Should a dealer have a state of the art room to show their state of the art gear?

MylesBAstor said:

Also something no one has brought up: the leading High-end companies do not just give their gear to any old dealer. They usually undergo some sort of credit check and many manufacturers will actually visit a dealer to see and hear how their gear sounds!

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Not a guarantee of anything though. I went to Dallas when the CLX was there at a dealer in the Truth in Sound Tour to hear it and it was awful. Most of the space was awful and I couldn't see how anyone could get a fair assessment and they had all the name brands.

Later hearing the CLX at other opportunities in a well treated room it was much much better.

My favorite dealer didn't have a showroom, he brought the gear I was interested in to my house, we plugged it in, sat down, and evaluated. I always bought something because I didn't want the guy wasting his time on a house call.
When I visited SOTA show rooms whether or not I bought depended more on whether I liked the sales person than the room. Often I could by cheaper on the internet but I preferred connecting with a good sales person who could save me hours of auditioning by asking me a few questions and then suggesting something. Some of the sales people had showrooms, some I just spoke to over the phone. 100% the sales person was always the biggest factor in my decision assuming he made the right recommendation, not the room.

There are rooms that are natural listening environments that do not need treatment.

If the room is noisy or echoes or difficult to carry a conversation without raising my voice, then regardless of selling SOTA equipment or not, as someone who comes in to listen, I would have a difficult time assessing the sound produced, and really difficult to enjoy the music.

For me, a dealer's listening room for auditioning equipment must be quiet, absent of echo and I should be able to speak to others in the room without speaking louder than normal.

Customized treatment is inexpensive. I had it done in my room last year. I am so sold on it . I have engaged the same acoustician to do acoustic treatment in a 20 foot container van where I have my weekend system.

If a dealer has a short term lease, the dealer can always use ASC or other brands of treatment that can be brought to the next site.