sheltie dave Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 I'm stoked - got my 15% off coupon for anything at Ultimate Electronics, so I think I will go torture them today. I am going to drive over and ask them for the NINTH time what the door delivered price will be on a new pair of Klipsch Belles. They are the speaker line you supposedly have the franchise to sell, you know! No Reference line speakers are shown in St. Louis. No Heritage line speakers are shown in St. Louis. Klipsch is really missing the boat. There is a reason that Ebay and Audiogon sales of Klipsch product lines of these speaker lines are so brisk, with very robust selling prices. If Klipsch chooses to choke the small botique stereo stores of product line, and is unwilling to enter franchise agreements that ensure adequate product line exposure at the barns, then my money and time will be invested elsewhere. St. Louis is a smaller cowtown with over 2,000,000 people in the metro area. Not a big market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 It could just be me, but I am sensing some aggravation and hostility here. The speakers that I had been shopping for are not available on a single showroom floor anywhere that I know of. Klipsch "Heritage" do you remember them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Back when Ultimate Electronics was known as Audio King, back in the late 70's in fact, that is exactly where I bought my Klipschorns. They did not have them on display but were able and willing to order them for me. So this is different now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted February 17, 2004 Author Share Posted February 17, 2004 Yes, there is a lot of frustration. I click on the dealer locator and see that Ultimate Electronics, The Sound Room, Flip's, and a store in Alton have Reference, and by arrangement, have access to or show Heritage. Flip's is now closed. The store in Alton, a fifty minute drive, has a cheesy voice mail recording at all times. The Sound Room salesmen said six months ago they were deemphasizing Klipsch for various reasons. Ultimate Electronics buyer for St. Louis is based in Denver, and when pinned down, the store manager has declined five times to contact the buyer re pricing while I was in the store. It is truly a shame that Klipsch's name is getting dragged through the dirt here in St. Louis. What makes it most aggravating is knowing the two precepts that never failed Klipsch in the past were dealers that had an excellant personal touch, and brilliant speakers that always were up to any challenge. Any time a buyer had a question, the dealer had a good (and correct) answer. With the collective performance yesterday in town, I have no worries about dealers either having a good personal touch or sound knowledge of their product. With no product to demo, the Klipsch speakers also were not up to the challenge. That is zero for three, a very, very bad day for Klipsch sales. Making a sale is still turning an individual shopper into a buyer, not sliding your product line into a bigger barn with lousy service My experiences are reflected in the forum, as the most passionate discussions are over what auxillary equipment we should buy for our used Klipsch speakers, not what new speakers we ought to pick up! If I have to expend twenty times the energy and time finding the one store in one of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the country, then I spend actually listening to speakers, then Klipsch has failed in marketing and sales. There is a huge disconnect between Klipsch and its primary lead in St. Louis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Dave....I stoped in Ultimate Electronics in Manchester MO. To listen to Klipsch RF-7 They sat me down to audition & left me alone. I listened for as long as I liked. I sure missed seeing the HERITAGE line displayed. KLIPSCH LLC is missing the boat in not getting their FLAGSHIP line displayed in St Louis. I remember when Paul Klipsch would personally have seminars in this cow town. He new who to contact in STL to round up all intrested parties. We,d ring the bell put on our brass nucks & enter the frey. Every one had a good time. Oh & some Klipsch speakers were orderd too. It seems like THE Klipsch marketing dont have the background to do any thing like that. They have become lazy & fat. They could send out T. Cannon or Delgato out on the seminars & draw the crowds. We could pick their brains. PAUL KLIPSCH loved this kind of one on one encounter. He was at his best taking us on. No one At KLIPSCH LLC cares to beat the busches. AS I said theyve become fat & lazy. AND they come back on this FORUM & say....OH we dont know how to sell THE JUBILLEE. Get off your lazy butts marketing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 There's a stereo store in Alton? I had the priviledge of attending two of PWK's seminars in St. Louis. They were great fun and the source of a great deal of information. Mr. Klipsch always had a logical, no malarkey answer for any question. (A sample: "Why do you use screw terminals on your speakers instead of spring connectors?" "First off, screw terminals make better connection, especially when you use spade lugs. Second, it increases the cost of each speaker by about a dollar. Doesn't sound like much, until you realize we sell 250,000 speakers a year.") I miss that sort of interaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted February 17, 2004 Author Share Posted February 17, 2004 Thanks, Maron. It boggles my imagination that the MANAGER won't get on the computer and find WHERE various speakers are actually in store for a demo at the Clayton Ultimate, but I guess it is beneath his dignity to make a sale where the revenue does not go to his credit. While I respect the RF 7s, I too love the Heritage line. We both grew up in an age where quality speakers were a luxury item, so they were built to look good and last for ages. I still associate black with a Klipsch rejected by QA, so it gets painted and sold at a 25% discount twice a year. Looking at the overall situation, it appears Klipsch has decided a "just in time" inventory model is their preferred inventory mode on their flagship models. Gone is the day where they had a solid inventory on hand to demo. It will take me two hours to do a round trip to the Ultimate store out in West County, but I'll head out there this afternoon. I need to pick up 180 feet of oak baseboard at St. Louis Hardwoods, so I can gang the trips together. Randy, they will be happy to order the Belles. They just won't bother to get me a quote. Eight trips without getting a quote, asking every time I go in "When can I expect a quote?" I must be an idiot, but this newfangled service economy customer service drives me crazy. I can get a quote on ANY Bose or other nauseating set of speakers in under a minute. I am a very positive person 99% of the time, but Klipsch really needs to put pressure on some of their marketing and sales channels so they don't SSDD (or SD squared) customers like this. Bob, Reliable Stereo Center on Milton in Alton is listed for carrying the Reference line and can order the Heritage line. It would be interesting to see if they have discontinued Klipsch as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 I remember Reliable. They put the sunroof in my Opel 1900 about twenty five years ago. It was a little off center and only leaked when it rained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Dave, You could do what Jim Cornell did. Drive over here to Terre Haute, IN and get your Heritage line...... it is only 4 hours away........... good Luck! THE AUDIO CONNECTION TOWNE SOUTH PLAZA 3684 SO. US HWY 41 TERRE HAUTE, IN 47802 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PHONE: 812-232-1663 FAX: 812-232-2312 FLIP S STEREO PLACE 191 LAMP & LANTERN VILLAGE TOWN & COUNTRY, MO 63017 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PHONE: 314-842-1600 FAX: 636-230-7469 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted February 17, 2004 Author Share Posted February 17, 2004 Bill, unfortunately Flip's shuttered Christmas day.If I am going to drive to Indiana to pick up a set of new Klipsch, it will be the new Jubilees; for the five figure price, Klipsch should be driving these speakers to the new owners! This underscores how messed up the Klipsch production and distribution networks are... In 1979, when three guys on our dorm floor bought Klipsch, Flip's delivered them two hours later. To the dorms. With five pizzas and a case of beer. Now that Klipsch is mass marketed and is carried by Best Buy and Ultimate Electronics for maximum market placement, I need to drive to Terra Haute or Indianapolis to pick up a set of Heritage. Hmmmmmm And Maron, their flagship line has defaulted to the RF7s. The last Heritage produced will probably be shipped within a month after Valerie passes, but I may be casting a jaundiced, cynical view here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 ] ---------------- On 2/17/2004 5:58:17 PM sheltie dave wrote: unfortunately Flip's shuttered Christmas day.If I am going to drive to Indiana to pick up a set of new Klipsch, it will be the new Jubilees; for the five figure price, Klipsch should be driving these speakers to the new owners! This underscores how messed up the Klipsch production and distribution networks are... WoW- I didn't catch that- and to think they are Still listed as a dealer, after 3 Months!................... Seems to validate eariler posts from folks in FL who seem to be in the same (no dealers) situation.............. Best of Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twhite Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 I just did a heritage search in atlanta. The near dealer for this line is in Macon, GA. Over 100 miles away from my home (on the north side of Atlanta). Very interesting???? A city this large with no Heritage dealers. Several RF's although.... Troy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdfan Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 As someone in Florida who can't find a reference dealer who has that line in stock within a two hour drive, I empathize with your aggrevation. I want to purchase a pair of rb75 but the only dealers within a 75 mile radius either don't have them in stock or won't order them in without grief for the lack of deposit. I am familiar with the quality of Klipsch enough to order them without demo-ing them first, but if I am going to do that,damn if I'm going to pay full MSRP. I'll take my chances and order them online. I sometimes wonder if it is not Klipsch's intent to eventually join the ranks fo the cheaper is better Walmart society we live in. Just for giggles, I've demoed their pro-media line at a local Comp-usa and wasn't the slightest bit impressed. They have the synergy line at Best Buy. But in my opinion, that particular line isn't quite deserving of the Klisch tag. Although it is better than the other lines Best buy carries, it's not that impressive. I saw where one of the moderators stated that the reason that Klipsch ended their reationship with Sound Advice/Tweeter was that they did not have the speakers setup nor shown optimally. If that's the case, how do they justify a store like BB, which has the worst listening setup I've ever seen or heard. I don't mean to ramble, but I wonder why all the low end stuff is readily available while the mid-line and heritage are not. Don't get me wrong, I'm very satisfied with the Klipsch products I own. I just question why a company would sue online sellers of their product when they don't seem to have very many brick and mortar sellers. You can't even aquire them from Klipsch directly, but they do sell t-shirts. Go figure. It seems to me, at the rate they're going, qulity Klipsch products might have to be purchased from yard sales and e-bay only. Makes me wish I bought one more pair of klf-20 while they were avaiable. I don't mean to piss anybody off, just sharing my observation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Doesn't help any of you guys (except Steven) but the whole reason I was inspired to get on the horn with the Klipsch sales team was because there are no authorized Heritage dealers in Virginia - that's right, NONE. None in the VA Beach/Norfolk area, none in DC, none in Richmond. I want to change that - ASAP! Even if it means that poor Steven has to drive two hours to see and hear a pair of K-Horns, it's better than him having to drive to somewhere in PA to do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Well, I was very surprised when I used the dealer locator and found that here in Southern California, the closest Heritage dealer to me is 103 miles away. San Diego. I am still having a hard time digesting this. Give me a break. No Heritage dealer in the LA area? WTF? Aren't most of the big recording studios here? Perplexing to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banned Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 I live in Eastern Washington. A couple BB's in town for Synergy series. You have to travel to the west side of the state for Reference series. You have to go to Portland, Oregon for the nearest Heritage dealer. 300 miles away. Magnolia Hi-Fi sold RF series, but no more. I thought Huppin's in Town here was a dealer, but Klipsch doesn't list them as one. Yay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yossarian Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 The almost total lack of dealers who carry the Heritage line is one of the things that makes this board so frustrating to a horn newbie like me. There is an Ultimate Electronics here in the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf, IA and Moline and Rock Island, IL) that carries the Reference series (I was lucky enough to get a pair of REF 3 II's), and there is another local outfit called planet audio that carried Klipsch years ago. Practically the only way a guy can hear Heritage is to seek out someone who owns some, or take the plunge and throw down some cash on a used pair, most likely on E-bay. Then you are probably going to get nailed for shipping unless you get lucky. I know many of the people here on the forum have all Heritage HT, but it seems to me that the almost total unavailability of Heritage speakers means that Klipsch is focusing its marketing almost entirely on HT and has pretty much written off the high-end two channel fans. In this they are certainly not alone. Hell, Ultimate Electronics prominently displays pretty expensive (something like $3,500 a pair) Martin Logans. Why not Belles or LaScalas? Hell, I would love to hear a pair of Heresy II's. I'm fairly certain I will buy a pair of used heritage eventually, but damn, I would love to hear a pair first. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 That's where Audiogon and eBay come into play BTW....the Klispch Cornwall, LaScala, Belle Klipsch, and Khorn will all blow doors on any $3500 pair or Logans IMHO. No offense to anyone, but I think Logans sound horrible, and are grossly overpriced. At least the pairs I have heard sure were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted February 18, 2004 Author Share Posted February 18, 2004 Hepa, go ahead and say it, I live in Spokane! Huppins is the tip of the iceberg and exemplifies the route Klipsch has taken in the past ten years. They are pulling all their traditional marketing channels over time and chasing the boxes and barns. We can jump up and down, trying to reverse this, but it is a bean counter decision. I'm sure they are making more off selling Quintets at the barns then we will ever generate buying Heritage and Reference, so the brick and mortor stereo buffs that like to listen before buying have fallen off the radar screen. Last night my wife had to study for two classes, so Liam and I went on a mission to find RF 7s. The Sound Room out in Chesterfield has most of the Reference hooked up, so we heard them for the first time under less than ideal conditions. The salesman said the Klipsch line was the fourth best selling line(out of five) at the store, and he pegged the RF 7 as the fifth best speakers in the demo room. Liam heard that, so he grabbed the RF7 grille laying on its side, and scraped it across three B&K speakers. After that, he went to the control router and deprogrammed it in ten seconds. After the salesman regained his equilibrium and asked how we managed to live with such a monster having electronics, I just smiled and said we keep everything sensitive at four feet or higher. I think he regrets telling me that Liam did not need to be watched, and suggested that I let him run free while we were talking. Liam didn't take kindly to hearing that B&K speakers were better than Klipsch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I live in Cheney! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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