Let me set the scene… You’re looking for a stereo setup, it’s the first time you’re thinking about investing in a home audio system, you’ve recently gotten into records again for the first time since the 80s and you’re worried that you are out of touch from the current Hi-Fi technology.

This is where we step in to help

Be it your first soiree into the wonderful world of Hi-Fi, or your latest investment towards a better sounding stereo system - we are here to offer some guidance and ideas for you. In fact, I would much rather take the time to sit you in our demo room having a listen to some recommended products than you take a chance on a product you haven’t heard before. Plus it means we can spend the time discussing your needs and finding the right system for you. Heck we both might even learn a thing or two.

We all know how daunting it can be talking to someone about technology, especially if it’s something you’re not too familiar with. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the famous “Not the 9 O’Clock” sketch…

Rest assured, your experience at Audio T would be nothing like this! We’re here to help. So, for the purpose of this article, I wanted to walk you through some ideas of what to listen to and what to listen out for in a demo to help you find that missing link in your music consumption.

A demo room should be a home away from home…

It’s a safe bet to make that you are buying into Hi-Fi because you love music. After all, these are products you use at home, to listen to the artists you love in comfort and relaxation, or maybe to have a lil’ dance around the living room?

So why would you treat a demo any differently? Well, we’re not expecting to see you do the Funky Gibbon in store, but It’s important to have a think about what music you would listen to.

What would you crank up on your car stereo? What is the first thing you’d listen to when you get home from a long day at work? These are as good a starting place as any to determine what music to listen to demonstrate your potentially new purchase. If the product you are listening to doesn’t perform well with the music you love then what’s the point of convincing yourself otherwise?

In fact the first question I will ask in demo is what would you like to listen to, many say that they are not sure as they have an eclectic taste in music. My next question would be, “Ok, what would you like to listen to first?”. The demonstration process is a marathon, not a sprint. There is little to no point in listening to music you don’t like. So don’t be afraid to ask for the unconventional. Some Dolly Parton, ABBA or ZZ Top, a little Lucy Rose or The Streets won’t hurt anyone, maybe a little bit of Ariana Grande or Nickleback as dessert? And don’t be afraid to listen to the same track more than once.

Your music taste is personal and so should be your demo.

Variety is the spice of life…

Not to contradict the previous section, but consider some variety in music you’re going to listen to. If you want to fully test what a product is capable of it’s always best to test with some variety. For example starting with some lush acoustic with some melodic vocals (such as Gabrielle Aplin, José González, Jack Johnson or Taylor Swift) will give a clear indication of the overall tonality of a setup, how the sound captures you and will show off detail in the simple vocal. But moving onto music with more layers, with a thick bass and loud drums (Such as Franc Moody, AC-DC, Sigrid, Haim, Oasis - think big sounding songs) will offer a closer insight to how “confused” a system can get, or how well it handles the detail between large instrumental layers. Movie scores from the likes of Hans Zimmer (Dark Knight Trilogy, Gladiator, Inception, the list goes on and on) are a great test of how a Hi-Fi system can deal with intricate compositions.

Going about a demo like this really helps you pick out the details offered by each product, be it comparing different speakers, turntables or amplifiers, or even just a listen to see how the system of your dreams handles a massive sounding chorus, as after all you want to enjoy the music.

You don’t have to rush yourself…

If you step into an Audio T store or into the demo room, there’s no obligation to make a choice. Sometimes when choosing between two products the right choice for you will become clearer as you walk away. Maybe one of the songs you listened to in the demo stuck with you more when played through a certain set of speakers, or maybe you realise how in love with the turntable with the red finish over the white finish you are.

Plus it is worth noting here that, like any part of your body, your ears do get tired. This is something to consider when choosing a setup, as often if the system has too much emphasis on the high frequencies it won’t be suitable for longer listening as your ears will get fatigued. Much like how your eyes start hurting if you spend too much time looking at a computer screen.

The choice is yours, and we are here to help guide you to the best of our ability- which nicely fits into the next point…

Leave no (Rolling) stone unturned!

We are here to help YOU, so when it comes to a demo leave no stone unturned, if you are unsure or have any questions feel free to ask. We pride ourselves on offering a great experience in our demonstrations as, like you, we are here because we have a passion in music. Some of us are long time music fans, musicians or even just massive technology nerds, so we often are excited to answer technical questions that you may be curious about as well as any recommendations we may have. It is likely we will ask questions about what you listen to and what space you are going to set up a stereo (or home cinema) in, this helps us explore what your needs are, and what problems you may need to overcome in order to get a sound system that is right for you and your home. Equally, if you want to try a component that we haven’t recommended or you can’t see in the store, don’t hesitate to ask.

Although we can’t keep every speaker we sell in shop, we do keep a fair few that we find to be the crème de la crème. If you want to listen to anything in particular, let us know and we will see about getting it in.

We also offer home demonstrations (where possible), where once you have narrowed things down in store we would visit you with a few products to test in your own listening environment.

To Conclude…

To sum this all up, the demo time is for you to use as you want, an opportunity to let your ears lead the way as you delve into the wonderful world of Hifi.

Thank you for reading - Jake, Nick, Luke Audio T Portsmouth

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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