dougdrake Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 (The purpose of this is not to re-ignite any rants about the distribution changes. It is just some news about the "new" interior of Best Buy, which I hadn't seen and maybe many others have also not seen.) The old TV/Audio section is totally revamped. They wiped out all the viewing/listening rooms, and made it one long expanse from the left front to the left rear of the store. Rows of TVs are scattered amongst the audio gear, as well as a row of TVs lining the wall. Not sure I've ever seen so many TVs in one place (besides a sports bar)! There is a listening area for sub/satellite format systems and HTIB systems. The Bose stuff is right next to the Yamaha et al stuff. Aside from the lack of a listening room, it looks like an A/B against Bose is going to be much easier now. However, the music they blast over the store-wide Bose system tends to intrude on any possibility of critical comparison. I was shocked (SHOCKED!) to see a circular setup, divided in thirds, with 3 HT systems (video and audio) including couches and leather chairs. I guess the idea is to "visualize" it in your home, since it's hard to really listen when it's set up in a 50,000-60,000 square foot room - just a wee bit larger than most of our own rooms. I also noticed they are now carrying the Athena line of speakers. Not familiar with them. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 The Best Buy here still has a fairly decent listening room (although not as nice as the ones at the local Tweeter). The TV section is still well seperated from the audio section as well. Also, the Best Buy here is still fairly new. However, it is very unlikely that I'll buy anything big-ticket at Best Buy when right next to them is a Big Screen store with some truly nice Mitsu TV's at some pretty decent prices. Right across the road is the Tweeter with thier selection of goodies. Also a brand new Circuit City (Circus $#!+ty?) opened up just down the road from them (in actuality the Circuit City is the same one that has operated around here for awhile, they just simply moved to a bigger, newer store). That one area, with all the electronics stores has been started to be called "Electric Avenue" around here by some of the locals. (Kinda like on the other end of town, with all the car dealerships clustered together). I do still go to Best Buy to get computer peripherals (since they do seem to have the best prices around here, short of going to a computer show). I also still go there to look at/buy DVDs and CDs as well as computer games. Most likely, it'll be the Best Buy where I'll pick up my digital camera that I plan on getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 We have a brand spanking new Best Buy I will have to go see if the Klipsch's have arrived. The store is very nice and laid out intelligently with lots of room in the aisles, not like the crampt quarters at Circuit City. We do not have Tweeter store anywhere nearby so it is actually good for me that Klispch moved some of their items to Best Buy. The closest place for me to listen to the Reference Series line is about a 20 minute ride, a 25 minute ferry trip, and another 10 minute ride. It is the place I bought my Klipsch subwoofer from and Denon receiver but it is a journey to get there. I have no beef with the change whatsoever, I have mostly Heritage speakers anyway which are now carried virtually nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_tx_16 Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 of all the best buys i have been to in texas, not one has had a listening room. just aisles of TV's and aisle's of HTIB sytems ith one section partitioned, but by NO means a room (open on all sides and open ceiling) for bigger speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_tx_16 Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 i can't spell the word "i-ell-s" LoL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avman Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 'athena' is a.p.i.(energy,mirage,veritas,sound dynamics) this is their least expensive line-made in china-not really that bad for the price. av. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 12, 2003 Author Share Posted March 12, 2003 ---------------- On 3/12/2003 12:26:33 PM avman wrote: 'athena' is a.p.i.(energy,mirage,veritas,sound dynamics) this is their least expensive line-made in china-not really that bad for the price. av.---------------- Hmm, is this beginning to sound familiar? a.p.i. makes a range of speaker lines, including a "boutique" line (Mirage i know, others i haven't heard of) which they sell at Showcase Entertainment (part of Tweeter/SA) along with an entry level line which they sell at Best Buy. Deja vue all over again? Not really, I guess, since no one knows (or few know) that Athena and Mirage are the same company... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 All I know is out Best Buy is pretty lame. I hope they renovate, they have a lot of room to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REFSELLER Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Hmm, is this beginning to sound familiar? a.p.i. makes a range of speaker lines, including a "boutique" line (Mirage i know, others i haven't heard of) which they sell at Showcase Entertainment (part of Tweeter/SA) along with an entry level line which they sell at Best Buy. Deja vue all over again? Not really, I guess, since no one knows (or few know) that Athena and Mirage are the same company... *****************************end quote A.P.I DOES OPERATE THESE ENTITIES LIKE COMPLETELY DIFFERANT COMPANIES, AND ALL THE MIRAGE AND ENERGY SPEAKERS ARE MADE IN CANADA....THE TECHNOLOGY IN ALL THESE BRANDS ARE DIFFERANT.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 dougdrake Do I sence a bit of sarcasm in your post? . Really makes you want to open up your own Klipsch only audio store. Yeah I know someone already had that idea, I am just re-iterating it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 13, 2003 Author Share Posted March 13, 2003 No sarcasm. It just struck me that Klipsch is not the first company to do this, as evidenced by API. The difference, of course, is that they have different names on the boxes which prevents most folks from making the association that they are the same company. IMHO, the Synergy and Reference lines are different technologies as well, just as the Athena and Mirage are. Additionally, per the Klipsch comments, those 2 lines will be run by different teams. The fact that they share the same badge and the same facility does not necessarily mean they are any less different than Athena and Mirage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB5M Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 No sarcasm. It just struck me that Klipsch is not the first company to do this, as evidenced by API. The difference, of course, is that they have different names on the boxes which prevents most folks from making the association that they are the same company. IMHO, the Synergy and Reference lines are different technologies as well, just as the Athena and Mirage are. Additionally, per the Klipsch comments, those 2 lines will be run by different teams. The fact that they share the same badge and the same facility does not necessarily mean they are any less different than Athena and Mirage. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ in fact synergy and ref are both horn-loaded high efficiancy designs, the synergy just uses less expensive components ....cabinet style and voicing are VERY similiar..just substitute poyl-prop for ceramic-coated alum, butyl rubber vs santoprene, etc....the designs aren't far off..... the mirage speakers are omnipolar,much lower efficincy and totally differant tweeter design than that of the chinese made athenas...the athenas are designed to be able to "upgrade" by docking with subs,etc....very differant products......never ever designed for the same customer/ same retail environment.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB5M Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 No sarcasm. It just struck me that Klipsch is not the first company to do this, as evidenced by API. The difference, of course, is that they have different names on the boxes which prevents most folks from making the association that they are the same company. IMHO, the Synergy and Reference lines are different technologies as well, just as the Athena and Mirage are. Additionally, per the Klipsch comments, those 2 lines will be run by different teams. The fact that they share the same badge and the same facility does not necessarily mean they are any less different than Athena and Mirage. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ in fact synergy and ref are both horn-loaded high efficiancy designs, the synergy just uses less expensive components ....cabinet style and voicing are VERY similiar..just substitute poyl-prop for ceramic-coated alum, butyl rubber vs santoprene, etc....the designs aren't far off..... the mirage speakers are omnipolar,much lower efficincy and totally differant tweeter design than that of the chinese made athenas...the athenas are designed to be able to "upgrade" by docking with subs,etc....very differant products......never ever designed for the same customer/ same retail environment.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggs Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 ---------------- On 3/12/2003 11:47:27 AM justin_tx_16 wrote: of all the best buys i have been to in texas, not one has had a listening room. just aisles of TV's and aisle's of HTIB sytems ith one section partitioned, but by NO means a room (open on all sides and open ceiling) for bigger speakers. ---------------- Ours are the same here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iago Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Wanna have some fun?...Go ask one of their recent high school grads (my advice is to pick one without a nose-ring) if he can take a Yamaha receiver into a room and hook it up with Klipsch and bose speakers so that you can compare them in dts , dvd-a or sacd!...ask what demo material he'll be using and how many of each of these systems he has set up...what does he think is better...how many of his customers have expressed a preferance...what size room does he think both systems would be capable of handling...etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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