OTHER TECH

Alison Bloomfield, who's listening to a $250 pair of Boston Acoustics speakers, says she enjoys shopping in Studio 1's quieter environment. "It's so much more sane and pleasant in here than out there," she says, gesturing to the brightly lit main floor. She aspires to a more extensive - and pricier - entertainment system, "but that's a whole other budget I'm not ready to cross into yet."

Bloomfield is the type of customer Best Buy hopes to "grow" over time. "We don't necessarily set out to sell someone an entire system," explains Tran. "But we make recommendations that are right for them at the moment, and then show them new systems that they might like to purchase when they're ready."

In the cozy "lifestyle" setting of Studio 2, a couple sinks into a pair of reclining Salamander Matteo theater chairs ($1,300 each), complete with cupholders, while watching a snippet of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on a $10,000 Fujitsu 55-inch plasma HDTV that's accompanied by theaterlike surround sound.

While the mix of components in the Magnolia rooms work well together, Tran says, "we know that what's on display won't be right for everyone, so we try to tailor the mix of products and services to a person's specific needs. We want to build a relationship. Just as people talk about an accountant or an auto mechanic as 'my guy,' we want to become the 'my guy' that people talk about when they're discussing home entertainment."

But unlike most auto mechanics and accountants, the Magnolia staff makes house calls. The store charges $100 for an in-home consultation but gives you a $50 gift card you can use toward any Best Buy item you want. "We used to use outside contractors to do installations," Tran says, "but in the past two years we've taken more of it in house so we have better control from start to finish."

In Studio 3, you can peruse wood samples for custom-made speakers, survey an assortment of furniture to house the electronics, and even shop for acoustic treatments that look like giant fabric pictures encased in attractive moldings. The room's 8-foot-wide Stewart screen ($1,800) offers a real movie-theater experience. Here, shoppers can more closely identify with the comfort-loving Hobbits as they sink into luxurious leather chairs while watching The Lord of the Rings over a $5,000 InFocus HDTV projector supported by a $5,275 Vienna Acoustics speaker system and a $1,200 REL Acoustics Strata III subwoofer. Electronics include Primare's $4,000 SPA21 amplifer/preamp, Denon's DVD-3910 DVD player ($1,500), and a Samsung DirecTV high-def satellite receiver ($300) - all resting in a $1,200 Salamander Designs stand.

Elizabeth and Tom Beeks are happy to pay Magnolia $700 to install the Panasonic 37-inch plasma TV they just bought for $2,400. The couple wants to install the TV over their fireplace on an articulated mount so they can swivel it back and forth as well as up and down. "The guys here are really good at explaining everything from how the TV connects with a sound system to how the TV mount will attach to the wall," says Tom.

A Pleasure to Serve You Service doesn't stop when you walk from Magnolia back into the main store, though. For instance, Best Buy's Geek Squad runs around San Francisco in a fleet of Volkswagen Beetles making house calls to set up wireless networks, computers, and office equipment in both homes and offices. (Geek Squad services are available at all Best Buy stores.)

While the Beetles are off limits to customers, videogamers can take some of the latest thumb candy out for a spin without ever leaving the store. Forty Best Buys now feature Test Drive areas where you can try out the latest NBA Live on a game console hooked up to a 50-inch plasma TV and a surround sound system while seated on a comfy couch. Twenty-five stores also offer personal shopping assistants who can help even technophobes find the right cellphone, camcorder, or mobile audio system.

If my recent experience is any indication, the chain's new approach appears to be working. On the weekend, the San Francisco store is jammed with customers trying out the latest video and audio gear, and even on a weeknight, guys in oversized sweats and backward-facing baseball caps line up to play Metal Gear Solid or watch a clip from X-Men II on a high-end plasma HDTV. Forget about hanging out at a movie theater or a gaming arcade - the new community entertainment center would appear to be your local Best Buy. On my way out, I pass an espresso machine where customers pause to pour themselves a cappuccino, latte, or even a chai tea latte for just a buck. Watching them, I can't help wondering: can the gourmet popcorn be far behind?

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