Positive Feedback
I spent a few days in Manhattan in late June during the CE Week events and was interviewed by David Bott and Scott Wilkinson of AVS Forum about high definition audio etc. The interview generated some nice comments on the AVS Forum site. One viewer purchased a copy of our latest Blu-ray HD-Audio sampler and was kind enough to post his reaction the other day. Here’s what he posted:
“I recently received my copy of AIX’s HD Audio Blu-ray sampler, which I ordered after watching Scott and Mark’s interview. Talk about a huge improvement in clarity, open soundstage and realism. My speakers are far from high end but even they sounded so much better with the greater dynamic range etc that Mark was talking about. Certainly shows that there are still vast improvements that can be made in recording practices by those who choose to make the effort.”
It’s so nice to get encouraging comments from customers and music lovers.
In fact, as the founder, owner and operator of a small audiophile record label, it means everything. Unlike the hardware guys at the recent CAF who can sell a single piece of equipment and walk away with thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars by selling a single piece of gear, a record company has to sell many hundreds of discs to equal the same amount.
AIX Records has about 85 titles in our catalog. They range from the very early DVD-Audio/Video titles we produced in the early 2000s to the recent Blu-ray 3D projects recorded in 2010 but the technical and sonic approach has been the same all along. And the reviews and awards have been universally positive as well. Seeing another 5-star review for audio quality goes a long way towards compensating for the hours and resources spent producing our titles.
On Saturday during the Capitol AudioFest, I had a great exchange with a guy and his brother. It turns out that last year, he had won one of my AIX Records samplers during the raffle (I was fortunate enough to have my number drawn during the same raffle…I won a copy of my own sampler!). He listened to the sampler and loved it. Over the past twelve months, he accumulated a small number of AIX titles. When he heard that I would be coming to this year’s show, he dragged his retired brother to the event and practically forced him to buy a few hundred dollars worth of our titles. He came back three times over the weekend to report on the listening progress.
It happened over and over again during the three days of the show. Fans of AIX Records would come by the table and point out the discs that they already had and start looking around for potential new acquisitions. It was especially gratifying and good for business when a previous customer would interact with someone unfamiliar with our label by saying how much he or she loved the Rita Coolidge Blu-ray or The Latin Jazz Trio. I should hire an AIX fan to stand next to the table and provide testimonials throughout the weekend…it would be worth it!
AIX Records is a word of mouth company. It’s only by sharing your excitement and discs with other music lovers that our reputation has spread. And it has spread literally throughout the world. I regularly correspond with customers from Great Britain, Australia, South America and Asia in addition to the emails I get from folks here in the U.S. Thanks for taking the time to write and please keep your comments and questions coming.
