First, most people's living rooms outperform most store demo rooms. Unless you are building a treated room within a room in the store, most of the time proper setup yields better performance in the clien't's home than it does in the store (at least in the US). Did I mention that US commercial construction codes suck?Sure , some dealers are very good at it indeed .
Same as show set ups , some are set up as a memorable experience others are nothing special or even worse .
I still can remember the nice demo peter mcgrath did back in 2005 in rotterdam on Maxx 2 : halcro /levinson / wadia and a small tape nagra tapedeck .
The question here was ; is it a good idea for the dealer to have an exceptional room in order to make the sale in the first place , i d say yes.
Micro thinks its risky .
I d say good gear deserves the best , because it sticks in people s minds
I agree with you. Experiential demos are all about credibility. The dealer is showing his capabilities or lack thereof when he provides a demo experience. Every detail should be addressed. The experience sets the bar. It's not just about sound either. I remember once watching a dealer lose a large room build/system sale because the outlet plates were not installed in the dealer's otherwise spectacularly built room. The message the client took away was that the dealer could make good sound but would likely never complete the job.
Lastly, all gear deserves the best effort.