Hey,
About a year and half ago i started to think about getting in the audio business.Im currently in college taking marketing, management, accounting and finance classes.
My company would be based on the web, I would offer a at home 30 day trial so people can buy with more confidence.
There would be 3 series, obviously 3 different price range so people can buy depending on their budget.
To give you a idea, the price range would be around...
- ~500 for a single tower speaker
- ~1600 for a single tower speaker
- ~2500 for a single tower speaker
Each series would offer
-tower speaker
-bookshelf speaker
-center speaker
-surround speaker (similar design to the klipsch rs-42..52..62)
Subwoofer would definetly be a consideration.
Evertyhing will be made in canada so the quality control will be top notch.I will not be making the drivers.
Each series would be based on the scan peak illuminator, classic and discovery series.
They offer great product with a wide variety.
I will be assembling the crossover and speaker cabinet.
The speaker cabinets are not the normal simple square speaker, they have a nice simple design.
I have some rough sketch but i need to finalyse the dimension according to the drivers.
The first series will come with black ash finish and the option to get piano finish(black,white,light blue or red), the 2 other series will come with the piano finish.
I obviously still have a lot of work to do but its fun since this is a real passion for me.
Im looking to get any opinion good or bad and some advice.
I probably forgot to mention a few stuff, its getting late
Thanks and let me know what you think
About a year and half ago i started to think about getting in the audio business.Im currently in college taking marketing, management, accounting and finance classes.
My company would be based on the web, I would offer a at home 30 day trial so people can buy with more confidence.
There would be 3 series, obviously 3 different price range so people can buy depending on their budget.
To give you a idea, the price range would be around...
- ~500 for a single tower speaker
- ~1600 for a single tower speaker
- ~2500 for a single tower speaker
Each series would offer
-tower speaker
-bookshelf speaker
-center speaker
-surround speaker (similar design to the klipsch rs-42..52..62)
Subwoofer would definetly be a consideration.
Evertyhing will be made in canada so the quality control will be top notch.I will not be making the drivers.
Each series would be based on the scan peak illuminator, classic and discovery series.
They offer great product with a wide variety.
I will be assembling the crossover and speaker cabinet.
The speaker cabinets are not the normal simple square speaker, they have a nice simple design.
I have some rough sketch but i need to finalyse the dimension according to the drivers.
The first series will come with black ash finish and the option to get piano finish(black,white,light blue or red), the 2 other series will come with the piano finish.
I obviously still have a lot of work to do but its fun since this is a real passion for me.
Im looking to get any opinion good or bad and some advice.
I probably forgot to mention a few stuff, its getting late
Thanks and let me know what you think
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Not to discourage you, but it's not as if there is a lack of speaker companies. Your designs need to be very good sounding (there is more to it than nicely soldering a cable), and preferably distinguish themselves from other brands visually and functionally. For example, just as an idea, create active tower speakers that can accept airplay music directly (most airplay speakers are at the low end).
I'd make bare wood speaker boxes (from ply) so people could buy their own fostex/audio nirvana/etc, and drop them in.
A problem would be that you would need a fe166e for the cutout size.
Perhaps even sell the boxes on Ebay.
Or have people send you their drivers and you make a box and put them in (flush would be even nicer).
norman
A problem would be that you would need a fe166e for the cutout size.
Perhaps even sell the boxes on Ebay.
Or have people send you their drivers and you make a box and put them in (flush would be even nicer).
norman
You may want to try a hifi forum - You're asking committed DIY'ers about commercial speaker so you may not get many answers. After all we an build it for less than you can sell it!
check out these guys if you haven't already - Unity Audio and heres a review of their offerings at 6moons audio reviews: Unity Audio Whitewater, Inner Spirit & Clearwater They are your direct, established competition in Canada
You may want to try the multi-way forum (I didn't see you mention full range) although thats full of DIY'ers too
check out these guys if you haven't already - Unity Audio and heres a review of their offerings at 6moons audio reviews: Unity Audio Whitewater, Inner Spirit & Clearwater They are your direct, established competition in Canada
You may want to try the multi-way forum (I didn't see you mention full range) although thats full of DIY'ers too
Doing well in business isn't necessarily all about having the greatest idea or the best product. It's knowing how to market your goods and/or services properly and making sure your message is on point.
You should put much thought into this or seek assistance from a professional with your brand and marketing strategy.
Good luck, I hope you do well!
(Nice looking cables by the way.)
You should put much thought into this or seek assistance from a professional with your brand and marketing strategy.
Good luck, I hope you do well!
(Nice looking cables by the way.)
Thanks for the link. I realised I was in the full range section after I posted my stuff -.- I should of went in the multi-way forum.
My recommendation would be to focus on one single design, instead of three.
Even focusing on one single design is quite a challenge! It sounds like you are thinking excellent materials + workmanship + design will be sufficient. that's a craftsman's approach and it doesn't (usually) scale. But in my limited experience, a company (as opposed to a craftsman) would require a technological breakthrough, which could potentially take years of R&D. I'm not discouraging you by the way! Just chiming in.
If you read the history of Klipsch, it's very revealing as to what's required to launch a speaker company. PWK had a novel concept + excellent execution (Klipschorn), and he still had to work at it for decades designing his second through fifth speakers (LaScala, Cornwall, Heresy, Jubilee), and the last wasn't (yet?) a commercial success, perhaps because the market had shifted (but it still has its loyal diehard fans, just hasn't sold that many units compared to the Klipschorn).
In fact, he spent much of the latter part of his life trying to top his original creation, which he finally did while in his 90's (!)
So my advice is to consider what role a technological breakthrough will play in your company, vs. sheer excellent craftsmanship (which tends not to scale but isn't a reason to -not- go for it!)
Even focusing on one single design is quite a challenge! It sounds like you are thinking excellent materials + workmanship + design will be sufficient. that's a craftsman's approach and it doesn't (usually) scale. But in my limited experience, a company (as opposed to a craftsman) would require a technological breakthrough, which could potentially take years of R&D. I'm not discouraging you by the way! Just chiming in.
If you read the history of Klipsch, it's very revealing as to what's required to launch a speaker company. PWK had a novel concept + excellent execution (Klipschorn), and he still had to work at it for decades designing his second through fifth speakers (LaScala, Cornwall, Heresy, Jubilee), and the last wasn't (yet?) a commercial success, perhaps because the market had shifted (but it still has its loyal diehard fans, just hasn't sold that many units compared to the Klipschorn).
In fact, he spent much of the latter part of his life trying to top his original creation, which he finally did while in his 90's (!)
So my advice is to consider what role a technological breakthrough will play in your company, vs. sheer excellent craftsmanship (which tends not to scale but isn't a reason to -not- go for it!)
For sure, i will be posting a picture of my design.(just need to make it a little more presentable)
It wont have any dimension or anything since i am still shopping for my drivers.
Ive always liked scan peak but feel free to suggest anything, Im still shopping.
You should read as much about Henry Kloss and Edgar Vilcher as possible. Don't put too much stock in your "education"; it's not always useful in the real world of small business. Know what a marginal business is, since you'll certainly have one. You're trying to enter a crowded and mature market where everybody else has a substantial advantage over you. That includes technology, equipment, sales and management. It's still possible, but you'll need flawless planning and a not inconsiderable amount of luck.
One thing you should consider, is that most of the speaker companies have lead designers that have years of experience of speaker design. This is a craft that needs IMHO loads of experience so you can get a consistent results with your designs.
New companies from the east make excellent designs with very small cost. Competition is ruthless and unless you are willing to strike on a niche market you could be facing serious problems with profits.
Problem with niche market is that you either should have some kind of technical innovation (preferably patented one) or your design should be something that no one has done before. Judging from your earlier post, you have either above.
New companies from the east make excellent designs with very small cost. Competition is ruthless and unless you are willing to strike on a niche market you could be facing serious problems with profits.
Problem with niche market is that you either should have some kind of technical innovation (preferably patented one) or your design should be something that no one has done before. Judging from your earlier post, you have either above.
Listen to all you geezerly old coots so well versed in how sales really works. Don't discourage the youth, they're the ones willing to work hard and make it happen. They haven't experienced the numbing reality of why things really sell and how to trick those with disposable income out of their cash. They will soon enough but until then they will design and manufacture truly wonderful things so how 'bout some encouragement?
Marketing, production cost, gimicks, sales professionals....oh and an acceptably sounding speaker thing too.
Might I suggest you try this part time and get your feet wet. Don't start spending money on anything you don't have to have. Essentially you would be cutting wood and assembling a known design so you won't need a lab or much in the way of test equipment. You could pay someone here to do all of the engineering.
NCAA paint schemes?
NASCAR paint schemes?
NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB.....paint schemes?
...oh and they have to sound good too.
Marketing, production cost, gimicks, sales professionals....oh and an acceptably sounding speaker thing too.
Might I suggest you try this part time and get your feet wet. Don't start spending money on anything you don't have to have. Essentially you would be cutting wood and assembling a known design so you won't need a lab or much in the way of test equipment. You could pay someone here to do all of the engineering.
NCAA paint schemes?
NASCAR paint schemes?
NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB.....paint schemes?
...oh and they have to sound good too.
901.
I was trying to think of a tactful way of putting it, but yeah. That about sums it up.
Listen to all you geezerly old coots so well versed in how sales really works. Don't discourage the youth, they're the ones willing to work hard and make it happen. They haven't experienced the numbing reality of why things really sell and how to trick those with disposable income out of their cash. They will soon enough but until then they will design and manufacture truly wonderful things so how 'bout some encouragement?
Marketing, production cost, gimicks, sales professionals....oh and an acceptably sounding speaker thing too.
Might I suggest you try this part time and get your feet wet. Don't start spending money on anything you don't have to have. Essentially you would be cutting wood and assembling a known design so you won't need a lab or much in the way of test equipment. You could pay someone here to do all of the engineering.
NCAA paint schemes?
NASCAR paint schemes?
NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB.....paint schemes?
...oh and they have to sound good too.
Thanks a lot for the encouragement,
I am actually working on this project part time, I'm not going to quit anything im doing right now to jump into this.
If once started I see that it is doing descent then I might consider dropping my current job to work full time in this.
I am not going to do all the engineering, ill pay someone to design a crossover(I'm lacking on crossover knowledge which is why im currently doing a lot of research on it.) and make sure everything is fine.
I have some basic in marketing and stuff so I think I know how to market my product and I strongly believe that I can deliver what people are looking for and expecting when buying speakers.
And remember im here to get advice and your opinion(positive or negative) So I can prepare my self in a future project, I'm not expecting to start the website development tomorrow.
I have designed the possibly best sounding drivers ever made (both AMT and dynamic), and also crossovers and cabinets / baffles and have prototype systems that rocks, but without a brand name and some million $ to spend I will not even try your route.
As you do only have a sketchy idea of the products you will sell I wish you good luck!!
As you are still in school you have time before you, and you could also take some technical classes before you start with the technical designs...
As you do only have a sketchy idea of the products you will sell I wish you good luck!!
As you are still in school you have time before you, and you could also take some technical classes before you start with the technical designs...
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