golfbravobravo
Headphoneus Supremus
I haven't kept up quite as well as I might, but I do believe that most of the Indy cars Were British built. In particular Lola built many of the winners, though not so much these days it seems.
Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up
- Thread starter Jason Stoddard
- Start date
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- schiit audio schiit-audio
I haven't kept up quite as well as I might, but I do believe that most of the Indy cars Were British built. In particular Lola built many of the winners, though not so much these days it seems.
Jason Stoddard
Sponsor: Schiit Audio
Since we're on cars...
What I Should Have Said About Convergence
Or, a Schiit Happened Mini-Chapter
At CanJam SoCal, I was invited onto a panel where we were asked about the “convergence” of headphone and speaker audio.
I figured this would be an easy panel, because we’d already seen plenty of convergence—that is, we’ve seen our customers move from headphones to desktop monitors to full-blown preamp-amp-and-speaker systems (and sometimes, back again). Convergence was already happening, and in both directions.
What I didn’t expect was this would be more about hand-wringing and worry about how to “move” headphone listeners to speaker systems.
Now, in one way, I get it. Headphone listeners are typically where people start these days, so headphone listeners tend to be younger. And guys with serious high-end systems might be aging themselves out of the market.
But…move?
Maybe it’s because I’ve spent 20 years in an ad agency, and saw the difficulty of getting people to “move” where you want them, or maybe just because Schiit has never had a salesperson of any kind, and “moving” is kinda alien to us, but I found the thought, er…somewhat offensive.
Worse, there was quite a bit of chatter about how to replicate the “speaker experience” on headphones, usually via signal processing, with the implication that speakers were the reference to be emulated.
Huh?
I didn’t really know how to process all of this. Sure, I commented that convergence was already happening, and made the point that I personally enjoyed headphones for what they did well, two-channel speaker systems for what they did well, and home theaters for what they did well, and that was perfectly OK, they all had a place in the world and you didn’t need to make them all work like the other, and that some people would like one or two or all three or none, and that was OK too.
But I missed what I really should have said. Because, driving home from CanJam, I realized what I should have said on that panel.
Here it is:
“Jeep people will never be Porsche people will never be Lexus people…but I guarantee you’d sell a lot more of all three if they cost $10,000.”
Now, I know you think I’ve gone crazy, but the audio and car enthusiast communities are very much the same.
In audio, you have a whole lot of people who experience music all the time, but don’t care very much about quality. These are the people who listen to the earbuds that came with the phone (or just the phone speaker) and who think you’re the weird one when you cringe. Similarly, in cars, there are a whole lot of people who care about cars only for transportation. They’ll buy for utility, or choose not to own a car at all. They’re the ones who look at car enthusiasts as being, well, a bit touched in the head.
In cars, there aren’t just “car enthusiasts.” There are Jeep Wrangler guys and Porsche people and Lexus fans. Now, of course, you might like one or two or all three as well, or something completely different, like old American cars or whatever, but the point is:
All the talking in the world won’t move a Porsche fan to a Wrangler enthusiast. All the charts, all the graphs, all the ads, all the promos, all the spiffs won’t really move a Lexus-uber-alles guy to believe a 911 is the One True Path.
Now, if you have always drove a Wrangler and try a Porsche and decide you like it, that’s a different thing. That’s organic growth based on curiosity. Now, you can decide to enjoy each for what it does well, or you can switch your preference.
But of course, nobody has infinite cash to throw at their hobbies, hence my crack about how we’d have a lot more people who enjoyed all three kinds of cars if they cost $10,000. (We’d also have a bigger total market.)
This works exactly the same way in audio. There aren’t generic “audio enthusiasts.” There are headphone guys and IEM fans and stat enthusiasts and speaker guys and home-theater people…some people may be more than one, and may enjoy each for what it does best. Or they may focus on only one area of audio.
And that reflects much more what we’re seeing amongst our customers. Because most of our stuff is inexpensive, they can experiment. Some stick with headphones. Some try speaker stuff. Some continue with speakers. Some have both speakers and headphones. Some come back to headphones. Some have home theaters too.
We don't need to push "convergence." We just need to make sure the options are affordable…then more people can make their own choice. Or choices.
And everyone wins.
What I Should Have Said About Convergence
Or, a Schiit Happened Mini-Chapter
At CanJam SoCal, I was invited onto a panel where we were asked about the “convergence” of headphone and speaker audio.
I figured this would be an easy panel, because we’d already seen plenty of convergence—that is, we’ve seen our customers move from headphones to desktop monitors to full-blown preamp-amp-and-speaker systems (and sometimes, back again). Convergence was already happening, and in both directions.
What I didn’t expect was this would be more about hand-wringing and worry about how to “move” headphone listeners to speaker systems.
Now, in one way, I get it. Headphone listeners are typically where people start these days, so headphone listeners tend to be younger. And guys with serious high-end systems might be aging themselves out of the market.
But…move?
Maybe it’s because I’ve spent 20 years in an ad agency, and saw the difficulty of getting people to “move” where you want them, or maybe just because Schiit has never had a salesperson of any kind, and “moving” is kinda alien to us, but I found the thought, er…somewhat offensive.
Worse, there was quite a bit of chatter about how to replicate the “speaker experience” on headphones, usually via signal processing, with the implication that speakers were the reference to be emulated.
Huh?
I didn’t really know how to process all of this. Sure, I commented that convergence was already happening, and made the point that I personally enjoyed headphones for what they did well, two-channel speaker systems for what they did well, and home theaters for what they did well, and that was perfectly OK, they all had a place in the world and you didn’t need to make them all work like the other, and that some people would like one or two or all three or none, and that was OK too.
But I missed what I really should have said. Because, driving home from CanJam, I realized what I should have said on that panel.
Here it is:
“Jeep people will never be Porsche people will never be Lexus people…but I guarantee you’d sell a lot more of all three if they cost $10,000.”
Now, I know you think I’ve gone crazy, but the audio and car enthusiast communities are very much the same.
In audio, you have a whole lot of people who experience music all the time, but don’t care very much about quality. These are the people who listen to the earbuds that came with the phone (or just the phone speaker) and who think you’re the weird one when you cringe. Similarly, in cars, there are a whole lot of people who care about cars only for transportation. They’ll buy for utility, or choose not to own a car at all. They’re the ones who look at car enthusiasts as being, well, a bit touched in the head.
In cars, there aren’t just “car enthusiasts.” There are Jeep Wrangler guys and Porsche people and Lexus fans. Now, of course, you might like one or two or all three as well, or something completely different, like old American cars or whatever, but the point is:
All the talking in the world won’t move a Porsche fan to a Wrangler enthusiast. All the charts, all the graphs, all the ads, all the promos, all the spiffs won’t really move a Lexus-uber-alles guy to believe a 911 is the One True Path.
Now, if you have always drove a Wrangler and try a Porsche and decide you like it, that’s a different thing. That’s organic growth based on curiosity. Now, you can decide to enjoy each for what it does well, or you can switch your preference.
But of course, nobody has infinite cash to throw at their hobbies, hence my crack about how we’d have a lot more people who enjoyed all three kinds of cars if they cost $10,000. (We’d also have a bigger total market.)
This works exactly the same way in audio. There aren’t generic “audio enthusiasts.” There are headphone guys and IEM fans and stat enthusiasts and speaker guys and home-theater people…some people may be more than one, and may enjoy each for what it does best. Or they may focus on only one area of audio.
And that reflects much more what we’re seeing amongst our customers. Because most of our stuff is inexpensive, they can experiment. Some stick with headphones. Some try speaker stuff. Some continue with speakers. Some have both speakers and headphones. Some come back to headphones. Some have home theaters too.
We don't need to push "convergence." We just need to make sure the options are affordable…then more people can make their own choice. Or choices.
And everyone wins.
https://apple.news/AN9uWTtUQT76MxSdD0HY7ow
Some Fuct up Schiit right here...Supreme Court news
Some Fuct up Schiit right here...Supreme Court news
Robert Padgett
500+ Head-Fier
You are correct, the Lola and Reynard were both British products, now the Dallara chassis is Italian. Lola and Reynard were approved for CART specification, which was upended when Tony George formed Indy Racing League, and the CART spec chassis was history.
Jason Stoddard
Sponsor: Schiit Audio
Schiit is actually a registered trademark, so I guess we're not profane!
Robert Padgett
500+ Head-Fier
"Yes, that is our name. Shih-tah. It's a proud German name, host to a long line of audio engineers who slaved away in crumbling Teutonic fortresses as lightning lashed the dark lands outside, working to perfect the best amplification devices in the world...
Or, well, no. Yep, Schiit is our name, and it's pronounced, well, like "hey man, that's some really good Schiit!" And now that we have your attention..."
Or, well, no. Yep, Schiit is our name, and it's pronounced, well, like "hey man, that's some really good Schiit!" And now that we have your attention..."
The build quality and price trump the name. But I enjoy showing people my pile of schiit on occasion. They get a kick out of it.
AudioGal
100+ Head-Fier
I love the string you see in your USB manager when you plug in a Fulla 2. Perfect.
Ableza
Headphoneus Supremus
So Jason, what you are sayin is to expect the next big thing (tm) from Schiit to cost $10,000?
FUCT is an old school Thrash Metal band from Nashville as well...
US Blues
Headphoneus Supremus
Thrash Metal is too recent a form to be "old school."
I consider something 30+ years old pretty old school...
Xcalibur255
Headphoneus Supremus
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This mini-chapter was fantastic Jason. You're generally always on point anyway, but this is on point with laser focus.
I also find it kind of funny that if everybody on this forum really took this to heart the site would automatically lose about 90% of its posting content.
I also find it kind of funny that if everybody on this forum really took this to heart the site would automatically lose about 90% of its posting content.
Rensek
Headphoneus Supremus
@Jason Stoddard
Does that mean you will be revisiting some cheap 2 channel gear in the future?
Maybe a class A/B integrated amp that can do 10/20 or 20/40 for nearfield, or small room listening?
Does that mean you will be revisiting some cheap 2 channel gear in the future?
Maybe a class A/B integrated amp that can do 10/20 or 20/40 for nearfield, or small room listening?
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