General Forum

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

pf85 — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:01:26 GMT

Like in automotive, OEMs in home electronics will buy from suppliers at their required quality. This will continue at even higher levels in the future. In the end, the overall composition including technology, design, service and "durability" has to be convicing for buyers to pay what is being proposed. So far, this has been a good competency for the brand, more so than beoplayer (finally conceding to available market forces with beoconnect) or the questionnable excursion into phones.
However, given the "digital convergence", B&O has to ensure that they select an equally "durable and robust" strategy with their software solutions that will drive the linked home of today and tomorrow.

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

wirralsimon — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:56:09 GMT

There was some truth in the rebadged philips allegations in the 1980s, particularly for CD players and video recorders, but I don't think it applies now.

Simon

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Peter — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:42:22 GMT

I agree with the sentiments here. B&O is on the whole made of high quality materials and will last well. Even the dreaded red capacitors of the 70s were good quality at the time and it was a surprise when they started to leak. Of course B&O use components from other firms, as do everyone else. B&O used to make almost everything - even the wire - but this became unfeasibly expensive and much of the component manufacturing was outsourced, especially in the 90s. B&O do however still issue specifications for outsourced materials and the tolerance that is acceptable will be far more stringent than most firms. This is one reason that the products cost more as suppliers have to either select components or have special production lines, both of which cost more.

The other reason they cost more is that this is what the market will stand. A small company does not enjoy the same economies of scale that say Sony does, and a similar product will always cost more from B&O for this reason. The extra style and kudos is the extra that makes B&O sell. The analogy with cars is reasonable - why buy more than a VW Golf? It does everything a car needs to do, is well made and well equipped. But lots of people do!

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Flappo — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:48:51 GMT

the ironic thing is i've had 2 x philps tv's and they've both been UTTER unreliable rubbish , the first one quite literally blew up the second one ended up in the local skip

while i've had an avant for over 7 years and it's been incredibly reliable , the picture is as sharp as the day i bought it and it still performs brilliantly

even my sony's haven't lasted or performed as well as the avant

my next tv will DEFINITELY be bn'o

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Chrisreunion — Mon, 31 May 2010 03:18:03 GMT

Talking about rebadged Philips, I think you should look more at Loewe than B&O.., they use Bose speakers or the Yamaha soundbar, not to mention it..

B&O TV sets such as the Avant were using Philips tubes, but they were manufactured with B&O specs & were never found in any other Philips TV, it would have made the set too expensive for a Philips; this has always been the case with CRT TVs, maybe it is no longer true for LCD & plasma screens. Anyway, there is a difference between a rebadged product (B&O has a list of those, the latter being DVD2 or BeoSound 6), and a B&O product with non-B&O components (e.g Serenata, HDR2 or even BeoCenter 2 which has a Pioneer drive).

As said before, a TVR sports coupé was using Citroen parts, it doesn't make it a French car..

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

malcolm welborn — Mon, 31 May 2010 01:59:56 GMT

yes AstomMartin buying door handles from Kia

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Jez — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:11:35 GMT

This applies to all brands these days. You simply can not survive trying to make every component yourself. B&O tried in the past and went broke. Look at a Ferrari as an example, the tyres, rims, brakes, electronics, stereo/nav system, new double clutch system...list goes on, all made out house to spec by someone else. Still it's no less a Ferrari.

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Spiros — Sun, 30 May 2010 13:10:10 GMT

And dear Olof, something else too. From my experience, B&O is the only (or from the very few) around that still, most of their products are being sold and many people want to have them even s/h. I'm quite sure that too many people at beoworld are still looking for BeoSystems 5500, 7000 etc. and many other systems. Their design and durability are they key to the success. Although I know many will disagree on this, Link is something that has been in B&O for ages and other companies have introduced in the last 5 years. Actually, only Loewe, has such a complete link system and quite advanced I may add. From my point of view B&O is unique even if not progressed in technology or following "competition".

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

ajames — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:54:20 GMT

I read once, not sure where, that whilst the insides may be Philips and other manufacturers, that B&O picks the cream of the panels and in the past screens - perhaps they specify higher tollerances for components than other manufacturers and this is where the cost comes in. It would also explain why B&O equipment lasts so long with very little problems.

If you just looked at the components then there would be no difference in any TV or Stereo from any manufacturer, but surely we are also paying for development and the way the components are put together.

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Olof — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:48:22 GMT

I agree with you, but many people say thats just overprices Phillips, so I want to know the facts (and why should good design do not have a price too ?)

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

BenSA — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:44:31 GMT

I like your 2 cents Spiros! If you just think of the cost of the aluminium that is used in their products!

Re: How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Spiros — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:43:21 GMT

Well, I totally disagree on the post. For sure it's not an overpriced Philips. However, I do not know of many brands having their own vertical production. And even if, these are small companies that will never, ever be even near the B&O design. Just my two cents.

How much "overpriced Phillips" is inside B&O ?

Olof — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:25:28 GMT

What is B&O own engineering and what do they buy at 3 partys ? OK, TV displays comes from Samsung, the ICE power is their own, whats about the BeoSound 5 are only the weels made from B&O ?