Even the worst Naim dealer I’ve ever dealt with would spend half a day; bring a box of music and leave me pondering which of the new things I’d heard I was to buy first.
It says much about my current state of mind that my current dealer sold himself during his first visit when he refused to play me any music he had and wanted to hear something I had that he didn’t. Every time I tried to turn the talk to boxes he wanted to talk music. There is perhaps no higher recommendation but as yet I can’t bring myself to put him through this nonsense again.
When he exhausted his knowledge on how to fix the issues caused by miswiring he asked for assistance from Naim. Again, what could be more impressive than reaching your limits; recognising that and finding someone to assist? The day with Mark Raggett from Naim was an education in itself and I suspect for both the dealer and I.
Dealers are a personal thing though. What I think is joyful someone else will find irritating. I can think of highly recommended dealers with great reputations via forum members who, when I met them, respectively gave off an air of complete disdain and disinterest; appeared to be money grabbers and in one case didn’t appear competent. Those people retain the respect and custom of many members here so let’s not be too quick to judge what a dealer ought or ought not to do.
I have the feeling of living in another world. Most dealers I know make some efforts the first time you buy from them. After it’s the minimum required. Sometimes you need to insist to be delivered at home.
The dealer who sold me the SME turntable installed it on 3 legs!
Another didn’t want to travel 30 Kims a second time to deliver me the last component I have ordered.
Another dealer sold me the unitserve but didn’t know how to install it.
The same dealer sold me a nap 300dr, but didn’t know that it needed special cables to connect to my ear preamp. An employee tried to modify my cables without success. I had to go myself to a cable dealer.
Another sold me cables for 500 euros, but I learned later that the cables costed 150 euros…
Just some examples.
I don’t think it was intended as a criticism of French dealers, rather identifying that in Britain, Naim’s home country, Naim may have more influence on the standards of service dealers should provide to be approved as Naim deLers.
Wow, I’ve never had a dealer deliver and setup my gear. I’ve always been the delivery and setup man! But really a lot of this sounds like having to take in your car to get your tyre pressures checked and set by the Dealer. Honestly if you’re an Audio Enthusiast half the fun is setting up and playing around and learning how to get the most out of it. If one has no interest in gear and just wants great music find a great one box solution, speakers you love and rock on
I once owned a Micromega Stage CD player which failed. Repaired in France with the reissue; postage and packing in both directions paid for by then and it barely cane to 3 figures. Was also done inside a fortnight.
Ditto, except half the time not delivery, that being the postman.
I disagree - though maybe it depends on concept of “audio enthusiast”. I have interest in the gear, and I believe in the “separates” approach, but I just want to get it set up and then play and enjoy music, the system’s raison d’être. I will tweak when something gives me reason to believe there will be noticeable positive benefit to sound quality, but never tweak for the sake of it. Once I reached a good level of sound quality I was (and am) happy for everything to sit there unmoved and untweaked even for years at a time, until something fails and needs replacing (that has happened with CD players twice, otherwise that has never been a trigger), or until either I stumble across some new piece of kit that suggests itself as likely of significant improvement and I have the money to indulge, or until I have money to spare and decide that a hifi upgrade is the appropriate place to spend it.