Hardwriter wrote:

Actually, BMW do make cars in China - they have aa number of joint ventures there. I believe the X5 is made in the USA. Does that make it less of a BMW. Do you know BMW even has a design studio in California? Open your eyes and live in the 21st century.

Back to the original question. I don't really like the Play products but they are putting the B&O brand back on the high street and that, I think, will bring new customers. My first B&O product was a budget 2200 but I've moved up range since.

.......... I believe Jaguar is building a plant in China too.

Almost every car maker is producing cars in China. It is the world's fastest growing consumer market. It is also the centre of the electronics assembly industry. And B&O will not be using large Chinese contract manufacturers just for price. They will also allow it to ramp up production much faster than would be possible in their own plants in Denmark and Czech Republic, which is essential with the Play line of products. 

Thanks StUrrock - I had almost given up hope to learn what a potential new costumer would expect from a Bang & Olufsen product nowadays.

I am sure someone on Beoworld must know someone who is interested, but hasn't bought anything yet.

Grrr! MM

What I'd like to see is a proper media hub. Media could be stored on network drives, and the hub would only work as a way of "transporting" your media, be it pics, video or music. This would all be stream wirelessly on WLAN of course. It would also need a TV tuner (or perhaps several), so that you could watch different TV channels on your different TV's around the house.

It would need some proper connectivities, as it would basically be something of a "master device", connections for speakers etc.

It would need either a bigger remote, say something along the lines of a Beolink 7000, that would have some mechanical "magic" built in it, the Beo5/6 is too small IMHO. Also the user interface would need to be top-notch, fast and easy to use, and foremost work!

Connections would need to be easily adaptable to third party equipment.

The box itself would need to be something else than a black metal box. Style it up, add some mechanical parts perhaps, make it possible to have it hidden, but also possible to have it on display.

Price it sensibly. Make it future proof. 

Something like this is what I would like to see. While I can do all this with my current setup (Apple) I'd much more like to have the proper B&O feel all the way. The exclusivity of owning something that your neighbor doesn't.

You said it all with your comments on media hubs  .You can do al this with products already on the market so it would be pointless for B&O to go that route. They need to focus on good looking and decent performing products that are visible to consumers that would not usually find there way into a B&O store. Hence the Play products that work on existing media hub systems. Sell them on the high street, be highly visible then bring them in. Then maybe there will be some new B&O customers to replace people like us who already enjoy (most) of the products.

What does people stop?

People listening and viewing my B&O stuff at my home without knowing anything about B&O are impressed by picture (BV 8) and sound (BeoVox Penta and BeoLab 4000).

People who know a few things about this highly priced luxury brand doubt my sanity a little bit ...

There are not enough people appreciating craftmanship or knowing that you are not paying for a B&O TV but for the B&O loudspeaker with an attached monitor.

Well, yes I agree, the problem is other companies making very cheap and good solutions, like Apple. 

I basically have this system described at home at the cost of a mac mini, ipad and Apple TV. That's just north of 1000 euro, and I can't see B&O making something similar for under 5000e... I would be a buyer though...

The 'must be made in Denmark' crowd is in for a surprise:

tournedos wrote:

The 'must be made in Denmark' crowd is in for a surprise:

link

(I guess the title doesn't need Google translate)

Pretty sad news. Soon we don't have any products made in Denmark.