Question Advice for better sound at lower volume

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The industry has no choice - it's law, set by Government.

You could argue that if people were using their local dealers, they'd still have local dealers. They've lost them due to the likes of DSR regs, rising rents and rates, dwindling customers and profit margins, etc etc. You could argue the hi-fi industry was healthy until the emergence of the internet around the mid 90s. Having started in this industry in 1990, I'd agree. Some manufacturers don't allow mail order of their products, so that customers go visit a local dealer - they're the ones recognising slow but reliable growth, building a good reputation that gives owners a good second hand value. It's those that have always allowed mail order, or relaxed their mail order options over the COVID period can't go back from that, as they desparately chasing their tail for growth.

No Dave, you've got this all wrong.

With the advent of commercially available internet in the late 1990s, the business world jumped on it. Protections were introduced, correctly as you say by government. Good on government because that protects lots of people including you and me. So we all benefit as consumers. From time to time, the legislation updates as needed to ensure that protection is enhanced. All the better.

Then you say "well, if people were using their local dealers, they'd still have dealers", er, well, if the industry moved quickly enough and dealers were adept enough to pick up on trends that fitted with a new generation of buyers then maybe, yeah.

But those dealers that do their stuff well are still in business. Loud and Clear in Edinburgh, Hi Fi Corner (patchy on my experience), Tyson's etc, etc. But the last two both of them said "have you looked at the website" before anything else. So if you want your dealers to meet customer needs, they need to have the goods upfront for those needs to be met.

Rising rents and rates: the ballpark you play in.

Dwindling Customers: Nope, they're all still there. That's bollocks.

Profits Margins: 25% was healthy enough a decade ago. These days, well, let's have a look at what's being flogged off on Ebay for a fat discount. Tyson's were selling Chord Shawlines for £90 a metre pair for a cable that sold for £250 beforehand a year or so back. I should know, I bought three sets.

As to the rest of your post - massively moot point. One or two dealers might try and go down the instore only route, but anybody going down the mail order option is subject to the legislation. And good on the latter.

And the internet? Richer Sounds sold me a Cambridge 752BD universal player 12 years ago now. Still have it, still in working order and it's been well used. Online at that. They *volunteered* a return up to the end of January in 2015. I bought it at the start of December. If they can do it, so can you or the dealers you talk up.

You started in 1990? I started in this hobby in the late 1970s and was aware of the better dealers long before the DSRs kicked in. The likes of James Morrow in Edinburgh ("if I get it home and don't like it, can I swap it for something else?" - "Er.......") won't be seeing my trade anytime soon. And as for the wider industry, that's been tanking for good reason with firms going under, mergers and so on. Nothing to do with DSRs or easier routes to buy or consumer protections.