Audio Forum: everything for a concert in your own living room
With two shops in the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, Denon Store and Bang & Olufsen, parent company Audio Forum serves a wide audience. "If you want to buy something here, of course you have to have listened to it first," he says.
DATE
24 July 2023
TEXT
Tijmen van den Born
IMAGE
Brian Mul
Audio Forum: everything for a concert in your own living room
With two shops in the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, Denon Store and Bang & Olufsen, parent company Audio Forum serves a wide audience. "If you want to buy something here, of course you have to have listened to it first," he says.
"Waar you actually want to work towards is that goosebumps moment," says Erwin van den Bulk (36) as his colleague Jay Bonhof (32) turns down the sound of the audio set-up. The last sounds of Keeno's 'Dignity Found', a drum-'n-bass number, die away. "I read the other day that only 60 per cent of people can get that, goosebumps from music. And of course, what touches you then varies from person to person. Last week, I played Rammstein for a client, it made him very emotional."
Erwin van den Bulk with Bang & Olufsen headphones.
'What hits you, of course, differs from person to person'
It is a weekday afternoon in the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam. The many people in the long shop-filled passages create soft murmurs. But you don't notice any of that on the second floor of Denon Store. In that room, specially built to test sound equipment, is soundproofed. Because, says Bonhof of Audio Forum: "Testing is where it all starts. If you want to buy something here, you obviously need to have listened to it first."
Jay Bonhof at the Denon Store.
Bonhof talks about high-end audio, high-end sound systems. Anyone looking for that will end up at Denon Store or Bang & Olufsen (B&O). Because both shops fall under the same parent company: Audio Forum, with world brands such as Marantz, Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, Focal, Bang & Olufsen and Naim. "Audio Forum is our retail chain, so to speak," explains Bonhof - manager of Audio Forum Netherlands."
Appearance
Yet the two audio shops - which are separated in The Mall by an optician - are very different. "Both shops really have a different look, which we can now emphasise very well," says Van den Bulk, shop manager of Bang & Olufsen Leidschendam, who has now taken a seat in a comfortable armchair. "Different types of customers come to the two shops, and they are also looking for different products."
'Both cases really have a different look'
In short, these are customers who go for a music system that is visible in their living room, or a set-up incorporated into the interior. The latter is the speciality of Danish company Bang & Olufsen. Bonhof: "B&O is not just about sound, but also about design and lifestyle. The equipment is all integrated - for example in a decorative wall unit - so that it naturally blends into the décor. You don't buy the components at B&O separately, but as a whole." Van den Bulk adds: "Wood types, for example, can be matched to your interior. That also fits well with our location in The Mall, I think, where the focus is already very much on lifestyle anyway."
In the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, parent company Audioforum has two shops: Denon Store and Bang & Olufsen.
Within that focus also fits a surround set-up, for home cinema enthusiasts. An area has been set up in B&O's shop where such a system can be tested, complete with widescreen TV.
Those who shop at Denon Store go for a different look: instead, the sound system may be seen and have a prominent place in the home. "It's much more spiel here," Bonhof says of the individual amplifiers, speakers and music players. "People also buy here because audio is a hobby of theirs. You can 'tune' a bit here, as we call it. So make adjustments with everything from the speakers to sound cables and high-quality plugs. Yes, even that makes a difference."
'Young people don't flock to that'
The wide offer also translates into a diverse audience. Not only because of the diverse options at Denon Store, the lifestyle elements of B&O or the high quality of both shops, but also because of the team of employees. These are - contrary to the norm in the audio industry - young. "That's different at most hi-fi shops," says Bonhof. "There, someone wearing a dinner jacket will stand at the door, which gives a very stuffy image. Young people are less likely to come to that. But because our staff are a bit younger, we actually have a bond with them."
Public
In this way, these two Audio Forum shops hope to help everyone. From casual passers-by in The Mall looking for a bluetooth speaker or headphones, to those interested in high-end audio. For customers buying a higher-end set-up, Audio Forum can also visit their homes. Bonhof: "If you buy a €10,000 or €20,000 set-up, you obviously need to be sure that it also sounds good at home. We can advise on that on location."
But the first choices are not made there, but in one of the listening rooms. And because every audio set at Denon Store and B&O sounds different, every combination of player-amplifier-speaker fits a different sound. Bonhof: "All employees have their own playlist, because you have to know which music sounds perfect on which combination. Of course, the customer also wants a frame of reference with his own songs. I always start with my own though, after that a customer can then suggest something himself."
'You need to know what music sounds ultimate where'
And of those listening examples, Bonhof has many. The set-up he uses to give a small demonstration is suitable for many different genres. Besides drum-'n-bass, instrumental, jazz and vocals with guitar can be heard. Bonhof ends with 'Mountains' by film music composer Hans Zimmer, used in the film 'Interstellar'.
The finale also impresses. The piece builds up quietly, slowly gains volume and power, and finally - when a 40-strong choir swells - reaches a spectacular climax. "This is really one of those songs," says Van den Bulk as the sound subsides again. He has stood up and looks at his colleague: "Be honest: if this doesn't give you goose bumps ... then I don't know what does."
text Tijmen van den Born image Brian Mul
"Waar you actually want to work towards is that goosebumps moment," says Erwin van den Bulk (36) as his colleague Jay Bonhof (32) turns down the sound of the audio set-up. The last sounds of Keeno's 'Dignity Found', a drum-'n-bass number, die away. "I read the other day that only 60 per cent of people can get that, goosebumps from music. And of course, what touches you then varies from person to person. Last week, I played Rammstein for a client, it made him very emotional."
Erwin van den Bulk with Bang & Olufsen headphones.
'What hits you, of course, differs from person to person'
It is a weekday afternoon in the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam. The many people in the long shop-filled passages create soft murmurs. But you don't notice any of that on the second floor of Denon Store. In that room, specially built to test sound equipment, is soundproofed. Because, says Bonhof of Audio Forum: "Testing is where it all starts. If you want to buy something here, you obviously need to have listened to it first."
Jay Bonhof at the Denon Store.
Bonhof talks about high-end audio, high-end sound systems. Anyone looking for that will end up at Denon Store or Bang & Olufsen (B&O). Because both shops fall under the same parent company: Audio Forum, with world brands such as Marantz, Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, Focal, Bang & Olufsen and Naim. "Audio Forum is our retail chain, so to speak," explains Bonhof - manager of Audio Forum Netherlands."
Appearance
Yet the two audio shops - which are separated in The Mall by an optician - are very different. "Both shops really have a different look, which we can now emphasise very well," says Van den Bulk, shop manager of Bang & Olufsen Leidschendam, who has now taken a seat in a comfortable armchair. "Different types of customers come to the two shops, and they are also looking for different products."
'Both cases really have a different look'
In short, these are customers who go for a music system that is visible in their living room, or a set-up incorporated into the interior. The latter is the speciality of Danish company Bang & Olufsen. Bonhof: "B&O is not just about sound, but also about design and lifestyle. The equipment is all integrated - for example in a decorative wall unit - so that it naturally blends into the décor. You don't buy the components at B&O separately, but as a whole." Van den Bulk adds: "Wood types, for example, can be matched to your interior. That also fits well with our location in The Mall, I think, where the focus is already very much on lifestyle anyway."
In the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, parent company Audioforum has two shops: Denon Store and Bang & Olufsen.
Within that focus also fits a surround set-up, for home cinema enthusiasts. An area has been set up in B&O's shop where such a system can be tested, complete with widescreen TV.
Those who shop at Denon Store go for a different look: instead, the sound system may be seen and have a prominent place in the home. "It's much more spiel here," Bonhof says of the individual amplifiers, speakers and music players. "People also buy here because audio is a hobby of theirs. You can 'tune' a bit here, as we call it. So make adjustments with everything from the speakers to sound cables and high-quality plugs. Yes, even that makes a difference."
'Young people don't flock to that'
The wide offer also translates into a diverse audience. Not only because of the diverse options at Denon Store, the lifestyle elements of B&O or the high quality of both shops, but also because of the team of employees. These are - contrary to the norm in the audio industry - young. "That's different at most hi-fi shops," says Bonhof. "There, someone wearing a dinner jacket will stand at the door, which gives a very stuffy image. Young people are less likely to come to that. But because our staff are a bit younger, we actually have a bond with them."
Public
In this way, these two Audio Forum shops hope to help everyone. From casual passers-by in The Mall looking for a bluetooth speaker or headphones, to those interested in high-end audio. For customers buying a higher-end set-up, Audio Forum can also visit their homes. Bonhof: "If you buy a €10,000 or €20,000 set-up, you obviously need to be sure that it also sounds good at home. We can advise on that on location."
But the first choices are not made there, but in one of the listening rooms. And because every audio set at Denon Store and B&O sounds different, every combination of player-amplifier-speaker fits a different sound. Bonhof: "All employees have their own playlist, because you have to know which music sounds perfect on which combination. Of course, the customer also wants a frame of reference with his own songs. I always start with my own though, after that a customer can then suggest something himself."
'You need to know what music sounds ultimate where'
And of those listening examples, Bonhof has many. The set-up he uses to give a small demonstration is suitable for many different genres. Besides drum-'n-bass, instrumental, jazz and vocals with guitar can be heard. Bonhof ends with 'Mountains' by film music composer Hans Zimmer, used in the film 'Interstellar'.
The finale also impresses. The piece builds up quietly, slowly gains volume and power, and finally - when a 40-strong choir swells - reaches a spectacular climax. "This is really one of those songs," says Van den Bulk as the sound subsides again. He has stood up and looks at his colleague: "Be honest: if this doesn't give you goose bumps ... then I don't know what does."
