The Absence Of Local Audio Dealers - January 2026

I recently had a commentor from one of our YouTube videos about younger audiences discovering the enjoyment of hearing what music can sound like with a good performing audio system and the importance of visiting local dealers vs. buying/shopping online without audition:

Here's what one of our viewers had to say:

"I agree with most of what you say in this video. But, it assumes that new purchasers have access to local brick and mortar dealers. That, unfortunately is not the case for many of us. I live in the Orlando, Florida area. Despite the fact that it is the 20th largest metro area in the U.S. it is an audio desert. The option of even hearing equipment ahead of purchase is often not available. I’ve been playing with audio since 1972 and currently have 9 systems connected in my home - so I can navigate this situation. I really don’t see good options for young people. As I don’t know where they go to be introduced to quality audio."

@audibleeleganceincR

And here was my response:

"I understand completely which is why my business is not predatory upon areas that are being served with brands that I sell. Sadly, we are rare in this aspect.

There are multiple reasons why this has happened with causation from both manufacturers and consumers alike and it all got really started with the advent of "Custom Installation" and the willingness of manufacturers to fragment market shares in order to increase sales. What this led to was their sending their prospective customers to dealers to do the demos so they could make the sale. That happened to me numerous times.

Then, along comes the internet and folks got into what was called "showrooming" where they themselves would use a local dealer for demonstrations and then make the purchase elsewhere, often times to avoid sales taxes. This really demolished morale and was far worse in effect than the custom installers using us. That has now been magnified by power mail order sites. In one case, we had a distributor, who we represented, happy to steal our sales by selling direct if a consumer gave them a call about anything while being promoted by the "audiophile magazines." It was a very incestuous relationship between the magazines and distributor. 

Now manufacturers don't think twice about competing with the very own dealers for sales. So, it's up to the consumer to support the remaining local dealers they do have and, by this process, encourage others to become a dealer as well. Or, take the effort to visit the nearest brick & mortar dealer.

While I don't see this really happening, I do take some hope in watching Barnes & Noble expansion plans of 60 new stores in 2026 despite the Amazon guggernaut. (Some folks have figured out that the Amazon algorithms actually limit choice and thereby crush the serendipity of browsing. AI will only make this process more efficient, not better. You see, alternative thoughts are precluded. Just like when you browse on the internet for something and suddenly your screen is loaded with advertising of those sort of products and sometimes for months!)

The final knife, however, may be the combination of reckless federal spending driving up national inflation (including the cost of employing folks) now combined with the addition of another federal act driving up the cost of imported goods and imported parts. Of my dealer class (those who started businesses 40 years ago, I know of only 3 remaining.

We can offer our expertise but we cannot make the consumer buy. So, I thought I would give you some insights as why I believe you don't have a local dealer."

-Lou

Why I Avoid Audiophiles - December 2025

I recently, received a comment (a long one as you'll read) from a casual viewer on the YouTube channel in response to an older video about how much you should spend on a Phono Cartridge:

"If you use a better cartridge, and you set it up properly (few people do, even if they think that they do), then that cartridge will sound better. Now, there are other factors: Your turntable must be level. You need to have your turntable isolated from vibrations. There are a number of ways to accomplish that. If you just plop down your turntable on a desk or a shelf, then it is not isolated from vibrations. Even if you do not hear any feedback, or anything that sounds wrong, you are losing out on the sonic quality of your stereo. After you isolate your turntable from vibrations, it will sound a whole lot better. Everything will become better focused. The next issue is the vinyl pressings. Most are defective. By that, I mean that their sound quality is between sucking and so-so. That is 50%+ of all pressings. Only 2%, in my estimation, have outstanding sound quality. And that is for only one of the two sides. It is rare to find outstanding sound quality on both sides of a pressing. If you happen to land one of the gems, you will hear how much better your stereo sounds. Perhaps 10% of pressings have very good sound quality. Basically, quality control is not a priority for record companies. If you professionally dial in your turntable / tone-arm / cartridge's vectors, so that the stylus rubs only where it should rub, and not anywhere that it should not rub, and also isolate your turntable from vibrations, and also play better sounding pressings, then upgrading your cartridge will make you very happy. But note that just because you purchased an upgrade does no mean that you will like that upgrade. Until you get into the extreme elite of phono cartridges, few of them sound neutral. They all have a character to their sound. And it is really hard to know which one will have a sonic character that pleases your ears. All it takes is one shortcoming, or one stand-out character that could grind on your nerves. Even with elite phono cartridges, they, too, sound different. They sound amazing, and yet different. Like driving a Ferrari, and then driving a Lamborghini, and then driving a Rolls Royce, etc. All amazing, and all different. There are 8 alignment settings (that I know of) for dialing in every vector of your turntable / tone-arm / cartridge. If you miss one of them, it is like having your car's tires rubbing against a curb. You must dial all of them in, accurately. You need special tools, and the skills to get it right. A $250 cartridge, professionally dialed in, will probably sound better than a $1,250 cartridge from the same brand, if the latter is not properly dialed in. Lastly, a big problem with cartridges is quality control. Approximately 50% of them have zenith alignment issues, which are uncorrectable. Adjustments can be made to compensate. But that is not as good as not having to employ a corrective fix (which will never be the same as not having needed the fix). A tiny zenith alignment issue is not a big deal (depends on how sensitive you are). But some cartridges, even multi-thousand dollar cartridges, have severe zenith alignment issues. Those are defective, and should be returned as defective."

And Here was My Response:

"You have basically stated every possible reason to not buy or even play records. It's this sort of approach, and I understand "perfection", that simply takes the joy out of listening to music..."

Nothing is perfect and it amuses me that people prefer a recording of a band over their live performance. That's why I point to "Audiophiles" as spending a lot on a system and having less than 50 recordings and those only "approved" by other audiophiles.

It is what causes others not even to try as they don't want the hassle to listen to music or just buy a Sonos unit and call it a day.

As for the principals of turntable performance, I stand by my comments.

-Lou

The Value of Genuine Expertise in a ‘Just Sell It’ World! - November 2025

I recently received a note from a fellow subscriber of our YouTube channel:

"Hearing your attitude on this really shows how much you care about your customers and how you handle business. You seem like a great business owner."

My Response:

We are trying hard in a very trying time. It is not only in our industry but many. As an equestrian, I have seen many good independent shops disappear and with them, sound advice and knowledge. Let me expand.

Formats like emails, text messages, and google searches do not truly include the nuances of situations. Any simple Google search, for example, is fraught with both unwanted advertising and irrelevant information.

And now, with the AI chucked in, fraught with erroneous information (we have had to correct Google several times about our business reputation alone as they kept tying in business behavior of "Audible", the Amazon book service to our own.

None of these methods come near the spontaneity of human conversation and interaction. Subtle clues or information in a conversation triggers questions and insights. A small fact may change the course of the reaction whereas a simple other small fact may change it again. It is this way with many trades.

What manufacturers are doing is replacing the knowledge base with what I call chicken marketing where customers are left to hunt and peck. Lowes and Home Depot are perfect examples of this whereas a real hardware store may suggest a better solution. It doesn't matter at their end how the product gets sold as long as they get paid, consumer be damned. The illusion of savings ignores the cost of errors but why care when it doesn't come out of their pocket? It becomes part of the trash and replace cycle. 

Years ago I sold a product line, which I had for years, come out with a new line which we could not get to perform properly.  When, at a major show, I addressed this issue with one of the owners and the response was: "I don't care what you think, just sell it."  I dropped the line.  This was not the type of company I wanted in my store.  "Just sell it has now become a motto of many companies. (Interestingly enough, within two years, that whole product line was revised but some of the reputational damage was done.  Years later, in the hands of one of their employees, we represent them again. It is a fine product line.)

It is up to the consumer how they wish to spend their money of course, but when a manufacturer begins to cut off knowledge for volume or simply doesn't care, well, that's where I draw the line.  It means, at least to me, that they don't care about their customers and likewise don't care about me. 

If they don't care about me, then it makes it very difficult for me to care about you. 

It is that simple.

-Lou