Starting a bespoke speaker company

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Here is an example of the above.


)Designed with the identical drivers as its floorstanding sibling, the AS-61 Stand Mount delivers reference-standard Adante sound with just a fraction less bass extension and output. The ideal solution for a two-channel music system or the basis for a surround-sound installation, don’t call it a bookshelf: this is a no-compromise monitor designed for serious listeners. Dedicated stands are available and recommended.(


That 'just a Fraction less bass' is 1/3 of the volume of bass.


HERE IS A GREATER EXAMPLE,

Elac Adante AS 61 Bookshelf Speakers | Premium Sound UK
 
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At a local audio get together a few years ago, a pro - builder came with a number of pairs of prototype speakers he'd done.

In the course of watching various attendee's stuff get placed in the "now playing" position and then switched out, a couple of pairs of his speakers in the lineup were notably excellent.

As soon as the music stopped it wasn't 10 seconds before somebody was up to the front and shaking hands and claiming them.

If your stuff has merit with others, audio get-togethers are a cheap way to market it and if not, a chance to figure out what others like compared to what you do.

 
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You might find it useful to talk with Dennis Murphy, who is Philharmonic Audio. Dennis lives in Bethesda and has been involved with custom speakers for quite a few years.

I agree with the suggestions that you need to find a niche product to have any chance of success. The only product that I would try is the one in the picture, described in this link. It's a fully wireless line array with electronic curvature and shading that you can adjust via a cell phone app. It's certainly unique.

The prototypes work well and can be heard at our cabin in Western Maryland. They are impressive. The boards would need to redesigned for a commercial offering, and there is still a lot of software that needs refactoring and polishing. And obviously, there are a lot of manufacturing issues that would need to get addressed. But I think there is a lot of potential...
 

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Build stuff for yourself, but to a high standard. Then sell it when you get tired of it and want a new project - that's what I would do if i had the workshop for it

If you don't already build speakers for yourself, it's a huge undertaking. There would be many much easier and more satisfying businesses you could start
 
A 1000%+ on this.

You have to be good with your hands and have a natural disposition for making things. A working prototype will take at least three times longer than you thought it would, and by the time it's finished (if it is any good) it will be obsolete within your creative process. The next version (if you are lucky) will only take twice as long. As for design, there is plenty out there in the public domain to study and embrace. It could takes years of experimentation before coming up with a commercially viable niche product. Or evolve into a rewarding hobby without too many casualties. The fun is in the trying. The success will be in spite of whatever aspirations you may or may not have about yourself. ToS
 
nano stuff works, trust me, I make it

Same here.....

Although this particular work's application in audio is almost non existent.

speakers need to be about six to one in costs vs retail, if one is going to survive. Calculating that realistically is where you live or die, or is at least one of the live/die landmines to navigate.

This is why Chinese stuff flourished so well in the western market. Raw costs went down but the quality suffered. This is why all major brands in audio and video ended up sourcing from Asia. Costs. Costs period. China, as a government mechanism, was deeply involved in steering every facet of their emerging financial and technological manufacturing system, in order to leverage this as much as possible. Far far beyond anything that might be tried in the west. Equivalent to a wholly inclusive war effort, at the minimum. The country was primed for it, so it was actually possible to do.

Perception is key, for buyers, they only see the outside of things and the price.

People got their perception of price and value but they basically received degraded quality in return. Lots of ways to look at this overly complex story.
 
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If your future product is really 1) technically innovative, novel, unique, sonic breakthrough 2) cost effective, fast, easy to produce, mass-scale economical 3) perspectivic, already recognized on local level or among professionals using it for acoustic work, go with it.



Choose two of the three above.


If not, forget it.


This is local niche full of difficult customers, hard slice of bread, not green grocery or bike shop. :(
 
As a manufacturer; one caveat. As soon as you start to move product there are hurdles. As for example if you market in my home-state,California, you are going to have to have the goods certified as to chemical content and meet prop 65 mandates.

As soon as you move any manufactured goods internationally there will be CE and similar certifications, a long and costly process. In some markets end of life recycling is an up front cost the maker has to shoulder

So as you make your business plan take all the bureaucratic hurdles into account.
 
I have thought about the very question you are asking yourself: could I sell something that I build? Even just breaking even would be a measure of great success (in my opinion) in such an endeavor.

Alas, the financial prospects just aren't that good. Let's think about why, with pros indicated by "+" and cons by a "-":

Smaller, cheaper products:
+lower cost to manufacture, lower upfront costs for parts, etc.
+less expensive means a larger segment of the public could afford it
+such a product could be sold anywhere (but avoid flea markets)
-low markup, low profit per item
-many, many inexpensive and good sounding speakers already exist!

Larger, more complex, higher performance products:
-higher manufacturing costs
-fewer potential buyers because cost it higher
+higher markup, more profit per item
-requires clever and possibly expensive sales and marketing to reach prospective buyers
-many expensive and good sounding speakers already exist!
-fewer units sold could mean long periods of time with zero sales

Neither scenario seems very encouraging, you know?

Also, for higher end and higher cost products, it's both for the sake of "art" and "entertainment". This might mean that you need a "sexy looking" speaker with some "bling" to offer something that says "Wow, my owner spent a lot on this thing and it must sound fantastic!" before it even plays one recording. As an engineer, that is a bunch of BS it's true about human perception and behavior. Since for the most part humans will be buying your products, it must appeal to them as much as possible or they will instead purchase the competitor's product.

In the final analysis, save your money or at least do something other than starting a loudspeaker business.
 
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