink a little kool-aid to believe in all the things
he says about his product and design methods.

At a good B&M you can experience Electro-Stats, Transducer based designs, Planars, Full-Range Drivers and so many other design theories that often contradict each other, that you can paint a bigger picture of the broad and various ways to skin this cat called High End Sound.

Do you work for a Drug Company?

[EricShook]

Some of you guys make me sick. With your lack of morals.

-ID dealers do offer 30-60day Money Back Guarantee's
-B&M dealers offer free in home trials with no purchase necessary, no shipping and faster audition times with multiple brands.

-ID dealers can't carry on a conversation about your needs or wants. Leaving you to shoot in the dark.
-B&M dealers can develop over time a real grasp of your existing components and make educated suggestions based on your feedback in real time.

ONE B&M dealer can let you here in store or in home from 10-20 different brands.
ONE ID dealer restricts you to their one brand alone.

I can tell by reading the replies to Steve's blog post which of you have either owned a business and those of you who just show up at a building every day to collect a pay check.

Owning and operating a B&M store over any period of time is not easy feat. You can't perform day to day business with a reckless regard for your customers -- because they are local!!! They go to your churches, serve your meals, teach your children, keep your safe on the streets and provide you health care. Your market is key to your survival. Accountability is HIGH priority.

Audio Advice of Raleigh (in example) has been in business for over 30 years -- how'd they stay afloat that long?? By bending over backwards to make sure customers left them with a positive gut feeling about any purchase or experience they had in their store.

That positive "GUT FEELING" for some of you dolts -- is better known as a BRAND.

We are blessed to have companies that deal online who pay attention to their competition in B&M stores. A lot of them had B&M experience or dealt to B&M before and know the in's and out's of the industry. I don't have to list any names of the great online dealers -- we all know who they are because they have done right by their customers.

BUT -- I will say this. People who limit their speaker purchases to ID dealers haven't really heard what's out there. Yes they may be happy, but so are people who like BOSE. (enjoy your associated company)

There are plenty of online charletons out there who make wild claims and generate a cult following of the weak minded -- BOSE would be one of these companies. For them -- it's "Better Sound Through Marketing".

I'm sure some of you who have posted tonight are the type who lead us into this recession.