I'm with Jeff hear,  either you appreciate the company, its history and products (past, present and future), or you don't. Where as I used to be in a postion to stay up to date with B&O after having seven children my resource are limited, so I just thank God that the equipment I have has and continues to service my family very well. My children are growing up with the style and quality of B&O and know that when they get older and get jobs they will always know what they can get daddy. 

 Just enjoy the music, with B&O of course.

Dave

This is quite the interesting thread ... I would be doing the company a tremendous disservice is I didn't chime in with my two cents.

The issue of "price" will probably never go away but I think now more than ever it has more to do with a pretty big fault in product development than anything else.  Unlike any other manufacturer (and I really can't stand making the comparison between B&O and the other guys) Bang & Olufsen lacks any true entry level solution for anything.  BeoSound 3 is not an entry level audio system ... it's a glorified clock radio.  BeoVision 7 is not an entry level Bang & Olufsen television ... it's an entry level video system.  The problem with this is not everyone is really looking for a full video system.  Word on the street it that the US Market is getting the snub on the 40" BeoVision 8 because it will compete with BeoVision 7 sales.  I disagree.  Many (actually most) of the BeoVision 7 sales I make are typically just the BeoVision 7 by itself.  $14,500 means a lot more to Americans than it did 12 months ago and when most customers that walk into my store looking for a 40" TV they genuinely cannot get over the price tag ... and for the most part after they hear how much it costs they don't care what it does.  All they see is a gorgeous TV priced 10 times more than what another 40" LCD costs.  If someone is looking for "just a TV" it's hard, if not impossible, to justify the price.  For me, it's a bit discouraging to hear people tell me how crazy we are to charge this much for a "TV" but perhaps it really just is the market segment that B&O is going after in the US.  Personally, I would much rather sell 10 40" BeoVision 8's a month at half the price of a BeoVision 7 than 2 BeoVision 7's.  The 32" BeoVision 8 has been our most popular set since it was launched in the US and I think it's largely in part to the price being "acceptable" for a Bang & Olufsen television, and more importantly there aren't a truckload of features that the client will never utilize in it's most common application.  

I'm one of Bang & Olufsen's biggest cheerleaders ... but some of the decisions we make as a company really make me scratch my head.  Bang & Olufsen certainly isn't for everyone ... but I think without any real entry level products in a way we might be damaging the future of our business.  We'll see what happens!  

Good Lord!

Lovely to see a dealer--one who actually identifies his store in his signature--come in and admit the need for change while still professing his love for, and loyalty to, the brand.   

Stopped in your store a few weeks ago actually when I was visiting--great store and a really helpful, friendly staff.

Anyway, a nice change.  Certain dealers wouldn't dare mention their stores because with the horrid attitude that lingers around these boards, they'd undoubtedly lose at least some slice of clientele, which in this economy, more than likely wouldn't be feasible, even if it may not make up the bulk of revenues.