I wanted to reach out to everyone that owns or knows someone that is looking to demo, or own Axiom hardware.
There is a new high end home theater store that is coming to Columbia South Carolina. The showroom is designed to sample different Axiom speaker combinations, from the simplistic LFR, to the ultimate Dolby ATMOS(tm) setup. Each section of the showroom will provide the user to listen to the Axiom line of speakers through multiple high end A/V receivers. One example will have the Onkyo PR-RZ5100 with two ADA1500 amplifiers, and the flagship speakers offered by Axiom. The sound rooms are sound proof on the internal walls (between the sheetrock) so the user can experience the true sound of the system as if they were in their own home. If the customer decides to purchase any set of speakers or complete package. We will work with the customer for a custom installation provided by the store. We also integrate whole house intercom, and individual zones for customers requesting multiple zones. We also offer complete per-installation for new home builds. Please if you would provide your thoughts or any questions that you have about this one of a kind home theater test drive before you buy? There will be multiple isolated (no bleed over when someone listens at reference level)sound rooms, in a 8,000 SQ FT building. I am looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and replies.
-Ballardstech

Very cool! Have a website up yet?

I wish you success! A reference grade listening complex is an incredible resource for people to experience content. I hope the use of Axiom products bring you mutual success. This is very exciting news.

This will be a terrific way for shoppers to listen to Axiom speakers before they purchase them off the Axiom site.

Who will handle service for the speakers? You or Axiom?

Will you stock Axiom speakers or order on demand?

Will you market Axiom speakers and amplifiers exclusively?

Will Axiom honor its customer loyalty program when their speakers are purchased from you? Or will you offer your own loyalty program?

This is excellent news! Looking forward to learning more as you open for business!

The Service (warranty) would still go through Axiom, and depending on the issue that would be something I would have to discuss with Axiom. The store would warranty they install, and any construction work, or design. We take extra steps when installing theater rooms, one is we use an electrical line conditioner/stabilizer at the breaker box for the entire theater room.
The plan is to keep inventory onsite if Axiom agrees to this. Then the information (serial numbers) would be registered to the customer, and will reflect the customer is the original purchaser.
Axiom is what is planned to be offered, but there will be other brands in the same price range so the customer can see and hear the difference.
Since the speaker will be purchased by the customer the loyalty program is direct to the customer. If I do not have a speaker or device in the warehouse, then it would be dropped shipped to the customer.

What prevents someone from auditioning Axioms at your place and then buying them off the Axiom site?

It's an old Super Walmart that closed about 12 years ago, so they could build one like 10 miles down the road. The extra SQ FT is going to be a production Data Center utilizing cloud technology, so that people can understand what's behind just logging into a website, or saving a picture to the cloud. It's raised floor, with dual bio metric entry, but it is see through, via 3" thick bullet proof glass. I consider it my physical resume LOL. As far as the AV show room each one will be a mini house (Theater Room) that will have the same structure as a living room. There are even obstacles placed strategically through out to prove you can have high end theater sound in a normal home. So many brand stores sit you down in this perfect controlled environment, then when you get home and set it up in your room the sound is totally different.

Nothing prevents them from doing that, it is simply preference for each customer, but Axiom will be involved in each sale. I want the customer to understand that they are not buying from a mass production giant. They are dealing with a company that treats their customers like family, and will talk them through anything. I'm not eliminating Axiom from the family oriented staff. I creating a store that doesn't exist in the south east.

Will you be pricing the speakers at Axiom web store prices?

I have to follow the rules of the agreement. What is listed on the website is what they will sell for in the store, unless Axiom has a special running, and I would go through sales to attempt to provide the same pricing. Most of the profit that will come from this is the installation, construction, and wiring new homes under construction with HDMI, CAT6, and Banana plug plates and a media rack room or D-Mark for all of the wiring. Then also being able to precut the in wall, and in ceiling speakers before the mud and paint goes on.

That's what I thought about the profit. I really do wish you a lot of success with this. I hope you have a solid business plan backed up by a well-researched financial model. All the best!

Two years developing the business plan, and I recently had a customer fly me to Houston TX to built a theater room for him. It's all by work of mouth. Now it's time to put it into action.

Fantastic! Good luck!

How many A/V rooms do you think you'll do in a year?

Awesome plan hope it's a great success.
Axiom hasn't been in stores for a long time due to price constraints. Although with a shop the size of a Walmart or Costco type facility the word of mouth should be a lot easier.

Do you plan on carrying the Bryston lineup as well. Being that's what you can find in stores now?

Here in south western Canada we've got a few custom installers they all seem to do well enough to have been open for the last 20 plus years. Mind you we are the most expensive city in Canada so these kind of installers fill a niche here{Vancouver B.C.}.

I am curious as to why Axiom did not announce this?

Is this for real?

A great question for Ian's and Andrew's upcoming AMA.

Does anyone know the audio business? How many installs does Gilbert have to do a year to break even? He sure ain't gonna make any money selling speakers by the sound of things.

Is this for real?
I thought Axiom/Fam. was anti markup. As to the choice of I.D. company vs. in store.

I think the Designer Remodeling aspect of this kind of company is risky. Though in the right neighbourhood very successful.

Plus do you really trust Alexa and such running your house?
Cameras and Mics. every where. Who's watching whom from where?

Kind of freaky for real.

First Samsung cams. Now we want Automated BIG BROTHER in the house.

Trippy

Glen has a plan. This HT store is a passion store as an offshoot of the main business. He should be good to go. But he needs a new website!

http://ballardstech.net/

It all sounds like a lot of fun with the exception of the installs. If he has a formula to make installs work without losing his shirt and having to work 20 hours a day, then he'll be a winner.

Thats just what an engineer would say! The install is the business. Otherwise, its best buy having a wank.

Fwiw, Mojo and I have met, and he's solid. All this is a character. Which he is! A thinker through and through. And unvarnished honesty. Thank goodness.

Thanks, one-time Hell_commute. I'm just trying to spice up these boards. I've been laughing so hard these last couple of months with some of the posts on here I feel like a teen again. I think Ian's been enjoying some of it too.

The installs scare me because there are fixed and variable costs that are tough to manage. Scope drifts and with it the margin can shrink; customer expectation management becomes a big part of the job. You have to keep your people busy and also retained. Scheduling is a nightmare. And on and on.

One aspect of professional services that might be fun is tuning. I can see that being manageable. And it's clean.

From experience the worst part is the tuning...

Heres why.

The system at this point is fully operable, although inept. The client is uber pumped to realise the investment/experience RIGHT NOW and doesnt get that it will be much better if he just goes away till I'm done. Then the kids enter.

We decided to put a rider in our jobs after this. Its kind of a jerk thing to do, but we walk away from work if its not on our terms. Not worth putting my name on it.

LOL! The client has waited his whole life for this system and can't wait just a bit more.

The rider shows passion...and 'nad-mass.

We actually have quite a few Custom Install Partners around North America. The focus for us is on the Custom part. Because we have our own factory in North America we can offer special finishes and custom cabinet sizes and shapes. We can also ship just what is required for each installation.

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Good to hear. That's a pretty unique capability - glad you have a network to help take good advantage of it.

I wonder what happened with Gilbert.