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New AKG line - Page 18

post #256 of 422
10/17/10 at 2:01pm

I think it's ok to use celebrities as marketing, but I find the combination of Quicy Jones, K701 and lime green a bit odd. If they wanted to use QJ to market the K701 as a serious pair of professional headphones, why make them lime green? If they wanted to attract kids to buy them like Beats, because the lime green looks hip, why use QJ? Why not T.I. or Eminem? And why not something more bass heavy? It's very odd.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsilver View Post

Is there anything inherently wrong with using celebrity names as marketing?

 

Even if the endorsement is ultimately meaningless, it's still a very common marketing tool. It also works.

 

Personally, I think the green that the use is tacky, but who is to say that people who want such a color shouldn't be given the option?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

AKG K701 Studio Headphones
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post #257 of 422
10/17/10 at 3:25pm

I just emailed AKG and asked what is the Idea behind the Q701. I'll post their reply if I get one.

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post #258 of 422
10/17/10 at 4:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fatcat28037 View Post

I just emailed AKG and asked what is the Idea behind the Q701. I'll post their reply if I get one.



Meanwhile, what do you think is the idea behind the Q701?

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post #259 of 422
10/17/10 at 4:35pm
It doesn't matter what they respond with

AKG's real idea:

"wow all our competitors are releasing new flagships and charging a hefty price. The K701 is no longer going to be considered a competitor...we better do something before we're left in the dust. But here at Harmon we don't have the vision or the resources to fund developing a new flagship. At least right now we don't see the profitability which Harmon would be agreeable to. However Beats sure makes a lot money from their Dr Dre and Lady Gaga product endorsements. What if we released the K701 under a different name with some fancier design work and a product endorsement from a more AKG worthy producer such as Quincy Jones? Let's ask Quincy Jones how much we need to pay him in order to attach his name to our product. _______ dollars? That's certainly less money then it would cost to develop a new reference headphone. Meanwhile we can withdraw the K701 from the market so that in order to purchase the headphone you need to invest in our new more expensive sponsorship. Hopefully people won't notice that's exactly the same sounding as a pair we released many years ago and mind you, have already rebranded once. Hopefully there is a market for celebrity endorsed studio-oriented, amp-required headphones otherwise the big boss at Harmon is going to be furious. Just to reiterate my fellow AKG staffers...as long as some people aren't aware that this a K701 with green paint and a Q and maybe the new Michael Jackson craze will make average consumers more conscious of the name Quincy Jones, then maybe just maybe we can make a lot of money without the time and effort of our competitors."

That is the real idea behind the Q701. Plain and simple. Fatcat you should mail that to AKG as a followup:-)
I've been talking headphones with you for years. Now I can help you with your purchase:) Sales Specialist & Headphone Guru @ Headphones.com
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post #260 of 422
10/17/10 at 5:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acix View Post





Meanwhile, what do you think is the idea behind the Q701?



see posts 251, 254 & Dave's 259


Edited by fatcat28037 - 10/17/10 at 5:45pm
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post #261 of 422
10/17/10 at 5:44pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsilver View Post

Is there anything inherently wrong with using celebrity names as marketing?

 

Even if the endorsement is ultimately meaningless, it's still a very common marketing tool. It also works.

 

Personally, I think the green that the use is tacky, but who is to say that people who want such a color shouldn't be given the option?


Sounds reasonable to me. Furthermore if you have a successful product that is close to running its natural course, a celebrity endorsement and a cosmetic refresh to milk it for all it's worth makes good business sense. But we can still hope that AKG is working with Mr. Jones on a new "Q" flagship headphone that will silence their critics.


Edited by grokit - 10/17/10 at 5:48pm
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post #262 of 422
10/19/10 at 8:20am

I have tried Q701 and K701 side by side @ High End Slovakia 2010 last weekend in Bratislava (capitol city of Slovak Republic), and for me...not differences which I could be able to heard immediately plus-both were so uncomfortable to my head. Yeah, Q701 very ugly green (imo) and have detachable cable, but....that was almost all for me. And well, it was just very brief listening (cca 10 minute for each of them) but i could honestly stand, that AKG´s are not for me (they were at example too high to my ears).


Edited by casioa5302ca - 10/19/10 at 8:27am
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post #263 of 422
10/19/10 at 2:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by casioa5302ca View Post

I have tried Q701 and K701 side by side @ High End Slovakia 2010 last weekend in Bratislava (capitol city of Slovak Republic), and for me...not differences which I could be able to heard immediately


Annnnnnd done.

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post #264 of 422
10/19/10 at 4:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fatcat28037 View Post





see posts 251, 254 & Dave's 259

 

I see, you just quote others...
 

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post #265 of 422
10/19/10 at 7:54pm

And now you can have the shoes to match! 

 

ept_sports_nba_experts-925934112-1287504629.jpg

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post #266 of 422
10/19/10 at 9:28pm

I think the K701 has been out of production since the K702 was introduced, not the Q701. Now, was the K702 also put out production due to the Q701?. Does not matter really, since they are the same thing after all, but I wanted to make that clear.

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post #267 of 422
10/19/10 at 9:34pm

Has the going price for K702 gone up in recent months?  I remember it being priced in the $240-250 range last year, but now I'm seeing price range $350-450...

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post #268 of 422
10/19/10 at 11:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by peanuthead View Post

Has the going price for K702 gone up in recent months?  I remember it being priced in the $240-250 range last year, but now I'm seeing price range $350-450...



I noticed this as well. Basically the opposite of what I expected happened.

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post #269 of 422
10/20/10 at 12:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by peanuthead View Post

Has the going price for K702 gone up in recent months?  I remember it being priced in the $240-250 range last year, but now I'm seeing price range $350-450...


 

yup. everybody was probably expecting a new akg top of the line to come out so people were selling off their old stock of k702s in anticipation. when the disappointing q701 was finally announced, the prices for the k702 immediately shot back up.

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post #270 of 422
10/20/10 at 2:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aynjell View Post





I noticed this as well. Basically the opposite of what I expected happened.


I suppose AKG doesn't want people in the know to avoid the Q701 in favor of an identical headphone for $100 less.  Everyone looking to acquire a K701 or K702 should do so in the next few weeks while some vendors who haven't raised the price still have stock of them.
 

I've been talking headphones with you for years. Now I can help you with your purchase:) Sales Specialist & Headphone Guru @ Headphones.com
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

AKG K701 Studio Headphones
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