Jabez Scratch Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 Just a note to the people who try to sell me audio equipment. I'm deciding whether to buy a Klipsch Reference system or Paradigm Studio system. To that end, I have been demoing the two systems. I've gone to about four different stores and experience the same thing: I tell the salesperson that I am not a "loud listener" and I will be using the system for 90% home theatre/10% music. What do they all inevitably do? Go get a pile of music CDs and start playing some wonky tune at a volume that, I am certain, woke some dead somewhere. Not joking when I say that the volume really started to hurt my ears. I don't understand this. How can appreciate the qualities (other than sheer balls-out, blaring power) of a speaker system that I intend to use almost exclusively for H-T when they do this. After jumping up and down in front of the salesperson to get their attention, I request to hear a DVD at a "normal" volume. Finally, I get to this point, but only after this routine of pain. Even when they do eventually put in a DVD, they continue to play it extremely loud -- I have played the drums since I was ten years old! Trust me, I know what loud is. These are amazing speaker systems -- please let listen/test them as I would in my rec room, not as if we were trying to break sound level records. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 They do it because that's how they impress the average Joe they deal with. The average Joe very often equates loud with good. Your task is to get it through to him that you are not the average Joe. And good luck with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 This is why I always bring my own dvd and cd's. This way you can say put this in. Then ask for the remote and you can control the volume. I know this sucks, keep going to the same places and then they will get to know you. Also some of the higher end stores always start at lower volumes and then ask you if you want to go louder. The good way to do buissness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinsrme Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 here is something to consider. If you have the time to spare from your job go audition Wednesday morning/afternoon. Reasons Low staffing employess prepping the store for weekend sales no customers they will leave you be Real good tuesdays and thursday are favorite days for delieveries which can distract employees from harassing the customers Bad Days Mondays/fridays/Saturdays/Sundays a lot of people have of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinipig523 Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 just bring your own dvds and cds - that way u can choose what to listen to and have better control over the volume at which to listen to them to. also, by bringing your own cds and dvds, you have a better way of judging the speaker setups especially if u have to go to a different store to test one or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarBidE Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 They're right, take your own stuff, and take over the volume control from the deaf sales person. The humor of this is not lost on me. Just the other day, I went to demo an SACD/DVD player. The sales person put a disk in and turned it up, marveling at how good it sounded..........then I realized that what he had in there was a CD........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted April 26, 2003 Share Posted April 26, 2003 When I first heard my KLF30's the Salesperson had the good sense to play Louis Armstrong singing It's A Wonderful World rather than some chainsaw quartet such as Metallica. In addition he started it off at reasonable volume and handed me the remote so that I could control the volume and duration of the demo. I appreciated his respect for my ability to make a reasonable choice. I had a couple of questions at the end of the demo - ( only asked to avoid appearing already sold 8~)> - Klipsch speakers tend to do that if properly presented ). Doug answered my questions straight forwardly and offered a couple of financing options ( Great salesmanship BTW - He assumed the sale w/o being pushy - The assumed close is a joy to behold when it works - I had to laugh as I have worked in sales and knew exactly what he was up to but it didn't matter because those babies were following me home hell or high water !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Driver Posted April 27, 2003 Share Posted April 27, 2003 One reason they may be playing their reference material at what you consider excessively high volumes is that most recorded material (especially movies) are intended to be played so that a full range pink noise recorded at -20db max peak level would register 85db on an spl meter. This can be a little too loud for most people, but as you decrease the output level below 85db (for -20db from peak) you start to lose details and dynamic range. Bass response seems drasticaly lessened as well. Have you ever been to a movie theater, the don't just play the soundtrack loud to drown out the yenta's talking in the row in front of you. Most people can tolerate 75db but that is still pretty loud. Consider this, on most receivers the volume is indicated as a negative db integer, this is because for most receiver / speaker combo (especially klipsch speaker which are highly efficcient) -20db on the volume control will be the volume that the director/sound engineer intended for the material. The sales people are probably just trying to let you hear everything the speakers have to offer. At lower volumes it becomes more difficult for the average buyer to differentiate. Shaun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyzab Posted April 28, 2003 Share Posted April 28, 2003 I am the In Home Specialist at the Tweeter in Fairfax Virginia and agree with your post that most salespeople don't get it. Anyone can make speakers sound good by playing an obnoxious song or movie clip. I make it a point to demo speakers to my customers by playing clips they wouldn't expect from such artists as Enya, Five for Fighting, and Sarah M. As far as movies go, I love the Opera scene in Fifth Element or a scene from Red Violin. Detail and accuracy are what I want my customers to decipher between brands. It is always best if the customer brings in their own material though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eq_shadimar Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 I have had that happen to me once or twice before I started bringing my own music. I would usally plug my ears and yell at the top of my lungs "Holy cr_p that is too loud" that usally gets the attention of the salesperson, the store, and me in control of the remote On a side note if you bring in a stack of your own music I think that they understand that you are "seriouis" and will allow you more freedom. Also going at off peak times really helps out. Laters, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 Off peak is a good time to go like you guys have stated. When I went to demo my RF3's I brought some Enya also and when they started to play it for me, there were about four other guys looking at speakers there, but not the Klipsch. When the song was over all four of the guys asked there sales man what speakers were thoughs and how much. I think that I help sell atleast two other sets. Lets just say that they gave me a great price on the 3's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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