[mvw2]

I'm curious. It seems like a void in this business. In order to demo a headphone set, you basically need to buy the headphone set, then hope for a good return policy or resale of the product if you end up not liking it.

Why the heck are there no stores?

Seriously...

Why?


It doesn't even seem like a bad business. There are a LOT of products at a lot of different price levels. The products are physically small and take up both little floor space and inventory space.

The biggest gripe I have with head-fi in general is the inability to hear 99% of what's out there. Sites like this are great to fill the knowledge/experience void through a good array of user comments and reviews, but it's so much better to experience products first hand. It just seems so easy to do.

Heck, even on a smaller level, you could think of something like Sunglass Hut. You have a little booth in the middle of a shopping mall. However, in that booth, you may have 30 popular headphones readily available and basically anything else on order.

It almost seems like a goldmine as long as the prices are mildly competitive. It would be especially good as a "service desk" for companies if the business was an authorized dealer. There could be some perks like a 30 day trial for anything you buy, buy back programs for headphones you tire of (that others may want), and just good customer service.

Headphones are used so widely, it seems dumb for this not to exist.

 

[socrates63]

True, headphones are widely used, but most people are satisfied with the earphones that come free with the DAP. Just before I joined Head-Fi, I thought my cousin was nuts for spending $50 on Sony canalphones.

So for the typical users, the Best Buys of the world already cater to them with the sub-$50 products and some well marketed Bose headphones.

As for more higher end goods, I just don't think there are enough people looking to spend big bucks who could support the business.

A booth in a mall? Unless you're sticking with portable sources, I can't imagine it will be easy to set up audio equipment for headphone demo-ing on a cart.

Or, you could move to Bozeman, Montana -- the center of the known headphone universe -- where you will find not one, but two businesses (Headroom and TTVJ) that are exactly what you're looking for... 30 day return policy, chance to demo high end equipment.

Of course, outside of the US is a different matter. Based on pics posted by Head-Fi'ers, there are headphone stores in Asian countries that sell low to hi-fi headphones.

 

[Redcarmoose]

This is the most underlooked area of audio. Why don't they rate headphone amps in any end-of-year review like The Absolute Sound. If someone had test areas for consumers to try different amp/headphone combos it would be of great value to them. One reason these posts are so needed is to figure out how this stuff works and how to sort out the quality from the snake-oil.

 

[Wmcmanus]

For the same reason there are no rubber band stores or screwdriver stores. If you want rubber bands, go to Office Depot where you'll find all sorts of other things. If you want screw drivers, go to Home Depot.

Headphones are still regarded as audio accessory items to the masses. Headroom (and I suppose Meier Audio as well) has made great strides over the years to bring headphones in the mainstream, both for audiophiles and for every day folks (music lovers who aren't necessarily "in" the hobby). But it's a tough sell and a perceptions can't be changed overnight.

Head-Fi has helped in this regard as well, in terms of getting the message out to more and more people, but high(er) end headphone audio is still quite the fringe cottage industry.

I've often thought of opening a high end audio (and record) store in Cayman where I could have a back room with all sorts of headphone gear set up, but I really can't be bothered to make the commitment, either in terms of time or money - plus it would be a much too small market for that type of business model.

But I think it could work well in a large city, especially if you also created the right kind of listening environment, much like Barnes & Noble does for reading. In other words, come in, sit down, relax, take your time, and make an assessment before making a purchase. Only problem is that it may breed the wrong mentality among your partons, such that they spend all day listening to your headphones and albums, but don't buy anything!

I think increasingly as the world economy makes it tougher and tougher for new businesses to get off the ground, the 'boutique' concept will start to disappear. I'm not saying that the world as we know it will return to plain vanilla, but I think there will be some serious retrenching and rethinking. I know I wouldn't want to be starting a new business that had a limited and highly specialized scope. At least not now!

 

[kingkevo25]

I can't imagine a retail store selling only headphones surviving long. How much sales per day would a headphone store need to stay afloat? Even a shop in a city such as San Francisco would only sell maybe a dozen hi-end cans on a good day, which minus dealercost wouldn't turn much of a profit. Small businesses need regulars. I think all the money in the headphone market is passed online.... buyers can purchase from sellers regardless of distance, and sellers don't have to worry about rent ($1000s per month), maintenance, etc.

 

[fameh]

Well, i think that it's because the 95% of the people i meet use headphones, but the 99% of those people, is surprised and claims about how is possible that i am so freak to spend so much money in headphones. They say they are happy with their 10$ earphones. And that they sound very good.

So, because the biggest part of the people use normal and bizarre headphones, its simply enough for them to buy in a general electronic store.


And, for the 1-2% of the people who cares about the sound and doesn't matter them to spend 100 or 200$ on a headphones, well, maybe they are specialized buyers, and they don't have big problem on buy via internet, and local stores with small business can't deal with those prices.

I simply explain my point of view of the problem. Of course i wish to have local headphone stores near

 

[Geruvah]

Bose may have also made themselves really seem like it's the only one in the market that specializes in this to Best Buyers.

 

[Redcarmoose]

This would really only work if the store would get new buyers turned onto what the headphone lifestyle was all about. What you have at Barnes and Noble are people who are at a new kind of library, just with more current information. If they get parched and do'nt have $4.00 for java, they just ask for free icewater so they can stay 4 more hours. A Bose store never has places to sit, but people will stand and hear Bose headphones. The way a headphone location would work would be like a car store. You would have to see what type of car they drove up in. What are the tires like? What are their shoes like? There would need to be a small interview process along with the use of instinct to seperate the buyers from the dreamers. You wouldn't want to disrupt someone who needed 2 hours to buy $1000.00 in stuff. What they would pay for is the service of getting them the correct headphones along with amp and wires for the music they like. If you had custom stuff they could not buy on-line, that would help. The down side would be an understaffed place wherer $4000.00 amp/combos were made into rubble buy the general public who just did'nt know what they were doing. Have you ever seen people at Best -Buy hanging out with a sound system for very long? No.
Maybe amps behind glass with the sound level pre-set and on all the time? The place could get alot of people to find out about headphones. A very great time is now with all the 4 story apartments being made that require the new owners to have nice headsets.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvw2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The biggest gripe I have with head-fi in general is the inability to hear 99% of what's out there. Sites like this are great to fill the knowledge/experience void through a good array of user comments and reviews, but it's so much better to experience products first hand. It just seems so easy to do.

This is what meets are for!

You get to demo the equipment and meet people from the boards. What could be better?

If you can, head over to LA this May for CanJam '09. I'm bringing everything I have and there will be plenty else to listen to, as well. Hope you and many others will be there.

If you'd like a meet closer to home, organize one. If you have access to a community room (apartment, city, etc.) find out when it's available, how much it costs, etc., and start a thread about a date and time.

 

[Singapura]

We are blessed with two headphone stores in Singapore. One also sells more general audio equipment (Stereo) but the other one (Jaben) is completely specialized. You can audition any can or IEM they have and if you're lucky there is a party going on with free food and drinks! Both shops have their own forum with a large following.

 

[SiriuslyCold]

here's an article about Jaben Network
Jaben | gonzobuzz-ing

 

[ronnielee54]

I don't think it would work because to many people would go to the store, test the headphones, make their decision, and then go home and buy them online for about half the price. In my city there is only one mom and pop audio store left in buisness. The internet, as great as it is, has killed off a lot of mom and pops. They just can't compete with etailers. I must shamefully admit that I have been guilty of this practice and I know I am not the only one that is.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriuslyCold /img/forum/go_quote.gif here's an article about Jaben Network Jaben | gonzobuzz-ing

Hey, thanks for the Uncle Wilson article! Didn't I meet him at the last national meet? This is a perfect example of how such a boutique business can be run: large enough market, low overhead, totally relaxed approach to sales, and wise use of the internet to expand your market reach as well as generate enthusiasm in general terms.

So it can be done and is being done by Jaben. This is the kind of thing I had in mind for Grand Cayman, but the local market here would be much too small and it would be a terrible place to run a mail order business out of since all imported products are hit with a 20% import duty! Talk about killing your profits! But I think the concept could work in a major US city.

 

[VicAjax]

it doesn't make sense as a business model. it's like having a store that ONLY sells amps, or turntables, but nothing else.

most of the hi-fi stores around me have an ok selection of headphones.... not comprehensive, but decent. Sennheiser, Grado, AKG and Beyerdynamic are all pretty well represented. A few other brands may not be, but it's not a total gap in the B&M marketplace.

 

[tseryan]

Believe it or not, but there are really few people on this planet willing to pay over $100 for a pair of earphones or headphones.