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In Reply to: Poll: would a store totally devoted to S.E.T. work? posted by MKG on February 25, 2007 at 11:08:30:
Whatever answers you gonna get from non-retailers will be just theory and so much smoke. Why bother?If you want to know, ask a cat like Brian Rovinsky at St. Cecilia Sound Gallery now in Florida, previously in the Bay Area. Brian's SET hi-eff kinda guy and that's what his store originally concentrated on.
Check out his lines now and you'll see he still does that but had to expand. If you e-mail him thru his site (do a google for the URL) you can ask him how his sales percentages break down between "esoteric" tube gear and more "mainstream" stuff.
That'd be a direct reflection on the reality of his market, some hard data from the field. When Don Garber had Fi the store, there was no Chinese tube gear flooding the market, no Audiogo etc. etc -:)
Follow Ups:
My store offered SET amps and a range of single driver loudspeakers, with six systems setup and ready for auditioning. We offered no solid state or home theater systems at all. My experience is that, at least in the Atlanta (and surounding) market, there is practically no interest in SET gear and appropriate speakers. Furthermore, and perhaps more disconcerting, I found that all (yes, ALL) of the brands that we carried- and stocked in significant quantities, were being sold direct, into my territory, from the manufactuer or distributor, in direct competiton with us. We were, in effect, a non-paid showroom for these brands.Dave
Well, that is disconcerting Eardrumstick. Did you have any kind of agreement, verbal or otherwise that the manufacturer/distributor would not sell direct?
Brian did a lot better as a tube specialist here in the Bay area. Since he moved I watched his line change through his newsletters. Clearly, the market in that area of Florida is not so devoted to tubes.He was a unique and valuable resource for us in the Bay area. I was sorry to see him go. He was a great guy.
Brian Rovinsky at St. Cecilia Sound Gallery, now about 25 miles from me in West Central Florida is a good example of giving such specialization the "Good Ole College Try". Hey, I supported him almost right off by purchasing a pair of Wavelength Audio PF Gemini's and various other esoterica. Keep in mind that Brian's salon was devoted to tube stereo amplification, not SET specific products. Well, Brian has since needed to dramatically expand his product offerings to make a go of it. He continues to thrive selling VERY good home theater products along with his ever expanding line up of SET and NON-SET tubed products, speakers, etc.. Not to mention that Brian is one of the nicest fellows that I have ever known. This guy was getting his business up and running in a very difficult location in Clearwater Florida on Highway 19 (yucky congested and always under dusty cunstruction). He knew that I had an injury and therefore took it upon himself to traverse the traffic jammed root from his place of business to my home at least four times so that I could spend time home auditioning amplifiers (he left them with me) that I had no other way of hearing. The thing is, I never thought to ask him to do such a thing, he insisted. This is a good man and a very knowledgable and talented sales person, yet, his business could not survive without diversifying beyond tubes and two channel audio.I believe that there is only one viable location that could posibly make a go of selling SET and SET related products only, and that is right here on the "WEB". Cant beat a World wide store front. Even an obscure little tube manufacturing company like EML is staying afloat. I doubt that they would exsist with a simple store front and adds in a few audio rags circa 25 years ago. Just my two cents, maybe not even worth that.
I agree with any complement you can throw Brian's way. I am an NYC resident, but once stopped in the Bay Area on the way back from Japan and wound up buying a preamp from him in his home/ shop. Cordial, welcoming, and low pressure, there really are few like him. It was one of my first times hearing a wide range of SET equipment, and I had just left another Bay Area store whose owner was convinced, and tried to convince me, that it was all hype and BS.Most know better now.I wish him the best of luck wherever he may go.
...would have a hard time surviving almost anywhere. It is the Web that lets these niche markets thrive.
No, because SET done right is not cheap and Americans are into horsepower and HT is HP. Srajan is correct about the China thing. I often think that we would be better off sonically and financially if there were real 2 ch stores but they cannot compete. If you have such a listening emporium locally support it an buy there. An audio system is a vehicle, done right it should last and satisfy your journey to musical bliss for a long time. You get what you pay for.
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