What are folks buying?

[GregLett]

Hi all. Besides B&W what are folks buying these days speaker wise?
Any thoughts?

[Hdale85]

Paradigm ummm............... I see some buying Klipsch and what not as well. I guess it depends on what your talking about? Are you talking in general because its kind of a broad range. If your talking about certain price points then thats a different subject

[GregLett]

Well here's the deal. I've started business (didn't really want to talk about it much here until I advertised here) but the speaker line I have isn't moving.
The more popular names won't deal with small guys at all, Paradigm is one of them.
I'm trying to see what other brands folks are interested in.

[PewterTA]

Bose!!!!

J/K... please don't sell those.

I'd have to say right now it's tough, people (with the economy) just aren't buying a whole lot right now. I'd have to say that most "speaker" purchases are "store-bought-cheapos" that they sell at Best Buy and Circuit City and the likes.

I know around here, 3 B&W stores stopped selling because people weren't buying, so we are only left with one now (course I go out of my way to Ohio to buy B&W).

[Russ L]

I don't know if people are buying them but check out Epos. Seems like good value at an intro to $2,000 price range for 2 ch. audio and home theater. Was (only mildly) tempted to switch from my B&W 704s.

[GregLett]

Yea. Folks are looking for deals. B&W dealers will die if they don't sell (they have a large quota). I know they will sell if I carried them but my pockets aren't deep enough to become a dealer, plus the quota is.

It seems like HT installation is what's going to pay the bills for folks.

[Glen B]

Well here's the deal. I've started business (didn't really want to talk about it much here until I advertised here) but the speaker line I have isn't moving.
The more popular names won't deal with small guys at all, Paradigm is one of them.
I'm trying to see what other brands folks are interested in.

How about PSB, won't they deal with you ?

[Hdale85]

Not sure if places like AV123 or Emotiva or any of those do dealer accounts but might be worth looking into. Low dollar speakers with high end sound? Might be easier to sell.

[GregLett]

How about PSB, won't they deal with you ?

Haven't contacted them. I will try.

[GregLett]

Not sure if places like AV123 or Emotiva or any of those do dealer accounts but might be worth looking into. Low dollar speakers with high end sound? Might be easier to sell.

Emotive is only factory direct I call them.
I figure I have to carry brands that are not widely distributed in my area, but have a following.

[Kevin D]

It seems like HT installation is what's going to pay the bills for folks.

Did you expect otherwise? In the end you're not going to make money on product, only your services. Wait until you try and sell TV's!

We learned a long time ago you sell the company and its services. Once you get that across, you can start carrying the bigger lines and increase your overall margin.

80% of our customers couldn't tell you what brand of speakers they have installed, only that they went with what soundest best to them out of what our company recommended. You only need to sell one brand, and your company is that brand.

Kevin D.

[GregLett]

Did you expect otherwise? In the end you're not going to make money on product, only your services. Wait until you try and sell TV's!

We learned a long time ago you sell the company and its services. Once you get that across, you can start carrying the bigger lines and increase your overall margin.

80% of our customers couldn't tell you what brand of speakers they have installed, only that they went with what soundest best to them out of what our company recommended. You only need to sell one brand, and your company is that brand.

Kevin D.

I wasn't looking to make huge sums of money. I just wanted to have a nice little two channel shop. I'm awake now. I did find out about TV's!!!! wow!
That is a blood bath.
But first two months the HT stuff made the $$$.

[Glen B]

Haven't contacted them. I will try.

I also suggest Acoustic Zen.

[GregLett]

Acoustic Zen and AV123 look promising.
Thanks for the info :T

[DrJRapp]

Hi Greg

If you are looking for a volume line, then Klipsch (reference) or Polk are the best avenues. Klipsch may choose to francise you in the Energy/Mirage lines also.

High end try Martin Logan they are fabulous 2 channel speakers, there are so few dealers that are knowledgable in ESLs that you have a leg up if you do it right......

[GregLett]

Hi Greg

If you are looking for a volume line, then Klipsch (reference) or Polk are the best avenues. Klipsch may choose to francise you in the Energy/Mirage lines also.

High end try Martin Logan they are fabulous 2 channel speakers, there are so few dealers that are knowledgable in ESLs that you have a leg up if you do it right......

Thanks Jerry I have access to Klipsch via distrubition, I actually have a call in to get the specifics on a direct dealership. ML wants me to get my feet wet first. I can speak to them in a year.

[DrJRapp]

Thanks Jerry I have access to Klipsch via distrubition, I actually have a call in to get the specifics on a direct dealership. ML wants me to get my feet wet first. I can speak to them in a year.

The RF83 is an excellent speaker for 2 channel ...the RF63 is 95% of an 83 and is a great price point for a 2 channel music system in a typical room (say up to 20x15). Make sure they are well powered, maybe even try tubes. If you really want to do 2 channel well with Klipsch try the Heritage line...but be aware that that is a cult line with limited following.

ML wants WHAT?...get your feet wet...do they know you are a ML owner and a personal friend of Tom D?! YOu can do sooooo much better than BB or Tweeter at moving the ML line. Tell them you want a pair of CLXs on consigmnment and you will volunteer to stay open long hours to demo it! Keep at them aggresively, don't just walk away for a year...they will like your aggressiveness.

[GregLett]

The RF83 is an excellent speaker for 2 channel ...the RF63 is 95% of an 83 and is a great price point for a 2 channel music system in a typical room (say up to 20x15). Make sure they are well powered, maybe even try tubes. If you really want to do 2 channel well with Klipsch try the Heritage line...but be aware that that is a cult line with limited following.

Thanks. I will definitely have to push HT and have two channel as secondary.

[dtb300]

I wasn't looking to make huge sums of money. I just wanted to have a nice little two channel shop. I'm awake now. But first two months the HT stuff made the $$$.

HT is the thing in the states, while 2ch in Europe sells better.

It seems most that want HT just want to come in sign the check and you configure the system. They are not interested in name, specs, etc. etc.

[GregLett]

HT is the thing in the states, while 2ch in Europe sells better.

It seems most that want HT just want to come in sign the check and you configure the system. They are not interested in name, specs, etc. etc.

you are correct! the last HT install I did the buyer said "I want speakers that are black with glass to match my TV" didn't really care about anything else.

[LikeCoiledSteel]

Try Gallo, Acoustic Zen, Emerald, Totem.

B&W is having a hard time with the exchange rate right now.
Steel

[H.T.C]

HT is the thing in the states, while 2ch in Europe sells better.

It seems most that want HT just want to come in sign the check and you configure the system. They are not interested in name, specs, etc. etc.

Acording to to the av mags its been 2-channel in europe or england for over 4 years now,its made a comeback for sure.

Even in the states companies such as klipch are making a 2.1 system of course horn loaded (wireless) and with surround sound,just a blu-ray version upgrade next.

I think the 21 consumer is going to purchase ht that sounds terrific but takes up less space and still gives quality over quantity with form and fuction as well.

The days of large heavy speakers are coming to a end and a new av magazine should be developed to review and reflect on the changes that may come down the ht pike,mags titled all in one or 2.1 monthly.

[James63]

Well if it were me I would push mid end (but good) surround sound "packages" to pay the bills. Then I would try and carry a few (maybe just a pair or two) high end two channel lines I really liked.

"Normal" people want cheap and good. For this type of system I think Klipsch is an easy sell to the home theater crowd. They are very efficient (97db+) and sound good out of cheap but good equipment. You can also say "one in ever two new commercial theaters install klipsch"... easy sell.

For a line that I really love and I think would sell a lot more if they had more dealers is Thiel. The 3.7s are great. They are very coherent, extremely detailed and IMO a much better speakers then B&W 802Ds (and a grand cheaper). They can do everything well that the B&Ws do with out the short comings (again IMO... no pissing contest wanted).

[GregLett]

Well if it were me I would push mid end (but good) surround sound "packages" to pay the bills. Then I would try and carry a few (maybe just a pair or two) high end two channel lines I really liked.

"Normal" people want cheap and good. For this type of system I think Klipsch is an easy sell to the home theater crowd. They are very efficient (97db+) and sound good out of cheap but good equipment. You can also say "one in ever two new commercial theaters install klipsch"... easy sell.

For a line that I really love and I think would sell a lot more if they had more dealers is Thiel. The 3.7s are great. They are very coherent, extremely detailed and IMO a much better speakers then B&W 802Ds (and a grand cheaper). They can do everything well that the B&Ws do with out the short comings (again IMO... no pissing contest wanted).

Yea the HT way with Klipsch and others is definitely my focus now.
I have a High end speaker line I like and they are two other high end
lines I would like to get down the road. One is a speaker line and one is
an electronics line.
I have another high end electronic line now, just need to place my opening order.

[James63]

Klipsch should work out well for you. Who knows maybe their new Palladium line will catch on and create some new buzz (and business) for klipsch fans... Leading to another high end line for you.

[RenoReno2]

Give Canton a try as well. they have low end and high end

[Alloroc]

As an example of what's most popular on the other side of the channel, the big players are B&W, KEF, Linn and Tannoy (there's more I know, but you're well aware of them I'm sure). Then we have the smaller brands that play in the lower to middle end of the market but have some really interesting, well made and great sounding products - Monitor Audio, Spendor, Dali, AE, System Audio, Canton (as mentioned) and Quad. I'm sure all of these brands are already available over there but at least I've mentioned them!

[Lex]

Greg, while I wish you luck, questioning of this type in the forum is really not what we are designed to do. It can also have the perhaps unintentional effect of announcing yourself as a seller to our member base, and we only have one way we allow that, and that is advertising.

So, I'm going to stop this discussion now, and wish you the best.
Doug