• These commercial threads are for private transactions. diyAudio.com provides these forums for the convenience of our members, but makes no warranty nor assumes any responsibility. We do not vet any members, use of this facility is at your own risk. Customers can post any issues in those threads as long as it is done in a civil manner. All diyAudio rules about conduct apply and will be enforced.

Waveguides and horns

:confused: I'm not sure what you mean by that. :confused:

I simply meant that the interest in speakers is very low. So low in fact that it is almost impossible to make a business model out of it without charging outrageous prices. It takes a lot of time and money to develop these products and if no one buys them what's the use? People always say that they want the best, but they don't buy it when it is available.
 
Time for new project ;)
 

Attachments

  • Spherical_coax2.png
    Spherical_coax2.png
    354 KB · Views: 816
I simply meant that the interest in speakers is very low. So low in fact that it is almost impossible to make a business model out of it without charging outrageous prices. It takes a lot of time and money to develop these products and if no one buys them what's the use? People always say that they want the best, but they don't buy it when it is available.

Usually I agree, but I think the problem is different.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

The wealth distribution in the United States is heavily concentrated in the top 10%, and the top 1% in particular. Due to this, ninety percent of the people who'd like great sound can't afford a speaker that costs five or ten thousand dollars. (This doesn't mean they can't get great sound - but it means they can't afford a five figure loudspeaker.)

At the same time, the top 10% of the curve can afford LOTS of loudspeakers. The top 10% of the income distribution curve can afford to buy expensive speakers routinely.

So the market is catered towards that top ten percent of the curve. These companies *want* you to buy a new audio component every six to twelve months. They don't *want* you to buy one speaker and keep it for the next ten or twenty years, because these guys understand that there are people out there who can afford to drop five or ten grand on an audio component on a regular basis.

I believe that the audio market would be different if income was distributed more evenly; it might also explain why the American audio market is quite a bit different than the European audio market. IMHO, European loudspeaker manufacturers seem to be more focused on the middle of the market.
 
Usually I agree, but I think the problem is different.

I believe that the audio market would be different if income was distributed more evenly; it might also explain why the American audio market is quite a bit different than the European audio market. IMHO, European loudspeaker manufacturers seem to be more focused on the middle of the market.

John, I actually agree completely and have thought about this many times. As a manufacturer I am at exactly the wrong place. Too expensive for most and not expensive enough for the rich. Its a catch 22 - Can I reduce my prices for a wider appeal? Maybe, but the business quickly looses its atractiveness at lower margins, i.e. its not worth doing for me. Go much higher in price with big budget marketing? Well this does not seem to be "me".