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<\/p>\nBy\u00a0Steve Greene<\/p>\n
It\u2019s often amazing how history can seem to run in circles, often repeating itself.\u00a0 Our audio industry is not immune to such phenomena!\u00a0 For example, in the early 1970\u2019s, solid state devices rapidly replaced the vacuum tube in all things electronic including TV\u2019s, audio amplifiers, pre-amps, tuners and receivers.\u00a0 However, starting around the mid to late 1990\u2019s vacuum tube equipped amps and pre-amps began a renaissance. Today, there are literally dozens of successful manufacturers specializing in this \u201cold\u201d technology!\u00a0\u00a0 In the past 3 or 4 years, the vinyl record has also experienced a huge rebirth with its growth rapidly outpacing the number of available pressing plants!\u00a0 Also encouragingly, this growth has been fueled by not just us audiophiles, but younger folks are also embracing the ability to enjoy a great sounding analog medium that simultaneously allows you to admire cover art and informative liner notes in a large, easy to read twelve by twelve inch size!<\/p>\n
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Many hifi dealers incorporate vinyl in their show rooms, but one of Nordost\u2019s most treasured and supportive dealers in the mid-Atlantic is uniquely steeped in this medium. Richmond, Virginia\u2019s only true quality brick and mortar Hi Fi store, the Audio Exchange, was born back in 1978 as an enclosed showroom within a popular vinyl record store.\u00a0 The record store was located on Grace Street, nestled amongst Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s (VCU) multiple classroom buildings in Richmond\u2019s famous Fan District.\u00a0 The owner of this new store within a store, Rob Moore, foresaw the beginnings of the decline of the locally owned chain record store business during the recession of the late 1970\u2019s.\u00a0 So, partially due to his personal passion for quality audio (Rob personally owned Audio Research tube gear and Magnapan loudspeakers) and a desire to start a new business to supplant the soon to fail record store, opening a boutique audio store seemed a good idea.\u00a0 Initial product offerings included Luxman, KEF and Sumiko but it didn\u2019t take Rob long to decide that they must expand into additional electronic lines like AR, Onkyo and Infinity in order to attract more budget minded customers.<\/p>\n
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After the close of the record store on Grace Street, the Audio Exchange moved into its own retail space in the west end of Richmond at Dumbarton Place, around late 1979.\u00a0 The beginning of the 1980\u2019s saw the initial growth of custom installation for the Audio Exchange.\u00a0\u00a0 A move to even bigger quarters in the mid-1980\u2019s on Richmond\u2019s busy Broad Street also saw this new custom installation\/home theater craze go from being an adjunct to their audio sales to almost replacing their conventional 2-channel audio sales when that category of business began to dwindle.\u00a0 Custom integration and home theater boomed during this period.\u00a0 But, true to their roots, the Audio Exchange maintained a nice selection of audio gear on display, despite the reduced sales for that segment of their business.\u00a0 Around 1993 or so, the Audio Exchange moved a bit further up the street purchasing their current location, on Broad Street.\u00a0 This allowed for multiple and expanded sound rooms, a great sounding home theater room, and room to grow to accommodate their fledging integration business.<\/p>\n
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Business was good, and the Audio Exchange helped fill thousands of homes with quality audio and video gear. Much of their success was due to their expert and engaging sales staff. One special member of the Audio Exchange team was Jeff Greentree who joined the store at the beginning as the lead retail salesperson and, over the ensuing years, built an enviable reputation as a knowledgeable, loveable and creative salesman known widely throughout central Virginia.\u00a0 I personally recall two friends entering the Grace Street store one day.\u00a0 They were looking for headphones to use in their part time evening DJ gigs, earning extra spending money while attending VCU.\u00a0 Jeff offered up the reasonably priced and well reviewed Sennheiser HD414\u2019s as being well suited for their purposes.\u00a0 He touted their great sound and comfortable, light weight.\u00a0 My two friends expressed some skepticism over the ruggedness of the mostly plastic constructed headphones, whereupon Jeff promptly threw the headphones up against the wall, turned around and said \u201cwhat do you think, sturdy enough for you?\u201d\u00a0 My friends were both highly amused and impressed with Jeff\u2019s sales tactic and promptly bought a pair of the headphones. \u00a0Jeff would become the highly successful retail face of the Audio Exchange for over 30 years, retiring just two years ago!<\/p>\n
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As we all now, hard times eventually came. As the economy began to sour, new home construction died in 2008, taking the home theater business along with it. Those were the beginnings of dark days for so many audio dealers in this country. As the home theater boom ended they (hopefully) began transitioning back to their initial business models. Fortunately for the Audio Exchange, Rob knew his roots well and is happy to credit two prominent things that helped start their turnaround in mid-2010.<\/p>\n
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Long a skeptic of audio cables making a difference worth spending additional dollars on, Rob received a phone call.\u00a0 I called him to ask if I could bring in one of Nordost\u2019s renowned demonstrators and our VP of North American Sales, Michael Taylor, to perform a demo of Nordost products.\u00a0 As Rob likes to recount, he dreaded the idea of such a request, but being a good friend and business associate of mine the past 30 some odd years, relented and confirmed the appointment. \u00a0Soon, the demo day arrived! \u00a0Rob thought it would be brief.\u00a0 However, after about 30 minutes of initial demos, predominantly revolving around power cord demos, Rob stopped us.\u00a0 He said he was astonished. He clearly heard all the improvements as we switched cables in a progressive fashion.\u00a0 He also said he had spent the last 10 minutes looking for the sleight of hand that surely must be taking place since the improvements were so clearly audible.\u00a0 But, he soon realized there were no tricks and the improvements he was hearing were real.\u00a0 He said over 30 years of his preconceived notions towards cables had been vanquished and to please continue with the demo!\u00a0 Rob ordered a Leif Series demo case from Nordost that day and they have rapidly gone on to become one of our most successful dealers on the East Coast!\u00a0 He and his lead salesman, the gregarious, knowledgeable and talented super salesman Donny Simmons, Jeff\u2019s very capable successor, have eagerly contacted many of their past customers.\u00a0 They ask them to either come in for a Nordost demo or, drop by on a Friday to take a particular cable home for audition over the weekend.\u00a0 This has been very successful for the Audio Exchange and they have made many past customers new and very happy customers once again!\u00a0 Donny does a phenomenal job ensuring his customers become familiar with the benefits of Nordost cabling and QRT power products.\u00a0 He likes to plant the Nordost \u201cseed\u201d when selling a client a new audio system.\u00a0 He maximizes his customer\u2019s budget when picking out components and speakers and then tells them that in a few months, once they are familiar with the sound of their new system, he will call them.\u00a0 The call is an invite to try a few select Nordost cables in their system because now that they are familiar with the sound of their system, they will be able to fully appreciate just how much the Nordost products will take that performance to the next level!<\/p>\n
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The second important change that began to grow beginning around 2010 was the resurgence in vinyl record sales.\u00a0 Slowly but surely turntable sales began to once again increase.\u00a0 In the past three years that initial growth has surged, bringing the Audio Exchange even closer to their initial roots.\u00a0 That is, back when they were located within a record store, surrounded by the software they used in which to demo systems.\u00a0 Discerning audiophiles are rediscovering vinyl, dusting off their record collections, and once again prowling the numerous used (and new) record stores that have popped up in Richmond over the past few years.\u00a0 The younger newcomers to vinyl are realizing there is something better than the ubiquitous USB turntables and are discovering better \u2018tables from Pro-Ject, Music Hall, Michell, Thorens and McIntosh amongst others at the Audio Exchange. \u00a0High end turntables are selling well and frequently, which is creating a thirst for better components and speakers.\u00a0 The Audio Exchange has greatly expanded its mix of turntables on offer and has also added additional high end audio lines.\u00a0 Audio Research is one of the newcomers, a line of tube gear beloved by Rob back in the 1970\u2019s! \u00a0Sonus faber, B&W, McIntosh, PrimaLuna, Anthem, Paradigm, Klipsch, Clearaudio, Ortofon, Sumiko, Denon and others round out the Audio Exchange lineup of fine products on display. \u00a0The Audio Exchange is a wonderful destination for music lovers to see, hear and touch quality audio gear!\u00a0 While there may not be plans to add a record department to the Audio Exchange, it sure is nice to see 2- channel audio\u00a0and The Audio Exchange thriving again in Richmond, especially when all the people who make up the Audio Exchange are such quality people who love making their customers happy! \u00a0\u00a0Hey, and guess what?\u00a0 Custom integration is picking up steam again as new home construction picks up. \u00a0\u00a0So, please make sure you drop by the Audio Exchange when you are in Richmond and say hello to Rob, Donny, Dave, Steve, Sundae and the rest of the talented crew that make the Audio Exchange a fantastic place to audition and buy audio gear! \u00a0Great demo facilities, awesome audio gear and a talented, dedicated group of folks who love what they do define the Audio Exchange!<\/p>\n
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