[Vault]

So I've been thinking about this for a while. What would be the perfect environment for people to come and buy headphones?

I know part of the joy of these forums is the "unknown" factor. Unwrapping a box from a store or website and finding out what the end result is, but if you could but from a local store, what would your wish-list be when it came to services and asthetics?

Me. I'd love to be able to sit down somewhere comfy and test out some of the more expensive cans with whatever source I wanted to bring in. Maybe grab a coffee or something. I guess kind of like a headphone meet but where you can test and buy.

What does the collective Head-fi brains trust think?

 

[RollsDownWindowsManually]

Obviously, the more headphones the better, and you should be able to audition everything. For essentials, they would need the entire Grado amd beyer lines, at least the high-end sennheisers, the entire etymotic, shure, ultimate ears, and westone lines, along with various models from manufactures who don't special in headphones.....such as the Sony MDR-V6, Altec Lansing IM-716, etc. The highlights of the Koss line should be in there too.

It should also have a used section with some of the really obscure and estoric equipment, like the older Grados, out of production models like the K-1000, and Orpheus, etc.

You'd also need a selection of electronics, amps, portable players, soundcards, etc etc......

 

[stewtheking]

Basically it'd be like a meet, but you could take it all home at the end. For five pounds.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Lots of headphones, lots of amps. I'd set it up like a big living room with lots of comfy chairs. You could bring your iPod, discs, whatever, so you could sit around and listen to headphones. WiFi, too, so you could get on Head-Fi while listening!

More important than the layout, I'd have headphone and amp rentals. For a weekly or monthly fee, you could rent either and take it home with you. If you were considering a $300+ purchase, I think it'd be great if you could rent one for $20/week or so and try it out at home. I think it'd be a good revenue stream and customers would be able to truly find what they like.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Of course, there would have to be soundproof listening rooms/booths as well.

 

[jdimitri]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RollsDownWindowsManually /img/forum/go_quote.gif Obviously, the more headphones the better, and you should be able to audition everything. For essentials, they would need the entire Grado amd beyer lines, at least the high-end sennheisers, the entire etymotic, shure, ultimate ears, and westone lines, along with various models from manufactures who don't special in headphones.....such as the Sony MDR-V6, Altec Lansing IM-716, etc. The highlights of the Koss line should be in there too. It should also have a used section with some of the really obscure and estoric equipment, like the older Grados, out of production models like the K-1000, and Orpheus, etc. You'd also need a selection of electronics, amps, portable players, soundcards, etc etc......

You know you're describing jaben in singapore in almost every way.. except for V6 and probably one or 2 IEM missing here and there (K1000 and orpheus: there

)

Not exactly the biggest store, but it has chairs, amps, and headphones within your reach

As a bonus.. there's a great headphone community there (which.. i didn't get to meet last time), i got to try out loads of amps (including tomahawk and believe this, a portable PPA) and had great chats. Icing on the cake: uncle wilson is very friendly and treats you like family.. What else can i ask for?

So looking forward to go there again

EDIT: To the OP, you live in singapore? Go to jaben in adelphi! While you're there tell uncle wilson josh said hi

 

[F107plus5]

Lots of cans and lots of amps, but nothing selling for more than just one notch above what I can reasonably afford to buy! I would also appreciate a computer to sit at while deciding so I can see how they'd work in my real world.

And maybe a TV and a comfy reclining chair too!

Within comfortable walking distance, staffed with a few friendly like-minded individuals and a good coffee pot!

 

[Capital R]

Think Guitar Center, or any large music shop, but headphones, amps, sources, and interconnects instead of instruments

 

[aaron-xp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdimitri /img/forum/go_quote.gif You know you're describing jaben in singapore in almost every way.. except for V6 and probably one or 2 IEM missing here and there (K1000 and orpheus: there ) Not exactly the biggest store, but it has chairs, amps, and headphones within your reach As a bonus.. there's a great headphone community there (which.. i didn't get to meet last time), i got to try out loads of amps (including tomahawk and believe this, a portable PPA) and had great chats. Icing on the cake: uncle wilson is very friendly and treats you like family.. What else can i ask for? So looking forward to go there again EDIT: To the OP, you live in singapore? Go to jaben in adelphi! While you're there tell uncle wilson josh said hi

Good point. It's really more or less of that "perfect store", though the amp collection is a bit lacking (no RSA or Xin amps, though Uncle Wilson does buy some rare stuff from the customers. I know that jlingo had his supermacro, if I'm not wrong, bought by Uncle Wilson just when he wanted it sold). Also, it's a tad bit messy (think of all the boxes from deliveries lying around, and the headphone boxes). Otherwise, it's a great store, with an incredibly friendly storekeeper who almost literally forces you to try out those stuff within your budget and interest.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ighlight=jaben

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ighlight=jaben

Stereo Electronics in Singapore also has quite a range of headphones, though there are no Beyers, just as jaben does not carry high end Senns.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...hlight=minutes

 

[facelvega]

The problem with the perfect headphone store is something we've discussed the heck out of in various Grado pricing threads: the perfect store couldn't carry anything but Grados, because it's the only company that enforces its MSRP on internet dealers. The guy who spends cash renting, outfitting, and staffing a brick and mortar store and paying for testers and standing stock has to charge full price to be able to do it. So, people would go to the perfect store, take advantage of all the money the store spent giving them a chair and a set of testers, spend hours deciding what they want, then go home and order it for 15 percent less from an online dealer who didn't have to pay those expenses.

Jaben works because it has the community to support it, and presumably because retail pricing and consumer culture work a little differently in Singapore. In the US or Europe, though, brick and mortar audiophile stores can barely survive against online retail without the kind of draconian price-fixing that Grado practices.

However, to play the game, I'd like to see a store that could also do repairs and recables. Ideally, they would also have a contract with a local seamstress or tailor to make custom velour and leather earpads. Replacement pads for high-end phones cost so much that a tailor could probably compete with the pricing, and could use better materials and color options to boot.

 

[krmathis]

The perfect headphone store should have:
* The current Stax line.
* An area for old/NOS headphones. The Sennheiser HE90, HE60, all the vintage Stax phones, etc.
* A line of electrostatic headphone amlifiers, both new and NOS. The Singlepower ES-1 in all three stages, Blue Hawaii, KGSS, and of course the Stax ones (especially the SRM-T2).
* Many suitable listening rooms, where you can audition the amplifier/headphone combination.

They should of course have all the gear available for both audition and sale!

 

[slick1ru2]

I was going to say a well informed female sales staff with a kind of Hooters dress code but I guess that is more like nirvana then a store.

I am thinking "Cans" would be the perfect name.

 

[strangemusic]

IMHO, the perfect headphone store would have as big a selection as possible, since comparison is such a big part of buying. A great big raft of sources, amps and dedicated listening rooms are a must. Basically, I'm agreed with Uncle Erik, and the rental thing sounds like a good idea too.

but the MOST IMPORTANT THING.... would be for the salespeople to know their gear extensively, and also understand that people coming into their store would most likely know their gear extensively as well.

 

[SodiumChloride]

These stores need to exist.

Places other than Singapore, I mean.

 

[feh1325]

i think this business wouldn't be very profitable.