Quote Originally Posted by Ajani

The really sad part is that audiophiles waste so much time bashing Bose and (to a much lesser extent) JBL and Klipsch for catering to the mass market, while failing to realize that long after these "Boutique Stores" and Brands are out of business, Bose will still be making money.... Time to stop hating and start competing...
One of the things I like about JBL is its long history and the fact that it's still covering the high end as well as the low end. If I had $60*, I could buy a pair of JBL speakers and a subwoofer. If I had $6000, I could buy a full-sized home theater system (Studio L Series) or some really nice stereo speakers (pair of Array 1000 or Performance Series). If I had $60,000, I could buy a pair of some of the best speakers in the world (Everest II). Okay, I could get on the waiting list anyway.

The volume of sales on the low end stuff helps to prop up the sales of the high end stuff, and there's a natural bridge for the low end buyer to come back to a known brand for the next purchase.

On a couple of other forums, I'm surprised at the growing number of posters who are coming on line and reporting that they just got their first "high end system," a set of JBLs from the low end of the loudspeaker range but high priced to them at nearly $1000 for five speakers and a sub. A few months later they're back asking about the next line or the line above that.

I suspect a lot of people get into a brand and keep moving up the chain. If there's no place for a customer to build brand affinity when he or she starts a the bottom, there'll be no brand loyalty later on. Studies show that brand loyalty is a big deal to many young consumers, and brands that don't build affinity early in a shopper's buying history have a hard time converting them later, especially if there's inconvenience attached, such as having to search for a place where the product is sold.




*In fact I did that with the JBL Creature 2. Didn't even need an amp or preamp. Just plug in the iPod and I've got a good sounding stereo system with a sub. All the kids at school love it (or they would if it were 40 years ago and I were still in high school).