bluegrassphile
Member
I truly sympathize with Mike. Why? Because he had to deal with me while I put in a full year of research and selecting components for my new high end audio system.
I had been out of the high end audio hobby for 40 years. The last audio system I owned I purchased in the late '70s. I was thoroughly out of touch with high end audio systems, prices, models, brands, etc. I suffered from severe sticker shock when I started my current quest for a genuinely high end audio system. It was a year ago, this time of year, that my system was delivered after a year of pretty intense research. I even spent money to make a weekend trip to Suncoast Audio (Mike's store) to audition components. One of the most fun days of my entire life.
I don't know how many times over that year Mike had to hear my whining about and frustration with current audio system component prices. "It costs how much??!!!" I don't know how Mike put up with me and my naivety. It had to have been very irritating for Mike. He was so patient with me.
But I really feel for the first guy in Mike's comments above. I can totally empathize. I went through the same feelings. I ultimately found out there is a growth process you go through while doing research for new components. The longer you research the more you learn. If I had cut my research down to 6 months vs 12 months I would very likely have not been as satisfied with my new system. As it is, I LOVE my new system and couldn't be happier with it.
But, yes, I went through the same learning curve, a little bit of sticker shock, although I found out you didn't have to spend $10,000+ to put together a great sounding system. I did spend considerably more than that but I wouldn't have had to.
Back to the OP's post...Like most others here it would have saved me a lot of time in my research if prices had been published. It was very irritating at times as I searched for prices on components. I was almost always able to find the prices but it was sometimes time consuming and frustrating. It was often like trying to find a very carefully guarded secret. As I said, it was frustrating but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun. For the most part it really was fun...but frustrating.
I had been out of the high end audio hobby for 40 years. The last audio system I owned I purchased in the late '70s. I was thoroughly out of touch with high end audio systems, prices, models, brands, etc. I suffered from severe sticker shock when I started my current quest for a genuinely high end audio system. It was a year ago, this time of year, that my system was delivered after a year of pretty intense research. I even spent money to make a weekend trip to Suncoast Audio (Mike's store) to audition components. One of the most fun days of my entire life.
I don't know how many times over that year Mike had to hear my whining about and frustration with current audio system component prices. "It costs how much??!!!" I don't know how Mike put up with me and my naivety. It had to have been very irritating for Mike. He was so patient with me.
But I really feel for the first guy in Mike's comments above. I can totally empathize. I went through the same feelings. I ultimately found out there is a growth process you go through while doing research for new components. The longer you research the more you learn. If I had cut my research down to 6 months vs 12 months I would very likely have not been as satisfied with my new system. As it is, I LOVE my new system and couldn't be happier with it.
But, yes, I went through the same learning curve, a little bit of sticker shock, although I found out you didn't have to spend $10,000+ to put together a great sounding system. I did spend considerably more than that but I wouldn't have had to.
Back to the OP's post...Like most others here it would have saved me a lot of time in my research if prices had been published. It was very irritating at times as I searched for prices on components. I was almost always able to find the prices but it was sometimes time consuming and frustrating. It was often like trying to find a very carefully guarded secret. As I said, it was frustrating but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun. For the most part it really was fun...but frustrating.
