General Forum

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

elephant — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:56:58 GMT

Evan:
I have a facebook account, friend me!

done

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

bayerische — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:29:00 GMT

Puncher:

BeoFab:

Puncher:

BeoFab:

TripEnglish:

burantek:

I guess you don't remember B&o's attempt at a forum?

One of their purest failures.

LOL

The same old story. The glass is half empty or half full?.

The world is full of failed attempts until you get the right one, ask Thomas Alva Edison, he found thousands of ways to make a "non working" light bulb until he finally found one way to make a "working" one. Perseverance and optimism at its best. Unfortunately I see some lack of the latter in this forum lately.

Yup - he copied off Joseph Swan!

Sometimes in life you need a shortcut!!!!! (ask Bill Gates)

Or Steve Jobs... (Xerox)

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

Evan — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:47:06 GMT

Wonderful initiative Trip!

I do my best on the forum to be 100% constructive and maintain a positive and forward thinking attitude.

Lately it probably seems like I haven't been all too involved, I plainly just didn't have Internet access! I used up all of my free time (break between quarters) with an epic European vacation and haven't been able to progress on my open ended projects. With school it's very hard to do anything but talk. This summer I was able to do my first photo-thread. When I can't do something like that I try and contribute to the other side of BeoWorld, the articles and reference section. I like writing (although I'm no good!) and want to leave my mark on here in more ways than by just posting on the forum. It probably seems like I have given up on the writing (I promised a few more that are in the works on Peter's pinned thread) but I can assure you they are coming!! Trying to do my part but I have so very little free time.

As far as anonymity,

I am Evan Bunner. I have a facebook account, friend me! I would like to meet at least one of you fine gents in person one day, as I've never met anyone from BeoWorld!

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

Puncher — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:48:11 GMT

BeoFab:

Puncher:

BeoFab:

TripEnglish:

burantek:

I guess you don't remember B&o's attempt at a forum?

One of their purest failures.

LOL

The same old story. The glass is half empty or half full?.

The world is full of failed attempts until you get the right one, ask Thomas Alva Edison, he found thousands of ways to make a "non working" light bulb until he finally found one way to make a "working" one. Perseverance and optimism at its best. Unfortunately I see some lack of the latter in this forum lately.

Yup - he copied off Joseph Swan!

Sometimes in life you need a shortcut!!!!! (ask Bill Gates)

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

BeoFab — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:39:48 GMT

Puncher:

BeoFab:

TripEnglish:

burantek:

I guess you don't remember B&o's attempt at a forum?

One of their purest failures.

LOL

The same old story. The glass is half empty or half full?.

The world is full of failed attempts until you get the right one, ask Thomas Alva Edison, he found thousands of ways to make a "non working" light bulb until he finally found one way to make a "working" one. Perseverance and optimism at its best. Unfortunately I see some lack of the latter in this forum lately.

Yup - he copied off Joseph Swan!

Sometimes in life you need a shortcut!!!!! (ask Bill Gates)

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

Puncher — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:47:31 GMT

BeoFab:

TripEnglish:

burantek:

I guess you don't remember B&o's attempt at a forum?

One of their purest failures.

LOL

The same old story. The glass is half empty or half full?.

The world is full of failed attempts until you get the right one, ask Thomas Alva Edison, he found thousands of ways to make a "non working" light bulb until he finally found one way to make a "working" one. Perseverance and optimism at its best. Unfortunately I see some lack of the latter in this forum lately.

Yup - he copied off Joseph Swan!

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

Electrified — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 08:43:35 GMT

folkdeejay:
Peter - perhaps on the spectrum, we are in fact all a bit "SEN" - Specialist Electronics Needy....

Or the other way round: Nerdy* Electronics Specialists :)

*In a positive way

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

folkdeejay — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 08:19:32 GMT

Doctor:

elephant:

I guess I am saying that Beoworld membership is a cachet in its own right that defines one as being different.

Maybe 'special' would be a better word!

(For the non native English speakers, special has gone from meaning exclusive or extraordinary to the new meaning, of remedial!)

Peter - perhaps on the spectrum, we are in fact all a bit "SEN" - Specialist Electronics Needy....

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

elephant — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:11:38 GMT

An excellent slide !

I was most interested by the underlined passage at the top of the second column ... at first I read it as "competition" which surprised me so I reread it and found it most apt :-)

Not sure why the focus on BeoLab 5 and BeoLiving ... surely a tough entry point for a lowly prosumer :-)

But I am really hoping the Encore will be terrific :-)

Happy New Year's Eve everyone !!!

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

soundproof — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:56:03 GMT

Elephant, I once spoke to UK dealers about prosumers ...

Enough years ago that I think this is no longer under NDA.

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

Doctor — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:29:45 GMT

elephant:

I guess I am saying that Beoworld membership is a cachet in its own right that defines one as being different.

Maybe 'special' would be a better word!

(For the non native English speakers, special has gone from meaning exclusive or extraordinary to the new meaning, of remedial!)

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

elephant — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:22:35 GMT

folkdeejay:

My feeling is that Beoworlders fall broadly into three categories, depending on the relationship with the brand.

Industry – Trip, Opman and others here see the brand from the inside looking out. Depending on the type of store, retailers will still hold a diverse range of views.

Regular Consumer – Users of Beo-stuff domestically, albeit with a deeper interest in the brand than most owners – that interest is apparent by simply being present on this forum. The B&O “magic” has rubbed off in some way – reasons will vary - maybe technical, maybe aesthetic - but they want to know more, and share the interest with like minded folk.

Technical Consumer / Hobbyist – Often with a tekkie background, and often interested in products for what they are and how they are designed/made, as much as for what they actually do. Regular consumers will often become techie hobbyists over time as interest builds.

I know you said "Beoworlders fall broadly", and maybe its vanity on my part, but I would rather call people such as myself and my fellow Beoworlders as "prosumer", and then define "consumer" as those who buy B&O (for what ever of the reasons, aesthetics, style, reputation) and then live happily ever after.

I guess I am saying that Beoworld membership is a cachet in its own right that defines one as being different: as you say with a deeper interest (e.g. those who are collectors without being rescuers) than most (average?) owners.

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

Dude1 — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:07:36 GMT

The biggest problem with B&O is we keep saying 20XX is going to be an important year for the company. I think actions speak louder than words, and if this coming year there is little action, it won't matter how many words are spoken or written - they will disappear into the abyss.

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

folkdeejay — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:09:35 GMT

This is an interesting thread – and I think that the views here are so diverse simply because the relationship with a brand depends on how you use/relate to the brand.

My feeling is that Beoworlders fall broadly into three categories, depending on the relationship with the brand.

Industry – Trip, Opman and others here see the brand from the inside looking out. Depending on the type of store, retailers will still hold a diverse range of views.

Regular Consumer – Users of Beo-stuff domestically, albeit with a deeper interest in the brand than most owners – that interest is apparent by simply being present on this forum. The B&O “magic” has rubbed off in some way – reasons will vary - maybe technical, maybe aesthetic - but they want to know more, and share the interest with like minded folk.

Technical Consumer / Hobbyist – Often with a tekkie background, and often interested in products for what they are and how they are designed/made, as much as for what they actually do. Regular consumers will often become techie hobbyists over time as interest builds.

There are a few hybrid members here too – people on the fringes of the industry supplying accessories or services, or involved in the used/resale market. It's interesting to note that many such people started as happy owners, who saw a way to earn a living working with a brand they love - a real testament to the brand, and an overlooked side to the B&O appeal - not many Sony resellers out there...

Nothing new here in truth – all these behaviors can be seen in the world of nice guitars/watches/pens etc etc. B&O are probably unique in the AV world though.

For my part, my views are informed by spending most of my working life so far in Beoland.

My working relationship with B&O spanned almost exactly twenty years – from mid 1990 through to April 2010 – in that time I went from working as a Beolink installer, to Shop Manager, Area Manager and finally to being a Solus Store Dealer Principal.

In this time, I saw the UK distribution model change radically – in part due to the needs of a changing product line-up, but also because of different retail models being actively pushed by B&O through the UK management headquarters.

From the long standing distribution via “crown” centres and department stores, there was a broad move away from the high street in the early/mid 90's, into the more “specialist” retailers – many Linn dealers were approached (way before Linn distributed Loewe in the UK). B&O were starting the move to solus shops, or the “compromise” shop-in-shops, with B&O products available in the same store as other brands, but not in the same display area – the Beo-display is self-contained within its own branded area.

In the 90's, these specialised retailers were often in tertiary locations rather than on the high street, and these dealers were often at the forefront of multi-room install in the UK. I recall going up to Glasgow in about 1992 (ish) to do the very first Linn Knekt installation training course just a couple of days after being Gloucester for a Beolink course.

However, a few changes of personnel at B&O UK HQ, and another “vision” saw a move back to the high street in the late 90's, and the very active campaign to open franchised solus shops during the last 10 years, with no competing brands for sale in the same outlet.

During these changing retail models, the products moved from analogue to digital and from tube to panel.

Products like BeoSound 8 will always split opinion, and I think in many ways the reaction to this new product sums up what Trip was getting at when he started the thread.

Describing other opinions as “ignorance, wish-thinking, and hyperbole” may be a harsh way to sum up differing views – and dismissing genuine concerns and speculation as a “ hornets' nest of unsophisticated pessimistic blather” is perhaps ignoring some very valid points – but I see exactly what Trip means.

Interesting times ahead... 2011 will be an important year for Bang & Olufsen.

Anyway - back to my (new) work, so Seasons Greeting to everyone here, and all the best for 2011.

Re: BeoWorld in Decline

TripEnglish — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:55:32 GMT

To you as well, SP.

I really do like to spar and I hope that no one takes my gambits as anything other than an impassioned defense of a brand that I've tied my livelihood to. I've been a fan for way longer than I've drawn a paycheck and look forward to the next generation of products.

I look forward to more debate in the new year!

-T