(Where the local chapter of Audiophiles Anonymous meets)

Last article, I talked about Rega Electronics, which is a British line of hand built audio components that we just added.  Now I want to announce that we’ve completed a new 21’ by 28’ “Reference Room” to put those products in and have added, from Canada, Anthem pre-amps, surround processors, and amplifiers, as well as Paradigm Studio Monitor speakers.  Plus, we added an incredible line of very well built Swedish components from Primare Electronics, and then Klipsch Palladium, a special high-end line of speakers ranging from $4,000.00 to $20,000.00 per pair.  And to connect each piece, we’ve added Chord, a premium wire and cable company built in the United Kingdom to very high standards, as well as Quadraspire super quality audio racks built in Bath, England.  Do you think we’re having fun yet?!?

One of the purposes of building this room and filling it with upper-end products is to make the point that high-end doesn’t have to be high priced.  If you come in and listen to a high quality $4,000.00 stereo system, then we play a $40,000.00 one, you’ll note that the lesser system sounds 80% as good, yet costs one-tenth as much.  That’s where the term “diminishing returns” comes into play.  As you move up in price from the maximum value point, you spend larger and larger amounts of money to receive smaller and smaller increments of improvement.

To most people, the $4,000.00 stereo would be the best thing they’ve ever heard and will give them many years of pleasure; but for the few who can tell the difference, small gains can be had by going to the next level of each component, speaker, and connecting cables.  For that customer, audio nirvana can be reached, and you can identify those individuals by the distant stare and the smile that is permanently etched onto their face! I have to warn you though, once your ears have become accustomed to this level of acoustic accuracy, it’s hard to accept less.

Another reason to build this room is to introduce a larger amount of people at all income levels in Central Louisiana to upper-level audio equipment and it’s performance ability.  We already have customers coming in from other parts of the state to purchase these products, but we want to expose more people locally to what they normally would have to travel to a much larger market to experience.  Most of these brands and products aren’t available in Louisiana at all.  We want to bring audiophiles in from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe, and all points in-between to do business right here in CenLa.

So if you love audio and want to experience the kind of “high” only the finest of systems can produce, come by for an acoustic fix.  And, as your self-proclaimed high-end pusher, I’ll remind you that the first one’s free!