Starting new speaker company, ideas?

[Crowe_Audio]

Hello,
I would like some advice, ideas, suggestion, criticism on starting a small business building Fostex speakers for the Canadian market
My name is Trevor Crowe, I'm 24 years old,
I have been creating a game plan to create my own small company, called Crowe Audio. My first product would be a Fostex FE206e in a bookshelf Bass reflex enclosure. The dimensions are 16" high, 10" wide, 14" deep. The enclosure would be of 3/4" oak veneered plywood, stained dark cherry. The port would be 4" flared x 12" long. I was thinking of selling them for around $500/pair Canadian. I wanted to keep the boxes small as shipping cost is a big concern. I wouldn't quit my day job. Questions:

1.Do you think theirs a demand for another speaker company?

2. Does the speaker/enclosure sound like a good start?

3. Are they're any concerns regarding copy rights, patents or design rights?

4. Does an actual company name have an increased 'perceived value'?

5. What would you like to see in a new speaker company?

Trevor Crowe


)BØ·

[Cal Weldon]

Originally posted by Crowe_Audio
I wouldn't quit my day job.

That is one of the best things you can do when starting your own company.

1) Is there room for another? Of course there is. The trick is to offer the client something they can't buy commercially for cheaper. A full range in a box doesn't sound that exciting. Do you have something about the cabinet that is better either sonically or aesthetically?

skip 2 & 3

4) That depends on the reputation of the corporation.

5) What is it you are offering that is going to catch the eye (read ears) of the prospective customer?

It's a heck of a battle to make a go of it. Many have tried and failed. Stick with your day job and approach the speaker side of things slowly. Good luck.

Cal

[Original Burnedfingers]

Borrow some equipment to plot the response of the speakers if you haven't done so yet and have this information available for customers.

[robertG]

When you figure in the 35-45% dealer discount, you won't have much left in your pocket. 500$ seems too low.

Sourcing brand name drivers such as Fostex might be difficult (meaning at a cheap cost).

Overlooked expenses can be very high. Tooling for custom boxes is very expensive. Custom styrene foam moulding is also really expensive - and takes a lot of basement space... Name tags are not cheap either...

BUT, if you really believe in your plan, go for it!

[Nelson Pass]

I would like to echo Cal and RobertG. Seriously.

I would add: Make sure this is really what you want to do with
your life. If it is, the rest will work itself out.

Also, figure on selling them for 40% of retail. (You can thank
me later with a free pair )

[landpirate]

Ran my own biz in another line of work. take some biz classes in collage they will show you how to project a game plan. It's all in the details. Good luck!

[hongrn]

Trevor,

If you're serious about building speakers for a living, first get a degree in Electrical Engineering. Most successful speaker companies are run by folks who are trained professionally. Just having a piece of software and a microphone ain't going to do it. Just my $0.02.

[audiothings]

move production to india you can get very good carpenters for about $5 a DAY. some driver manufacturers have shifted production to india (peerless comes to mind), and you can get 'em cheap. or just send me the money and i'll handle it for you

just an idea
ta,
self.

[Byrd]

Originally posted by hongrn
Trevor,

If you're serious about building speakers for a living, first get a degree in Electrical Engineering. Most successful speaker companies are run by folks who are trained professionally. Just having a piece of software and a microphone ain't going to do it. Just my $0.02.

Yeah - like the famous Dr Amar G Bose - that definatly guarantees quality trusted products . I would say that success with anything depends on passion for the subject first and foremost. If you enjoy it you would likely learn quickly. I am a "qualified" software engineer but can state with no doubt that most of the knowledge I have today comes from my experience

Trevor - Take a look at www.vividaudio.com for a bit of inspiration

[Geek]

Uh-oh.... more competition

Originally posted by Crowe_Audio
1.Do you think theirs a demand for another speaker company?

There's always a demand. For every one successful one, ten or so die. Room is made monthly.

2. Does the speaker/enclosure sound like a good start?

Of course!

Make sure the design is simple, repeatable and uses readily available components.

3. Are they're any concerns regarding copy rights, patents or design rights?

If you stick to a fair generic design or go outlandishly spectacular, no.

It's the "middle ground" that can bite you.

4. Does an actual company name have an increased 'perceived value'?

That's marketing.

Your product and selling ability will synonimize your name with quality or garbage.

5. What would you like to see in a new speaker company?

Canadian is off to a good start, especially if you plan on exporting.

Quality. I'm tired of going into a store and seeing a $1,200/ea. speaker pricetag and peeking in the back port and seeing a speaker design identical to a $5 one in the TV shop

Neutral sound. It's popular today to have oversized wuffies that have no response above 300Hz and tweeters that shatter your eardrums with absolutely nothing in between (much like the designers I suppose).

Warranty and service. I hate the "week old speaker kaput and that's too bad" when I only feed the thing 1/10 its rated juice.

Availability. If I prepay for something that's supposed to take three weeks to deliver, I don't want to hear in eight weeks that it's (or the parts) are "still stuck in customs".

My twoonie input