t's going to be interesting to see if their strategy works...

Posted by DevillEars (A) on April 25, 2007 at 14:16:54

In Reply to: Linn aiming for high end posted by smart845 on April 25, 2007 at 11:16:29:

... against trends in the market that they appear to be ignoring...

Without getting into the "High-End Audio is dying" debate, it would be worth their while to take a step back and analyse just where the market is likely to go over the next 2,4,6,8,10 years and than re-evaluate their strategy.

One can look back 2,4,6,8 years and detect a number of trends in the patterns of spending in the area of home entertainment and the impact of "new entrants" into the buyer community as youths become young adults.

Looking beyond the "symptoms" of the shifts in buying patterns and getting down to the "drivers" that motivate buyers and, as a result, what they look for - and then doing so retrospectively to understand the "why" of the shifts over the last 6-8 years and then to try to look into the future at the next 4 or 5 waves of newer entrants and what their "drivers" will be, is a complex set of tasks - but an essential one if the "right strategy" is to be selected.

I have no concrete evidence to support this, but - from participation in a number of audio forums - it appears that in the area of pure 2-channel audio, the average age of active afficionados is increasing as time goes by and fewer new young entrants join the party.

Also, from discussions with various dealers, we've already seen 2-channel lose ground to multi-channel (both in music and video applications), and - right now - we're seeing both 2-channel and multi-channel losing ground to newer "vehicles" that provide a combination of convenience, portability, accessibility, and lower cost.

This last "recipe" comprises a mixture - portable solid-state storage of music/videos and on-line access to programme material that is also more conveniently acquired via downloading.

Just where this is going to go over the next few years is the question that needs to be answered.

As I mentioned earlier, this is not intended as another "prophecy of doom" for 2-channel audio, just an analysis of the shifts that have, are and will take place in the apportionment of discretionary spening in the area of home entertainment - and the prognosis for pure 2-channel audio is that it's "share of the pie" will, in effect, shrink as explosive growth other areas sees more and more of the same pie being spent on other more "relevant" technologies that address the constantly shifting needs of an evolving market.

My personal view is that any strategy that is based on a dwindling target market will eventually implode - although narrowing the focus can provide a temporary "stay-of-execution".

"Linn-Watching" could become an interesting side-line... :-)

DevillEars

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Linn aiming for high end - smart845 11:16:29 04/25/07 (26)

Re: Linn aiming for high end - middleground 05:40:18 04/29/07 (0)

Not keeping up with competition and too many pricehikes... - restock 17:56:18 04/26/07 (1)

I wanted to buy a Sondek but - nightdoggy 14:41:23 04/28/07 (0)

Re: Linn aiming for high end - Don T 21:38:48 04/25/07 (0)

Wow, the comments section for that article are entertaining (nt) - karmaceutical 18:22:59 04/25/07 (1)

That's an understatement! :-) - andy_c 16:20:15 04/27/07 (0)

a grasp at the wrong straw - jdouglas51 18:15:31 04/25/07 (0)

Too many product with little differentiation... - Steve Cortez 16:44:53 04/25/07 (1)

Just like US automakers. ;-) [nt] - AbeCollins 17:55:47 04/25/07 (0)

Isn't that against the law over there?... nt - clarkjohnsen 14:23:53 04/25/07 (1)

No, Scottish companies are allowed to be up-market - dave c 16:02:10 04/25/07 (0)

t's going to be interesting to see if their strategy works... - DevillEars 14:16:54 04/25/07 (5)

I think what they are saying is... - dave c 16:06:04 04/25/07 (1)

Re: I think what they are saying is... - Schu 08:26:10 04/26/07 (0)

PS: Another "force" in the equation will be music distributors... - DevillEars 14:30:33 04/25/07 (0)

exactly, they are thinking bass-ackwards! - centaurus3200 14:29:03 04/25/07 (1)

Wasn't that the plan with the "Classik" - John_the_Scot 00:38:42 04/26/07 (0)

More than 20 design engineers - John_the_Scot 13:43:24 04/25/07 (8)

gees... - kuma 23:20:14 04/25/07 (0)

Perhaps the dead wood needs to go..... - Rod M 19:07:16 04/25/07 (6)

Linn has a Server source actually; the Kivor... - Steve Cortez 01:38:55 04/26/07 (0)

Re: Perhaps the dead wood needs to go..... - Dawnrazor 23:48:28 04/25/07 (4)

Re: Perhaps the dead wood needs to go..... - Rod M 16:59:57 04/27/07 (1)

Re: Perhaps the dead wood needs to go..... - Dawnrazor 20:16:04 04/27/07 (0)

Hehe - c'mon, DR, repeat after me ... - andyr 05:10:53 04/26/07 (1)

Re: Hehe - c'mon, DR, repeat after me ... - Dawnrazor 13:43:21 04/26/07 (0)

Follow Ups

t's going to be interesting to see if their strategy works... - DevillEars 14:16:54 04/25/07 (5)

I think what they are saying is... - dave c 16:06:04 04/25/07 (1)

Re: I think what they are saying is... - Schu 08:26:10 04/26/07 (0)

PS: Another "force" in the equation will be music distributors... - DevillEars 14:30:33 04/25/07 (0)

exactly, they are thinking bass-ackwards! - centaurus3200 14:29:03 04/25/07 (1)

Wasn't that the plan with the "Classik" - John_the_Scot 00:38:42 04/26/07 (0)

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