Trip to Comp USA (1 Viewer)

[Robert_Gaither]

Unfortunately this is typical of all mass market chain stores just check the back of every sub and most are maxed out on the gain, phase setup incorrectly, and x-over cut below the AVR's normal point of roll (thus possible cascade problem).

I usually recommend to people who ask (friends, family, co-workers) turn the gain to a quarter, x-over to max, and adjust the phase to see if the sub can play somewhat decent.

 

[Greg-ST]

One thing though, Maybe they will waive the restocking fee if I think Hsu has gotten more subwoofers into consumers' hands because you showed them how to set it up properly of it.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Robert, I'd be willing to bet that (at one time) CompUSA and any other "big box" type of store had properly configured the sub. Granted, I'm going out on a limb by making that statement. - However, I often see customers poking their hands around and touching all the knobs and buttons.

For the moment, we can leave the knowledge-less sales people aside and put the focus on the consumers out there who don't know much. For all we know, they could be those people who put subs in their car and drive 'em with 1,000 watts (thump, thump, thump).

All it takes is some person who doesn't know what they are doing each day to mess the settings up on an item pretty bad.

Finally, you did call it right though. It's very infrequent when you go into a smaller audio shop and hear a sub that very far off from where it should be set.

 

[steve nn]

For the moment, we can leave the knowledge-less sales people aside and put the focus on the consumers out there who don't know much. For all we know, they could be those people who put subs in their car and drive 'em with 1,000 watts (thump, thump, thump).///

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Well I made my little trip today down to the COMP. I walked in and made my way down to the sub/speaker section and find what I'm looking for. Yip the gain is turned to full. (chuckle) I then go back up front and waive down some help. Yes I would like to discuss buying a HSU STF-2. He says "a what"? (chuckle again) After discussing their return policy I went ahead and said I'll take one. So off he goes to track one down after I show him exactly what I'm talking about. Five minutes latter I hear "I'm sorry sir but we seem to be out of stock. Would you be interested in the floor model"?

I wasn't surprised from the other posts I have read. I really hate the waste of time though. Not a big deal as things go in life.

 

[TimMc]

CompUSA sure is a sorry place to see the Hsu's, and an even worse place to have to listen to anything (or talk to the "subwoofer specialist"). But if you got lucky and had the magic coupon on a magic weekend you could get that STF-2 for $350 less the 10% (yeah, I missed the 15% thingie, but it probably wouldn't work the the 2 anyway) - what a deal! And as Matt and others know, the sub is just fine for the $$$ even at C-USA regular price.

Market share matters. That's why Hsu did the deal with GoodGuys, and continued w/ CompUSA. It's too bad they don't have more clout or C-USA doesn't have a clue, 'cause at that price w/ that box they could (and should) move some darned units. More sales funds more R&D, and the battle of increasingly better Hsu's vs. SVS just makes things better for all.

Maybe we could take up a collection to edumacate C-USA?

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Or, maybe there are things we don't know. CompUSA could have taken advantage of HSU through their purchase of Good Guys. I'm sure most people never saw the purchase of Good Guys by CompUSA coming. Just a thought.

 

[ChrisBee]

What nobody considered here is that the general public are career fiddlers.

If it won't come off it can always be "adjusted". You see this in all sort of stores. Kit with detail missing, fingerprints everywhere and the all the knobs cranked to the maximum.

Though it does sound like some of the staff mentioned are rather clueless.

I thought I'd try wearing my (huge) SVS t-shirt into the city and tour the AV dealers for a bit of fun. But just mentioning my SVS in quite a decent AV specialists here brought a blank reaction from everybody present.

Ah well. Maybe it will be worth giving it an airing at the big AV show? Now where did I put my tent poles?

I could set up a private SVS demo booth under the t-shirt and have my 16-46 as a "serious" car subwoofer in my tiny VW Polo. I just hope it doesn't rain!

ChrisBee

 

[Wayne Ernst]

But, you are quite correct. I'd be willing to bet that such a device gets probably a minimum of 10 "adjustments" per day.

 

[TimMc]

ChrisBee - I'd normally agree 110% re: twiddling by the "great unwashed masses", except in my specific case C-USA didn't even hook up the subwoofer! Maybe that was their deterrent to everyone touching the stuff or maybe it just didn't matter to them. Anyway, I had to do it myself because the "Red Shirt" on duty wasn't sure of what to do or didn't have the time. I guess in a way that made me another career twiddler (or else a volunteer Red Shirt). I'm sure I caught them at off-hours and a bad time (kinda the plan ;~) so I got more leeway right there than I ever would have on a normal day.

And SVS? Who or what's an SVS??? And we know that's not just what you hear at C-USA (or BB or CC, etc.) - that's everywhere. In a way it's kinda a minor miracle that Hsu got the larger distribution via GG or C-USA in the first place.

The GG acquisition by C-USA? Had to happen - either GG or someone else. C-USA has to grow and their former niche/strength wasn't growing anywhere. PCs - no increased $$$ there. PDAs? - a dead/dying niche (see Sony Clie). Game consoles? Prices sliding down, moving XBox's a bit of a challenge, all makes for spotty future growth. Software? Well, just how many times can you flog an M$ upgrade train? Their answer is to become all things electronic. CompUSA is a long-time B&M company (ever since their storefront in Richardson?) so probably feels more comfortable acquiring other primarily B&M operations like GG. And that's probably not the last acquisition, either by C-USA or of AV chains (no names here - yet).

Just wait until C-USA starts selling dishwashers & refrigerators...

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Then, we could call the Circuit City. Wait - CC stopped selling dishwashers and refrigerators a few years back because the profit margins were so thin.

 

[Micah Wells]

It was the sales guy that was doing the calibration. I wathced him turn the gian up and the crossover down. I just winder how many of the unhappy pepole that he has showed that sub to never even checked the settings? ANd by listening to some of the comments by the other sales guys, this was this guy's "area". One guy sais, " you finally got it to work? It sounds better than it did the other day." And I have been guilty of "tweaking" equipment in the stores before, but that is why it is there, right? I just think that the sales guys should be knowledgeable enough to reset it to levels that are optimum. Again, I really know nothing when it comes to setting up the equipment, just what I have learned here.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

I work in retail, and I know how to make my subs sound good :rolleyes

I like when tone controls (bass/trebel) are maxed, and the subs volume and X-over is maxed. Sounds just super :rolleyes

Neutral tone controls, no effects. Sub set at about 1/2 gain and X-over set to match speakers. It ain't hard.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I'm overjoyed with the STF-2 I bought at CompUSA a coupla months ago. I was in the store again last Saturday and they had one on the sales floor--still in the rather grubby looking box!!