Ideal Product Life-Cycles

[RGA]

Also your example with benchmark is different - they are making improvements as DA converter technology changes - they didn't reinvent the entire box and bring out a new model in different colours with new blather that no one cares about - except for those who do in which case their ears would not likely appreciate it anyway.

The only difficulty of that is that used buyers have a harder time with figuring out which one they should be buying on the used market.

Also, for what it's worth - The Benchmark room at CES was one of my top 5 rooms at the Show. They chose to bring Studio Electric speakers and amps- and it WAS Benchmark who made the selection and good for them to choose a local builder and having the balls to choose a less well known (almost zero known) speaker company in a high stakes environment like CES where you're trying to get dealers to want to carry your products.

The speakers are not typical of what I like - but they managed to impress me greatly. When a SET guy can say that - then you're doing something right!

[Ajani]

Also your example with benchmark is different - they are making improvements as DA converter technology changes - they didn't reinvent the entire box and bring out a new model in different colours with new blather that no one cares about - except for those who do in which case their ears would not likely appreciate it anyway.

The only difficulty of that is that used buyers have a harder time with figuring out which one they should be buying on the used market.

Also, for what it's worth - The Benchmark room at CES was one of my top 5 rooms at the Show. They chose to bring Studio Electric speakers and amps- and it WAS Benchmark who made the selection and good for them to choose a local builder and having the balls to choose a less well known (almost zero known) speaker company in a high stakes environment like CES where you're trying to get dealers to want to carry your products.

The speakers are not typical of what I like - but they managed to impress me greatly. When a SET guy can say that - then you're doing something right!

My issue with the Benchmark is (as you stated) that it's hard to know which used model to buy... Also, people who heard an old model and had issues with it, will repeat those issues on forums etc, without realizing that they are no longer applicable to current production units...

So I find the incremental update model very confusing for customers... maybe if more manufacturers would put a subtle version number on the product (without hyping it up as a "new product") then it would be less confusing...

[Ajani]

Also, for what it's worth - The Benchmark room at CES was one of my top 5 rooms at the Show. They chose to bring Studio Electric speakers and amps- and it WAS Benchmark who made the selection and good for them to choose a local builder and having the balls to choose a less well known (almost zero known) speaker company in a high stakes environment like CES where you're trying to get dealers to want to carry your products.

The speakers are not typical of what I like - but they managed to impress me greatly. When a SET guy can say that - then you're doing something right!

Interesting is that a $1K Benchmark was paired with a $7.35K amp and $7.9K speakers...