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Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 12:25 pm
by Latteman
Show how Nva can integrate with newer technologies - popular brands such as those from streaming, eg Bluenote or the diy side with RP.
Have interactive options- tidal, Spotify etc on offer so you can use your preferences or Bluetooth/ WiFi access to try your own phone etc
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 12:34 pm
by Theo
1. When you're setting up the system, try and cajole a few people to come in. I've heard systems in rooms sound great with 2-3 people, and muffled/dead with a crowd in close contact. You're never going to get this exactly right but might be worth trying.
2. I love rooms that are set up as a 'lounge', with kit & cables not prominent (the Altar mentality). Rega do this well, from memory.
3. Lava lamps! Always make people smile.
4. Love your badge idea - a really good talking point. Whichever way it would go, all publicity is good publicity.
5. Please don't turn it up too loud. My worst experience ever was a Mana room with Naim gear: the more he turned it up, the worse it sounded. At that show, I couldn't decide whether I hated Naim gear or Mana stands more...
I'm really looking forward to a show - any show!
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:05 pm
by Daniel Quinn
Never really thought about this subject, but I love the idea of making it as much as possible like a lounge.
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:07 pm
by savvypaul
Love a lava lamp...
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:25 pm
by Lindsayt
Big cards on the equipment saying how much it costs. Possibly on the door too.
The low retail price for the sound quality has always been an NVA strong point.
Also signs highlighting any new - within the last year - products.
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:36 pm
by 29mile
Shows are tricky for any exhibitors as people come for many reasons - socially a day out, hobbyists keeping up to date and a few shoppers. Hifi enthusiasts in general are quite shy people so engaging can be difficult. Heavy sales pitches for me usually have the opposite effect so it is better just to 'inform' not sell.
The sound quality usually gets me into a room as I have specific things I am listening for. Likewise big brands are an automatic turnoff and usually avoided. So maybe try to focus on that 'niche' market of NVA being different and better. Explanative handouts or white boards to explain NVA's attributes ie passive amps, simplicity , trade in, loans etc etc. Some amps with the lids removed ?
System wise not sure if top range is required as it may only stand out in a good room and set-up. Speaker wise definitely not just Cubes which are a bit black and white and has been mentioned can put people off the amps. Need a RPi streamer source.
Music wise I think the quality of production is more important than the type of music. A good sounding recording will get you listening more in a relaxed lounge type environment. Feedback wise post it notes or badges - needs to kept in the room as once people leave they usually forget or could not be bothered.
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 10:09 am
by scotty38
First things first, I've never been to a show. For me a few things would be:
1. Price list - Very important, everyone wants to know how much but may not want to ask plus if there's loads of kit not possible to ask about it all.
2. Keep the sound level reasonable, I wouldn't go in at all if it was blasting out.
3. I am quite shy in the "What do you think about this hi-fi" sense. If there was a room where random folks were asked what they thought, I probably wouldn't go in for fear of being put on the spot. I like what i like and I'd be happy to sit there and listen I just don't like trying to describe what I hear. "Sounds great" always seems like a cop out
4. As well as the price list, decent sized identifiers on the bits of kit. I'd like to look at the list and see what's being used and its cost etc.
5. Not having been to a show I don't know how much this is done but in your case as you've suggested, maybe on the hour each hour (maybe) a 5 minute talk on NVA its history, bit about Richard (which may enthrall or clear the room lol) would be good, shows what's behind the boxes. Might be worth (not sure) printing out some of the old HiFi reviews of the NVA kit to add to the history lesson.
6. Agree on pretty mainstream music (Queen was a good shout), folk can hear what it sounds like on music they know and have heard before even if it's not their cup of tea. People can bring their own if they want a couple of minutes of something specific. Constant stuff I've never heard of would probably make me walk on by.....
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 10:58 am
by CN211276
Going back to the OP, for the starter system I think it would be more appropriate to use a quality low cost DAC such as the Topping D30, with its price on display along with the other components.
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:12 am
by Lindsayt
The trouble with playing something like Queen that everybody knows well is that the system will be playing in hi-fi show conditions.
Which equals a hotel bedroom. Or a function room that is relatively unfurnished.
There will also likely be sound bleed from neighbouring rooms.
This means that there's a high chance that any system being exhibited will sound considerably worse than it does at home.
Therefore a lot of visitors will be thinking "this Queen track sounds better on my system at home" Even though their system at home may well lose a bake-off against the system being exhibited.
You will have exhibitors at the same show that pick tracks that relatively few people have heard before that also suit the system they are being played on. This creates a much more impresssive impression on visitors.
The Audio Note room that I visited at a show in 2018 was a good example of how to run a room.
On entry it was playing well recorded jazz music. I was thinking "this is a really good system".
Peter Q told amusing anecdotes between tracks.
I asked him to play a track from a Steve Winwood CD that I'd brought. It sounded disappointing compared to a number of other rooms at that show where they played the same track for me.
Most visitors to that room left with a favourable impression of the Audio Note room, thanks to the choice of recordings and the charm of the host.
I have a few CD's that I would regard as my hi-fi show exhibitor CD's. CD's with accessible music that are very well recorded that most visitors will not have heard before. Those are the ones that I'd focus on, as well as playing anything that visitors had brought with them.
And scotty38, if you can, please get yourself to a hi-fi event. They are great days out.
Re: Planning NVA room at shows - your feedback needed
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:06 pm
by CN211276
Lindsayt wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:12 am
The trouble with playing something like Queen that everybody knows well is that the system will be playing in hi-fi show conditions.
Which equals a hotel bedroom. Or a function room that is relatively unfurnished.
There will also likely be sound bleed from neighbouring rooms.
This means that there's a high chance that any system being exhibited will sound considerably worse than it does at home.
Therefore a lot of visitors will be thinking "this Queen track sounds better on my system at home" Even though their system at home may well lose a bake-off against the system being exhibited.
You will have exhibitors at the same show that pick tracks that relatively few people have heard before that also suit the system they are being played on. This creates a much more impresssive impression on visitors.
The Audio Note room that I visited at a show in 2018 was a good example of how to run a room.
On entry it was playing well recorded jazz music. I was thinking "this is a really good system".
Peter Q told amusing anecdotes between tracks.
I asked him to play a track from a Steve Winwood CD that I'd brought. It sounded disappointing compared to a number of other rooms at that show where they played the same track for me.
Most visitors to that room left with a favourable impression of the Audio Note room, thanks to the choice of recordings and the charm of the host.
I have a few CD's that I would regard as my hi-fi show exhibitor CD's. CD's with accessible music that are very well recorded that most visitors will not have heard before. Those are the ones that I'd focus on, as well as playing anything that visitors had brought with them.
And scotty38, if you can, please get yourself to a hi-fi event. They are great days out.
Good point about familiar music sounding better at home than a show. A way around this couldbe Qobuz streams at 192 kHz. To these ears this is a significant jump over 96 kHz and I understand the RME DAC can handle it. There are a limited number of albums, but I am aware of major releases from the Stones, Rush and Rod Stewart to name three.