Praalder
Goosebumps from new hi-fi systems
DATE
14 May 2020
TEXT
Jasper Gramsma
IMAGE
Kim Vermaat
They were there with the advent of television and still today, the Praalder family business is at the forefront of technological developments. In doing so, they have been taking their customers by the hand for decades. "The world of electronics is changing at lightning speed."
Ep the facade of an entire building block on Theresiastraat bears the name of The Hague's best-known electronics experts: Praalder. One section, with household appliances, is run by Stephan Praalder. In the other, with image and sound, his brother Onno rules the roost.
Stephan Praalder (left) runs the white goods section, Onno the audiovisual section.
At the table in the dedicated 'store' of the brand of brands in the audiovisual field, Bang & Olufsen, Onno Praalder explains that nothing is too crazy for him. "For the real enthusiasts, there are AV (audiovisual, ed.) systems worth a tonne, but you can also come to us for a simple Samsung TV or a Sonos speaker; the threshold is low."
And everyone gets equally personalised advice. "Our people idolise technology and still get goosebumps from beautiful, new hi-fi systems," he states. "So they know all about it. And with in-house installation, we make sure that in the end all you have to do is press the button. Some we even travel abroad after. It works, because we have seen many retailers come and go, and we still exist."
Tube radio
Grandpa Praalder started as an installer in the days when oil lamps gave way to the electricity grid. "Grandma said, 'If you build that grid, we should make sure we also sell the stuff you can plug into it.' She started the first shop, with washing machines that were nothing more than a wooden barrel with a motor on it," Praalder explains.
Pop music
Influenced by pop music and others, hi-fi made its appearance on a large scale in the 1960s. That is also how far back the close relationship goes with Danish Bang & Olufsen, which has played an important role in the company ever since.
'B&O has always been at the forefront, including in picture quality'
"Praalder was the first dealer in the Netherlands, people came from all over. My father came across the BeoMaster tube radio somewhere, an insane device with a rich rosewood finish that sounded like clockwork. The brand was still small, didn't even have a distributor in the Netherlands yet, but it immediately suited us because we were already selling the better hi-fi products from Quad, Bower & Wilkins and KEF, for example, at that time."
OLED TV
That a lot has happened in the audiovisual field in the interim shows the latest television from Bang & Olufsen that the AV man is proud to show off: the BeoVision Harmony. At €17,000, this 77-inch OLED TV is currently the top model. "B&O has always had a leading position, also in picture quality. They keep making their products more beautiful, easier to operate and always of a high standard."
Design soundbar
Meanwhile, Praalder presses the button and silently the design soundbar with oak and aluminium flips open like a butterfly and the screen rises. "LCD and LED technology are outdated, this picture gives real black and real white thanks to the eight million LEDs that are individually controlled."
'B&O has always been at the forefront, including in picture quality'
As simple as the controls look, the technology behind them is sophisticated. "Behind one button there are countless functions for film and music, which leads to beautifully developed software that we need to be able to configure.
We therefore also continuously attend all training and courses with our suppliers to provide people with the best possible service, because the exciting world of high-quality electronics is changing at lightning speed."
'Soundscape'
In conclusion, Onno Praalder opens the specially equipped listening studio, where dozens of speakers and amplifiers can be combined for the optimal 'sound picture'. "Here you can spend the whole day building a customised concept," he says. "For that, we use your favourite music, so you have a good reference. Each time you let the sound affect you for a few tracks, you literally get to know a combination. One sounds brighter, another has more bass response, and so on."
'Here you can spend all day building a bespoke concept'
On the fact that the equipment still looks conventional, the AV man explains, "The sound of a set of good speakers and an amplifier remains the most beautiful thing. In that respect, conventional hi-fi is literally timeless."
text Jasper Gramsma / image Kim Vermaat
They were there with the advent of television and still today, the Praalder family business is at the forefront of technological developments. In doing so, they have been taking their customers by the hand for decades. "The world of electronics is changing at lightning speed."
Ep the facade of an entire building block on Theresiastraat bears the name of The Hague's best-known electronics experts: Praalder. One section, with household appliances, is run by Stephan Praalder. In the other, with image and sound, his brother Onno rules the roost.
Stephan Praalder (left) runs the white goods section, Onno the audiovisual section.
At the table in the dedicated 'store' of the brand of brands in the audiovisual field, Bang & Olufsen, Onno Praalder explains that nothing is too crazy for him. "For the real enthusiasts, there are AV (audiovisual, ed.) systems worth a tonne, but you can also come to us for a simple Samsung TV or a Sonos speaker; the threshold is low."
And everyone gets equally personalised advice. "Our people idolise technology and still get goosebumps from beautiful, new hi-fi systems," he states. "So they know all about it. And with in-house installation, we make sure that in the end all you have to do is press the button. Some we even travel abroad after. It works, because we have seen many retailers come and go, and we still exist."
Tube radio
Grandpa Praalder started as an installer in the days when oil lamps gave way to the electricity grid. "Grandma said, 'If you build that grid, we should make sure we also sell the stuff you can plug into it.' She started the first shop, with washing machines that were nothing more than a wooden barrel with a motor on it," Praalder explains.
Pop music
Influenced by pop music and others, hi-fi made its appearance on a large scale in the 1960s. That is also how far back the close relationship goes with Danish Bang & Olufsen, which has played an important role in the company ever since.
'B&O has always been at the forefront, including in picture quality'
"Praalder was the first dealer in the Netherlands, people came from all over. My father came across the BeoMaster tube radio somewhere, an insane device with a rich rosewood finish that sounded like clockwork. The brand was still small, didn't even have a distributor in the Netherlands yet, but it immediately suited us because we were already selling the better hi-fi products from Quad, Bower & Wilkins and KEF, for example, at that time."
OLED TV
That a lot has happened in the audiovisual field in the interim shows the latest television from Bang & Olufsen that the AV man is proud to show off: the BeoVision Harmony. At €17,000, this 77-inch OLED TV is currently the top model. "B&O has always had a leading position, also in picture quality. They keep making their products more beautiful, easier to operate and always of a high standard."
Design soundbar
Meanwhile, Praalder presses the button and silently the design soundbar with oak and aluminium flips open like a butterfly and the screen rises. "LCD and LED technology are outdated, this picture gives real black and real white thanks to the eight million LEDs that are individually controlled."
'B&O has always been at the forefront, including in picture quality'
As simple as the controls look, the technology behind them is sophisticated. "Behind one button there are countless functions for film and music, which leads to beautifully developed software that we need to be able to configure.
We therefore also continuously attend all training and courses with our suppliers to provide people with the best possible service, because the exciting world of high-quality electronics is changing at lightning speed."
'Soundscape'
In conclusion, Onno Praalder opens the specially equipped listening studio, where dozens of speakers and amplifiers can be combined for the optimal 'sound picture'. "Here you can spend the whole day building a customised concept," he says. "For that, we use your favourite music, so you have a good reference. Each time you let the sound affect you for a few tracks, you literally get to know a combination. One sounds brighter, another has more bass response, and so on."
'Here you can spend all day building a bespoke concept'
On the fact that the equipment still looks conventional, the AV man explains, "The sound of a set of good speakers and an amplifier remains the most beautiful thing. In that respect, conventional hi-fi is literally timeless."
