The price rises are taking the prices of some of their higher end products borderline unaffordable, personally speaking.

While of course we all understand the current price pressures, and some reflection in higher prices, they are where they are, and the starting point for these price rises is already high.

As I posted on the price rise thread, one might think 10% on (say) the price of an A9 and BS2 is understandable, thats on the back of similar rises every year for the last few years though.  My A9 Mk2 and BS2 (bought 2015, early 2017) cost me 3100GBP - at today's prices those 2 are now 4600GBP.  For secondary room speakers, I'd never spend that much now. They're roughly up 10% per year every year!

Anyway, we're close to the time when the higher end stuff is unaffordable (for me), and the middle stuff (A9 for example) is hard to justify.

I strongly suspect they will struggle to grow sales this year.

trackbeo wrote:

In 2022, we will see: (1) Another B&O price hike, even after the two recent ones.  (Oh, wait, that just happened!  Fine, I predict yet *another* price hike in the fall.)  (2) One of the few remaining North American dealer locations will close.  (3) An Asian consumer electronics firm will introduce their own "haute design" audio / video using high-spec components & stainless steel, comparable to B&O quality under 1/2 the price.  (4) Sonos will fire that programmer who insists "tap to join" is too poorly specified to implement in their multi-source/zone system, and will (finally) add B&O's feature to their speakers.  (5) Apple will use out-of-band signalling in the ISM range to supplement Bluetooth audio transmission to their headphones (& goggles!).  They will try to patent it as if it weren't obvious, and nobody, including B&O, will dare implement lossless to their BT headphones.  (6) BO(DC) stock price volatility will increase.

Sandyb wrote:

The price rises are taking the prices of some of their higher end products borderline unaffordable, personally speaking.

While of course we all understand the current price pressures, and some reflection in higher prices, they are where they are, and the starting point for these price rises is already high.

As I posted on the price rise thread, one might think 10% on (say) the price of an A9 and BS2 is understandable, thats on the back of similar rises every year for the last few years though. My A9 Mk2 and BS2 (bought 2015, early 2017) cost me 3100GBP - at today's prices those 2 are now 4600GBP. For secondary room speakers, I'd never spend that much now. They're roughly up 10% per year every year!

Anyway, we're close to the time when the higher end stuff is unaffordable (for me), and the middle stuff (A9 for example) is hard to justify.

I strongly suspect they will struggle to grow sales this year.

Well I get it / understand price rises to reflect recent cost increases, and I suspect 10% isn't probably enough to compensate.

What I dont get is, as my A9 MK2 / BS2 examples showed, what justifies the almost 10% per year those (and other) products experienced in 2015, 2016, 2017 etc etc......

There may be a plenty of other cost increases in the past that did in fact justify those other yearly 10% increases, but certainly labour / materials cost inflation was much much lower back then, so its trickier to justify in my mind.

Anyway, whatever the reasons, and as discussed on Mondays podcast, there's a danger that some of us, with money but not necessarily very rich, get priced out of much of the product range.

vlohjr1 wrote:

Sandyb wrote:

 

The price rises are taking the prices of some of their higher end products borderline unaffordable, personally speaking.

 

While of course we all understand the current price pressures, and some reflection in higher prices, they are where they are, and the starting point for these price rises is already high.

 

As I posted on the price rise thread, one might think 10% on (say) the price of an A9 and BS2 is understandable, thats on the back of similar rises every year for the last few years though. My A9 Mk2 and BS2 (bought 2015, early 2017) cost me 3100GBP - at today's prices those 2 are now 4600GBP. For secondary room speakers, I'd never spend that much now. They're roughly up 10% per year every year!

 

Anyway, we're close to the time when the higher end stuff is unaffordable (for me), and the middle stuff (A9 for example) is hard to justify.

 

I strongly suspect they will struggle to grow sales this year.

 

 

Absolutely agree the h95 is now £800 and the 28s cannot be more than £1000 a few days ago.

trackbeo wrote:

In 2022, we will see: (1) Another B&O price hike, even after the two recent ones.  (Oh, wait, that just happened!  Fine, I predict yet *another* price hike in the fall.)  (2) One of the few remaining North American dealer locations will close.  (3) An Asian consumer electronics firm will introduce their own "haute design" audio / video using high-spec components & stainless steel, comparable to B&O quality under 1/2 the price.  (4) Sonos will fire that programmer who insists "tap to join" is too poorly specified to implement in their multi-source/zone system, and will (finally) add B&O's feature to their speakers.  (5) Apple will use out-of-band signalling in the ISM range to supplement Bluetooth audio transmission to their headphones (& goggles!).  They will try to patent it as if it weren't obvious, and nobody, including B&O, will dare implement lossless to their BT headphones.  (6) BO(DC) stock price volatility will increase.

Perfect analysis, I would have said exactly the same.

What we will see in 2022?

Price increase (✅ Done)

Customer support struggling more and more, but they stay polite (✅ Done)

Closing the Quality check department  (✅ Almost done)

Selling B-ware products and tell you’re the first with that problem (✅ Beoremote One and Halo)

Struggling with integrating the Mozart platform to the Beovision (✅ work in progress)

Repair centre that can’t handle the work (✅ Done)

Customers who gonna leave the brand (✅ work in progress)

New management team as the old can’t get the brand profitable.

A beautiful brand that will get down due to mismanagement and forget their customers….

I’m not positive…..

Anyway, also a version of Beoplay Portal for PlayStation (or more "generic", i.e. for all consoles except Xbox) is coming for sure in 2022.

When launched, Portal first appeared in the app just as "Beoplay Portal". Then after a few months it changed to "Beoplay Portal XBox" - which already meant that a "Beoplay Portal non-XBox" was incoming.

Recently they've changed that to "Beoplay Portal family".

Anything clearer than this is needed to confirm the existence of a different variant of Portal? I don't think so, and it's too early for a 2nd Gen (unless it will be "Beoplay Portal XBox with no static noise" 😁), so...

(unless they're referring to the headset they'll be launching in partnership with Cisco, however it would be odd to have it grouped together with Portal in the app, even though the base hardware is the same - or a possibility is that for development testing they've grouped it under Portal? I don't know, but anyway it's less likely than a Portal for other consoles)

I tend to think it will be for PS and Switch. Anyway, I am wondering how much it is costed B&O to invest in Portal and whether they regretted making it, given the flop of the Xbox in the current consoles generation against PS5.

vlohjr1 wrote:

If the stage MK2 comes out this year will it be the end for all beovisions?

No, look at the Contour, this is a stage with LG panel but combined in a B&O design. It's not for everyone but it's an example that it will not be the end for all Beovisions. 

Not everyone is so optimistic about B&O here but just think about it what they are doing and have done in terms of design, quality and integration. No other brand is doing this at this level... There are possibilties but you have to accept multiple brands working together which is just not seamless. 

For example a Logitech harmony can do a lot but it's not 100% as smooth as what Beoremote can do when all things are connected properly. 

swestland wrote:

vlohjr1 wrote:

If the stage MK2 comes out this year will it be the end for all beovisions?

No, look at the Contour, this is a stage with LG panel but combined in a B&O design. It's not for everyone but it's an example that it will not be the end for all Beovisions. 

Not everyone is so optimistic about B&O here but just think about it what they are doing and have done in terms of design, quality and integration. No other brand is doing this at this level... There are possibilties but you have to accept multiple brands working together which is just not seamless. 

For example a Logitech harmony can do a lot but it's not 100% as smooth as what Beoremote can do when all things are connected properly. 

I have tried many solutions before Beovision, one thing was that I did not have the money, but also I felt that BEOVISION was overprised.

When I bought the Eclipse, I have never looked back, no solution I have tried gave the same pleasure of control and integration. Yes it is exspensive but imo well worth it. 

The CEO have said that Beovision is the plan in the future also,

Mr 10Percent wrote:

As indicated, it is my "fantasy" business plan for B&O in 2022.

I firmly believe they need to hunker down and weather what I think will be a nasty financial storm in 2022. Too many products, too few sales - particularly of some of the "older" lines. 

Also, not forgetting it's not going to get easier, quickly, to find the chips required for these products. Audi told me today that demand for new cars is now pushing their cars to 9-10 months from order depending on the model. If you order a new Audi today, you might receive it....just before 2023!

Pepole forget there's chips in every B&O device. It's a tiny company. People casually list a tonne of new products on here expecting B&O to find resource but seem to overlook the rest of the market.