Are You Old Enough to Remember Those Jaw-Dropping Manufacturer Demos?

There you are, minding your own business at a dealer/audiofare/trade show demo when someone does what appears to be "the impossible."  You just have to stop, gaze, scratch your head, or make an urgent unexpected visit to the restroom.

Here's a couple that I can (still) recall:

Dual Turntable Demo:

Those familiar with the brand know that tracking force is applied with a spring vs a counterweight.  So, those cleaver folks at Dual attached a record clamp that screwed on, then  mounted the turntable upside side suspended by springs and played a record.  To add a more drama to the demo, they would pull the turntable down to extend the springs and let it bounced up and down while the record played.  What the ...?

Pioneer Spec 2 Demo:

The guys at Pioneer were a robust bunch and wanted to show just how powerful, and indestructible their new flagship amp was.  So, they'd sharpen a pencil at both ends, attach some alligator clips to the amps output, and power it up.  A few moments later the pencil would catch ablaze and the crowd would react in a chorus of uniqued gasps.  Got to admit, it got my attention.

Honorable Mention:  William (Bill) Lowe's Speaker Cable Demos

As a new Audioquest dealer, it was customary for Mr. Lowe himself to visit the dealership and do in-person training.  Out of the "demo kit" comes this little jam-box (JVC?) and you're wondering:  "What the heck is he going to do with that?"  So Bill would quietly, and confidently, conduct "good" "better" and "even better" audiophile speaker cable demos with this ($200) jam-box.  Even the hard core "premium cable" deniers in our employ became converts.

How's your memory?