Vote

There are no high end dealers in my area. Depending on the exact product I want to see, I must travel between 100 and 150 miles to visit a dealer. The Web has become my primary way of researching products and comparing products. When I decide to buy, I know from the websites which dealers carry the products I want to see and I have narrowed my list of choices to a few select components. Any manufacturer who does not keep detailed product information and an up-to-date dealer listing on his website is automatically eliminated.

Very important! Lots of info... stuff needed when buying used and new gear plus upgrades and owner's manuals.

Look at NBS Cables' website for example. They are asking people to plonk $$$ for theirr cables and all they have are a few miserable pics with no other info on the products.

No web site to research,order, nor enlist product support equals no buisness.

For about any non-trivial thing I buy, doing prelininary research on the product requires the availability of an informatinve website provided by the manufacturer. Some companies have websites that do noting but say "we have a (token) web site." These companies are at a severe handicap, as far as I am concerned.

A good informative website is a guarantee of the instant support in the future. The site should include: software updates, manuals, tech specs, user forums, equipment reviews, addresses and contacts, links to dealers, and should cover new and discontinued product lines. I am not buying the equipment from any manufacturer without a good website.

A manufacturer's website is important to me, but some of these outfits design their web pages to be so graphics-heavy that it's nearly impossible to download them without a broadband connection.

It is very important to be able to obtain snake oil on line

First contact. :)

I also find a rapid response of any outstanding questions posed to the manufacturer helpful. Sometimes a dealer may not know the answer, or you may not a have a dealer near buy to ask! Additionally, this gives a good inidcation on the attitude of the manufacturer -- are they customer focused or not? Links to reviews, etc are useful.

Need to get the facts. Links to reviews, and dealers are the facets I use the most. I still let my own ears decide what sounds good.

I would like to say very important but most a poor. As an owner of a Linn LP 12 fully upgraded, Ittok arm and Arkiv, I would like to say that this is one of the worst of the lot. Last time I looked I could not get imformation on the Ekos tone arm a product I am interested in purchasing in the near term

For locating dealers and for requesting information / contacting the manufacturer (via EMAIL) outside of normal biznizz hours.

I believe that the time spent by a manufacturer in establishing a content-rich website is somewhat indicative of the time spent on their equipment. Since your thumbnail this week is of Classe, I must point out that I own a Classe amp and their website has been littered with the dreaded "Under Construction" signs for months. I'm beginning to get anxious about the company.

Mandatory, because there is no other way for an interested buyer to make comparisons of what the equipment is supposed to do. While websites cannot replace visiting a dealer and actually listening to the equipment, they can express the theories behind the equipment, as well as the style and humor of the chief designers. The only other way to come close to getting this much information about so many different manufacturers would be to attend several trade shows.

I'm incredulous that a great many audio/video manufacturers have websites that are not up to date. Discontinued models are still shown as current, there's no reference to new models that are usually already available for sale at your dealer, there are used equipment lists with items shown that have been sold weeks or even months ago, incomplete dealer listings . . . . The list goes on and on. As it is with automobile purchases, the internet is a key source of information that prospective buyers rely on. It is often the first exposure that a prospective customer has to a company and its products. You only get one chance to "make the first impression." I always assume that my first sales-oriented exposure to a company (with me as the potential client) is the company at its best (when they're being considered to be the recipient of my discretionary spending). If they can't impress me at this point, any subsequent relationship (warranty, service, etc) is likely to disappont.

It's important to have a website in those instances where there are no dealers for a specific brand or product line. But I, for one, wouldn't buy an audio component only on the basis of an online info site or an advertisement, but they may help me to make a final decision.

Presuming that the manufacturer maintains a website the consumer can then at least hope that the information posted is as up-to-date as "practical". Printed material at the vendor tends to become stale, even dusty. Most of us have a real need to collect as much information as we can within the shortest time frame in order to make that critical decision while being torn between desire and logic.

The manufacture's web site is their store front for me. Key to my "buying" decisions and process. 1) Helps to seperate fact from fiction. 2) Browse product manuals. 3) Obtain important company information (phone numbers, ploicies, customer service, ...)

Although I own gear made by a company without a website (CAT), I really think that having a nice website is a huge asset. When people ask me about my CAT gear, there is nowhere to send them for information.

First and formost 99% of the products in recommended componenets are not sold in my town and even if I drive 2 hours east to Memphis or 4 hours west to Dallas I still only pick up another 1 to 2% of whats on the market. The only high end gear at my dealer is MAC and B&W then it rapidly goes down with B&K, ADCOM, Klipsch (except Heritage series), Parasligms and various odds and ends that even go lower on the quality scale. I also like factory specs for AB comparison on paper of like gear. Also nice if you would like to see the product your interested in.

Web Site is the way to go for any Manufacturers to present their products in a much timely and detail fashion. The readers would have more international reach of the product around the world, at least to broaden our scope of interesting product/design.

I look for the following items on a manufacturer's website: pictures (front, back, inside where appropriate), product specs, reviews, dealers, retail pricing, contact info, tips & suggestions for optimal product use, company info, factory info & pictures, designer info & picture, historical product info. All that gives me a "warm & fuzzy" about the manufacturer. Most of the time that is my first contact with the product line. A bad website with little info is a turn off. Makes me think about stability, attention to detail and whether they are in this for the long haul. I realize this may be much to ask from small companies, but I feel they are asking a lot from me in plunking down my cash on a product they tell little about or only sell at a few remote dealers or only mail order—return policy or not.

Many prospective audio customers live outside major population centers, at least ones large enough to allow retailers to stock audiophile equipment. Combine this with the limited number of dealers per brand and it is plain that the only contact most consumers have with the majority of manufacturers is through the internet.

My nearest high-end dealer is 150 miles away. The Web lets me get the information I want now—no fuss, no muss, and no sales pitches. I wish more manufacturers appreciated the usefullness of the Web. Many sites could benefit from additional information and timely updates.

The manufacturer is the best source of information on a product. They designed and built the product, so they know the most about it. An informative website is also a good source of advertising, since not every dealer carries every brand or product from that brand. An informative website can inspire a mail order purchase, or a trip to a distant store for an audition. I would much rather have an informative website than a glossy handout with limited information. In this day and age, are there many high-end customers who don't have some form of internet access? There will always be a place for brochures and ads, but I think it is time to put the bulk of the information online.

Here is an excellent opportunity for Stereophile to provide an additional service to its readers. For every component reviewed, or given more than a passing reference, provide a web address for the distributor or manufacturer. The address can be listed in magazine or even better, as a link from your web site. [In fact, we do have a link with every review posted on the website. Check the right column - ed.]

Any/all products today should be supported by by web link support and info.

Living in Puerto Rico and being an audio enthusiast is no easy task, since most of the beauties you review are not available here. However, while it may not be even close to paying a visit to a dealer, going to the website is the closest I'll ever be!

The manufacturer's website is the first place I go, no question about it.