Audio specialists are there to help you. Don’t be afraid ask questions and to let them work for you. Remember, the customer is number one.

In the 1970s and 1980s there were many more specialist audio stores than today. Often, their staff were knowledgeable and prepared to spend a great deal of time with customers to help them choose the right equipment for their needs.

Unfortunately, many of these shops have disappeared.
Today, some customers find it easier to shop for their audio equipment at bulk or department stores.

Many people feel intimidated when they walk into a specialist audio store. They think they don’t know enough about audio and will therefore appear foolish.

But audio dealers are there to serve their customers – if they do it well enough, they will make a sale and earn some money.

They really don’t mind that the customer knows little about audio equipment; educating is part of selling.

I am comfortable selling to people who know very little about audio and to people who know a great deal. The most difficult customers are those who know a little about audio equipment yet think they know it all.

The only knowledge you need when you walk into a specialist shop is whether you like the sound of what is on offer.

To gain this knowledge, you should listen to several systems that match your budget at one shop – or, better still, at several shops.

Bulk stores selling audio equipment alongside refrigerators and microwave ovens have taken an increasing share of the market.

Because they buy in bulk, they can usually sell at slightly lower prices than a specialist audio dealer. Unfortunately, at a bulk store you get nothing for nothing.

Good specialist audio dealers can give good advice on component matching and component choice, including cables. They can demonstrate systems that are well set up and can compare components to help you choose wisely.

It is far better to buy a system you enjoy listening to than buying one you don’t really enjoy purely because it was at a bargain price.

If any component in your system develops a fault, your specialist dealer will usually send it back to the service depot for you.

And modern home theatre systems are quite complicated to set up, particularly the amplifier. Even if your dealer sets up the system for you, it is likely to need some adjustment and fine-tuning.

A good specialist dealer is a phone call away and can usually advise you over the phone so that you get the best from your system. Try doing that with a typical bulk or department store.

I have been into bulk stores that demonstrate systems by sitting the five satellite speakers on top of the subwoofer. You cannot possibly gain anything by auditioning a system set up so badly.

These stores obviously did not have the space to demonstrate audio equipment properly, did not have knowledgeable staff with the required expertise, or simply didn’t care.

On the brighter side, there are some bulk stores that have serious audio sections with dedicated listening areas and knowledgeable staff.

In this way, these stores are like specialist dealers within a bulk store, but they are few and far between.

Choosing your audio dealer is as important as choosing your equipment. A knowledgeable dealer, on hearing your needs, can quickly point you in the right direction and offer a few options for you to choose from.

Look for a dealer who can give you worthwhile advice on available components to suit your needs. Dealers that try to confuse you with technicalities are often just boosting their own egos. Give them a miss.

The simplest way of assessing dealers is to note how well they set up their equipment.

For example, if speakers are bi-wireable, they should be bi-wired. Speakers should be spiked so they are rigidly coupled to the floor, not wobbling around on carpet. Most speakers sound far better when free standing and not placed in a wall of speakers.

How well a system is set up influences the sound far more on a quality system than on a mediocre one.

A poor-quality speaker will not improve a great deal by being bi-wired, spiked or free standing. A top-quality speaker will improve dramatically.

I once visited one of our interstate dealers who had many brands of speakers on the floor. They were stacked up so that the front wall was practically covered with speakers. A comparator allowed switching from one to another.

At the time I thought to myself, “I wonder which speakers are playing? They sound awful!” They sounded thick and chesty and had very poor imaging.

To my horror, it was a pair of Whatmough speakers playing. I had never heard them sound so bad.

I asked one of the salesmen to change speakers a few times on the comparator. The poor set-up was the overriding feature here and had more effect on sound quality than the quality of the speakers did.

The poor set-up made it almost impossible to judge any of the speakers.

A classy dealer should be able to demonstrate sound quality that you will aspire to. If the sound you hear (music or movies) doesn’t excite you, or makes you flinch during loud passages, it is probably not good enough.

Finally, look for a dealer who sells what you want to buy.

If you want a home cinema system, find a dealer who sells and knows about home cinema. These days most dealers cater for this market, giving you a large choice.

If you want a stereo system, dealer choices will be limited. Many dealers have almost written off the stereo market to concentrate on home cinema. Such dealers are unlikely to be able to assemble a top-quality stereo system.

It is certainly worth taking the time to find a knowledgeable audio dealer who can match your needs. It will save you time and money in the long run, as well as helping you find the right equipment.