Changing direction.............

23 replies

B&O and this forum seem to be changing direction.

Reading the forum, the latest products seem to have more software and connectivity problems than ever, despite the fact that this was once an area where B&O excelled (well, connectivity!) This is happening just when connectivity of other run-of-the-mill products is improving all the time, and the standard TV no longer has a CRT needing a clever case to disguise it.

We seem to have dwindling vintage product restoration postings, and lots of disatisfaction with newer products that were praised only 12 months ago, and often by the same individuals.

The Wednesday forum has gone...... at one time it was like walking into a bar full of witty comedians with cutting or smart replies every 30 seconds, but in the end it was like walking into an empty bar where even the bartender had gone into the back room for a lie down due to the lack of customers.

This is not a criticism, my own postings seem fewer and of less relevance. Maybe the forum is just morphing into something more relevant to the latest products and customers. Bearing in mind that probably 99% of B&O customers never visit Beoworld, does the forum content tell us anything about B&O?

Graham

I believe we had a similar conversation (particularly about the direction of the forum) a little while back. My general view at that time (and I still think this now) is that the forum obviously changes and adapts over time but I think there is still enough great postings and information on here to keep it relevant and interesting.

Personally I am not interested in the newer B&O stuff but I always read and enjoy the vintage threads!

Ben

I regularly talk to three or four folk,who won't come back because of the way some people speak to them.

I get the feeling there is a new budget TV coming soon, and I'm looking forward to the new mega speaker being released. It should attract much needed publicity.

Ben_S wrote:

Personally I am not interested in the newer B&O stuff but I always read and enjoy the vintage threads!

I agree. Not interested in the newer stuff either - perhaps because I can't afford it 😎

 

I had been thinking of starting a thread "Is their MOJO back ?" As I think this week's multi-link-room announcement is a big step forward ... something that a few of us have been waiting for ... (And @Chatz, not too expensive in relative terms - my BeoSound 4 was more expensive in 2006 than a Moment, my BV8-40 more expensive that a V1)

I also have a sense that there have been more lurker and newbie posts lately.

So I believe there is life in this old dog.

But I miss old stalwarts, and I miss wedthread albeit I have been a rare visitor these past few years.

I also have yearnings for the Beoworld of 2004-2008 !

Maybe it's just change but let us hope it is growth and progress !

I don't think the problem is exclusive to B&O - the way music, TV and movies are accessed nowadays leaves little in the way for creative interaction with it.

 

I need to go into a B&O store and actually use a Moment or whatever first hand, but I still get the impression my Beosystem 7000 is going to be a bit more exciting. That's not B&O's fault - what can you do with Spotify/Streaming services to make them interesting? Nothing.

I'm still lost why someone posts a 10hr video on Youtube about just unboxing a box.... maybe this is the future.

But I enjoy the forum and I have a few regular people I will always read their articles/posts and although you are probably right about the 99% hopefully the 1% who joins this Beoworld builds a deeper appreciation of the product and history.

 

I think we have to acknowledge the growth and change In the brand.

I'll be the first to admit, I like to grab the newest products as soon as I can. No doubt.

I still relish my BV9 though from 10 years ago, hardly vintage but not anywhere close to new.

Realistically I think the world of whole home audio has become widely known and expected and B&O, who arguably were one of the first to do this, have to keep up with the neighbors.

It requires constant software tricks and updates.

I find them mostly to be great and useful. I continue to preach that the HomeMedia function is one of the most underused functions on the new televisions.

I do concede that the forum is different, but I think change is necessary. If you're not growing you're dying.

chartz wrote:

Ben_S wrote:

Personally I am not interested in the newer B&O stuff but I always read and enjoy the vintage threads!

I agree. Not interested in the newer stuff either - perhaps because I can't afford it 😎

 

Same here only vintage and no money, not that I ever would use that kind of money on sound or video. and I hate it when I have to use hoers to configure software for wifi or linking items to each other. what I like is something I can plug in press a button and it works, then maybe use it with a functioning remote, Lately I bought a cheap TV flat panel, at the same time the phone company changed my router and changed to fiber optic cables. 3 TVs and 4 computers worked immediately with the new modem, but the new TV not so. I used hours on the web to find the failure, spoke 2 hours with a useless so called technician (she knew less than I of modems and wifi) from the phone company to configure the new modem. After a couple of days I called the phone company again, spoke with a technician who knew, the modem was bad, got it changed and everything worked. And that is what you get today from nearly all providers, Software failures, configuration failures, hardware failures. And that is also why I stay away from it, and stay with my 5 year old mobile flip phone.

The vintage crowd has been nearly sleeping lately, but most of them are still there, only reading though. but when an interesting thread comes up, they are there, Sonavor kept the vintage section going by himself for a while, followed by Chartz, but now we are into summertime with vacations and that always give less traffic. Comes to it that prices for vintage are way up because of the growing interest in vinyl, and with that young people has discovered that items you plug in, press a button and by magic it works actually exists, they are used to messages like "close all doors and windows and try again"  and that drives up the prices.

 

Location: Mexico city

Retired
Printing machine technician
Restored various 1960-70 items
Rock and Roll music
Collecting Vinyl
Restored Jukebox Wurlitzer 1050

Killyp wrote:

I don't think the problem is exclusive to B&O - the way music, TV and movies are accessed nowadays leaves little in the way for creative interaction with it.

That's an excellent point. I think it's hard to keep the kind of gloriously beautiful and interactive things B&O have always been noted for in this age, but also to an extent I think that's also something that should be addressed in design. The moving stands and speakers on the new Avant are a step in the right direction in my opinion, but all in all I think B&Os design is suffering in the post Jensen/Lewis era. I still use my BS9000 as the hub of my system as it's perhaps one of the icons of that kind of impressive design, and will keep it there as long as I can make it still function, even though a Playmaker is attached and what I use most of the time to stream music to the system. Seems a really clever design team could still manage to add some more pizazz to things but outside the Avant not sure I've seen it.

The forum will change, it will change shape as much as an amoeba over time. Lately I read the new product threads, often while shaking my head at the problems, and still truly enjoy the vintage restoration threads. Now if only Martin could help supply restoration parts for me that'd be something! 😠 A new shoulder would be perfect thank you!

 

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