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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? 

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jallan
306 posts
 

In November 1979 I was in San Diego attending the Geological Society of America meeting as a grad student, and a dealer demonstrated the Hill Plasmatronics for me. I still have the one page color brochure. What a nice guy- the owner of the shop didn’t think twice about demonstrating the speakers to a 22 year old enthusiast. And, I thought that they sounded great. Just wildly impractical! I wish all stores were so accommodating now! Can’t remember the store name, unfortunately.

larryi
3,994 posts
 

I watched Kirkmus do his thing and heard the results.  His system works very well but the process is crazy long and tedious.  It would be something reserved for only favorite records.

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waytoomuchstuff OP
1,115 posts
 

@bigtwin 

"Funny that after all these years I'm listening to 7 foot tall panels. 😄"

For 35 years I've had 6'-4" Alpine White towers (that I designed and built) sitting in the Living/Listening Room.

kevinjvl
1 posts
 

For me in my mid-twenties, it was hearing the Magnepan Tympanis in the back room of Audible Difference in Palo Alto. The only time I felt that the musicians were in the room with me. I have been chasing that same high for the past 40 years.

sns
3,243 posts
 

I don't know if you'd call it jaw dropping, more along the lines of marketing by manipulation. Seems like every dealer had those switch boxes where they could switch out speakers, amps, what have you. Who knows what tricks they had up their sleeves, subtle loudness/gain differences, placement of equipment, subtle remarks, agreement with virtually anything you might say especially if it was in favor of the more expensive piece. Even as a novice audiophile I came to understand this all a game of manipulation, just let me listen to the equipment I want to listen to, with the music I choose, and let it just play, I'll come to my own conclusions.

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