@kijanki but how do ohm,etc, get established when they eschew traditional marketing?
And I distinctly remember Hyperion speakers. They are beautiful to look out, well designed, and more important, sounded delicious. I wonder if their demise was also a consequence of the rebirth of HiFi at that time? And I wonder if they're visual similarity to Wilsons also played a part? |
Dreams. Passion. Risk. Consistency. |
I agree strongly with kenjit and millercarbon. Where marketing power, familiar brand name, and affordability come into play, the masses will spend lesser dollars and afford those companies with larger profits. It's a numbers game. When it comes to audio (speakers) it's a matter of taste and pocketbook.
Example....Long ago I traveled down the Bose path. The speakers sounded good to me but, foolishly, I believed that the higher cost would yield better sound. In those days there weren't many dealers that offered good listening rooms and lots of different choices. My wake up gradually came by just listening to systems of friends and acquaintances that included speakers below the cost of Bose. That finalized my then, and now, opinion that Bose is mediocre/over priced equipment.
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@simao that's true for established brands like Ohm, but for less known companies it can be a killer, especially when lack of marketing is combined with lack of dealerships. My fantastic Hyperion HPS-938 speakers introduced in 2004, had many rewards, including Absolute Sound speaker of the year (many years in a row) and speaker of the decade. Glowing reviews by other reviewers and great sales initially (after audio show), but they had zero marketing and only 3 dealerships in whole US. They ended in bankruptcy in spite of wonderful products. |
@kenjit Are you just a troll? This is absurd.
It's all marketing obviously. What else is there? There are no
measurements to prove performance so it's all just word of mouth and
reviews. Do not buy high end speakers.
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I think the OP may be overlooking what @mapman suggested about good speaker manufacturers chugging along despite a lack of major marketing. Ohm, Decware, Spatial, Reference 3A, and other small manufacturerers have lasted for decades because of loyal fan bases for well made products. Marketing has nothing to do with it. |
If sound were paramount active Studio monitors would be fancied up to look nice so the significant other doesn't have a cow. |
The survival of the pushiest. |
marketing is king, being loose with review samples, the few rags we rely on need advertising to survive so when they don’t like a product that spends what can they do? Lie? Maybe just don’t review them or gloss over the negatives and focus on the parts they like, blame poor performance on associated equipment etc.
success comes from becoming a household name
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Bose = listening contour bef accuracy
Bose = 1 box simplicity consumers love
Bose = marketing, marketing, marketing
Bose = legal action against poor reviews
Bose = all for brand building and loyalty
In many ways Bose were Apple before Apple.
Expensive for what you got, but what you got wasn't necessarily bad.
Tekton make speakers, they are not Apple. They might not want to be.
Every company needs some luck with timing.
Bose got lucky. So did Apple. Many others did not.
The key words seem to be an impression of prestige, simplicity, and familiarity. All of which go towards establishing long term brand loyalty.
Once you have that, you've made it and it's yours to lose.
Isn't it Bowers & Wilkins, Sony, Harmon Kardon, JBL, Quad, Wilson, ATC etc?
For any of these established companies to fail now would require major strategic errors or some major shifts in the market place.
I agree with the OP in that actual sound quality is far from the main selling point.
Impressions and reputations count for much, much more.
You'd think that the iphone 12 would flop due to its outdated design, lack of innovation and poor battery life, but far from it. It's been a huge seller so far.
As I said, once you've established yourself, it's yours to lose. Even a minor misstep like paying way, way over the odds for Beats is only a hiccup.
Even Tim Crook knows that. |
Bose are successful because they are tuned to satisfy the vast majority of the public, mostly non audiophiles. Tekton is not very good as they use too many tweeters. Every speaker is tuned differently hence there are many companies out there because different people need different frequency response curves depending on their level of hearing loss.
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"Bose is more successful than Tekton. Why?" Bose is a real thought-through company with, over time, wide portfolio. They identified, if not created, markets that will be booming in the future and were well-positioned for them. Think noise-cancelling, "lifestyle systems", earphones, car audio, Bluetooth. Add a very strong marketing department and you have a successful company. What they make in Bluetooth speakers, they can afford to invest in truck seat development, I guess. Tekton seems to be just a one line company (speakers), obviously much smaller and probably trying to inhabit a niche, rather than grow significantly. For all we have read, their admirable success has caught up with them and wait time is long. |
It's not bait and switch and your circular argument could discount any discussion as to merit. Don't adhere dynamat to your brain thinking this is an attack on Tekton. Bose is more successful than Tekton. Why? Tekton sounds better as most would agree. It would be great if Tekton turned into Bose, or not? Another question but germane. Your experience in regard to the magazines is most illuminating.
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I stand corrected on the advertising. I don't read Stereophile or TAS, unless it happens they have something I'm interested in. Hardly ever happens. One of my first shocking experiences when shopping for good stereo back in 1990 was the number of what were to me totally no-name brands. This was back when I was reading Stereophile cover to cover, and everything else I could find as well. Looking back, its obvious I was brainwashed by marketing to disregard or at least not seriously consider stuff that sounded good simply because it was new and unknown. Live and learn.
How long has Tekton been around?
Verdict is out as to long term success. Okay, I get it. This is one of those threads where the OP pretends to be interested in one thing (ie, "why certain makers continue to succeed") but its a bait and switch. Because the minute you answer all his vague list of possibilities he switches to "verdict is out as to long term success." News flash for you bud: the verdict as to long term success is always out. However long something has been around there's always more time so you can always say the verdict is still out. As for me? Over, and out. |
The hi end audio market is weird.
Remember the Elac Adante series? Hot for a second.... now- FLOP! Dealers can't give away inventory.
Now they're at a price worth looking at. When I heard them, I liked them. Just not at the asking price. |
@ millercarbon "Marketing- no discernable marketing. Unless you count word of mouth, which is excellent. " That’s not true! Tekton has a full page add in Stereophile and TAS every month! |
Perhaps also, big money, history and diversification like JBL/Harmon. Not arguing sound as much as long term success. From little cheap items to the middle of the road, in cars, and onward to the Synthesis line. |
How long has Tekton been around?
Verdict is out as to long term success.
Price could be either value or a marketing ploy. Product availability would be how efficient is the speaker being made/distributed.
Manufacturer association relates to companies like Sony, Yamaha...two very successful speaker companies.
Not projecting as great sound defines my search for the best audio I can afford.
Just skeptical as to the education/vulnerability aof the market.
Interesting two responses from the Tweak Evangelist and the Count of Concrete.
I reckon I could simplify the post. What makes Bose, Klipsch, Kef, Polk, Sony, Martin Logan, Wharfdale, Wilson endure and succeed? (others could be added.)
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It's all marketing obviously. What else is there? There are no measurements to prove performance so it's all just word of mouth and reviews.
Do not buy high end speakers. |
The Ohm website says they continue to be very busy and backlogged. Ohm has quietly been around for almost 50 years now. Started out as very successful Tech HiFI house brand, then sold through other B&M chains, then direct only since the mid nineties or so. Of course the Ohm claim to fame is the unique Omni Walsh driver technology the company was initially built around. Today they continue to provide upgrade parts and service for every model they have ever made. They have a very loyal customer base built up over the years and rely largely on word of mouth and web spots for advertising. Every model offers excellent sound and value. A good product + value. + customer service = success. All hand made in Brooklyn USA. |
Well let’s see the best one I know right now is Tekton, all made by Eric Alexander. To judge by sound they are the one thing you didn’t mention: value. The are an incredible bargain.
Marketing- no discernable marketing. Unless you count word of mouth, which is excellent.
Fit and Finish- I would classify Tekton as high end DIY. The value is in the sound not appearance.
Price- Covers a wide range from several hundred to around $15k with so many models people actually complain about too many to choose from.
Product availability- another one you don’t explain. If it means available in stores to hear then no, zero. If it means sitting around in inventory ready to ship then again no, more likely a few months wait.
New technology- Mixed bag. To one like me who takes the time to understand then its the first truly new technology in decades. To everyone else its a Bose 901 with tweeters. The technology is there just seems unusually hard for people to understand so we will count this one as a zero.
Manufacture association- lost me. Totally.
Profit margin- yeah it is kinda Job One, as you simply cannot keep making anything at a loss forever. Even Tesla will one day have to earn a profit. Well, maybe not Tesla. Elon is proving there is one born every millisecond. Eric makes enough to go drag racing AND have a track car. So I figure he must be turning a profit there somewhere.
Luck- The classic answer here is you make your own luck. By being prepared. Some of them might seem lucky. I bet every single one turns out they been working at it years if not decades before getting "lucky".
Read through the list again. You said sound leading up the rear? Quite the opposite.
Any chance you are projecting?
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