[Stu Pitt]

The whole hifi industry needs a shake-up, otherwise most dealers manufacturers will be gone sooner than later.  It's survival of the fittest, only the fittest isn't the best sounding or best built.  It's survival of the best business model.  There's plenty lacking in the hifi industry.  No offense to James and Co., but manufacturers aren't doing much at all to help the dealers who are truly the ones who keep them in business...

Why is Bose 'The Best?'  Very simple - no one tells the masses that they're better.  When have you seen/heard a commercial for any hifi company?  I hear Bose ads all the time on the radio.  I see informercials.  I see print ads everywhere.  I've seen a few billboards.  I haven't seen nor heard any hifi ads - stereo mags don't count, as that's just preaching to the choir.  And those ads suck and wouldn't work anywhere else.

While I'm on advertising, why can't the manufacturers help the dealers with this?  Why can't they do what I see Rolex doing - The shoot their own commercial, splice in a few shots of a local dealer, and at the end say "Available at these fine retailers..."  If the manufacturers and dealers split the cost, everyone wins IMO.

Along with advertising, there's no brand recognition.  How many people can afford a Rolex?  A Bentley?  Yet they'rehousehold names. How?  Advertising and product placement.  Everyone knowing their names can only increase value and desirability.  The people who can afford it are far more apt to buy it on name recognition alone.

What about celebrity endorsements?  There's a ton of musicians out there that would do wonders for a hifi company.  Tiger Woods sold a ton of Tag Heuers to people who could barely afford them.  He sold even more to people who could afford better.  Katy Parry or Metallica standing next to a stack of hifi components in Rolling Stone or Men's Health would get a lot of interest.

The ones who really need to dump money into advertising are the entry level manufacturers IMO.  NAD, Cambridge, etc. would probably gain the most.  The NAD 315BEE and PSB Image bookshelves are easily within reach of most high school and college age kids.  If you don't think so, how is it they have a way of getting iPhones, Air Jordans, designer hadnbags, and so on?  I work at a college and see a lot of this stuff.  I've seen a lot of expensive watches, cars, and so on.  The only reason why they have crap audio gear is because they don't know what's out there beyond what's in Best Buy.  Some of the students I take care of are music majors who clearly know good sound.  And they think Bose is the best.  I've sent a couple to a local hifi shop, and they were amazed by what they heard.  They bought and/or plan to buy some great entry level gear.  One guy bought a Rega integrated and bookshelves.

Bryston has a leg up on most manufacturers due to their studio sales and reputation.  Their quality isn't cheap to make.  I'm not suggesting that they make an entry level line in China to rope in a new generation.  But I am suggesting that they look at helping out their dealers with advertising locally and nationally.  I don't know Bryston's assets nor their production capacity to be able to say this can be/must be done.  Maybe they've hit that sweet spot where production and income are at a perfect balance.   

[Stu Pitt]

To further my previous post...

Dealers need to wake up.  The smartest dealer I've seen does things so much differently than anyone else.  A ton of hifi shops have come and gone in the Albany, NY area in the last 20 years or so, yet one is still there doing very well, or at least as well as they can do in the current economic climate - Hippo's.

They carry a bunch of audiophile stuff, and one or two mass market brands.   They advertise in print, radio, and TV.  They do custom installs, home theater, and stereo.  They advertise all three.  They mention the hifi brands in every ad.  They advertise a brand like Sony and sell a TV or receiver for a few bucks less than Best Buy.  The two are within walking distance from each other.  When a person goes in looking for a Sony receiver, they have to walk by a McIntosh system right at the door.  No one sees a Mac system and doesn't try to get a closer look.  That piques their interest.  Next to the Mac stuff is some Cambridge and Rotel stuff that's a lot more affordable and realistic to most people.

Hearing a Sony receiver next to a comparably priced Cambridge integrated amp does wonders for Cambridge.  Hearing low level JBLs next to comparably priced B&Ws does wonders for B&W.

Who'd have thunk Sony and JBL would help sell hifi gear?

And they don't look down on their customers who can't aford the Mac stuff.  And they have a good return policy.  And they answer stupid questions in a polite and friendly manner.  And they...

I think you guys get it.  Growing up in Albany and going to Hippo's a bunch of times, I figured this is how everyone runs a hifi shop.  Haven't seen any do anything like them.  I live outside of NYC, so it'snot like I live in an audio desert.

[adol290]

Here's a dilemma that imperils the current retail model.  I have recently auditioned a pair of Revel Ultima Studio2's.  I could only find one dealer withing a 3 hour drive that had them for demo.  I drove two hours, spent 2 hours listening then drove 2 hours home.  I have a local dealer who is primarily a home theatre contractor and doesn't carry anything for demo unless he has it in house waiting to go to a job site.  He has a "cash and carry" pricing policy that he says he recognizes how little value he is adding to the transaction.  He will sell me the speakers for $12K US.  The dealer where I auditioned will go $800.00 off list which is $15.2K.  As much as I would like to support the dealer who carries the product can I justify $3,200.00 to use his showroom for 2 hours?  The model has to change and I think the manufacturers have to put more skin in the game and work with their dealers to that end.  Perhaps I'm off base with that suggestion and if so I feel certain James will straighten me out .

Did you end up buying the Studio2's.