Ultra - while your points are well-taken for the most part, the fact remains that new speaker manufacturers do actually sell their wares. If B&W, Magnepan, Theil, Martin Logan, etc. - the "establishment" as it were - had such a stranglehold on the market, how on earth can we account for the success of such excellent little upstarts as Joseph Audio, Meadowlark, Silverline, Gallo Acoustics, Talon, Gershman, Norh, or even Egglestonworks? Everyone starts somewhere ...
If this guy has the stones to pursue this avenue and he has something of value to offer (unique design, bang for buck, etc) and he has the money and patience, and he has the social skills (and it does take diplomacy), he's got a chance at making a living. There's always room for something new, and usually room for something old that's just been repackaged ... many if not most speakers on the decks these days are something old that's been repackaged.
So why would someone buy this guy's speaker vs. one of the established names? Because they are already buying other stuff - the pattern already exists. What are the chances of our friend usurping the Bose market? Infinitessimally small, probably. But with the right combo of attributes (cojones, money, design, luck, industry relationships, money, cojones, Ramen Noodles, etc) he'll be able to make a living at it eventually.
It can take years to become an overnight success, but it can be done.
If this guy has the stones to pursue this avenue and he has something of value to offer (unique design, bang for buck, etc) and he has the money and patience, and he has the social skills (and it does take diplomacy), he's got a chance at making a living. There's always room for something new, and usually room for something old that's just been repackaged ... many if not most speakers on the decks these days are something old that's been repackaged.
So why would someone buy this guy's speaker vs. one of the established names? Because they are already buying other stuff - the pattern already exists. What are the chances of our friend usurping the Bose market? Infinitessimally small, probably. But with the right combo of attributes (cojones, money, design, luck, industry relationships, money, cojones, Ramen Noodles, etc) he'll be able to make a living at it eventually.
It can take years to become an overnight success, but it can be done.