Tivoli Audio may not have the mass-market name recognition of a Bose, a JBL or a Sony, but it has managed to carve out a global niche selling speakers, radios and hi-fi sound systems in some 30 countries. Its audio products and accessories are available online through its own website and on Amazon.com, among other e-tailers. Offline, the products sell in stores across a dealer network of roughly 120 U.S. stores — including the Video & Audio Center (Santa Monica, Calif.) and the Museum of Modern Art (New York City). Tivoli Audio also has a successful global B2B sales segment that focuses on the hospitality and hotel industry.

What piqued the company’s interest in a showroom was what it perceived as a demand for experience-driven shops. “As we live in a very competitive industry, it is important to hold your brand values, and it is now even more important to find unique ways to expose your brand to new customers,” said CEO Paul DePasquale. "Although it may feel like people only shop online or through Instagram and Facebook ads these days, there is nothing that will replace experiencing a product like audio in person."

The 500-square-foot Tivoli Audio Experience & Shop, as the showroom is called, is near the company's headquarters. The brownstone site and its comfortable seating enables customers not only to hear the products' sound quality, DePasquale says, but also to physically see how the products will “live” in their homes. The design includes such homey touches as a fireplace and a bay window.

“Our product’s aesthetics have been the main difference to other brands,” said DePasquale. Most consumer audio products are designed using black or silver and a lot of plastic, he says, while Tivoli Audio uses a variety of materials and is known for furniture-grade wood-style cabinets. The company’s focus on modern and retro design aesthetics alike is another reason its products sell in museum shops and home-furnishings stores in addition to the usual electronics retail shops.

The showroom will carry inventory for purchase and also offer a direct shipment option. The company also has plans to house special events in-store, such as guest speakers and live music. The company is open to rolling out additional experiential stores, in a wide range of possible locales. “We have offices in the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia,” said DePasquale, "so we could expect new locations if this proves to be a winning concept."