Big box Playground for high end audio?

[Lex]

Yes, it's true. I was at Best Buy yesterday, and Magnolia home theater, has morphed into something else. I am not sure what name that they call it, if it is still Magnolia. but D@MN.

B & W, Macintosh (did I spell that right?), Rotel, and of course, Martin Logan, AND Sonus faber!!!

They also had Rotel. So, Best Buy should become our friend, since we have both forums covered. Maybe they will want to advertise with us? Well, I can hope...

OMG, I was like a kid in a candy store, and could not buy the candy. Sadly...

I saw a $400.00 pair of B & W headphones, SWEET! Oh my, the candy...

I did give the big 15K a pair B & Ws a listen though with dual Mac single channel amps with the big blue VU meters, full bore listening experience, then he turned it off, d@mn-it! LOL.

Of course, this may spell the demise of the true high end AV stores. They did not have Mark Levinson or Classe' though. So, there are still niches' unless they cave and come to big box. Who knows what is ahead.

The purpose of this thread is not to weigh the pros and cons of BB doing true high end AV, or the effects on high end AV, but rather just to announce another option for high end audio video enthusiasts.

Personally, we only had 1 store that sold any high end. I never get down there anymore. But I have not been "engaged" for buying mode in high end for a while. Again, wanted to announce what I saw, and heard yesterday, that is all. As you were AV enthusiasts!!! (Salivating, carnivorous creatures, jones'in for a good A/V FIX!!!) ROFLMAO

[madmac]

Fascinating !! However, I'm not sure that this Best Buy strategy will work because most people that buy audio from Best Buy buy low to mid Fi gear and go there to do just that! I doubt the typical Best Buy shopper will lay out that kind of coin for audio. How were the prices of the Rotel gear compared to 'high end' audio shops?

My other big fear is that the 'kids' Best buy hire have no passion for, and no clue what high end audio is about and how to explain it to potential buyers.

[Chris D]

Yeah, the Magnolia part of some BB's does have some good stuff. URC remotes, and things like upper end Marantz and Denon units can be ordered, (for full price) that Joe 6 Pack would never buy in the mainstream BB. However, the staff there is not necessarily comparably educated, nor do they properly set up their demo units. Perfect example right now is the new object-based audio of Dolby Atmos and the impending DTS:X. Go into BB Magnolia and ask them for an Atmos demo in one of their showrooms. It'll be interesting, but most likely not compelling or overwhelming. And that's if they even have it connected properly. Now come to my home showroom theater, and my Atmos demo will knock your socks off.

[dyazdani]

Agree, they have nice equipment, but I am skeptical that they can properly support a sale.

[madmac]

Yeah, the Magnolia part of some BB's does have some good stuff. URC remotes, and things like upper end Marantz and Denon units can be ordered, (for full price) that Joe 6 Pack would never buy in the mainstream BB. However, the staff there is not necessarily comparably educated, nor do they properly set up their demo units. Perfect example right now is the new object-based audio of Dolby Atmos and the impending DTS:X. Go into BB Magnolia and ask them for an Atmos demo in one of their showrooms. It'll be interesting, but most likely not compelling or overwhelming. And that's if they even have it connected properly. Now come to my home showroom theater, and my Atmos demo will knock your socks off.

"Joe 6 pack" ??!!! Hahahahahehehehe!!!

[Kal Rubinson]

Funny. I just dropped into the BB on Fifth Avenue/44th Street for the first time in a couple of weeks and the Magnolia end is gone! The entire space has been integrated with the regular BB A/V/Photo/Computer departments and there is no dedicated listening room. I think they saw the handwriting on the wall since NYC, unlike most smaller cities, has several real audio stores.

[Burke Strickland]

Of course, this may spell the demise of the true high end AV stores.

The true high end stores had already pretty much disappeared in many places where they used to thrive. The few we have left in Houston who even sell high end any more seem to have to push big screen TVs and soundbars to stay in business. High end gear is pretty much special order only with none on display -- except at Magnolia!

[Alaric]

The true high end stores had already pretty much disappeared in many places where they used to thrive. The few we have left in Houston who even sell high end any more seem to have to push big screen TVs and soundbars to stay in business. High end gear is pretty much special order only with none on display -- except at Magnolia!

Where you run the risk of hearing the Rotel amp through cheap switching gear and paired with a $300 pair of Klipsch or Polk speakers. Or , horrors , Insignia!

[Kevin P]

Where you run the risk of hearing the Rotel amp through cheap switching gear and paired with a $300 pair of Klipsch or Polk speakers. Or , horrors , Insignia!

Or worse yet, Bose! xx)

[Alaric]

BOSE!?!?!? Did someone say Blose!? AAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHH!

[madmac]

Or worse yet, Bose! xx)

Rotel and Bose speakers through cheap switching gear??!!! Fascinating !

[Alaric]

"Fascinating" as a euphemism for filtering champagne through a dirty sock. LOL

[madmac]

"Fascinating" as a euphemism for filtering champagne through a dirty sock. LOL

Hehehe!! Fascinating meaning I would be curious how long the cheap, Bose paper woofers would be able to stand up to the Rotel power !!

[wkhanna]

demo of better gear, like Rotel in the mass market-big-box environment is a good thing form my perspective.

[Alaric]

demo of better gear, like Rotel in the mass market-big-box environment is a good thing form my perspective.

I think it's better for Rotel , but I worry about the "cost per unit" bean counters once the overall sales volume increases beyond a certain point. It's the $.003 for these capacitors and $.001 for those resistors and $.50 for that transformer differences that took Marantz from McIntosh's one-time competitor to the horrors of BPC for many years. It's what killed Fisher , Kenwood , etc. , as far as sound quality goes. The average BB customer is going to give feedback about the price (compared to the $100 Onkyo on the shelf). It would be a shame for Rotel to respond to that by trying to close the gap.

[BWLover]

I think it cheapens the high end name when it's in a big box store


Bowers & Wilkins 683S1 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Primacoustic Room Treatments

[Alaric]

There is that perception , as well. And I'd venture a guess that it isn't without merit. I think that's a first step to trying to compete with lower tier gear. I think the only fix for that is separating the Magnolia name from BB , which will be hard to do with "Magnolia" being no more than the "expensive room" at BB. I wish Rotel the best , but this move seems like a bigger gamble than I would have taken. Of course , my perspective isn't from the side of growing the marque or increasing profits for B&W Group. That would be why they didn't ask me first. LOL