[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 I think it is and I think it's poor business. If they discourage business off the street, that's still discouraging business. They want only people prepared to buy in the store? That's silly. If I were running the shop I would play any equipment for any person who wanted to. That way when someone is ready to buy they'll come to me. I could see the advantage of encouraging people to call in advance and make an appointment if they would be requiring a lot of the staff's resources. For example, if I called up and said, "Hi, I want to come by your store on Saturday and buy some speakers and cable." That way they can be prepared. However, to turn people away is poor business practice.

If you turn away 100 people that won't buy anything, to attract one rich snob who doesn't want 100 before him to touch the demo before he does, and that one rich guy drops the benjamins on you, then heck - more power to exclusivity.

The thing is, the Sony Store is very public-touchable for stuff in "normal price ranges". But knowing the Qualia stuff is beyond mere middle class mortals (and definitely struggling students sans silver spoons) then "By Appointment" makes sense from a business standpoint.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 I could see the advantage of encouraging people to call in advance and make an appointment if they would be requiring a lot of the staff's resources. For example, if I called up and said, "Hi, I want to come by your store on Saturday and buy some speakers and cable." That way they can be prepared. However, to turn people away is poor business practice.

places like a/v salon cater to high-end buyers. they've been in business for a long time, and obviously figured out that walk-ins usually don't whip out their wallets for a mcintosh. a/v's bread-and-butter is the $20k-$100k hi fi or home theater system, for the millionaires in the neighborhood (more per capita than any other place in the world, if i'm not mistaken).

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax places like a/v salon cater to high-end buyers. they've been in business for a long time, and obviously figured out that walk-ins usually don't whip out their wallets for a mcintosh. a/v's bread-and-butter is the $20k-$100k hi fi or home theater system, for the millionaires in the neighborhood (more per capita than any other place in the world, if i'm not mistaken).

agreed. those kind of guys don't come off the street (or, sorry to say, off a field trip school bus, please don't take offense, it's reality, and it's my reality too to be priced out) - they usually come out of a limo, or even just send Jeeves to pick it up after "smelling the bouquet" so to speak.

 

[plus_c]

Millionaires per capita? That's an interesting way to measure...

I would have thought a more useful stat would have been something along the lines of millionaires per square block or something...

Oh, and threadjacks are what make message boards fun! It's like real conversation - you just have to go with the flow.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plus_c Millionaires per capita? That's an interesting way to measure... I would have thought a more useful stat would have been something along the lines of millionaires per square block or something...

well, you know... for every 100 people, 12.5 are millionaires. (i just made that up, i don't know what the real millionaire density is).

Quote:

Oh, and threadjacks are what make message boards fun! It's like real conversation - you just have to go with the flow.

well, if you say so... hey walkman666, any good pasta delivery places around? buon gusto was pretty good, decent price too... but didn't blow me away. also looking for reasonable thai and vegetarian, if you got any tips.

 

[walkman666]

Hey VicAjax. I'm pretty snobby with my food tastes, kinda like the headphone tastes of many of the gurus around here!

Pasta, my fave place for pasta is not even Italian, but happens to be next to my apt building. "Sharz" is a fine restaurant serving very good food at amazingly good prices on 86th street. They have about 10 pasta dishes on their menu. It's also a wine bar and they have a great selection at great prices. I have known of this place since they used to be on 90th and 3rd. They deliver (of course, they all do, even Mcdonald's and the ice cream stores deliver!), but if you decide to eat there, be warned, they get crowded, and it's mostly an elderly clientele (older than moi, who is in his 40s).

Thai: I usually get Thai from Sala Thai or Jasmine, both of which are very close to where you live on Second ave. Another interesting place for Asian food is "Penang," also on Second ave. They have several restaurants in the city. Most of the food is "Malaysian," I believe, but it's look and flavor speaks Thai to us lay-Asian folks.

By the way, the best Chinese (by far) in our 'hood is another restaurant near your apt, "Pig Heaven." Not cheap, but so worth it. So by far.

The best sushi in our neighborhood is "Sushi of Gari," far and away, and "Sushi Sake," on like 79 & Second (all of these are like falling out of your apt window close to you) is also good, and has two places to eat, catty-corner to each other, where the dark, cool-looking one is a very cool place for a date. Perrrrrrrrrhaps the mrs and I will be there tonight (babysitter coming over...yeah!).

Oh, finally, get your coffee at Rohr's (85 & Second) -- 100 years old and it's great, cool, and down to earth. The anti-Starbucks. We never not get our coffee for home from Rohr's (and euro folks who relocate to the city say their tea selection and quality is also very good; I would know here). Suffice to say I've been getting my kona coffee there with my iPod and HD-25s many a time!

I have totally steered this thread off base --sorry place c!

- walkman666

 

[plus_c]

No, it's totally cool - now, in addition to knowing where in NYC to shop for headphones, I know where to eat too

Now just tell me where the Apple store is, and you've got all three of my expensive hobbies covered

 

[lan]

The Apple Store is ni Soho,
http://www.apple.com/retail/soho/map/

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkman666 Hey VicAjax. I'm pretty snobby with my food tastes, kinda like the headphone tastes of many of the gurus around here! Pasta, my fave place for pasta is not even Italian, but happens to be next to my apt building. "Sharz" is a fine restaurant serving very good food at amazingly good prices on 86th street. They have about 10 pasta dishes on their menu. It's also a wine bar and they have a great selection at great prices. I have known of this place since they used to be on 90th and 3rd. They deliver (of course, they all do, even Mcdonald's and the ice cream stores deliver!), but if you decide to eat there, be warned, they get crowded, and it's mostly an elderly clientele (older than moi, who is in his 40s).

hmmmm.... sounds good... i'll definitely pick up a menu.

Quote:

Thai: I usually get Thai from Sala Thai or Jasmine, both of which are very close to where you live on Second ave. Another interesting place for Asian food is "Penang," also on Second ave. They have several restaurants in the city. Most of the food is "Malaysian," I believe, but it's look and flavor speaks Thai to us lay-Asian folks.

yeah, not a big penang fan (at least from the UWS installment), but i like sala. i'll have to give jasmine a try.

Quote:

By the way, the best Chinese (by far) in our 'hood is another restaurant near your apt, "Pig Heaven." Not cheap, but so worth it. So by far.

yup, that's on our corner. tried it, and believe it or not... HATED it. maybe expectations were too high. had chinese from somewhere else and it was quite good (can't remember the name, though).

if you like vietnamese... i highly recommend vermicelli and saigon grill (also on the UWS). both reasonable and very good. less oily than most asian.

Quote:

The best sushi in our neighborhood is "Sushi of Gari," far and away,

heard so much about it... dying to go there. apparently the best stuff is "off-menu" so i want to grill an insider before i go.

Quote:

and "Sushi Sake," on like 79 & Second (all of these are like falling out of your apt window close to you) is also good, and has two places to eat, catty-corner to each other, where the dark, cool-looking one is a very cool place for a date. Perrrrrrrrrhaps the mrs and I will be there tonight (babysitter coming over...yeah!).

we've got the sitter tonight too (going down to otto in the village, though).

Quote:

Oh, finally, get your coffee at Rohr's (85 & Second) -- 100 years old and it's great, cool, and down to earth. The anti-Starbucks. We never not get our coffee for home from Rohr's (and euro folks who relocate to the city say their tea selection and quality is also very good; I would know here). Suffice to say I've been getting my kona coffee there with my iPod and HD-25s many a time!

oooh... will definitely go there. we've been picking up our beans from oren's on lex. good, but not mindblowing.

also... i'm sure you've had it... but i've been pretty psyched with totonno's. great pies... if only they'd open a lombardi's in the neighborhood (best pizza in the 5 boros).

Quote:

I have totally steered this thread off base --sorry place c! - walkman666

it's ok, he gave us permission!

 

[plus_c]

So,
I just got back from the trip...the headphone portion of it was extremely disappointing. I ended up only having time to visit J&R, and their wall is unbelieveable amounts of sucky. There were headphones with pads off, and the source consisted of very badly encoded mp3 files...and the 'phones that needed amps didn't have them. I don't think they sell many of the Senn 580s, 280s, or 595s, because the setup just doesn't allow them to shine the way I think that they could. I asked the J&R sales rep whether they carried anything from AKG, and he was like "We don't carry studio monitors", and made it sound like I was an idiot for asking. Moral of the story: J&R is exactly the wrong place to go to try out headphones...next time, I'm heading up to Lyric.

 

[Jahn]

ack out of all the cool places you only got to go to the Wall of Shame? horrible. sorry about that!

 

[bifcake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkman666 And not so uncommon in NYC. Audio-Video Salon, also in my neighborhood, does not allow folks in off of the street. $50 consult charge by appt. Pluh-eeese. But I understand the rationale -- in NYC there are a lot of folks who would walk-in and waste some valuable time, not to mention the weirdos and the expensive equipment on display in sometimes cramped quarters. - walkman666

There is no such thing as "wasting a salesman's time". I know the guy at the Audio-Video salon. He's an *******, as is Andy Singer. It's amazing the kinds of people that become hi-fi dealers.

 

[patman2769]

Now if only there were a place to buy headphones in the Buffalo, New York area...

 

[bifcake]

If you're missing hi-fi dealers in your area, chances are that you have a very low a-hole density in your area.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bifcake There is no such thing as "wasting a salesman's time". I know the guy at the Audio-Video salon. He's an *******, as is Andy Singer. It's amazing the kinds of people that become hi-fi dealers.

I was going to say...I've been to Sound by Singer 6 times and received large portions of "your not rich enough to spend time on you" all times. I used them to hear what I wanted and bought elsewhere. In the 90's they had a tremendous amount of headphones and amps to choose from, but aparently Andy Singer felt if you weren't going to make it into the $80,000 room, there wasn't enough profit. Places like Sound by Singer and Ears Nova, do so much installation work for wealthy, who give them Carte Blanche to spend their money without question, gives them little time for the common masses.
If you go to Stereo Exchange on Broadway and Houston, ask for "Alan, The Audio Elf"...he is the nicest salesman I have ever met, works on price for you, and talks you out of things that you really don't need.

You can tell them "Erik" sent you.

I mean Vic...I mean Aaron