m00n Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Ken... Yeah I have spent many o-dollar at Sears, but I don't associate Sears with audio. I know they have a token audio department, but even BEFORE, I ever bought my Klipsch, sears would have had to have been one of the last place I would have ever thought to look for a set of speakers. But what I don't understand is this... They have increased thier exposure to the lower end models of speaker and reduced their exposure to the higher end lines... I don't get it... I know I have heard someone from Klipsch say, when they (a customer) wants to upgrade their system, they will know the Klipsch name... My retort to that is this. But how long is it going to be until they upgrade? 2 months, 2 years, 5 years? When I first joined this board, I was *HIGHLY* encouraged to buy the absolute best I could afford because I was making an envestment. Something I was going to have for a LONG time. How long do you want them to keep the low end line before they are exposed to the high end line? What if they never find out that Klipsch has high end gear because they never bother to look or are never exposed to it due to lack of placement in stores? I am not trying to upset anyone at Klipsch, just trying to make some points is all... Of course I don't know anything about thier marketing department or their rational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruinsrme Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Well there are two sides of this, from a sales perspective. 1. How many people go out and speaker 2 to 4000 bucks on speakers 2. How many people willing to spend a $1000 on HTIB I would venture to say a lot more. At frist the idea of the move didnot appeal to me but now I think the name, product recognition, and new product visibilty it might slow the r/d into the hi end lines but may spur more people to consider the higher lines when they feel they have out grown the HTIB. How many time have we all upgraded? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Once.... When I started with my R3-II and a few weeks later with to all 7. Started big and went bigger. Na, I understand spreading the name, I just don't understand the scaling back on representing the big boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 I certainly do not have a problem seeing klipsch at Sears or any other store. It just seems the more low-end outlets that pop up, the fewer high-end stores carry Klipsch, ie. Tweeters (unless that is an unusual curcumstance - if so please disregard this entire post). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 BobG, All good,sure sell some lower end Klipsch to Sears and the likes.Its good for the company and Mr Anyone can hear Klipsch. However more serious audio stores should know Klipsch better,most speak of Klipsch as it was LOUD and LOUD nothing more.Often High-End stores are run by yuppie goofs. Klipsch should be present in the lower end all the way to the high end,and Klipsch should have new High End designs,a clear step up from the RF7's and RC7.I know I would be the first in line to get them,and a good few too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerSix Posted May 3, 2003 Share Posted May 3, 2003 I totally agree with the Klipsch moderator on this. I don't understand this desire for exclusivity. We all should be happy that Klipsch is expanding it base to a higher share of the market. I hope I don't ruffle too many feathers, but I smell the slight stench of snobbery here. I also sense some self-esteem issues. Did we buy Klipsch for its performance or for its exclusive factor? However, I will say, that Klipsch has a long way to go toward expanding it's higher end line to a greater segment of the population. I would have a better chance at finding the extinct Dodo bird before I would actually see one of these Heritage or heaven forbid, the legendary Klipschorns that I read so much about. I for one would totally support the Reference line being sold in Sears, Best Buy, or Circuit City. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 3, 2003 Share Posted May 3, 2003 Well, I tried the Prep H idea. Initial impression: It really tightened-up my bass. Somewhat shrunk my lower-end extension, too. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted May 3, 2003 Share Posted May 3, 2003 ---------------- On 5/3/2003 5:32:01 AM RangerSix wrote: Did we buy Klipsch for its performance or for its exclusive factor? ---------------- I don't understand how bob got that impression. I don't think anyone wants klipsch to be exclusive to only us in this tight nit forum. As a matter of fact, I am willing to bet we all want just the opposite. I don't the Sears issue is about availabilty, it's about prestige. I am all about Klipsch getting the name out there, but sorry, I don't put prestige and Sears together. Unless webe talking tools. ---------------- On 5/3/2003 5:32:01 AM RangerSix wrote: However, I will say, that Klipsch has a long way to go toward expanding it's higher end line to a greater segment of the population. ---------------- That's been my beef all along... They need to get those baddies well known ---------------- On 5/3/2003 5:32:01 AM RangerSix wrote: I would have a better chance at finding the extinct Dodo bird before I would actually see one of these Heritage or heaven forbid, the legendary Klipschorns that I read so much about. ---------------- YUP! However, I can see why this may be a very difficult issue to deal with. I am sure the dont pump out nearly as many heritage speakers as they do others. And of those heritage that they do pump out, I am willing to bet that they are all spoken for. Justa guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Some of you definitely need a lesson in Big Retail Audio... Where I work (Best Buy) it's a battle getting someone to cough up more than $600 for an HTIB, never mind a pair of speakers or an amplifier. It's an atrocious situation - I have one amplifier on my shelf that I would actually consider buying - the Yamaha HTR-5590 - everything else is rubbish. Now, with the Klipsch Synergy series, the Athenas, and my beloved JBLs in my lineup, at least I can start attracting and working with people who know a bit more about audio and are willing to spend a little more to get better quality. Sure, I knew the Klipsch name before I got these speakers in, but maybe 3 or 4 of my regular customers did. Hell, half the people that walk into my shop have never heard of JBL. But they all know Bose. Do you think that has something to do with intelligent mass marketing? The Bose speakers I carry are absolute garbage. 601's are my "top of the line", and we carry some of the worst Bose products - the all-weathers that sound like transistor radios, the 161's, the AM-6 Acoustimass system. But people still head to that display first because they know Bose. Maybe, with Klipsch pushing themselves out there into *gasp* BIG RETAIL, people will learn the Klipsch name. And yeah, maybe 5 percent of customers who buy Klipsch entry level will ever make it higher than that. But when that five percent easily eclipses the total number of posters on this board, don't you think that was a worthwhile venture for Klipsch? Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinipig523 Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 its all about the prestige... THERE ARE other ways of getting your name out without sacrificing prestige. first impressions DO count, imagine a newbie walking into sears and seeing a klipsch set up, he will forever correlate klipsch with sears - then he goes to a lexus dealer and finds out that nakamichi and mark levinson make speakers for their cars... now which do u think might he find more appealing - the klipsch at sears or teh marklevinson/nakamichi systems at lexus? im not saying getting the word out is a bad thing - it is a very good thing. its just that it needs to be done tastefully. klipsch needs to be distributed to stores with people who KNOW AUDIO, can describe audio, talk audio, and teach audio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Well, if it makes you feel any better, there's at least one Best Buy in the chain where we know audio, can talk audio, and teach audio. I've made personally sure of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Griff... That's good. Hopefully you will provide better knowledge and honesty than the Good Guys store in my area. They are not honest people. At least the guys I worked with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 It's already starting, folks Got a guy in tonight - his house was gutted in a fire, and he's rebuilding - he had an ancient system in his entertainment room - like 10 pairs of JVC towers with old SX-series Pioneer amplifiers to drive them. He came in to buy a TV and surround system... Never even heard of Klipsch (or Athena, although he was familiar with Mirage) Here's his new system courtesy of yours truly (not bad for BEST BUY, eh?) Video: Samsung 50" DLP Monitor Hughes E86 HDTV receiver Sony DVP-NS725 DVD player Audio: Yamaha HTR-5660 (he decided that the 5590 was overkill in the power department) Athena FS-1 towers (2 pair - he like the look of the Athenas, although he was most impressed by the sound of the Synergies) Klipsch SC-1 centers (2) Klipsch KSW-12 sub Extraneous: Monster Reference 3500 Power Center Monster Video 3 Component Video cables (2x) Monster Interlink 200 Toslink cables (2x) Monster Bass 400 Subwoofer cable Clocked in at 9 grand and change. More importantly, he walked out knowing a LOT more about Klipsch than when he walked in - and he'll get intimately familiar with Klipsch as that Synergy subwoofer hammers away on his rock floor and those Synergy center channels sing harmoniously with the silk-dome Athenas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 PS: Moon - the one thing Best Buy has going for it is that the sales reps are non-commission. We have no reason to lie or bully our customers into buying anything. All I do is take them to the best stuff first (even though management would prefer I go to Bose first, it's JBL, Klipsch, and Athena that are my first stops) and let their ears make their decision for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancestorm Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 ---------------- On 5/5/2003 10:01:54 PM Griffinator wrote: PS: Moon - the one thing Best Buy has going for it is that the sales reps are non-commission. We have no reason to lie or bully our customers into buying anything. All I do is take them to the best stuff first (even though management would prefer I go to Bose first, it's JBL, Klipsch, and Athena that are my first stops) and let their ears make their decision for them. ---------------- I think sometimes the fact they are non-commission makes me feel that employees don't care about me being in the store to make potential purchases. Also, at times, I feel that lying might occur just to get rid of the customer in the fastest amount of time. But I am really impressed at how professional you are and I wish you were operating at one of the stores in the 'nati! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 ---------------- On 5/6/2003 4:52:56 AM lancestorm wrote: I think sometimes the fact they are non-commission makes me feel that employees don't care about me being in the store to make potential purchases. Also, at times, I feel that lying might occur just to get rid of the customer in the fastest amount of time. But I am really impressed at how professional you are and I wish you were operating at one of the stores in the 'nati! ---------------- I appreciate that, Lance. One thing I always keep in the back of my mind (for better or worse as far as my company position is concerned) is that I am an audio head first, and a BB employee second. My only goal is to make sure that the people I sell audio to are happy with the audio they get. If they don't listen to me, they're on their own. If they do, and they're disappointed, I'm to blame - and that is something I will not allow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzoz01 Posted May 6, 2003 Author Share Posted May 6, 2003 I have to agree about prefering commisioned sales. When you buy from someone on commission, if they know what they're doing, they will not try to up-sale you or try to sell you a bunch of crap. Then it'll get returned and they lose their sale. They care because they get paid to care. Non-commision sales people, from my expirience, seem more interested in getting you out of there so they can go back to leaning against a wall then helping you. This is just from my expirience and may not always be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 Apparently you've met very different commissioned reps than I have. I recall, back a few years ago, stopping into the local Circuit City to pick up a pair of towers for my stereo system. At the time, I was pretty much non-brand-loyal. I went into the listening room (unattended, as I was dressed in pretty raggedy clothes - knowing that the commission hounds would ignore me and the only attention I may get would be from someone who actually gave a ****) with my own CD (Iron Maiden - Powerslave - which I still use from time to time to audition speakers) and started checking out what they had. From their entire lineup (which consisted mostly of Bose, Infinity, DCM, and Cerwin-Vega) I settled on a pair of Vegas - 10" drivers, with an unusually (for Vega) well-rounded midrange and very mellow treble response. By this point, one of the reps had appeared out of nowhere. I informed him that I liked the tone of these particular speakers - he proceeded to spend the next twenty minutes arguing that the $1400 a pair Infinity towers sounded better than the $600 Vega towers I had settled on. Not discussing the finer points, not offering advantages, but just arguing that the Infinitys (which I have always hated the sound of an Infinity) sounded better than the Vegas. I walked out, disgusted, swearing that I would never again set foot in that building. I kept that promise right up until a year ago when I applied for a job there. I'm sure that the true high end shops pay their reps commission as well, and that you get remarkably better service from those people. If I'm going to a big chain store to buy, I'd rather have a non-commish than a commished rep to deal with - because the non-commish rep has nothing to gain by lying to me. I also tend to do my homework before I go buy any audio product - I don't have the money to waste on a mistake - so when I come in to buy, I already am very close to knowing what I want - and I only need the rep to help me finalize that decision. Maybe that's the difference between your experience and mine with commissioned reps vs. non-commissioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.