I worked for over 6 years in a very big audio shop. We had about 8 listening rooms. In my free time I test a lot. Because I love it. Comparing amps, sources, speakers and cables. Cables is the thing I tested most. On my free monday I went to distributers. I wanted to listen to expensive stuff for myself and things we did not have. I started in 1998, at the end of 1999 I owned an audio set of far over 50.000 dollar myself. Audio is like a part of whO I am as a person. I never saw it as work and not as a hobby. Music is my favorite passion.
After this I did consulting for 2 years of time. It is the freedom you have and what it makes a lot more attractive than a speciality shop. I visited many many people with sets of about 10.000 dollar til 150.000 dollar.
In 2007 I did run a speciality shop for about 2 years. I had a lot of freedom choosing the brands I wanted.
We had many brands but I loved Monitor Audio the most. Because the stage was so much bigger than others. After some time I had almost every single loudspeaker of them.
That time I also had every thing Primare produces. I also had a lot of Arcam models. I have been for a few days to Arcam in England. When you compare Primare and Arcam to speakers who can give a deep and wide stage it is easy to hear how different the stage is build.
Monitor Audio is better in producing crossovers, this give them a far more physical stage and a wider and deeper stage.
When you play the same music on the Arcam with the Platinum speakers ( which I used a lot to test at that time) the stage width and depth is so much smaller and less deep.
In 2007 I started to let people hear the difference between 2 and 3 D. It was extreme effective. Often people spend more money when you let them hear a 3 D sound. This time I also started to send clients to other shops with 2 D brands. It is one of the most effective ways of selling audio for me.
When you test a lot after time you understand the different properties of every single brand. This makes audio a lot more easy to create a higher level in endresult.
That Onkyo also could give a deep and wide stage was pure luck to be honest. I did not know it till 2010. Sometimes you need a little luck in life. Audyssey did a lot as well.
Only by comparing cables, amps, sources, conditioners and speakers etc you will understand how to use them . I use shows, visitings other shops and ditributers to hear new stuff.
I do not care about a brand, but about the best sound quality in every single price.
After time I got even more expensive stuff myself. But I wanted the same 3D level for a lot less money. That was my focus. To create a much more appealing and convincing sound for less money, so more people can enjoy a much higher level in audio.
