So, I've posted here before regarding my reservations about the BS5. It's not that I think it's a bad piece of hardware, it just isn't my preferred choice, especially in comparison to other systems out there. For some folks, it will suit them just fine.
That being said, I still find myself drawn to the design. The sleek lines are certainly attractive and the satisfying way the wheel spins is its own cool little effect. So, while near my local B&O shop today, I popped in for a few minutes just to check it out once again.
The salesperson was someone I had seen before, but had not worked with. We chatted for a few minutes about the BS5 and I came away with a negative impression having nothing to do with the unit, but everything to do with the salesman's approach. I told him up front that while I thought it was cool, I preferred a touchscreen interface. From there, it was clear he was on the defensive and argued in favor of the BS5 from that stance on several different design aspects. I've been a tech guy for years and have rarely encountered this type of attitude. Sure, I've come across the snooty thing that some salespeople are prone to (especially in specific high end HT shops I have visited) and it's not uncommon for salespeople to defend their products, but this was clearly beyond that.
Hey, maybe he was having a bad day or maybe he had heard some knocks on B&O stuff one too many times lately (though I definitely was not bad mouthing the BS5, just saying I preferred another design style). That being said, I don't think you can afford to do that, certainly not in this economy. Even if you feel that the chance of making a sale is small, you're certainly not going to close the deal by defending the product emotionally. Rather, suggesting that I spend some more time with it, showing off some features that you think I may not be aware of, etc would all have been better routes to take.
As an example, I have a local B&W dealer whom I have bought various non-B&W products from over the last few years. While I evaluated various models over the years, I never found one that sounded right to me. However, because of how great the dealer was, every time I was in the market for a speaker purchase I would pay them a visit and include them as part of my consideration. It finally paid off as I found a pairing I loved at their shop recently and happily bought them (pair of 803Ds and an MC252 amp).
Anyways, I just thought I would post about this. I won't say that this has soured me on the BS5 completely, but it certainly doesn't make me want to buy anything from that guy....
