Sony Unveils Hi-Res Audio Listening Stations at Best Buy Magnolia Locations
Sony’s launch of Hi-Res Audio listening stations at Best Buy Magnolia Design Centers is the first of a possible series of larger rollouts of premium sound listening stations Sony plans to put in front of consumers to show the audible benefits of Hi-Res Audio, Yamato Tanikawa, Sony director-sound/video, told us at the unveiling of a station at a Best Buy store in New York last week. “The experience is key” to consumers understanding the value of high-resolution music, Tanikawa said.
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Best Buy’s 79 Magnolia Design Center stores have all been outfitted with the Sony-funded stations, and though additional plans haven’t been set, the company would like to extend the marketing effort to other stores selling high-resolution audio gear, Tanikawa said. He wouldn’t disclose the cost to Sony for creating and planting the demo stations in stores but said it was worth the investment. Customers are “not going to buy without trying out,” Tanikawa said.
At the outset, the demo stations are being supported by Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, which supplied one-minute clips from three dozen catalog and new music titles. The plan is to keep demo music, which is stored on a hard drive at each kiosk, fresh quarterly with new clips spanning a variety of genres, said Tanikawa, who was unable to say how many High-Res Audio tracks are available from the three music companies. Digital Entertainment Group Senior Director Marc Finer referred to "thousands" of high-resolution music titles overall as he opened the event. The kiosks’ art, comprising album covers, will also be replaced quarterly along with the music and is easily removed via magnetic backing, Tanikawa demonstrated.
Some 50 hardware manufacturers are selling "hundreds" of different high-resolution devices, Finer said, adding that CTA's Hi-Res Audio logo will start appearing on many different brands. Finer also showed a graphic of a logo developed by DEG with three major music labels and the RIAA that can be used to identify Hi-Res Music "easily and consistently." RIAA announced last week that Acoustic Sounds Super HiRez, Blue Coast Music, HDtracks, IsoMike Recordings, ClassicsOnline HD•LL, PonoMusic and ProStudioMasters have agreed to adopt the Hi-Res Music logo licensing agreement and have begun integrating the logo into their websites and branding materials.
The Magnolia kiosks feature two Sony players: the $299 NWZ-A17 Hi-Res Walkman, connected to a set of $300 MDR1A Sony over-ear headphones, and the $1,299 NW-ZX2 High-Resolution Walkman, plugged to a $999 PHA-3 USB DAC headphone amplifier that connects to $600 MDR-Z7 over-ear headphones. The gear is secured to the kiosks using a combination of metal brackets, screws and adhesives to prevent theft, said Michael Cuellar, Sony marketing manager-sound/video. Consumers aren’t able to lift the players from their pedestals.
As part of the launch, Sony announced a tie-in between its music and hardware businesses. Customers who buy either Sony Walkman player between Dec. 1 and Jan. 16 will receive a free download of Carrie Underwood’s recently released Storyteller album. The download will be facilitated by HDtracks, Sony said.
Sony’s training team worked with the Best Buy sales staff to convey product features and benefits and coach them on using the display, Cuellar said. Each Hi-Res listening station also comes with an integrated tablet with information about Hi-Res Audio in general, along with music discographies and video testimonials, Sony said. The program also includes incentive offers from Magnolia at Best Buy and HDtracks, which haven't been announced.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Technology Association released findings from a study indicating consumer interest in Hi-Res Audio is “notably strong,” with 53 percent of consumers who bought an audio product online or in-store in the past year interested in high-resolution audio. But consumer interest in Hi-Res Audio can fade when equipment and software upgrades are needed, said CTA, which encouraged manufacturers to market to customers on a personal level and offer in-store demonstrations and promotions of high-resolution products.
“Connectivity is a key area in which retailers can better educate their customers,” said Chris Ely, CTA senior manager-industry analysis. “Even as consumers more frequently use streaming services and apps at home (86 percent) and in-vehicle (69 percent), they struggle to conceptualize the benefits of connectivity further than sharing playlists or streaming via Bluetooth,” Ely said.
Two-thirds of consumers’ most recent audio purchases (68 percent) were planned, with 77 percent of consumers researching audio products at a physical store and 41 percent doing so online, CTA said. Headphones lead the audio category, with 69 percent of customer purchases, followed by portable speakers (9 percent) and soundbars (6 percent), it said. Factors affecting audio purchases include word of mouth (32 percent), store displays (29 percent) and online reviews (20 percent), it said.
The CTA study also said consumers who buy audio products out of need are mainly focused on cost, everyday use and compatibility with mobile devices. Desire-based purchases put quality and brand ahead of value along with compatibility with core AV products, CTA said. A need-based purchase is typically intended to replace or supplement an existing product, while a desire-based purchase is most often an upgrade, CTA said.