Quote:
Originally Posted by trickywombat /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I guess I will further this discussion because there has been no new information about the SR-71a. Ray, if you're tired of such posts, please throw us a bone - or a picture of two (of the amp).
It would indeed be lovely if we could prod Xin to up his productivity, and I'm sure extra help has crossed his mind. Dr Xin mentioned he once went to China to teach villagers how to solder. Perhaps they could solder his amps for us. However, no Xin amp clones have surfaced, so maybe there are reasons he operates on such a small scale. Xin products do not rely on very exotic parts, so cloning could be a concern.
Bose takes a marketing approach that is hard to duplicate. They market products that do not require a leap of faith when it comes to utility and purpose (e.g. active noise cancellation, compact speakers - not exactly raising the bar here). They then bombard you with drivel about their superior technology and ownership experience.
For the SR-71a, you have a cadre of semi-pro buyers who have committed to purchasing a SR-71a sight unseen and hiss unheard. They are already convinced the SR-71a meets a need - a perception the general public does not share.
If Bose tried to sell headphone amplifiers, it would likely fail. It is hard to convince the average Joe that a SR-71a has any value at all. He'd rather buy a Wave Radio for the price. Think a sales associate at Best Buy would know how to demo a SR-71a?
But examples of mass-produced audiophile products with excellent performance and customer service do exist - e.g. professional audio: Sennheiser/Neumann, AKG, etc. Such audiophile products sell well not because consumers need them. Professional audio gear sells because consumers buy CDs, DVDs, etc.
I assume Dr Xin and Ray Samuels have already figured out how to maximize their profit for their respective business models and goals, and unfortunately it does not entail mass production. They are experienced businessmen who have found ways to thrive despite economic uncertainty worldwide, so they must know a thing or two.
Most people are just not that fussy about sound. You'll see posts and threads about Head-Fiers having a hard time convincing their spouses to buy another headamp - even when the spouse gets to use it, even if it results in the Head-Fier staying safely at home with headphones.
The masses want to own American Apparel or Coach. Ray Samuels people want to own a Hermes Birkin bag. Xin people - what are they thinking?
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Cute. Using this bunny trail to extort further info out of Ray? I can see that your nickname is well deserved! Anyhow, I was getting ready to wrap it up but since you're game...:
You've introduced a new element to this, designer paranoia. A valid point but let's face it, if the Russians can duplicate the space shuttle
any headphone amp could conceivably be reverse engineered without the introduction of some sneaky factory worker stealing your schematics. Plus paranoia is a sign of dementia. Is loss of intellectual property a risk? Yep. But a necessary one if you're interested in profit.
Again another interesting point you raise: that Xin and Ray are making money with their current model, and they're happy so what? Well I'm not so sure Xin is a happy camper. All those unfulfilled back orders and the money he's already taken probably equates to a fair amount of stress, that is assuming he's a man of integrity (a point that is currently being debated on this board, ergo the moderator warning threads...).
Again, you focus on Ray and Xin and how they feel. Really nothing personal, but when I introduced this line into the thread (jamato8: my apologies, I did not intend it to be thread crapping) I was not taking into account the comfort level of Ray, Justin and Xin -- rather I was focusing on the palpable frustrations of the head-fi.org community whose consumer ambitions were being thwarted either by greed (Ultimate Ears shameless price gouging, to whit the UE11 Pro) or archaic business models that are clearly failing to meet demand.
One example was raised to counter this notion (of unrequited consumer demand) that the Predator did not meet sales expectations on launch and a $50 rebate was offered. I would say that the reason the Predator didn't sell is the reason it is still slow to sell. Too expensive, better alternatives (Pico w/ DAC), 1,000 hour burn in? Please... Even the most novice Craig's list seller quickly learns market fundamentals if he wants to move his junk. Specifically, the market = what people will pay. Price your product too high and no or low sales.
At any rate another "fact" (read: assumption unsubstantiated with data or sufficiently persusaive rhetoric) you've asserted is that headphone amps will always be a niche product. I disagree. Again with 7 Billion consumers (granted many of them get by on a dollar a day) there is a massive untapped market. I don't care if you're selling sheep shearers. All that is required is an advertising campaign that convinces people that they need this product to achieve self actualization (read: in American that means b(o)(o)bs). So you strap a Pico to a scantily clad Paris Hilton and let her wiggle around on a bar top to some bassy techno and BAM, you got 10,000 orders within a week.
Look at the American automotive industry. They make a junk product but they then spend millions in advertising dollars. The danger is that reality catches up with the BS and people wise up to the fact that they have been hand and their POS Chevy is not going to outlast the warranty.
Bose on the other hand (while not technically audiophile grade... insert Bose Joke HERE:
Buy
Other
Sound
Equipment, BOSE: no highs, no lows, BOSE, blah blah..) delivers a decent product -- that is the reality of their product does not differ materially from their advertising. Hence they MAINTAIN marketshare through consumer loyalty.
