AAFES & Klipsch: Who lost the connection?

[Frzninvt]

I bought my JBL B-380 at Mainz-Kastel as a floor model and got it for $330 plus they threw in a new set of grills for it. Hardly fit in the car to get it back to Ramstein AB! They did not have the BX-63A crossover for it but I used a DBX 120X-DS instead as the crossover running it off my DBX BX-3 Power Amplifier using the bridged channel of it in 3 channel mode. While it did provide big bass it does not dig anywhere near as deep as my current Velodyne's do. I sold it a few years back on eBay when I was reconfiguring my system for HT, UPS almost did not want to ship the thing. The guy that bought it had another and was going to run duals. Wow!

[votzemt]

I used to sell Adcom and Klipsch while in the Army in Mannheim. I still have all Klipsch in my house, gotta love the Forte II's. Seeing this title brings back memories.

Now I have no clue really on the audio market but still love my Klipsch, oh and 18 years in now (4 Active 14 National Guard) 18 years and 2 to go.

[Piranha]

I wonder if anything has changed with AAFES since Andy's original post?

[jt1stcav]

I'd like to think so, but my gut feeling says otherwise...[]

Any news to report, Klipsch?

[Guest srobak]

I was at KI Sawyer from 87-94 until just before it's WRONG closure - and never once saw Klipsch. They were pushing Bose like there was no tomorrow, Kenwood and Cerwin Vega. I was on-hand for the first demonstration of the Bose AM-5s there - and I am ashamed to admit here today that I bought a set

I still have my Pioneer laser disc player that I bought there

Oh - and who posted and was from McChord? Old stomping grounds for me there too... 79-83.... my address was just around the corner from the Youth Center & Carter Lake school - 3151B Pine Street Take some pictures of the old place for me?

[bulldozer3]

I'm in the navy now (pilot), and I've noticed at all the exchanges/px's, buying anything electronic is a rip-off. I'm currently on surge to japan, but stationed in Hawaii. No kidding, last month, the sony 50 inch 720p rear projection TV I bought from circuit city in jan 05 for $2300 was being sold at the Kbay exchange for $2999.99 USED... last month. They simply do not keep up with quickly changing prices in this market, and have gone to what seems more of a profit making enterprise. I was looking at laptops before I went on deployment last thanksgiving, and the exchange price was $400 more that circuit city/amazon, etc. The digital camera I wanted, 230 bucks at amazon, 400 at the exchange. All they have now is overpriced Bose junk, or the typical HTiB. Its a shame. It seems they are intentionally ripping off unsuspecting customers thinking they are getting a good deal because its on base.

[jt1stcav]

That is a real shame. AAFES always seemed to charge wholesale prices and carried a huge variety of merchandise back when I was on active duty ('80 to '86). My Nakamichi DRAGON 3-head autoreverse cassette deck back in '84 retailed for about $2500 or so, and I bought it new at the PX in Stuttgart for $800. My Denon DP-62L manual turntable retailed for over $600 I think, and I got it for $300. For AAFES to have become a more profit making enterprise than a wholesale retailer for our military personnel is a major crime IMO!

[Groomlakearea51]

Same thing with the Audio-Photo Clubs. That's where I found my Klipschorns & JBL's, etc. They too disappeared in the early 90's. had to do with "unfair competition".... When I went back to Bosnia in 96-97, I went to Frankfurt hoping to get to the Rhein Main AP club, etc. That's when I was told by a couple of buddies that the PX's were mandated by Congress that they could no longer "undersell" competing commercial enterprises. AP clubs were then put out of business for the same reason, and complaints from the Germans about customs duties.... The only good deal left is the commissary.

[jt1stcav]

Glad I got my deals on audio and camera equipment when I did!

What a copout..."unfair competition"..."undersell" my arse! The men and women of our armed forces who sacrifice everything to volunteer to serve our nation (especially now in time of war) deserve all the breaks they and their dependants can get, to include discount prices on all products sold thru AAFES/BX/PX! The low prices served us military personnel quite well for many many years...I don't remember hearing the local competition complaining while I was on active duty...and I did just about all my LP and CD shopping, to include clothing and the appliances and furniture I bought for my apartment off post at these local competing retailers here in the states and in Germany (most of my food shopping was at the commissaries due to being close and the fact I usually ate out at the local restaurants or in the mess halls anyway)! Since when did the government become "politically correct" all of a sudden and give in to big business? These businesses near military installations weren't hurting, and they still had their civilian customer base shopping with them. So the AP clubs go out of business instead, and the civilian employees then lose their jobs?

I hate politics!