anyone can come up with an example or two about a salesman like that chasingrichard, but it is very rare. We all run into a great salesman like that every once in a while. There aren't that many of them because they don't keep their jobs long selling other people's products. The fact is, unless you live a truely charmed life, don't expect to ever get an unbiased opinion from a salesman especially if its in an LDS. I'm a firm believer that it's our responsibility to research products we buy and make our own, self-informed decisions about our gear. I appreciate good sound myself, but don't think for a second that your "needs" put you in a category where $8000 worth of any brand's speaker won't fit the bill. The Bose guy must be on something. Sound is sound, high quality sound is high quality sound. It's not like B&W offers blue sound and Bose only offers black and white sound. Quality is quality, but when hit a certain point the difference is purely numbers or braggin rights.
Why are Atomic Regs the Reg LDS's love to hate?
- Thread starter ChasingRichard
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
mmakay
Contributor
Pick any other two from the list of good audio companies and I'd agree with you. But, for the $$ Bose is total garbage. I can't believe people still buy 901's .... yuck.
mmakay
Contributor
I'd like to hear the answer, too. Why are you being defensive?
I'm just a new diver that enjoys learning a lot about equipment and making informed purchases. I was looking at buying a Z1, but if the proceeds are going to support something subversive like clubbing baby seals, shooting spotting owls, or the french military I have the right to know!
But if the sales rep for your LDS is a prick, then maybe that's not enough of an issue for me to write-off the brand.
OP
ChasingRichard
Guest
Well if you must know I am Saddam Hussein and I am thinking about building weapons of mass destruction in the ocean.
:boom:
$8,000 is a bit of scratch to spend on one purchase/set of purchases all at once. What did you end up getting A pair of 803s or 802s? For speakers while the quality of the speaker itself is good, past a certain point in quality, proper positioning is more important then throwing on additional dollars for a better speaker.
Anyway, the "issues" that LDS's have with Atomics as a company appears to have been already mentioned by many people in the thread. It varied from cost to obtain an Atomics franchise, to smaller support network than other brands, to dislike of the sales/franchise representitive.
Perhaps it's not the questions, but the fact that the "questions" do not appear to be asked in a search to find "real" answers, but they appear to have the tone of being asked in a rhetorical fashion simply to pusha ponit and denegrate sales people who hawk their own goods over competing dive stores.
It all comes down to, when a store sells you a product over another make/model, are they saying it's good because they carry it, or do they carry it because it's good? And with items that need regular maintanence, it's not just the product itself, but the company/support network behind the product as well.
IMHO, Atomics regs seem nice and I'd love to have a pair of M1 reg sets, but they are hella expensive for "test specs" improvments that I do not REALLY need. My "good enough" "does the job better than I need" reg sets are less than half the price of a pair of M1s.
Anyway, the "issues" that LDS's have with Atomics as a company appears to have been already mentioned by many people in the thread. It varied from cost to obtain an Atomics franchise, to smaller support network than other brands, to dislike of the sales/franchise representitive.
Perhaps it's not the questions, but the fact that the "questions" do not appear to be asked in a search to find "real" answers, but they appear to have the tone of being asked in a rhetorical fashion simply to pusha ponit and denegrate sales people who hawk their own goods over competing dive stores.
It all comes down to, when a store sells you a product over another make/model, are they saying it's good because they carry it, or do they carry it because it's good? And with items that need regular maintanence, it's not just the product itself, but the company/support network behind the product as well.
IMHO, Atomics regs seem nice and I'd love to have a pair of M1 reg sets, but they are hella expensive for "test specs" improvments that I do not REALLY need. My "good enough" "does the job better than I need" reg sets are less than half the price of a pair of M1s.
There are a few Atomic dealers where I live and they highly recommend them as great regulators, although they admit that the price of admission is high. My LDS, however, doesn't carry Atomics and the general advice I get from them is that most regulators, regardless of manufacturer, will work splendidly for recreational diving.
The Z1 is a great regulator at a great price IMO. The B1/T1 is expensive because of the titanium they use and I'm not sure about the M1 Monel (meaning I'm not sure of materials cost). The Z1 is made from traditional brass.
HTH
The Z1 is a great regulator at a great price IMO. The B1/T1 is expensive because of the titanium they use and I'm not sure about the M1 Monel (meaning I'm not sure of materials cost). The Z1 is made from traditional brass.
HTH
OP
ChasingRichard
Guest
Cool that answers a lot of questions.
Well I think I have settled on a Z1 for both me and my daughter. Have just bought a DUI TLS350 and am looking forward to putting the rest of my gear together. Thanks to everyone for your comments.
As for the speakers no could not afford the 800 B&W series and no I did not spend the $8K all at once put everything together over a 2 year period from one store. I got the CDM 9nt's with Marantz amp/receiver and DVD/CD player. What cost the most was the Rel subwoofer and I just got that in Jan. I figured the money was relative to the years I would own them. I got everything from Arizonia "Sounds like Music" nice place to visit if your ever in the area.
Don't underestimate Atomic's branding practices - look at their site, look at their packaging. They are clearly setting themselves up as a premium brand, and many people resent the Atomic branding. Frankly many LDS simply do not meet the dealer profile.
I've spent some time talking with Atomic at several shows. They're very candid about it. This brand profile includes a whole host of things: the mix of the other gear an LDS sells, their qualifications as a dealer (service wise as well as knowledge wise), how much volume they could move, what will the LDS do to support the brand (not just $ wise, but also in Atomic's ongoing branding effort), teaching profile (tech, recreational, pull - from affluent demographic areas or modest) geography and at the end of the day, the general feeling the Atomic rep got when he made a store visit.
I would assert it is the general opinion of non-Atomic dealers that the guys at Atomic are tweeks, jerks, expensive and generally unreasonable.
I would further assert it is the opinion of Atomic dealers that the brand has added prestige to their line up, they get the support of Atomic (the full color direct mail piece just sent to registered users at Atomic's expense - driving people to the dealer for upgrades is an indication of their support) and likely, their average life-support dollar-per-customer is probably higher because the general Atomic customer is spending more on gear than the average Oceanic customer. They're not sold in the big chain stores (in So Cal) because these stores don't meet the dealer profile - not because there isn't big $$$ to be had.
I dive Atomic. My wife dives Atomic. The shops I frequent happen to be Atomic dealers. Do I have an inherent bias towards the product? Maybe - its all I've ever owned. I bought them new off of eBay in 1999. Had them serviced at recommended intervals and they've been a dream. I've rented other gear and it didn't breathe nearly as well. Its a solid product and I have no problem with them.
As to the bomb that troll-monger LUBOLD8431 dropped (and then went silent) I'd like to hear your side of the story - what is your deal, man? You're the same guy that started that worthless Piston v. Diaphragm thread that, in about 2 seconds, turned into Calvin peeing on things. Lately your takes aren't fresh and your posts are pretty weak...shake yourself. You're better than that.
K
I've spent some time talking with Atomic at several shows. They're very candid about it. This brand profile includes a whole host of things: the mix of the other gear an LDS sells, their qualifications as a dealer (service wise as well as knowledge wise), how much volume they could move, what will the LDS do to support the brand (not just $ wise, but also in Atomic's ongoing branding effort), teaching profile (tech, recreational, pull - from affluent demographic areas or modest) geography and at the end of the day, the general feeling the Atomic rep got when he made a store visit.
I would assert it is the general opinion of non-Atomic dealers that the guys at Atomic are tweeks, jerks, expensive and generally unreasonable.
I would further assert it is the opinion of Atomic dealers that the brand has added prestige to their line up, they get the support of Atomic (the full color direct mail piece just sent to registered users at Atomic's expense - driving people to the dealer for upgrades is an indication of their support) and likely, their average life-support dollar-per-customer is probably higher because the general Atomic customer is spending more on gear than the average Oceanic customer. They're not sold in the big chain stores (in So Cal) because these stores don't meet the dealer profile - not because there isn't big $$$ to be had.
I dive Atomic. My wife dives Atomic. The shops I frequent happen to be Atomic dealers. Do I have an inherent bias towards the product? Maybe - its all I've ever owned. I bought them new off of eBay in 1999. Had them serviced at recommended intervals and they've been a dream. I've rented other gear and it didn't breathe nearly as well. Its a solid product and I have no problem with them.
As to the bomb that troll-monger LUBOLD8431 dropped (and then went silent) I'd like to hear your side of the story - what is your deal, man? You're the same guy that started that worthless Piston v. Diaphragm thread that, in about 2 seconds, turned into Calvin peeing on things. Lately your takes aren't fresh and your posts are pretty weak...shake yourself. You're better than that.
K
cstreu1026
Contributor
I have to agree the Atomic product is very very good, and also pricy. That being said, the Z1 has got to be one of the best bargains out there. I have been questioning my decision to go with a Scuba Pro Mk25/S600 instead of the Z1. I guess it was becuase I got a better deal buy buying the SP reg with my Uwatec computer. My next reg will be an Atomic.
bwerb
Hoser/English Translator, eh
It breathes like a dream. I sincerely don't even know that I am using it.
I liked the features and the two year interval between regular servicing.
I'd buy another one again in a heartbeat.
I liked the features and the two year interval between regular servicing.
I'd buy another one again in a heartbeat.
Similar threads
