I need new Headphones

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:25 pm

$14.99? Wow - i really fucking hate best buy. $35

Orwell · Post by **Orwell** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:46 pm

BasharOfTheAges wrote:$14.99? Wow - i really fucking hate best buy. $35

You realize that's how they give their employee's discounts right? They charge them normal prices, and the customer get it's in the ass. If the customer buys it, great, but when you go to get hired there, they check your interests, see if you might buy directly from them.

Or so I've been told.

NeoQuixotic · Post by **NeoQuixotic** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:22 am

Orwell wrote:You realize that's how they give their employee's discounts right? They charge them normal prices, and the customer get it's in the ass. If the customer buys it, great, but when you go to get hired there, they check your interests, see if you might buy directly from them.

Or so I've been told.

I've worked for Best Buy. Employees get items at cost+5%. I always laughed that a 6 foot USB cable is sold for $32 and employee cost was like $1.80. That's nearly 1000% markup

! Of course there isn't that much margin on everything. Believe it or not, but computers generally only have about a $40-$80 margin. And if they are on sale (i.e. instant rebate), the company loses money. That's why electronic retailers are always pushing their warranties and service plans, so they can make up the difference.

godix · Post by **godix** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:55 am

anubisx00 wrote:
Orwell wrote:You realize that's how they give their employee's discounts right? They charge them normal prices, and the customer get it's in the ass. If the customer buys it, great, but when you go to get hired there, they check your interests, see if you might buy directly from them.

Or so I've been told.
I've worked for Best Buy. Employees get items at cost+5%. I always laughed that a 6 foot USB cable is sold for $32 and employee cost was like $1.80. That's nearly 1000% markup ! Of course there isn't that much margin on everything. Believe it or not, but computers generally only have about a $40-$80 margin. And if they are on sale (i.e. instant rebate), the company loses money. That's why electronic retailers are always pushing their warranties and service plans, so they can make up the difference.

As a general rule large electronics in big box stores are usually right around cost. The accessories are where you get fucked. True of computers and the TV dept usually (although TV's have more markup but still it isn't much). So go buy your accessories from a small mom and pop shop that is happy as fuck to sell a USB cable for $8 and make 4 times what it's worth, it's far far cheaper than the big box stores.

Bonus tip: You know those monster component cables with gold tips that sell for $80 to $150? Ignore them. Get a cheap ass couple dollar composite cable instead. You won't see a difference.

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:34 am

godix wrote:Bonus tip: You know those monster component cables with gold tips that sell for $80 to $150? Ignore them. Get a cheap ass couple dollar composite cable instead. You won't see a difference.

I like how places like circuit city and CompUSA (or at least the ones around my area) won't even sell reasonably priced cabling - it's the expensive shit or go elsewhere. You can get a lot of that crap on Ebay for pennies from hong kong.

NeoQuixotic · Post by **NeoQuixotic** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:26 am

Try MonoPrice for cables. High quality, low prices. Monster Cables are a complete joke for their price.

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:00 pm

I don't guess anyone cares anymore, but I love these things: http://www.amazon.com/Koss-SPARKPLUG-St ... 650&sr=1-1

They actually have bass O_o

I've always hated the kind of hard plastic earphones you get with an ipod or something, because they really hurt my ears, actually have even made them bleed on occasion. These Koss earphones are extremely comfortable--I can forget that I'm even wearing them. The foam ear-thingies mold to the shape of your ear. The only real downside that I see to them is that they can get a little grungy from earwax. You get an extra set of the earbuds though, and they can be washed off easily with just water.