OK, got a quick minute here:
1. Absolutely no as for the Erleuchtung as an Odyssey. You'd know if you look inside, and there's no way that I'm getting into building that puppy, especially since there won't be as much savings in the production process for many reasons.
2. Expanding into new areas ? I'm getting approached quite a bit by designers and other manufacturer as to "taking a look at designs and products". With Alains speakers, it was a no-brainer. If I wanted to, I could have very decent tube units, hybrids, digital, and anything in between within 3-6 months. For example, one local guy who's a complete tube nut and who worked for me years back has an unbelievable phono preamp design. Man, I have to give it to him, I've hardly ever heard better, and even workedwith the .25 V RG 8. However, he based that design on a ridiculously rare and expensive WE tube. Don't remember the details, but it was expensive and obscure enough to file it under "one-offs". There are absolutely superb designs and units of all sorts (probably with speakers as the most possible) that will never see the light of day in terms of being a legitimite commercial product. Not even in kit form.
Question though: where's the point at which you spread yourself too thin with financial resources and when do you have too many products? Where do you find that exceptional design that makes it worthwile to have and where it is that good so that many of your customers become your friends? (That's a very important issue for me. It's not all about the $$$). Do what we do best, that's why we don't touch any CD players, for example. We don't have any experience with them, and I'd probably f... up so much that I'd loose $$$ and people would get mad at me. It's just not worth it.
3. Having said that, NEVER SAY NEVER, hehehe. There's something appealing to the idea of having a separate ss, tube, and digital amp in the lineup. However, unless each and every product design is a hands down excellent price / performance champ, I'm not interested. I'm also not interested in buying a Chinese $ 120. tube amp and sell it just for profits. Has to be different and original, and again, a superb performer with the widest variety of speakers. Did I ever mention synergy ????
4. With the Stratos, there won't be a hybrid unit. Unless you've worked on them %^$%^ thingies for forever, I'd rather go the route of offering a complete new all tube set up. Eric is absolutely correct.
5. Back to the CD players. I know, I'm getting pounded by you guys asking and sometimes demanding one. Funny thing is that I could probably sell over 100 units in a very short time with the right unit at the right price. However, as I said before, unless I'm sure that I know what I have and what I'm doing, this won't be happening.
BUT !!!! anybody interested, I'd have to push the baby SL player. Still don't know the exact price for it, and it'll be more expensive than a Stratos, figure 2 k+, it's absolutely superb. Very, very close to my 5K Sl unit. Rolf did good.
Late
6. Lastly, I really like you guys throwing around ideas and asking for custom units. That's how we've gotten into the 2nd outs, AV bypass, Extremes, Alains speakers, etc.
