msrp versus transaction price

M

mhanc

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Mar 17, 2017
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hello -

i am considering making some upgrades and additions to my audio system. i do not buy many system components and the last one i did was 5 years ago. therefore, given that i am not active in the market, the question that i would ask here is:

in today's market, are high-end audio purchases like many other high price items such as cars where the actual transaction price is usually not as high as the msrp / quoted price?​

in my specific case i am looking at a pair of loudspeakers ($15k msrp), a turntable w/ tone-arm ($10k msrp) and a phono amp ($11k msrp) which i would look to buy over time as funds allow. these are great products which i would love to own; however, i could also save a very significant amount in exchange for a little less performance. so, is a better price possible or should i just focus on the more attractive performance/price alternative?

i would be grateful to hear others' experience and advice. thanks!!
 
Very difficoult question. It all depends on the specific product (some sell at the sticker price) and your relation with your dealer (years long customers will probably get some/more discount vs a walk in customer).
 
I am sorry but I feel any discussions about pricing, margins and discounts are private and only for individuals and their dealer and should not be discussed in online threads. Of course it is up to individual sites to define their rules.

That said, one can get a good idea of a products value by watching A-gon.
 
I believe that it depends on the value you get from your seller. My dealer/consultant provides tremendous value to me, including helping me determine the best equipment for the job and price I need - letting me borrow equipment and cables on long term loans, coming to my home to track down problems, finding otherwise unobtainable used equipment for me, and most important, sharing his knowledge, recommending other consultants for which he gets nothing, etc. For that I pay him full retail. In fact, there are pieces that I have read about that I wanted, that I asked him to get, when I could have bought them out of state and saved the taxes. A great dealer/consultant is hard to find and so many brick/mortar shops have gone out of business. So if you find one that provides real value, I would say, let him make a decent living. There are no audio dealers on the Forbes 500 list. They don't make as much after expenses as the top real estate agents, etc. If you can afford high end equipment, you can afford to support a great dealer. On the other hand, if you don't get great value, then buy at the cheapest place. Buy used unless you have to have the latest and greatest.

Larry
 
still-one said:
I am sorry but I feel any discussions about pricing, margins and discounts are private and only for individuals and their dealer and should not be discussed in online threads. Of course it is up to individual sites to define their rules.
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No need to feel sorry Jim, we're only speaking 'generalities' here.


That said, one can get a good idea of a products value by watching A-gon.
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agreed and with that being said little if anything holds it value with respect to 'msrp'. Myself, I never pay msrp, you all realize what the 's' stands for don't you ? I've always managed 10-20%, obviously items that are being discontinued one can do better
 
astrotoy said:
I believe that it depends on the value you get from your seller. My dealer/consultant provides tremendous value to me, including helping me determine the best equipment for the job and price I need - letting me borrow equipment and cables on long term loans, coming to my home to track down problems, finding otherwise unobtainable used equipment for me, and most important, sharing his knowledge, recommending other consultants for which he gets nothing, etc. For that I pay him full retail. In fact, there are pieces that I have read about that I wanted, that I asked him to get, when I could have bought them out of state and saved the taxes. A great dealer/consultant is hard to find and so many brick/mortar shops have gone out of business. So if you find one that provides real value, I would say, let him make a decent living. There are no audio dealers on the Forbes 500 list. They don't make as much after expenses as the top real estate agents, etc. If you can afford high end equipment, you can afford to support a great dealer. On the other hand, if you don't get great value, then buy at the cheapest place. Buy used unless you have to have the latest and greatest.

Larry
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Larry, you have a great local dealer. An amazing resource of knowledge and experience. Thanks for introducing us.
 
mhanc said:
in today's market, are high-end audio purchases like many other high price items such as cars where the actual transaction price is usually not as high as the msrp / quoted price?
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As with many things, it depends. For example, Tesla will not discount. MSRP is what you pay. Whether that applies to your desired gear I don't know, but shop around. Consumer 101. :)
 
thanks for the thoughtful posts and i appreciate the potential sensitivity of the topic. as mentioned, i have not bought a piece of hi-end gear in quite a while and simply want to understand current practice. given that retailing in general has changed so much over the past few years, i thought it made sense to become a little more educated before purchasing.

as an aside, the specific pieces of gear i am currently considering are from boutique-ish manufacturers that do not have dealers within driving distance.
 
mhanc said:
thanks for the thoughtful posts and i appreciate the potential sensitivity of the topic. as mentioned, i have not bought a piece of hi-end gear in quite a while and simply want to understand current practice. given that retailing in general has changed so much over the past few years, i thought it made sense to become a little more educated before purchasing.

as an aside, the specific pieces of gear i am currently considering are from boutique-ish manufacturers that do not have dealers within driving distance.
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Nothing is guaranteed, so don't have any set expectation. In some cases there will not be a discount. In most cases it may be 10-15%. In some cases, for certain brands, it may be 20%, or even 25%.
 
My recommendation is first and foremost, find a dealer, specifically a PERSON, whom you can trust. Everything else flows from there.
 
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