Can B&O survive? Maybe soon?

71 replies
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Clakke (archived2)
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Posted April 22, 2012 at 23:11 GMT
#1968148

Hi

During the process when we bought our B&O devices, I often asked myself (and the dealers) how B&O could survive with the equipment available at that time. The equipment for audio were stunning both looks and sound. At the video/TV department, they were never interesting. All the products were extremely overpriced in my eyes. The digital equipment was non existing except for the Beoport, which we bought and combined with Apple. I had some hope when it was time for the Beosound 5, but again way to expensive and no possibility to combine with Apple, no two way remote e t c. Not much better with the encore.

Lately, I have had a feeling that B&O as we know it are really struggling for its survival. I feel even at this eminent forum, that the enthousiasm is not what it has been. There are not so many interesting threads anymore.

The audio part seems still to be OK, but the video part is still suffering from astronomic prices. My guess is that it depends on a combination of B&O entering flat screen market and maintaining their second hand market. There is a tradition with B&O product that there has actually been quite a value in the second hand product when you trade in. Well if B&O entering the market when flat screens cost say 10- 20000 € from normal manufacturers like Sony, Philips e t c. Then they would really have problem when the market decreases the flat screen values at a rate that is much too fast for B&O to cope with. The result is that B&O are still stuck with sky high prices that belongs to an older time. They can not just lower the prices, because then the second hand market would fall to pieces.

Now, with B&O Play, I feel there is a hope for B&O. If they succeed with this market and the new products will sell, like Beosound 8 and maybe Beolit 12, they can just let the old expensive TV sets die out and start over at a more realistic price level. I suspect that it is a possibility that the new B&O management team is thinking like this. They probably must get rid of the old expensive stuff somehow and make profit.

The new B&O TV looks like a Loewe Connect, which we own right now. I have no problem with the design so maybe there could be a B&O TV after all in our home. The prices seem to be OK, if it is a very good TV.

I am looking at B&O Play with interest. This could really be the comeback of B&O.

B R

Clakke

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CJM1 (archived2)
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Posted April 22, 2012 at 23:21 GMT
#1968149

since you have said that. i know see why B&O are realesing this new tv in may! it is hugely desirable and many people will buy it!

M(
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MichaelMiles (archived2)
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 08:53 GMT
#1968150

I feel sorry for all those dealers who invested heavily into the brand , many excellent dealers have now gone to the wall after reassurances from the company that things were going to get better. I hope that from Beoplay that the phoenix can indeed rise from the ashes - but all too late for those dealers who have now fallen by the wayside.

Good luck to Beo Play - I think its the only way for the company to move forward.

SE
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Seanie
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 21:46 GMT
#1968151

I really hope they do survive as I love the brand and it's the original multi room system in my eyes.

Trouble is that is what attracted me to the brand from day one and now most automation systems can offer this and quite cheaply too. Still this does not mean I would ever part with my beocenter 9300 that I love even know I don't use it.

Beoplay looks like a good step for making hi turnover products but they don't have any of the connectivity issues that I love.

Fingers crossed they find there way forward.

If you price yourself out of the market only one thing will happen.

PH
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PhilLondon
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 22:15 GMT
#1968152

It is interesting to see how the previous CEO, Kalle Hvidt Nielsen, who was from a technical background, was trying to save money by developing a single technical platform for all products. I thought that was a great idea, and it was due to bring the new digital master link.

Tue Mantoni, is from a Marketing background and the changes are more visible, and of course all to do with marketing. There is definitely a lot more buzz about B&O on the net since he is in power, and I totally think his new B&O PLAY range will be a success... but where is the new platform, where is the new digital masterlink?

If only both could have stayed in the company looking after what they knew best!

 

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Clakke (archived2)
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Posted April 23, 2012 at 22:16 GMT
#1968153

CJM1 wrote:

since you have said that. i know see why B&O are realesing this new tv in may! it is hugely desirable and many people will buy it!

Well, it could be the way they are thinking in Struer. But its just a theory of mine.

Clakke

MB
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Mbee
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 22:33 GMT
#1968154

PhilLondon wrote:

but where is the new platform, where is the new digital masterlink?

From what I have understood of this strategy, the new platform is the Beosound 5 Encore mainboard, nothing else, nothing more. It will become a "new digital masterlink" (aka BeoNet) product when compatible products will be available (the rumored circular controller for link rooms is one of them). Now it seems that like usual with B&O, the hardware is there, but the software is not ready...

The new video platform could be the V1 chassis, who knows? Because with 5 HDMI and DLNA compatibility, it is way ahead of everything with every TV with a B&O badge. Add some "simple" modules (BeoNet=software, HDMI out for videoprojector=hardware switch, Airplay+DTS-HDMA=license fees... + a high quality large panel), and it can become a high end product, with a lot of margin. Who knows? Currently, the BV10 chassis is the same as the BV8, basically they just added some aluminium and glass!

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Clakke (archived2)
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 22:33 GMT
#1968155

PhilLondon wrote:

It is interesting to see how the previous CEO, Kalle Hvidt Nielsen, who was from a technical background, was trying to save money by developing a single technical platform for all products. I thought that was a great idea, and it was due to bring the new digital master link.

Tue Mantoni, is from a Marketing background and the changes are more visible, and of course all to do with marketing. There is definitely a lot more buzz about B&O on the net since he is in power, and I totally think his new B&O PLAY range will be a success... but where is the new platform, where is the new digital masterlink?

If only both could have stayed in the company looking after what they knew best!

 

Hi

Is there really a need for a new digital masterlink? Would not AirPlay do, at least for the sound? We will have some more zones installed in the near future, but they will be all Airplay. The video part is not that simple. I do not think that part of AirPlay can be bought from Apple. It seems that Apple keep that for themselves (for now at least).

Maybe it would be wise if B&O did not try to reinvent the wheel. Maybe they should use technology that already exist. Even if they develop an own system, I think they must approach standards like AirPlay anyway somehow.

Clakke

MB
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Mbee
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 22:41 GMT
#1968156

Airplay doesn't provide the best possible quality of sound (no 24bit, no frequency above 16500Hz...)

Airplay only works with iPad/iPhone, even with my Mac I have to use a "hack" (Airfoil) to send sound to an AirPlay speaker. 

Airplay video is very limited...

I d'ont think that B&O will try to reinvent the wheel, just to add some good improvements and a nice user interface to existing technologies, such as DLNA (BS5/BS5E and Beoplay V1 are DLNA compatible).

I'm a user of Airplay, and I would let down B&O if they used this as their only multiroom system.

Airplay for sound distribution is exactly what iTunes is for music : a well-packed "fast-food" experience. For quality, look elsewhere. 

PH
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PhilLondon
Bronze
Posted April 23, 2012 at 23:14 GMT
#1968157

Airplay is great and I am happy that B&O supports it but a company cannot base its future on only that technology.

UPNP is now supported by 3 products (Beomaster 5 as server, Beousound 5 Encore, and the B&O PLAY V1), so I am wondering if this protocol has not been chosen has the official replacement.

Being more an Apple person, I didn't really know this protocol, but from what I am reading there seem to be plenty of incompatibles and devices that should be working together don't always.

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