[logwed]

Quote:

Does it? My question I guess is, do physical stores have to sell for the price-fixed price? Because if so, then $1500 + tax at a physical store costs a lot more than $1500 + $0 shipping at something like Amazon.com -- and therefore the advantage is against the physical stores -- quite the opposite of leveling the playing field, in fact.

The point is, the playing field is always tilted against physical stores, because an online retailer is able to undercut a physical store 100% of the time.

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

The point is, the playing field is always tilted against physical stores, because an online retailer is able to undercut a physical store 100% of the time.

 This being true all the more when the online store, is not really a store but a juggernaut that happens to have the
 the buying power, three fold, maybe even 10 fold of the little HiFi guy on the corner - already with the benefit of lower
 operating costs and more streamlined business model, then the online store can discount even further as they
 exercise their muscle through sizable economy of scale.

 

[vrln]

Interesting discussion (even though off topic)... I think the real problem is in the smaller countries. In the US, you have a huge economy and a single market. No translation work to be done for manuals and so on. Even though the 10-15% off at online stores will cost many local dealers sales, they will still find enough customers in most cases I think. But here in Finland for example, the situation is really different: it´s not just the 10, or even 20% more you pay at local stores, it´s sometimes closer to 100% (no joke). For example I can get the AKG K701 at 60% off at Thomann.de compared to local prices. With exotic gear like Stax the situation is a complete joke: now you pay around 50% more compared to importing, but it used to be more than 100% just a year ago - the distributor had to make some changes it seems. 
 
Luckily locally made (and Scandinavian stuff in general) gear is still very nicely priced in stores (better than online even!), stuff like Genelec, Amphion and Gradient, but for most products the situation is really grim. And I have to admit, I´m not all that impressed by the local customer service either (some exceptions though). Most of the time the average forum reading enthusiast knows way more about the products than the dealer. Actually to be completely honest,the best service I´ve had has been from online stores (just just talking delivery speed etc; I mean product support, information etc) so it´s getting harder and harder to support the local hifi shops here. Combine that with high taxes (meaning people have less money to spend on hobbies), I don´t see much of a future for most local hifi shops. I think the situation in the US is actually still pretty good for the small shops.

 

[sfoclt]

Quote:

 This being true all the more when the online store, is not really a store but a juggernaut that happens to have the
 the buying power, three fold, maybe even 10 fold of the little HiFi guy on the corner - already with the benefit of lower
 operating costs and more streamlined business model, then the online store can discount even further as they
 exercise their muscle through sizable economy of scale.

 
I assume you all are limiting the discussion to electronics?  There are quite a number of brick and mortar stores that beat on-line stores for equivalent products.
 
 
 

 

[ac500]

Even with computer parts actually, there's a brick-and-mortar store here that has unbeatable CPU, RAM, etc. prices. Even AFTER TAX.

 

[grokit]

Walmart and Costco are just as complicit as Amazon and eBay in hastening the demise of full-markup brick and mortar specialty retailers.

 

[Nick01]

Quote:

Does it? My question I guess is, do physical stores have to sell for the price-fixed price? Because if so, then $1500 + tax at a physical store costs a lot more than $1500 + $0 shipping at something like Amazon.com -- and therefore the advantage is against the physical stores -- quite the opposite of leveling the playing field, in fact.
 
Now if Sennheiser lets physical stores sell under $1500 for the HD800 and forces online stores to keep at $1500, then that would definitely level the playing field without a doubt.

 
I believe the price fixing does help in some way. If Sennheiser allows retailers (online and physical) to charge whatever they want for the HD800 and HD700, can you imagine how much Amazon would sell the HD800 when a sale like the recent Black Friday comes along? 
 
 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

Amazon.com sells the HD598 for $249. Amazon.ca sells them for $351.67. Canadian dollar is about at par with the US. Amazon.com will not ship Sennheiser to Canada. So Sennheiser has obviously fixed it this way.
 
If that's not a total ripoff, I don't know what is.
 

Amen!
 

 

[Magick Man]

I believe the price fixing does help in some way. If Sennheiser allows retailers (online and physical) to charge whatever they want for the HD800 and HD700, can you imagine how much Amazon would sell the HD800 when a sale like the recent Black Friday comes along? 

 

An HD800 for $500? Yes, please.

 

[The Monkey]

Price fixing is bad for consumers.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Why?  In the end doesn't supply and demand apply just as much to the companies fixed price as it does to the price the vendors decide to sell it at?  I mean if they don't sell well at the manufacturer's fixed price they will lower it.  At least with the next model...

 

[jax]

Quote:

Walmart and Costco are just as complicit as Amazon and eBay in hastening the demise of full-markup brick and mortar specialty retailers.
 

 
 
 

 
Sad but true.  If everything keeps going in this direction, well, Huxley won't have been far off the mark.  The film you mentioned, Grokit, Gattaca, also not so far a stretch of the imagination.  Just one big homogenized omnipotent corporation and a barcoded, controlled population that doesn't make any trouble.  
 
I'm looking forward to hearing the HD700's as well as further impressions and comparisons.  I had the 800's for a few months and really liked them, but ultimately that brightness / accentuated high end really got to me (Grokit benefited directly from that) 

.  Jude's description of the 700's seem hopeful in some ways, yet it seems like the sibilance issue that he mentions might indicate not entirely.  Still the qualities described do sound very appealing to me.   

 

[Magick Man]

People can and will find just about anything for a lower price, if they take their time and shop. I can get a pair HD800s for $1000, but I think that price is still too high.

I didn't pay anywhere close to retail for any of the headphones that I own, `cept the Fostex T50s I just bought for my "pants" project.. Oh, and my MEP-839s, because their retail is less than a nice lunch.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Why?  In the end doesn't supply and demand apply just as much to the companies fixed price as it does to the price the vendors decide to sell it at?  I mean if they don't sell well at the manufacturer's fixed price they will lower it.  At least with the next model...

Perhaps that will happen; perhaps not.  What we do know, with relative certainty, is that we as consumers are paying an artificially high price.

 

[Anaxilus]

 
 
Quote:

Perhaps that will happen; perhaps not.  What we do know, with relative certainty, is that we as consumers are paying an artificially high price.

Wait, if the price is TOO artificially high then people WONT pay it.  But as they do, the prices stay there or even go up depending on the sales figures.  Rythmdevils is spot on IMHO.  Look at the LCD3 @ $2K a pop.  Even with various QC issues they seem to be flying like hotcakes around here.  Regardless, I have yet to pay retail/MSRP for any phone I own or have owned and plan to keep it that way.  Just because I recognize the law of the economic jungle that doesn't mean I have to play along.