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1 Attachment(s)
Some Good News For A Change
Saw on the home page of this site that BOSE is going to lay off a 1,000 people,
then theres a plea to go and buy some of their overpriced underengineered crap,
like the same 500$ clock radio they have been making for decades.
This company is the Darth Vader of the consumer electronics industry,
taking ideas from others and making mediorce products that only the clueless would buy.
If the collapse of the economy drives these mercendaries out of business
it might actually be worth it.
Then they can get REAL JOB, like working the local drive-thru alongside
RIFED Rich.:1:
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Dare we hope?
Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelthis
Saw on the home page of this site that BOSE is going to lay off a 1,000 people,
then theres a plea to go and buy some of their overpriced underengineered crap,
like the same 500$ clock radio they have been making for decades.
This company is the Darth Vader of the consumer electronics industry,
taking ideas from others and making mediorce products that only the clueless would buy.
If the collapse of the economy drives these mercendaries out of business
it might actually be worth it.
Then they can get REAL JOB, like working the local drive-thru alongside
RIFED Rich.:1:
Dare we hope that this recession/depression will cull some of the most greedy and incompontent. It might happen (if bailouts aren't too comprehensive); good signs: various large banks and brokerage companies, the General Motors, Bernie Madoff, the Republican Party.
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As much as we like to bash Bose, in this economy, I'm not going to celebrate anyone losing their jobs. Just like the vast majority of workers, they have familes, homes, cars, and other expenses.
Although I felt that Bose was overpriced, you must admire the marketing muscle that they are able to flex.
It is unfortunate that people are the first to get the hatchet when investors are not happy that their stock shares are going to be $.01 off of estimates.
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So Feanor, are you, like pixass, hoping I get layed off?
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One more unemployed worker means one more hole in consumer confidence. Our economy can't survive if consumers don't spend money. And remember Feanor, your economy rides on our economy's coat tails, just like everything else with your country. Your disdain for Americans is sometimes very appaulling.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
.....Our economy can't survive if consumers don't spend money......
Thing is, up here in the "Frozen North" is that when the consumer stops spending the government takes up the slack. Unfortunately, this only benefits the people who don't actually need it.
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The CEO's of the nation will still make a good chunk of change. It's the hard working average Joe who will be out of luck.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMichael
The CEO's of the nation will still make a good chunk of change. It's the hard working average Joe who will be out of luck.
That is the way it always works.
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Certainly not
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Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
So Feanor, are you, like pixass, hoping I get layed off?
You work for TI, right? So not problem (?)
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Oh, I'm remembering
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
One more unemployed worker means one more hole in consumer confidence. Our economy can't survive if consumers don't spend money. And remember Feanor, your economy rides on our economy's coat tails, just like everything else with your country. Your disdain for Americans is sometimes very appaulling.
Distain? Not at all. I don't distain Americans at all; on the contrary I'm deeply concerned for them. Like a caring friend I offer good advice.
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You offer your opinions. It's up to others to decide whether or not it's good advice.
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Of course
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Originally Posted by GMichael
The CEO's of the nation will still make a good chunk of change. It's the hard working average Joe who will be out of luck.
It's the poor and humble working man who always suffer first, most, and longest in an economic down turn, (though they were not the ones to blame).
The role of the working man is spend, spend, spend. In this regard the working and middle class have done their damnedest for the U.S. (and Canadian) ecomony. With occassional explicit encouragement by our governments to support the economy, we have typically burdened ourselvers into crushing debt to sustain our live styles despite falling real earnings. This phenomenon has sustained the economy so far but has probably reached its limit.
Whatever the political expediency for Obama, I'm not in favor of tax cuts as the primary means of stimulation. That's an awful lot of people will use the cash to pay down debt or add to personal saving rather than spend on stuff. Spending money to building new infrastructure and greener production is much the better strategy under severe circumstance like the present.
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What people don't seem to realize (or at least don't mention) is that it's no longer just about the national economy. It's a world economy. Countries like China have people who do not live nearly as well as what we have come to expect for ourselves. Their average Joe (or Chang if you prefer) often works long hours each week for less than most of us make in a day or even an hour sometimes. When I was in the Philippines, I saw what being poor really is. We think being poor means that we can't get that car we really wanted or the speakers we were drooling over. Poor there means skipping meals. Doing without health care. Living without electricity or running water. My wife had a better job than most working at a university. She made $20 USD a week. People in countries like this will be very happy to work their butts off for very little cash. The girl who was cleaning our hotel room had a master's degree but was happy to be cleaning our bathroom because, at least she had a job. Our manufacturers have found out that they can get more production for their dollar in these countries. So that's where the money is going. That's why we owe China so much. Until their economy builds up to the point where Mr Average Chang starts demanding more money, we will have trouble putting this gene back in the bottle. I don't see it getting a lot better for us anytime soon (no matter what we do). But we will survive. We may have to do without the latest upgrades, but we will eat.
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The upside is we can start to use the word "LifeStyle" and the decimal ".2" without worry of being sued. What's "Monster" economic status?
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Yes, true
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Originally Posted by GMichael
What people don't seem to realize (or at least don't mention) is that it's no longer just about the national economy. It's a world economy. Countries like China have people who do not live nearly as well as what we have come to expect for ourselves. .... Our manufacturers have found out that they can get more production for their dollar in these countries. So that's where the money is going. That's why we owe China so much. Until their economy builds up to the point where Mr Average Chang starts demanding more money, we will have trouble putting this gene back in the bottle. I don't see it getting a lot better for us anytime soon (no matter what we do). But we will survive. We may have to do without the latest upgrades, but we will eat.
Right you are GM. The genie ain't going back in the bottle. It is inevidable that standards of living will equalize across the globe. People here, (North American, Europe, Japan), need to remember that it won't entirely be poor countries rising to our standard of living -- our standard will be falling simaltaneously so as to meet theirs somewhere in the middle. In fact, working incomes US and Canada level off in the '80s and have declined significantly in the last decade -- like I said though, most haven't yet felt a drop in our living standards because we have be able to borrow -- 'till now -- to make up the decline.
Now, say you're guy whose just lost his job to somebody in China: how much do you feel you "owe" the Chinese guy? Are you glad that you can now buy for thing that you used to make for less because he now makes? Maybe so. But note that already (in a small degree) the Chinese worker has begun to experience the pressure of lower wages elsewhere. Of course the "elsewhere" isn't (yet) North American but, say, Bangladesh.
Tighten that belt buck, bro.
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Originally Posted by Feanor
Bush's NeoCon credentials were well established in 1999. How come an ignorant foreigner like me saw perfectly well that he has going to bngger you guys and the rest of us? Appearances were all you Americans need, but you stupidly chose to ignore every sign.
And as for 2003, shame, shame, shame on you. The world says:dita: except no smirk.
I don't see any good advise in this. I don't know what "bngger" means, but this post sounds like someone who has a deep seated disdain for us Americans...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Groundbeef
As much as we like to bash Bose, in this economy, I'm not going to celebrate anyone losing their jobs. Just like the vast majority of workers, they have familes, homes, cars, and other expenses.
Although I felt that Bose was overpriced, you must admire the marketing muscle that they are able to flex.
It is unfortunate that people are the first to get the hatchet when investors are not happy that their stock shares are going to be $.01 off of estimates.
Bose is a private company, no shareholders to keep fat and happy other than Dr. Bose.
I agree though, when is 1,000 people losing their jobs ever "good news"? I guess pixie's just getting ever more desperate for attention. Aside from the Bose employees losing their jobs, it also impacts the communities where these employees live -- retail workers, child care providers, etc.
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As many in this thread have rightfully said: People losing jobs is not a good thing...
While I agree that Bose products are overpriced, I still respect the fact that Bose had the damn sense to ADVERTISE!!! If some of the other stuck up, dumb@$$, audio brands had done the same, then Bose probably wouldn't be synonymous with high end audio for the Average Joe...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
I don't see any good advise in this. I don't know what "bngger" means, but this post sounds like someone who has a deep seated disdain for us Americans...
Fine, that was a nasty post.... and based on the tone I'm going to assume it was part of a quarrel... Posts made during quarrels are not always the best reflection of what someone really thinks...
I've seen (and to some extent been involved in) some of the political exchanges between you and Feanor... Feanor has a lot of very strong opinions on American Politics and you 'appear' to dislike hearing foreigners' opinions on your country... This is a perfect recipe for misunderstandings...
I don't think Feanor hates Americans... What happens in America affects all of us foreigners and so we watch your elections and politics with held breath, hoping that we won't all get screwed if the American public votes for the wrong guy... America is like the musclebound jock in high school... if he chooses to use his brain and be a nice guy, then he can be a role model to the whole school, but if he decides to be a bully then everyone starts hiding...
You need to understand that there is a difference between hating someone and just being afraid of what they might do...
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ANY time I see someone badmouthing my country Ajani, they're going to hear about it. Period. Where do you get the idea that I don't know the difference between hating someone and being afraid of what someone might do? To me, that remark was completely irrelevant.
I also think it's bad form for pix, at the beginning of his thread, to wish/hope I'd be layed off. I don't give a rat's ass whether he was joking or not.
I don't think any remarks I made required input from you.
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*Sigh*
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Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
I don't see any good advise in this. I don't know what "bngger" means, but this post sounds like someone who has a deep seated disdain for us Americans...
What is an 'n' rotated 180°?
Most of the world -- including me -- looks to the United States for leadership in many in areas including economics, ethics, and geopolitics. We are disappointed and frustrated when the U.S. comes up even a little short.
I am sadden when a sizable portion of US citizens votes on the basis of discredited and untimely right-wing ideologies with the result that the most powerful political offices in the world are turned over to incompotent and ethically-corrupt individuals. Not only America but the whole world is punished as a consequence -- I'm not only saddened but a bit angry reflecting on this. Be mindful that a very large portion of people outside the US hold the outgoing US administration to blame for causing or exacerbating various serious problems in the world today.
Fortunately the new US Federal administration holds out hope for significant improvements in many areas. I am solidly with the sensible Americans of good will who will supporting their government's undertakings to right the problems.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
ANY time I see someone badmouthing my country Ajani, they're going to hear about it. Period. Where do you get the idea that I don't know the difference between hating someone and being afraid of what someone might do? To me, that remark was completely irrelevant.
Well, if you say you get the difference but still think Feanor just has a thing against Americans, then I won't argue with that... You're free to have your own opinion on his motivations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
I also think it's bad form for pix, at the beginning of his thread, to wish/hope I'd be layed off. I don't give a rat's ass whether he was joking or not.
Pix likes to be an @$$... Don't let his posts get to you... Though I do agree, that he shouldn't even be joking about you losing a job... I've lost a job before because of massive layoffs at my company (that's why I left Toronto and returned to the Caribbean)... it SUCKED (no other words are needed to describe the experience)...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
I don't think any remarks I made required input from you.
Also correct, but by now I think you know I tend to butt in every now and again...
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It was
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
Fine, that was a nasty post.... and based on the tone I'm going to assume it was part of a quarrel... Posts made during quarrels are not always the best reflection of what someone really thinks...
...
Yes, a bit nasty in tone. I apologize for the tone but not the substance. My message is simply that American should have know better than to vote for Dubyah the first time, much less the second time.
I am, overall, a great admirer of the United States of America. Thus I hold the country and its leadership to a high standard. Strong criticism of the US against a very high standard may be equated to mild criticism of a country of lessor stature against a much lower standard. But seemly some Americans feel it is presumptuous that their country should be criticized at all.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
As many in this thread have rightfully said: People losing jobs is not a good thing...
While I agree that Bose products are overpriced, I still respect the fact that Bose had the damn sense to ADVERTISE!!! If some of the other stuck up, dumb@$$, audio brands had done the same, then Bose probably wouldn't be synonymous with high end audio for the Average Joe...
Actually, Bose is the only audio company that generates enough revenue from their audio products to do TV ads. Other companies aren't "dumb@$$"-- they just can't afford to do the kind of advertising that Bose does.
I don't have the exact figures in front of me, but consider that sales from the ENTIRE home audio component market is somewhere around $1.2 billion. A couple of years ago, sales from the iPod ALONE were more than triple the entire home audio component industry. That's why Apple advertises on TV, and other audio companies do not.
Most home audio manufacturers are small scale operations that can barely afford display ads in Stereophile or Sound & Vision, or they are small divisions within a much larger conglomerate that allocates minimal budget for advertising. Companies like Yamaha and Sony generate millions from their audio component sales, but that revenue is a drop in the bucket compared to their other divisions.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woochifer
Actually, Bose is the only audio company that generates enough revenue from their audio products to do TV ads. Other companies aren't "dumb@$$"-- they just can't afford to do the kind of advertising that Bose does.
I don't have the exact figures in front of me, but consider that sales from the ENTIRE home audio component market is somewhere around $1.2 billion. A couple of years ago, sales from the iPod ALONE were more than triple the entire home audio component industry. That's why Apple advertises on TV, and other audio companies do not.
Most home audio manufacturers are small scale operations that can barely afford display ads in Stereophile or Sound & Vision, or they are small divisions within a much larger conglomerate that allocates minimal budget for advertising. Companies like Yamaha and Sony generate millions from their audio component sales, but that revenue is a drop in the bucket compared to their other divisions.
I'm sure B&W and Paradigm can afford to do a few ads... I'm not talking about buying a 2 minute slot in the middle of the Superbowl...
Instead of just having ADs in the usual Stereophile, Absolute Sound etc.. buy a few spots in mags normal people read... It's not complicated... if they can afford ads in audio mags, then they can afford to cut back a little on those mags and try more mainstream ones...
(Note: I accept that small boutique stores probably can't afford any ads other than the free praise we give them on sites like this... but the big dogs are being shortsighted IMO)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
Well, if you say you get the difference but still think Feanor just has a thing against Americans, then I won't argue with that... You're free to have your own opinion on his motivations.
I said Feanor has a deep seated disdain for Americans, not "a thing", and not "hatred".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
Pix likes to be an @$$... Don't let his posts get to you... Though I do agree, that he shouldn't even be joking about you losing a job... I've lost a job before because of massive layoffs at my company (that's why I left Toronto and returned to the Caribbean)... it SUCKED (no other words are needed to describe the experience)...
My history with pix goes way back Ajani. I appreciate your advice, but it's not needed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
Also correct, but by now I think you know I tend to butt in every now and again...
And I think by now you know that I am bitterly loyal and patriotic to the country my father fought to keep free. Cuts both ways dude.
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Originally Posted by Feanor
Yes, a bit nasty in tone. I apologize for the tone but not the substance. My message is simply that American should have know better than to vote for Dubyah the first time, much less the second time.
You do that a lot. But only when it's pointed out to you.
We voted for Bush because Bill Clinton and his wife were/are sleazy liars. They painted a really bad picture of the Democratic party.
And thanks for making me fail on my New Years resolution.
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Originally Posted by Feanor
I am, overall, a great admirer of the United States of America. Thus I hold the country and its leadership to a high standard. Strong criticism of the US against a very high standard may be equated to mild criticism of a country of lessor stature against a much lower standard. But seemly some Americans feel it is presumptuous that their country should be criticized at all.
Baffling us with bullsh!t.
Not presumptuous on my part. Big difference between flat out personally attacking the American populous and criticizing the country. But that's your trademark Feanor.
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Advertising
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Originally Posted by Woochifer
I don't have the exact figures in front of me, but consider that sales from the ENTIRE home audio component market is somewhere around $1.2 billion. A couple of years ago, sales from the iPod ALONE were more than triple the entire home audio component industry. That's why Apple advertises on TV, and other audio companies do not.
I'm no expert, but one possible solution is for 2-3 companies to share advertising space/time. I know it's done in newspapers and online, but couldn't it also be done on TV?
Another thought is infomercials. Again, I have no idea what these things cost, even late at night, but I gota believe they generate serious sales since they keep making them. A few nights ago I saw one for some kind of supper squeegie that can soak up a bucket full of water. Certainly a company like Audioquest or B&W can afford to do one of these, or perhaps split the cost of a 1/2 hour with two other companies.
I also think that the ads in the audio magazines are few and often from the same companies each month. And some companies never advertise (e.g. Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson) while others buy whole page ads (Ayre, PrimaLuna). It really seems to be a mystery to me about who spends what & where.
Never saw a Bose add in Stereophile, though.
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To those who are getting redder by the minute, do you remember this: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". Mebbe not an American quote, but a pretty good one to ponder upon, I think.
As far as Bose, etc., you gotta hand it to the guys for their marketing savvy. The other guys (CJ, AR, etc.) pretty much seem to have rested on their laurels and hoped that the boutiques would continue to thrive and that word-of-mouth would be sufficient to keep their names in the air. But what wasn't taken into account was the simple fact that hifi is a hobby that relies on niche marketing and did not take into account that it would be taken over by a mainstream that didn't give two hoots about DAC's and vacuum tubes. Bose new this, and played an expert game. While we afficianados pooh-poohed their wares, they went on, turning their eyes to the bigger market. Now that market has set its sights on ipods etc. I am certain that if Bose had taken some of their money and applied it to similar tech toys, the 1000 employees would be safe and snug as a bug at the end of day.
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It dismays me when I see people make a generalization about how all Americans are or presume all Americans are a certain way. Sure...two presidential elections went in favor of George W. Bush, but by the slimmest of margins. Are the 50% of voters who voted for another candidate not a factor in how Americans are?
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1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
So Feanor, are you, like pixass, hoping I get layed off?
ACTUALLY I dont hope anybody gets laid off, and if I THOUGHT that you might
I WOULDNT JOKE ABOUT IT.
Truth is TI has a strong military and commercial section that I heard is pretty
reccession proof, just heard that, however.
As for Feanor he needs to watch it, when the USA gets a cold the rest of the world gets pnumonia....
AND WE ARE GETTING PNUEMONIA.
Dont worry be happy rich, I am sure a guy with your skills....
Oh, never mind.:1:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor
Right you are GM. The genie ain't going back in the bottle. It is inevidable that standards of living will equalize across the globe. People here, (North American, Europe, Japan), need to remember that it won't entirely be poor countries rising to our standard of living -- our standard will be falling simaltaneously so as to meet theirs somewhere in the middle. In fact, working incomes US and Canada level off in the '80s and have declined significantly in the last decade -- like I said though, most haven't yet felt a drop in our living standards because we have be able to borrow -- 'till now -- to make up the decline.
Now, say you're guy whose just lost his job to somebody in China: how much do you feel you "owe" the Chinese guy? Are you glad that you can now buy for thing that you used to make for less because he now makes? Maybe so. But note that already (in a small degree) the Chinese worker has begun to experience the pressure of lower wages elsewhere. Of course the "elsewhere" isn't (yet) North American but, say, Bangladesh.
Tighten that belt buck, bro.
Its not inevitable, its what the powers that be want.
Rob from the rich to give to the poor.
AND THEN KILL THE POOR.
Because the intention is NOT to help the poor but DESTROY THE RICH...
especially the USA.
Then, when everybodies equally starving to death along comes the man on the white
horse, the PTB choosen stooge to rule for them...
SOONER rather than later.:1:
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Just a frikin minute
Quote:
Originally Posted by 02audionoob
It dismays me when I see people make a generalization about how all Americans are or presume all Americans are a certain way. Sure...two presidential elections went in favor of George W. Bush, but by the slimmest of margins. Are the 50% of voters who voted for another candidate not a factor in how Americans are?
Noob, please clarify: are you accusing me of making generalizations about Americans? My complaints have been with a certain consituency in the US, not all Americans. I though this was perfectly clear: maybe not.
On the other hand, there is another person here who has accused me of disdaining all Americans. I do not, but it serves his purpose to make the accusation since it is a way to shut me up without dealing with the ideas I put forward.
Well, his strategy has work: I'm out of political discussion for the foresesable future.
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Well then you might as well just unsub from the site Feanor. You DO make generalization after generalization about Americans, lump us all together and call us stupid. Generalized racism is what I'd call it.
Let me clarify something. You apologized for the inflamatory statement I quoted from a different thread. What I should have responded with is that your history, when talking about politics (and you seem to enjoy turning just about ANY thread into political debate) is that you make inflamatory statements, blow some smoke as a way of covering up the wound, then for whatever reason, say you're sorry. Problem is, the damage has already been done and it's all there in print for anyone to read, anytime they want. And then you repeat the cycle again.
Aa, you're correct. It's a free country and everyone is allowed to voice their opinion. If Feanor wants to make inflamatory remarks about the US, I can't and won't stop him, but I'll surely return fire in kind. I'm proud of where I live.
Bill, I've told you before that IMO you're a valuable contributor to this audio/video forum, but your stock plumets in my mind (and I'm sure I'm not alone) when you reduce to Republican bashing. What A/V nut really gives a rats ass about politics???
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Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
What A/V nut really gives a rats ass about politics???
Well I can't speak for myself, but I suspect many do as shows the number of threads revolving politics around here.
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Originally Posted by Auricauricle
As far as Bose, etc., you gotta hand it to the guys for their marketing savvy. The other guys (CJ, AR, etc.) pretty much seem to have rested on their laurels and hoped that the boutiques would continue to thrive...
The size of potential markets for purchasing $350 table radios and $10k preamps is a bit different. Despite claims of niche companies making extraordinary profits from their *overpriced* goods, they have very little net margin with which to work.
rw
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
I'm sure B&W and Paradigm can afford to do a few ads... I'm not talking about buying a 2 minute slot in the middle of the Superbowl...
Don't be so sure of that. Bose's revenue is probably multiples greater than B&W and Paradigm. While both of those companies are among the largest specialty speaker manufacturers, the specialty speaker segment as a whole represents a tiny industry. Given that both B&W and Paradigm are vertically integrated companies that heavily invest in R&D and manufacturing, I would guess that they would rather invest in their plants and products than divert funds to TV ads.
The other aspect to this is the name recognition. Bose is very easy to find because they distribute to mass merchandise stores. A TV ad works for them because consumers already know the brand and see the products everywhere. B&W and Paradigm have chosen to build their brand equity by selling only through specialty stores. They can go on TV, but unless they do this pervasively and keep up the campaign over the course of years, no one will care much for some unknown company doing an infomercial selling an expensive product.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajani
Instead of just having ADs in the usual Stereophile, Absolute Sound etc.. buy a few spots in mags normal people read... It's not complicated... if they can afford ads in audio mags, then they can afford to cut back a little on those mags and try more mainstream ones...
Problem here is would they rather take a shotgun approach at the mass market, or would they rather do a targeted approach to the specialty market? What approach gives them a higher rate of return on investment? The danger to going mass market is the dilution of product quality, and alienating your base market and dealer network. Paradigm and B&W operate their own plants (Paradigm goes as far as manufacturing its own drivers, crossovers, and active amps), but if a TV campaign creates a huge spike in demand, can they ramp up production while maintaining their product quality? Or do they bite the bullet and start outsourcing to China?
JBL showed the industry exactly how not to make a mass market transition when they began selling their products in discount stores and other mass merchandisers. They gained a foothold in big box stores, but they got dropped by nearly all of their specialty dealers in the process and pissed away their reputation in the process (once upon a time, a segment of the audiophile market actually spoke well of JBL).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
I'm no expert, but one possible solution is for 2-3 companies to share advertising space/time. I know it's done in newspapers and online, but couldn't it also be done on TV?
Unless you go the infomercial route, a 30-second spot means less screen time for each brand if you start combining things. The approach that might work would be joint marketing with retail chains. I know that CE companies do some of this for print ads and store displays. Who knows if they're not doing this already.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
Another thought is infomercials. Again, I have no idea what these things cost, even late at night, but I gota believe they generate serious sales since they keep making them. A few nights ago I saw one for some kind of supper squeegie that can soak up a bucket full of water. Certainly a company like Audioquest or B&W can afford to do one of these, or perhaps split the cost of a 1/2 hour with two other companies.
Big difference between trying sell a $20 Shamwow versus a $500 clock radio. Those Shamwow spots are everywhere, but for $20, they can sell millions of them. Bose has years of brand equity built in already. Their name recognition is on a level with Sony, that's why they can sell expensive items using an infomercial. Sony very well might be the only other CE company that can afford an infomercial campaign AND use its name recognition to actually sell a few products. B&W might have a good product to sell (e.g., their Zeppelin iPod dock), but half their challenge is getting people to remember the company name in the first place (i.e., do they also make the 3-series sedans?).
Forget about Audioquest. I doubt that they're big enough to do TV ads, and who the hell will actually sit through an infomercial about audio cables?
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
I also think that the ads in the audio magazines are few and often from the same companies each month. And some companies never advertise (e.g. Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson) while others buy whole page ads (Ayre, PrimaLuna). It really seems to be a mystery to me about who spends what & where.
Never saw a Bose add in Stereophile, though.
I think you need to go back several years. Audio Research used to be huge on Stereophile print ads, and they probably made up about half of Stereophile's recommended amps and preamp. Same with Conrad Johnson. I have a feeling that those companies found their market niche, and are perfectly fine with how their sales are going without having to advertise. I recall that during Audio Research's ascendency, there were long waiting lists for their products.
If you go back to the 80s, Stereophile was not nearly as focused on the ultra expensive "silly segment" products as they are now. I do recall seeing an ad for the Bose 901, and the back issue that I recently received has print ads for a Yamaha CD player and an Onkyo tape deck.
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bOse? how ose!
Auric,
I actually always considered Bose a natural fit with the iPod crowd. Design wise they are also cute (I know it's a matter of taste), small, and have a dumbed down, mass-market / CE interface. Much of their gear is also white. Maybe Bose would benefit from rounding the angular designs a bit, but otherwise it's a mystery why the Bose & iPod markets aren't more cozy. Maybe it's Bose's unrealistic price-point or a marketing dispute of some sort, but I think both Apple and Bose could benefit (profit-wise, more so that quality-wise of course) from a closer marketing relationship. Not doing so, is perhaps at their own detriment.
Wooch,
Didn't know about Sterophile's slightly checkered past. Good to know. I do wish they would cover more affordable gear, though, especially in this economy. Sure I don't mind reading about $30K Magico speakers, but considering how few people will actually buy a pair, it might not be necessary to do a full analysis of them. I was also intreged by YG Acoustics and the 2-page ads, while there doesn't seem to be a review anywhere. Then I saw that the speakers cost $30K and up. Maybe all that is going to pay for those ads?
Pix,
Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelthis
Its not inevitable, its what the powers that be want.
Rob from the rich to give to the poor.
AND THEN KILL THE POOR.
Because the intention is NOT to help the poor but DESTROY THE RICH...
especially the USA.
Then, when everybodies equally starving to death along comes the man on the white
horse, the PTB choosen stooge to rule for them...
SOONER rather than later.:1:
You seem to be suffering from a case of diarrhea of the brain. Wear a diaper around your mouth, will you?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
I actually always considered Bose a natural fit with the iPod crowd. Design wise they are also cute (I know it's a matter of taste), small, and have a dumbed down, mass-market / CE interface. Much of their gear is also white. Maybe Bose would benefit from rounding the angular designs a bit, but otherwise it's a mystery why the Bose & iPod markets aren't more cozy. Maybe it's Bose's unrealistic price-point or a marketing dispute of some sort, but I think both Apple and Bose could benefit (profit-wise, more so that quality-wise of course) from a closer marketing relationship. Not doing so, is perhaps at their own detriment.
I think Apple is actually the 800-pound gorilla in the audio industry right now. All of the products that dock with the iPod are licensed from Apple, and if you take a look at what crowds onto store shelves, iPod-capable products are moving into just about every audio segment. In this market, Bose is just another licensee and frankly, Apple's ads run circles around those from Bose (and just about everybody else).
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
Didn't know about Sterophile's slightly checkered past. Good to know. I do wish they would cover more affordable gear, though, especially in this economy. Sure I don't mind reading about $30K Magico speakers, but considering how few people will actually buy a pair, it might not be necessary to do a full analysis of them. I was also intreged by YG Acoustics and the 2-page ads, while there doesn't seem to be a review anywhere. Then I saw that the speakers cost $30K and up. Maybe all that is going to pay for those ads?
I actually don't regard that as a checkered past. Stereophile used to be a more sensible publication that actually covered sensibly priced components, and ways that consumers could get more enjoyment out of their systems. If mass market company made a decent product, Stereophile would let its readers know. At that time, The Absolute Sound was nothing more than anti-digital propagandizing while Stereo Review often didn't even include listening tests -- Stereophile simply took the middle road and did quite well.
I think that Stereophile's evolution has more or less followed the high end audio market's move towards ultra expensive statement pieces and high priced accessories. There seems to be more orthodoxy that's governed by what people perceive as high end, as opposed to simply informing readers about what quality gear is on the market regardless of whether it comes from a "high end" company.
At one point a few years ago, Stereophile did review some budget priced mass market components, but I think many of their readers got so offended by the inclusion of $300 JBL speakers that Stereophile went back to audio porn.
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