+1 TBH, unless there's someone in there already I won't go in to browse for fear of being pounced on and feeling pressured to buy something.

If the quality depends on the version being used, it can hardly be stated to be a reliable source surely?

Furthermore WTH does "reliable" mean? Reliability relates to repeatability and variance; it has very little to do with quality. If that's what they meant then that's fine but it's not a word I would use. The quality of any source output depends on many factors and to simply state that any one is reliable is a bit sloppy.

I'm with Oki on this one - treat with suspicion. The kit could be the best in the world but I'd have my reservations about the staff, their training and their advice.


No need for that.

Yes the high pressure sales tactic keeps me out of some stores purely because of that.

I feel that too. I feel that way about a lot of smaller shops - even the camera shop I like to go to. That said, much good advice can be gleaned from such places if you get the person who knows what they are talking about.

As predicted!



Reliability in the sense you've described is not really what they imply though, in the context of what they are saying, and claim to be espousing.

Valve's and portable audio are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Fact.

Jim's last sentence sums up my thoughts perfectly. Looks more "lifestyle", than "audiophile" to me.

No, I wouldn't visit this shop, because to be honest, I tend to think a lot of audiophilia is the best example of the Emperor's New Clothes I can think of.
I think beyond a certain point it's all a bit silly.

"beyond a certain point" that certain point however is much higher than most people's audio set ups. However what you would need is dedicated living room stereo supplier, not yet more portable speakers offering "megabass".

It looks a bit sterile and uninviting.

Why? Most people are quite happy to have their audio requirements filled by a player which promises "Mega-X-Bass-Xplosion Zone System 3.1" and fails to deliver anything near such a superlative.
There are people out there happy to drive about in a 1 litre car. I'm not one of them, but I can understand that it's adequate for their needs.

For all the audiophiles here, do you consider home acoustics as much as equipment?

I'm no audiophile but I am very demanding of my AV gear (s'pose that's that years of being a sound engineer does to you) and I have carefully considered my listening area acoustics & furnishings.
Not to the cost of aesthetics (SWMBO would not approve of big foam bass traps) but I have positioned everything correctly, selected different materials for floor & wall coverings and built traps in to paintings.

that shop looks as though it has that "awkward quiet" atmosphere, looks boring and featureless too

Would I go in? Yes. Would I buy? I doubt it.

$240 for a USB cable?



Clicky

Definitely.

You could have the bestest shagtastic system in the world but if you get the decor wrong you might as well not have have bothered.

Does look a bit sterile but more importantly, I could walk past that shop and not know what was in it.