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The thread about the new MSB pricing and the removal from the website got me thinking, what is everyone’s opinion on posting high end audio pricing online? Should it be available easily online or do you understand the manufacturers argument that they can’t post pricing online here in the U.S. as it causes a riff in other parts of the world where it’s not a simple $1 USD = $1 X in another country?
As a dealer, 80% of my calls are “what’s the price of....”. Yes, it’s an opportunity to engage with a new customer, but 99% of the time that call doesn’t go anywhere, chalking most calls ending up with “Champaign tastes on a beer budget.” I will digress with one of my funniest stories. So myself and two other founders of the Florida Audio Expo were in my truck on the way to lunch one Friday when I received a call. I put the call, originating from Louisiana on hands free. I answered the call and the voice said in a deep southern drawl, “I’m looking at this (said very slowly) V-P-I AVENGER Reference turntable. How much is that?” And before I could get in a word, I heard what was presumably the gentleman’s wife in the background yelling “tell him we want the good one!! Tell him we want the good one!!” I told the gentleman, the VPI Avenger Reference starts at $20,000, including tone arm, but without a cartridge.” The man responded with a loud, “woooooooo boy, $20,000 for a record player?” I said “Yes sir.” He said, “$20,000 just to play some old records?” I said, “sir, unless those records are in good condition, I would not suggest playing dirty old records on it.” After a long pause he says in a high pitched version of that southern drawl, “well, what kind of records would I play?” I said proudly, “new ones!” I of course stated to the man that if this was too expensive, we could discuss something more reasonable like the VPI Player or Scout. But let’s just say, he wasn’t looking to spend more than $200, let alone $2000 or $20,000. By the way, this was before VPI started to allow pricing to be posted online. Now they do, and oddly, we don’t get these calls anymore! (Thank you VPI).
Just yesterday I had a man call who wanted to know the price of the Gryphon Mojo S speakers. He had proudly told me “one day I will be coming into some money and I’ve always dreamed of a Hi-Fi system.” Of course it would be best if he waited until that day, but he obviously was mentally spending it well before he had it. When I told him they retailed for $30,000, his reaction was (swallowing deeply) “wow, they’re right, this high end audio stuff is expensive.” The sale went no where as he was thinking $2000 is what they would cost.
Suffice it to say, these calls are all too common and as a dealer, when prices are public (thank you Shunyata, AudioQuest, Aurender, Lumin, VPI, etc.), the customer who comes to us already knows the price and is ready to talk about options, different choices for their room, etc.
But I can also understand the manufacturers perspective as they have to deal with the customer in the UK who says, “$21,600 USD in Pounds is $16,150, so why do they retail for $25,000 pounds?” There is obviously a lot more involved in terms of shipping, duties, a distributor to handle all these things, etc. The same could be said when we look at the price of Accuphase in Japan. Everyone screams bloody murder without knowing that Accuphase purposely sets their domestic prices super low, but the rest of the world has much higher expenses. Ditto for many other brands, including Avantgarde. There are a few brands - like Gryphon - which can manage to have all worldwide prices about the same. So therein lies the rub (and confusion). That’s just the way some manufacturers choose to do things while others have a different approach. They have to manage that end of the business as best they see fit.
Personally, I’m all for posting prices publicly. I can’t imagine needing to buy a new vehicle (especially with all the options) and having to call the dealer to get pricing. I know one thing, I would probably be eyeing the Porsche with a Ford budget in mind.
As a dealer, 80% of my calls are “what’s the price of....”. Yes, it’s an opportunity to engage with a new customer, but 99% of the time that call doesn’t go anywhere, chalking most calls ending up with “Champaign tastes on a beer budget.” I will digress with one of my funniest stories. So myself and two other founders of the Florida Audio Expo were in my truck on the way to lunch one Friday when I received a call. I put the call, originating from Louisiana on hands free. I answered the call and the voice said in a deep southern drawl, “I’m looking at this (said very slowly) V-P-I AVENGER Reference turntable. How much is that?” And before I could get in a word, I heard what was presumably the gentleman’s wife in the background yelling “tell him we want the good one!! Tell him we want the good one!!” I told the gentleman, the VPI Avenger Reference starts at $20,000, including tone arm, but without a cartridge.” The man responded with a loud, “woooooooo boy, $20,000 for a record player?” I said “Yes sir.” He said, “$20,000 just to play some old records?” I said, “sir, unless those records are in good condition, I would not suggest playing dirty old records on it.” After a long pause he says in a high pitched version of that southern drawl, “well, what kind of records would I play?” I said proudly, “new ones!” I of course stated to the man that if this was too expensive, we could discuss something more reasonable like the VPI Player or Scout. But let’s just say, he wasn’t looking to spend more than $200, let alone $2000 or $20,000. By the way, this was before VPI started to allow pricing to be posted online. Now they do, and oddly, we don’t get these calls anymore! (Thank you VPI).
Just yesterday I had a man call who wanted to know the price of the Gryphon Mojo S speakers. He had proudly told me “one day I will be coming into some money and I’ve always dreamed of a Hi-Fi system.” Of course it would be best if he waited until that day, but he obviously was mentally spending it well before he had it. When I told him they retailed for $30,000, his reaction was (swallowing deeply) “wow, they’re right, this high end audio stuff is expensive.” The sale went no where as he was thinking $2000 is what they would cost.
Suffice it to say, these calls are all too common and as a dealer, when prices are public (thank you Shunyata, AudioQuest, Aurender, Lumin, VPI, etc.), the customer who comes to us already knows the price and is ready to talk about options, different choices for their room, etc.
But I can also understand the manufacturers perspective as they have to deal with the customer in the UK who says, “$21,600 USD in Pounds is $16,150, so why do they retail for $25,000 pounds?” There is obviously a lot more involved in terms of shipping, duties, a distributor to handle all these things, etc. The same could be said when we look at the price of Accuphase in Japan. Everyone screams bloody murder without knowing that Accuphase purposely sets their domestic prices super low, but the rest of the world has much higher expenses. Ditto for many other brands, including Avantgarde. There are a few brands - like Gryphon - which can manage to have all worldwide prices about the same. So therein lies the rub (and confusion). That’s just the way some manufacturers choose to do things while others have a different approach. They have to manage that end of the business as best they see fit.
Personally, I’m all for posting prices publicly. I can’t imagine needing to buy a new vehicle (especially with all the options) and having to call the dealer to get pricing. I know one thing, I would probably be eyeing the Porsche with a Ford budget in mind.
