General Forum

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Evan — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:15:05 GMT

symmes:

Thanks for showing that on US Veteran's Day, and a day after the US Marines' 235 anniversary. Dad was there and at the parade today. Thanks more than you can ever know.

Happy Vets Day Symmes and all.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

beo-ap — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:30:36 GMT

Beolink 7000 - Now there's an example of magic. Can anyone really claim that the rising mechanism in the 7000 was necessary for a remote control? No, of course not. But it was magical indeed. Software as magic, hugely important, but not the same.

BTW, I'm all about software. For example, I have a Kindle and an Ipad and actually use them both. So I get the digital age. I just miss the mechanical magic. And as forward looking as I think I am, and as "expert" as I think I am, I never would have suggested the magic of a BC9500 for example. Like Steve Jobs says, "...why would [I ask a focus group], they don't even know what they want..." As much as I want to argue with that, I din't know I wanted an Ipod, Ipad, BL 8000, BS3000, etc. until I saw them and then - I needed them.

Now I need a Macbook Air. And I could have needed the BS8. If only it were the replacement to the BL2000. As a link speaker to replace my perfectly good BL2000s, I definitely could have needed that.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Jonathan — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:49:03 GMT

It's a very strong symbol

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

symmes — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:12:26 GMT

Thanks for showing that on US Veteran's Day, and a day after the US Marines' 235 anniversary. Dad was there and at the parade today. Thanks more than you can ever know.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Jonathan — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:53:07 GMT

TripEnglish:

"You an search the parks in all your cities, you'll find no statues of committees."

tut tut Trip, how unpatriotic of you.....

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Electrified — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:27:49 GMT

TripEnglish:

You like to hear yourself talk. The internet is glad to have you.

If all else fails: Maybe ad hominems will do

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

jjcox — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:22:58 GMT

I remember the sliding cassette player in my dad's Beosystem 5000. And the tuner control, which looked the same when closed, but had a completely different movement when opened. Not to mention the CD player 5000, which also had its own movement. This system got my love for B&O going.

Then the BeoCenter 9500, the seamlessly moving panels for the cassette player and the CD player. The rotating stand of the MX6000. The true magic of the BeoSound 3000. The rising of the BeoLink 7000 (it still creates WOWs from ANYONE in my house who sees it in action!), the DVD player of the BeoVision 7.

Yes, I miss the moving stuff as well. Gladly, most of it is in my house, so if I just make sure it doesn't break, I can enjoy from it for many years to come ;-).

Maybe we should make a list of the top 3 greatest magical moving parts on B&O products?

I'll start off:

1. BeoLink 7000 rising up when placed on a table

2. Glass doors on the BeoSound 3000

3. DVD player on the Avant: it just feels soooo good!

Who's next?

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

TripEnglish — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:21:06 GMT

You like to hear yourself talk. The internet is glad to have you.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Electrified — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:09:46 GMT

TripEnglish:
Not true. Sorry. The less input from amateurs the better.

Noone said focus groups should consist of "amateurs", nor that everything the focus group says should be done, should be implemented. As I said, it's a tool. You know, just like B&O uses "listening panels" which, if anything, is a focus group that have learned how to put what they hear into words. And remember, it's them "amateurs" that walk into a shop and buy their stuff that are the bread and butter of B&O. I'm pretty sure they can't survive if they only sold to audio, broadcast, and pro "film people", even if their top two speakers are excellent.

TripEnglish:
"You an search the parks in all your cities, you'll find no statues of committees."

More fallatious quoting

The problems with taking quotes like that and put them forward as facts is that they're more often than not taken out of context, they seldomly proves what the poster tries to prove, and they're usually completely fallatious in the context. Instead of quoting such drivel, use arguments instead. Posting a claim and then "backing it up" with an out-of-context quote, is really nothing more than mindless parroting.

But boy, does those quotes sound like they actually have some truth in them, don't they. I bet we can find numerous quotes in the spirit of "Experts. We don't need experts, we are our own experts" and so on. That doesn't mean it's true, nor that everyone is an expert. It's a political statement, just like your quote, Trip.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Stonk — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:53:12 GMT

I have always loved the visual and physical interaction of B&O's moving parts. I'd probably say it's that which has kept my real interest over the years. It made me tick, gave me pleasure and encouraged me to purchase other items that had no moving parts like TV's.

Maybe everything nowdays is software based and requires no moving parts. It's a shame - I always loved to be greeted by the movement of my hifi. It made it special.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

TripEnglish — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:50:30 GMT

Electrified:

soundproof:

If Henry Ford had used focus groups, he would have tried to breed a faster horse, instead he built a car.

Sounds true, but it's a logical fallacy: He would only have tried to breed faster horses if focus groups stood as the sole tool in the box.

No serious manufacturer/designer uses focus groups as their sole tool, just like an architect doesn't just do what the customer thinks is right before the design is even started - that is, you have to listen to customers, but bring something to the table yourself.

Focus groups can both be bad and good, it's how the tool "focus groups" are implemented into the design phase that matters.

Not true. Sorry. The less input from amateurs the better.

"You an search the parks in all your cities, you'll find no statues of committees."

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Electrified — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:29:39 GMT

soundproof:

If Henry Ford had used focus groups, he would have tried to breed a faster horse, instead he built a car.

Sounds true, but it's a logical fallacy: He would only have tried to breed faster horses if focus groups stood as the sole tool in the box.

No serious manufacturer/designer uses focus groups as their sole tool, just like an architect doesn't just do what the customer thinks is right before the design is even started - that is, you have to listen to customers, but bring something to the table yourself.

Focus groups can both be bad and good, it's how the tool "focus groups" are implemented into the design phase that matters.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Evan — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:11:20 GMT

soundproof:

If Henry Ford had used focus groups, he would have tried to breed a faster horse, instead he built a car.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

soundproof — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:34:44 GMT

If Henry Ford had used focus groups, he would have tried to breed a faster horse, instead he built a car.

Re: Is B&O stopping to produce wonderful mechatronic?

Stan — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:41:13 GMT

beo-ap:

I'm sure many of you read about Steve Jobs' views on focus groups, in fact it may have been discussed somewhere else in the forum. I'm curious, as to how important focus groups were to Jacob Jensen or David Lewis? I don't mean in terms of testing the sound of a loudspeaker for example, but of the pure design aspect of some of their work. Are some of the less stunning designs a result of focus group-think?

I think I've read that Lewis does NOT use focus groups. I would assume the same for JJ. In the past, B&O has been attacked for this (no focus groups?!?! not close enough to the customer!!!). There's probably some truth to that - a focus group might have got an AUX input on the BS3. Then again, they might have cluttered it up with all kinds of wizzy-bang gotta have features... Personally, I'm more of the opinion that design should be left to professionals.

Stan