I already have 4 B&O systems and only use two of them. When the MX 7000 dies I probably will get a Beovision 10, though...

avus17 wrote:

BEOSOUND:

BS5 much overpriced,  MP3 controler and a storage box of 500 GB for 5.000,-?

If there was a possibility to stream videos OK but only audio:=(((

I don't buy because I've run out of rooms to justify more speakers.  And I'm not interested in a B&O TV.

Money plays a roll, off course, when buying new B&O

Lack of a decent priced B&O tv (BV8-40 or BV10) in North America ... so I'll stick with my Kuro for a while longer I guess.
Beosound 5 : I do agree it's meant as an audio system only and I am ok with that ... just too limited and too pricey for what it offers. 
I do love the interface and the smoothness of the controller though..
Beosound 4 and beosound 2: Even those are dated now and their design is just not for me....I'll wait and stick it out for something new to appear.
Beosound 3200/9000 ... iconic classics....had the 9000 for a while (15 yrs ago?).....moved on.
Do I want another landline phone ?.... nope will stick it out with the one I've got as cell phones slowly take over anyways.

Can't really go wrong with any of the speakers though... they always be a joy to hear and to look at.

So basically, I am waiting for a decent priced beovision to appear on the North American market and something new and exciting to appear on the audio front.

A newly designed (universal) remote (BEO4 style)  would be very welcome as well .... I just can't stand the handling of the beo5 and just don't ask me how I feel about the masters degree in computer science you need to get it programmed ...(or the expense to have it done for you).

What I think is funny that I don't hear anybody complaining about the price of a Rolex. I can't swing most B&O products either, to me it is a luxury item and part of that is that it is expensive. To me I don't think it matters much if they price a BV9 at 15k$ or 20k$. If they could do a BV9 at 3 or 4k$ that would certainly change something.

To me, they need to focus much more on the product then on the price. In the BS5 for example, MOTS is seen as the killer feature and it is it just got lost since Apple came out with the Genius feature and everyone takes it for granted now. Meaning, they need to run much faster and deliver more to wow. To me they should take a very good look at BS5 and take another run at it. And don't give me the crap that it is a platform for an entire family, that was said about the BC2 as well. 

jk1002 wrote:

What I think is funny that I don't hear anybody complaining about the price of a Rolex. I can't swing most B&O products either, to me it is a luxury item and part of that is that it is expensive. To me I don't think it matters much if they price a BV9 at 15k$ or 20k$. If they could do a BV9 at 3 or 4k$ that would certainly change something.

To me, they need to focus much more on the product then on the price. In the BS5 for example, MOTS is seen as the killer feature and it is it just got lost since Apple came out with the Genius feature and everyone takes it for granted now. Meaning, they need to run much faster and deliver more to wow. To me they should take a very good look at BS5 and take another run at it. And don't give me the crap that it is a platform for an entire family, that was said about the BC2 as well. 

It's funny to hear the almost universal chorus of opinions from BeoWorlders versus what dealers see as their core clientele. "Killer Features" are a retail animal and are just don't play into our business model any more. Lament if you like, and even I sometimes do, but the current business model, though incomplete in my judgement, offers a great deal more stability over the retail segment which changes with the wind. 

I do applaud the maturity to look beyond price, but I'm sure that there are plenty who cry and whinge over the cost of a Rolex, too. At the end of the day, the prices are fine and would have to come so far down to really please the cry-babies that it would no longer be a real B&O product. Second hand is a great alternative for the budget conscious who still want a premium product, but they should be mindful that there's the second-hand market is so desirable because the products were built to such a high standard originally!  

What would be really interesting is to understand the target market and the "typical" customer and average purchase etc. in countries such as the US, UK Germany & Denmark and how it has altered over, say, the last 10-15 years.

My feeling is that they seem to have shifted toward higher disposable incomes but to what degree and how much does it vary by market?

How typical are Trip's customers to those in Denmark?

I've no axe to grind but I think it's an interesting point and may go some way to explain many of the impasse reached when subjects such as this crop up.

How typical are Trip's customers to those in Denmark?

I would say not very typical most affluent europeans desire realistic prices, the BV9 fab though it might be is the price of a harley davidson most  people just cant see the B&O value.

The american market if its about custom installations seems very limited with the beolink systems, the american market has never really achieved the great success it should have produced for a desirable european brand.

MGBGTV8 wrote:

How typical are Trip's customers to those in Denmark?

I would say not very typical most affluent europeans desire realistic prices, the BV9 fab though it might be is the price of a harley davidson most  people just cant see the B&O value.

The american market if its about custom installations seems very limited with the beolink systems, the american market has never really achieved the great success it should have produced for a desirable european brand.

Puncher, your point is well taken, as is MGBGTV8's. I know that the markets have historically been very different, with the US trending toward larger installations and "Theater Rooms." I've thrown away the best years of my life lamenting certain aspects of the American character, but it doesn't look like we'll go for quality over quantity anytime in my life so I'll just have to stop banging my head against that wall. This means that we're playing to a very small audience here and always have been. Any success we've had as a region has come from intelligently engaging this market. Any folly as stemmed from engaging the retail customer with a retail model. 

As is often the case, car analogies are instructive. America seldom gets small premium cars because our mindset can't square the idea of a small item being worthwhile, let alone luxurious. We'd rather eat instant pudding until we're ill than have just a bite of the finest chocolate. That's just us. 

So, unlike EU which as always had a diverse video portfolio, we've been mostly audio up until this past decade and, in turn, were unprepared for audio to disappear in the wake of the iPod and have scrambled to put together a viable video portfolio at any price. Now that there's one in place it's all about dealing with the "I didn't know you guys made TVs!" remark. Couple that with an attitude toward pricing that makes even the most aggressive whinging on BeoWorld look tame and you've got a retail market that's basically sewage teeming with piranas.

Conversely, custom installation hasn't lost much steam and our products are uniquely positioned to be not only functionally competitive, but competitively priced against our competition in that niche market. Anyone who thinks it's too expensive to have a Beo5 programmed should dry their tears and have a Crestron dealer give you a quote.

If you want to buy a single television for a family room, it's tough to argue that the BeoVision 7 makes sense. Sure, some will want it, but it's like having an R8 as a daily driver. However, if you're doing a high-end residence and want total system integration between AV, lighting, managed entry, HVAC, etc. with simplified control and premium fit and finish, not only are we cheaper by a good 15-20%, but you get a BeoVision 7 on the wall instead of an LG!

That's it in a nutshell. If B&O starts building $3,000 tvs with a viable value proposition I'll sell them, but until then I'm pretty happy with the current portfolio and with what I've seen coming down the pike I'm practically giddy.  

Thanks Trip - very informative!

As I said it would be good to see a similar synopsis for a European market and how it has changed over time (and even if there has been a degree of back pedalling etc.)