Vita Audio R4i
Discussion
Sorry to hear you've had to close your shop E31Shrew. Was this due to internet box shifters and 'cheapest price at any cost' buyer mentality? One day there won't be any real dealers left to demo gear at, so we'll all end up buying based on someone else's opinion rather than our own. Sad times.
Thanks chap..Last couple of years have been tough to say the least, but we had a break clause in our lease, next Feb, and if we didn't take it we would've been here for another 5 years.
Six months ago I took 3 large Panasonic screens to a house so the clients could decide on size needed. Quoted and received no reply and TBH I don't bother chasing people up,as I used to when I sold to business. She then called 3 months later to say she had bought a screen online and wasn't happy with the picture so could I go over and sort it for her? Difficult!
As you know most manufacturers don't really give a toss as soon as the product has left their warehouse, and to see prices slashed one day and then put back up the next, made it really tough. Prime example was when Best Buy, Richer Sounds and Amazon decided to slash 20% off all Sonos prices one weekend. I lost over £40k worth of business that week with clients, who had been in the store, had a cracking demo, and then bought online. As you
know Sonos margins are dire so it does grate a bit!
Anyway not all is doom and gloom. We've decided to go and live in the South of France in 2013 so looking forward to that!
Drop me a pm if you're bored!
All the best with move to France, don't blame you for not renewing the lease. Dealer demos followed by buying on the web to save a few quid is one of my pet hates. When I bought my HD350 3 years ago (pre Richer Sounds price slash) the dealer brought it to my house (and a HD750 to tempt me 
) to compare to my AE3000. He spent about 4-5 hours and even brought black out material so I could see them properly in the dark (as it was daytime when he came). I could have saved maybe £200 by then ordering off the web, but it just would have been wrong to me and £200 out of over £3k isn't a big amount when you consider that a projector is a pretty delicate device and might turn up DOA. Having the backup of a local guy incase of future troubles seemed worth it to me, but it seems I'm in the minority.
I can't get over your screen customer...buying elsewhere, but expecting (free) support: I hope you told her where to go (as in back to the supplier
).
Sorry to the OP for draging this off topic, but I guess you got a good recommendation anyway, plus it's bumped back to the top for you for others to see.
) to compare to my AE3000. He spent about 4-5 hours and even brought black out material so I could see them properly in the dark (as it was daytime when he came). I could have saved maybe £200 by then ordering off the web, but it just would have been wrong to me and £200 out of over £3k isn't a big amount when you consider that a projector is a pretty delicate device and might turn up DOA. Having the backup of a local guy incase of future troubles seemed worth it to me, but it seems I'm in the minority.I can't get over your screen customer...buying elsewhere, but expecting (free) support: I hope you told her where to go (as in back to the supplier
).Sorry to the OP for draging this off topic, but I guess you got a good recommendation anyway, plus it's bumped back to the top for you for others to see.
I don't mind topics going off topic!
I am torn between getting an R4i for the lounge and a R2i for the bedroom or whether to go with something like a Sonos system. What would be the best option? I guess the benefit of a Sonos would be the ability to listen to music in both rooms simultaneously from the same source or to internet radio of connected to wifi. Am i right in thinking though that Sonos doesn't access iTunes so you need your music in another location?
I am torn between getting an R4i for the lounge and a R2i for the bedroom or whether to go with something like a Sonos system. What would be the best option? I guess the benefit of a Sonos would be the ability to listen to music in both rooms simultaneously from the same source or to internet radio of connected to wifi. Am i right in thinking though that Sonos doesn't access iTunes so you need your music in another location?
^^^^ All depends on how you might listen to music. Wifey would've preferred an R4 and R2 option as she thinks wireless is the work of the devil. For actual ease and simplicity then the Vita option might be the way forward but to be able to have full control of all your music plus perhaps Napster for £5.00 a month I would opt for a Play 5 in the lounge and a Play3 in the bedroom. Bridge in to the router and perhaps a Sonos ipod dock to access your ipod.
R4 RRP is £549.00 for walnut and £279.00 for the R2
Sonos would be £349.00 for the Play 5 and £259.00 for the Play3 plus bridge at £39.00 and £99.00 for the ipod dock.
Remote if needed will be £279.00 but i guess you may have an iphone etc for the app
Good luck
R4 RRP is £549.00 for walnut and £279.00 for the R2
Sonos would be £349.00 for the Play 5 and £259.00 for the Play3 plus bridge at £39.00 and £99.00 for the ipod dock.
Remote if needed will be £279.00 but i guess you may have an iphone etc for the app
Good luck
Thanks do you not need two sonos devices per room though for stereo sound? it is this thats got me thinking the vita might be a better option and more stylish! was also considering a 2.1 surround sound system for the blu ray (don't want rear speakers for space) so was thinking i might put the r4i under the TV and connect it as an audio out so that it can do the 2.1 doable?
craigjm said:
Thanks do you not need two sonos devices per room though for stereo sound? it is this thats got me thinking the vita might be a better option and more stylish! was also considering a 2.1 surround sound system for the blu ray (don't want rear speakers for space) so was thinking i might put the r4i under the TV and connect it as an audio out so that it can do the 2.1 doable?
Really depends if youre an audiophile sort of bloke! The Play5 s do give a 'stereo' sound but as the speakers are so close together you wouldn't really notice it. Both the play5 and play3 can be 'stereoed' but cost soars.The play 5 and R4/R2 all have line in inputs so telly can be played through them.
OldSkoolRS said:
All the best with move to France, don't blame you for not renewing the lease. Dealer demos followed by buying on the web to save a few quid is one of my pet hates. When I bought my HD350 3 years ago (pre Richer Sounds price slash) the dealer brought it to my house (and a HD750 to tempt me ) to compare to my AE3000. He spent about 4-5 hours and even brought black out material so I could see them properly in the dark (as it was daytime when he came). I could have saved maybe £200 by then ordering off the web, but it just would have been wrong to me and £200 out of over £3k isn't a big amount when you consider that a projector is a pretty delicate device and might turn up DOA. Having the backup of a local guy incase of future troubles seemed worth it to me, but it seems I'm in the minority.
I can't get over your screen customer...buying elsewhere, but expecting (free) support: I hope you told her where to go (as in back to the supplier ).
Sorry to the OP for draging this off topic, but I guess you got a good recommendation anyway, plus it's bumped back to the top for you for others to see.
She did say she had tried to call Amazon ...oh dear! ) to compare to my AE3000. He spent about 4-5 hours and even brought black out material so I could see them properly in the dark (as it was daytime when he came). I could have saved maybe £200 by then ordering off the web, but it just would have been wrong to me and £200 out of over £3k isn't a big amount when you consider that a projector is a pretty delicate device and might turn up DOA. Having the backup of a local guy incase of future troubles seemed worth it to me, but it seems I'm in the minority.I can't get over your screen customer...buying elsewhere, but expecting (free) support: I hope you told her where to go (as in back to the supplier
).Sorry to the OP for draging this off topic, but I guess you got a good recommendation anyway, plus it's bumped back to the top for you for others to see.
Good on you re placing the business with the dealer but I think you might be a dying breed!
craigjm said:
Thanks do you not need two sonos devices per room though for stereo sound? it is this thats got me thinking the vita might be a better option and more stylish! was also considering a 2.1 surround sound system for the blu ray (don't want rear speakers for space) so was thinking i might put the r4i under the TV and connect it as an audio out so that it can do the 2.1 doable?
You could always get a Connect, as its now called, for £279.00 and plug it in to the back of the R4. Then if your router is in a different room a bridge also. Best of all worlds but more dosh again!OK dumb question here Shrew.....
If i go the R4i and Sonos hybrid system mentioned above how would the R4i perform with movie soundtracks in 2.1 compared to say the 2.1 cinema systems that Samsung do with their DVD players? I am thinking the R4i would give better performance, would I be right against something like this -
http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Blu-ray-Home-Cinema-Syste...
If i go the R4i and Sonos hybrid system mentioned above how would the R4i perform with movie soundtracks in 2.1 compared to say the 2.1 cinema systems that Samsung do with their DVD players? I am thinking the R4i would give better performance, would I be right against something like this -
http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Blu-ray-Home-Cinema-Syste...
OT - sorry to hear you're shutting the shop up. Been a pleasure doing business!
Back on topic - I've a couple of s5 (now play 5) and they are great sounding bits of kit. Bassy, clear, they defy their size. Agree the vita looks the business though. If I was in a more adult friendly house (2 young kids) if have bought a connect and some speakers, but for simplicity you can't beat it.
Back on topic - I've a couple of s5 (now play 5) and they are great sounding bits of kit. Bassy, clear, they defy their size. Agree the vita looks the business though. If I was in a more adult friendly house (2 young kids) if have bought a connect and some speakers, but for simplicity you can't beat it.
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