[Arny Krueger[_4_]]

"bob" wrote in message
...
On Oct 4, 11:11 pm, Audio Empire wrote:

You certainly have a point there. While there are retailers who know
vinyl
and are qualified to recommend arm/cartridge combinations (and can even
properly install them), my take is that they are few and far between.
'Jerry
Raksin's Needle Doctor' has the reputation of doing a good job at this
and
will professionally install a cartridge in a turntable package as can
'The
Audio Advisor', 'Music Direct', and 'The Elusive Disc', et al (at least
with
the packages they sell), but these people are mail-order. From talking to
the
folks at most local shops, I'm not sure I'd trust most of them to
properly
install a cartridge (or even suggest proper matchings), as I've seen no
evidence that they posses any special competence with record playing
equipment, if they sell it at all. In the SF Bay Area, where I live,
there is
a dealer called the "Analog Room' who know their stuff, but they are
about
the only dealer I know that exhibits any real vinyl expertise.

I'm sure there are dealers who know this stuff. I'm sure there are
others who don't. The question is, how is the consumer to tell,
without developing the very expertise in question? At which point, of
course, you know longer need the dealer's advice.

Also, there seem to be many opportunities for any local dealer to be out of
the loop when cartridges are ordered and installed. Is there not a common
scenario where someone reads a glowing review of the next new magic
cartridge and runs right out on the internet and buys it? Don't they often
install it themselves when it shows up on their front porch?


And given what else they sell and promote--magic cables, magic pens,
magic stones--I'm mystified as to why we should trust any such dealer
to be right about anything related to audio.

Good point. I stopped believing dealers over 40 years ago. They all talked
mucho ignorant trash. I haven't bought anything from a brick and mortar home
audio store this millenium. I don't think I've even darkened the door of one
with my shadow during that time.