Time was, if you wanted to hear one of SVS’ subwoofers or speakers, you had to roll the dice, order your selection online, wait for it to arrive at your home or office (hopefully undamaged by the shipper), and then you got to find out what you had gotten yourself into. In recent years, however, SVS has been slowly and steadily expanding its presence to brick-and-mortar retailers for those still wary about the idea of buying a piece of audio gear sight unseen (or, more to the point, sound unheard). Now, the company has scored its biggest distribution coup yet: SVS subwoofers will soon be seen, heard, and felt at Magnolia Design Centers inside Best Buy stores across the United States.
When SVS launched, it faced a glaring problem the fledgling Internet-direct speaker and subwoofer industry had only begun to confront: convincing people that buying sound equipment without getting to hear it first was actually a good idea. It dealt with this challenge by taking on a risk of its own, offering prospective customers a 30-day in-home trial with free shipping both to and from their homes. This gave customers a chance to hear SVS’ wares in their own rooms, and on their own equipment. SVS soon became a hit and has been growing its fan base ever since. Still, some remain reluctant to pull the trigger on a major purchase without first getting to “kick the tires.” With its latest deal, SVS now stands a chance at exposing its products to a much broader audience.
With Best Buy locations spackled across the country – many of them home to a Magnolia Design Center – those eager to hear for themselves what SVS’ reputation is built on, have a chance at doing so if they’re willing to take a little drive. Of course, an in-home audition is always the best way to evaluate any piece of audio gear, since room conditions and associated equipment have a dramatic impact on how a component sounds in the end. Still, a brick-and-mortar shop gives buyers a chance to check out the merchandise in person before pulling out their credit card, and this nationwide distribution deal affords that opportunity.
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SVS didn’t announce an exact date for when its subwoofers will appear in Magnolia demo rooms, but it’s a safe bet they’ll be in place well before the holiday season at the end of the year. Chances are, Best Buy shoppers will likely know when they’ve arrived, as one often hears an SVS sub long before they actually see it.
