General Forum

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

Puncher — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:02:24 GMT

Roger:

I do think that B&O Marketing need to stress that the BeoSound 5 is a high quality / high-end music player that goes perfectly along with their high-end BeoLab's for a superb sound experience. It is not a Jack of all trades like an iPhone.
Roger

We certainly wouldn't want them to tell folk it is just a PC with a decent DAC and USB scroll wheel/display

Sorry!

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

Christian — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:28:32 GMT

I do not think B&O products today are more or less future prove than they have been in the past. The Ouverture cannot be upgraded to handle N.MUSIC, the first Avants (where VHS was the only option) couldn't be retrofitted with a DVD, and neither could the AV5 - eventhough it had an optical drive.
Every one talks about upgrading TVs with new panels etc., but who would have asked their dealer to replace the tube in an old MX3000 with the tube of a MX4200?

Actually the only future prove product B&O has ever made was the link system. Buy a converter and everything works.

To me, B&O is future prove, not because the technology is, but because even after twenty years my BS3300 looks cool and makes me smile. B&O has never offered the latest technology, but they push a mature technology to the extreme. My BS3300 looks digital, but when you lift the lid, you see that it's just and old fashion analogue radio with sensi-touch.

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

Roger — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:05:53 GMT

I do think that B&O Marketing need to stress that the BeoSound 5 is a high quality / high-end music player that goes perfectly along with their high-end BeoLab's for a superb sound experience. It is not a Jack of all trades like an iPhone.

Roger

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

avus17 — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:58:42 GMT

I think B&O should offer their customers which have payed a lot for their product a future prove systems. So for instance they shoul offer for a small amount of money to upgrade products such as BV7 32'' with DVI inputs to HDMI inputs. There also should be more HDMI inputs and not only one DVI on MKI products. I think this way many og B&O customers would not ne so dissapointed with not future prove products. Also every BV7 should have the possibility to be updated to blu ray player. Tehy should also offer some modules for BeoSounds, such as MP3 streaming for older BS9000 models.

Concerning BS5 this machine should also offer video streaming and possibility of bigger BeoMaster 5 hard disc storage where also avi video formats can be put on store.

For me BS5 therefore is much to expensive, another beautiful mp3/net music streamer and also very very expensive.

But as told B&O is up to very rich people who do not even know what their products have functions, the main thing is that B&O stands on the housing:=))))))))

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

wirralsimon — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:41:57 GMT

ed7:
i used to look forward to go and see my local dealer (like a child in a toy store) wanted to buy every thing in his shop and more ,new catalog when released that will be another special visit to go and collect it as soon as possible,loved the products and prices of course was more expensive than every-day make and model but hey was worth the money imho,in the last few years B&O simply lost the plot i actually avoid b&o shop and cross the other side just in case dealer see me,nothing excite me any more about their products apart from speaker which i do not need in the moment,what amaze me the slowness of b&o to adapt vastly moving technology,they can not adapt the same principles they implied in the analog age big mistake ,and customers always right policy unlike now or feels like b&o customers (always wrong)

You make some very interesting points. Most of the advances and intersting AV stuff that is comes out now seems to hit the mass market far more quickly after the point of innovation and be superceded much more quickly so a £7000 TV becomes very hard to justify however good it is because it will probably be left behind quite quickly. Add that to the econimic woes and the high-price high margin model becomes increasingly difficult to sustain.

There is a ray of hope however. A 1-2k price point on a TV with low margins doesn't leave much scope for going the extra mile in terms of customer service. There is also the fact that if B&O products do not have the exclusivity due to price, and customer service that recognoses the products as more than just commodities, it simply wouldn't be B&O any more.

I think B&O dealers who are really ahead of the pack in terms of customer service will be OK, those who simply rely on the name and reputation of B&O to keep the money rolling in are going to find things very hard indeed.

Simon

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

ed7 — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:16:52 GMT

i used to look forward to go and see my local dealer (like a child in a toy store) wanted to buy every thing in his shop and more ,new catalog when released that will be another special visit to go and collect it as soon as possible,loved the products and prices of course was more expensive than every-day make and model but hey was worth the money imho,in the last few years B&O simply lost the plot i actually avoid b&o shop and cross the other side just in case dealer see me,nothing excite me any more about their products apart from speaker which i do not need in the moment,what amaze me the slowness of b&o to adapt vastly moving technology,they can not adapt the same principles they implied in the analog age big mistake ,and customers always right policy unlike now or feels like b&o customers (always wrong)

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

Flappo The Grate — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:25:33 GMT

considering their cost, they should all be upgradeable to blu ray

bno need a more modular system

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

avus17 — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:23:23 GMT

U see only current BV7 40'' rane can be updated, what about other, other versions are all outdated. But were very as expensive as current models.

Re: Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

Roger — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:08:44 GMT

I tend to agree to some point on this - The BeoMedia 1 was a marketing mistake by Struer. It was sold as a future proof black box that came with 5 years of automatic S/W-updates through the customers broadband connection. The last update received was in November 2006, and it seems as if the BeoMedia 1 was discontinued back then (seen from the point of view of the BM1 owners). Why should they buy the new black box, BeoMaster 5?

With that out of the way, I am happy to report that quite a few love the BeoSound 5 (okay, I didn't at launch). They saw another product than I did: A breakthrough in hifi quality for "mp3"-music, some even claimed it was a new BeoGram 4000 (elegant design, different technical approach (tangential arm back then) and very user friendly). One said he was happy to see B&O introducing a "pc/mp3"-player that everyone in the household could operate, not just the nerd that bought the equipment.

The current BV7-40 can be upgraded to the new BluRay-player.

Roger

Are Bang&Olufsen products still so future prove as they were in the past?

avus17 — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:48:37 GMT

What do you think are B&O products still way ahead before other? I think they have lost the game. Almost everything they are offering now, other producer have already offered before. Only what stays is B&O craftmanshift and some of their designs. Do you think B&O should reconsider their policy and offer the newest technology some time earlier as when they wait other producer already offer a degree newer thinks?

For instance I think BV7 32" should at the beginning be offered with HDMI inputs (not only one DVI) or should at least be made future prove so DH module with HDMI inputs could be fitted later when desired.

As for the amount of money also DVD players in BV7 40'' should have the possibility to be changed as a module later with blu ray players.

So what do you think, are B&O products still so future prove?