Just got back from PE in Springboro...had just a few suggestions.

[mike19v]

So let me preface this with saying that I am one of the lucky ones on this forum that live about 30 miles from PE...so I have the ability to go there basically anytime I am in the area. I have got more than a few awesome deals in their clearance isle, and it is a stop anytime I am within 10 miles of Springboro. I had a business meeting in Dayton this morning with a colleague, and on the way back I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop. I am the only one in my circle that is into DIY audio, and my friends have all remarked how good my OS's, Speedsters, and SI HT18 sub sounds, and how they think they are so much better than off the shelf stuff.

We went into the showroom, and my friend was looking around...and wandered into the "listening room." I say listening room, but technically it's just a listening corner. As we were standing there, I was looking around and realized that about the only thing you could listen to is retail offerings. It got me thinking that PE is one of the best sources for DIY...and there are very few DIY speakers you can listen to as an "outsider."

It would be really awesome if PE could dedicate a small area/room to DIY offerings, even if only what you can buy in knock down kit form for customers to experience. The members of this forum do a great job at designing their speakers to perfection, and then offering those designs to the public...but it is a hard sell to get someone to buy a kit off recommendation alone. It would be really cool to audition an RS sub against an Ultimax, listen to some Tri-Trix towers or OS bookshelves. Even be able to demo some of the works that our speaker design team are putting together.

It's just a thought, and I know floor space is at premium...but an actual place to hear some of these great designs could push the apprehensive buyer to purchase when they see what can be accomplished with DIY. It would also help a noob/intermediate person like me decide what project to start on next if I could hear differences in all the great products.

That's all, rant maybe...but just a thought for others and maybe PE to read.

Thanks!

[isaeagle4031]

That is an excellent idea! I've been there a few times but never really gave that any thought.

[Kevin K.]

This is a great suggestion for PE's retail front, hopefully they will give it some thought. I've visited their store both times I attended MWAF and let's just say their listening room was a little disappointing. Like Mike said, it's not really a room where as it should be and a lot of the stuff that was in there looked pretty dated. Glass walls and doors only makes sense so they can observe and go help the customers. Perhaps divide it into two rooms, one for car audio and one for home. An enclosed listening room would also allow customers to demo what PE offers without disturbing or running off other customers in the store shopping for other things. With all of the different types of products (amps, speakers, kits, etc.) Parts Express sells, this should make for one heck of a demo room. Only problem they might have is getting the customers to leave.

[jhollander]

I have some purple speakers I could donate...probably doesn't qualify as a kit thou

[DanP]

I have some purple speakers I could donate...probably doesn't qualify as a kit thou

I thought those had a permanent place in your living room John!

[Wolf]

It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater....

Heehee,
Wolf

[6thplanet]

Would be pretty cool to have a monthly rotation of builds on demo that were entered in the MWAF gig. Then people could get a real "demo" of some of the speakers brought to the show.

[Psycoacoustics]

It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater....

Heehee,
Wolf

Darn you Wolf! Now I'm going to be singing that song all day!

Mark

[bwaslo]

Great idea, really. That would be really neat. If I were still living out that way, I'd even volunteer to have them show some of my builds for month or so stretches, I bet other people from here would as well. Kind of like a year-round MWAF DIY Speaker demo/show. Maybe PE could give a discount coupon in return for invited demos of people's speakers.

Or maybe Jeff would give up his first floor office for use as a listening room? (Just kidding, Jeff).

[OldenGnarley]

That 'showroom' needs work...real bad.

[wogg]

I'm sure it's a return on investment thing. Showrooms cost money to create and maintain and I'm guessing the in person sales at PE are a really small portion of total sales. The ROI is likely to be really low, even though I would love to see some of the kits demo'd myself in a proper room.

[kevintomb]

I'm sure it's a return on investment thing. Showrooms cost money to create and maintain and I'm guessing the in person sales at PE are a really small portion of total sales. The ROI is likely to be really low, even though I would love to see some of the kits demo'd myself in a proper room.

Probably somewhat true, but with a much more decent set up or larger retail space it may draw more people to the location.

I know my first trip there, (live 4 hours away, but teamed it with visiting relatives etc) I was kinda let down.

For me seeing stuff first hand causes me to purchase!

Seeing some top notch DIY speakers set up, made with parts available at Parts Express, would be all I need to purchase some stuff.

[Wolf]

Part of me says that it would be good for sales, and good for street cred, BUT- All of you know how demo items look after being on display and played with for a month. Nicks, dings, scratches, and other possible marrings of abuse for a likely let down upon returning the items to our homes if they were on 'demo'. I'm not saying there aren't good people that demo equipment and know how to treat it, but there is always that one person or adolescent who can't keep their hands off something and ends up molesting a tweeter or woofer dustcap. If there was a better room and a way to ensure the entrants would be safely enjoyed, that's one thing, but I don't know about subjecting something I put so much hard work into becoming a possible object of aggression, ignorance, or infantilism.

My 2c,
Wolf