eq_shadimar Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Humm how about creating a market for the bigger stuff. I mean auto companies have been doing this for years. Buy a GM when what you really want is a Caddy. So how about including marketing material in all the products Klipsch sells for the KHorns/Jubilee etc.. Something like Hey dude thanks for buying our Promedia or RF line of products but hey look at what people who know what good sound really is buy. These people are rich and sucessful just like you will/want to be. If you start saving now maybe one day you too can have the ultimate speaker one day At one time I bought RF-3's and there was nothing about any of the other products that Klipsch sells. Anytime I get a product from Sony, Pioneer, etc.. there are always material about other product lines. I hope someone can figure this out because I really would like to by a Jubilee or one of the other cool products. Perhaps a designed by Klipsch built by ABC Company model would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev313 Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 BobG, Thanks for chiming in. It is great to get feedback from the powers that be. Don't like what you have to say, but the communication is nice. Here's my problem. When Klipsch went to Best Buy there was outrage from the traditional Klipsch customer. They felt that their brand was being watered down or cheapened in some way. Others, including myself, thought that this was a great move to drive profits to put into the higher end products and intropduce new customers to the entry level products, develop brand loyalty, and let those people work their way up the Klipsch chain. Unfortunately, it appears that the move was what purists feared. A selling out of the Klipsch heritage (pun oh so intended!). I'm not an idealist. I know your company (and job) depends on profit. But you must recognize that you are now focusing on selling your worst speakers for high profit while telling the most loyal customers, the ones who want to spend the most money on your speakers, that they should look elsewhere for their $8K to $12K speakers. That sound you hear is not the Jubilee. It is PWK rolling in his grave. Or is it the Klipsch accountants dancing on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Just wait until 2009. If it was any good, it will be available for half the original price and you can read 5 years worth of reviews. If the product flops, you will have saved the original inflated cost. In the meantime you can enjoy your Heritage or Classic, knowing that sound can hardly get THAT much better at 4X the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htxpert Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Hi All Bob makes some valid points about dealers not wanting to floor the Heritage speakers There are other reasons I was proudly demoing the Lascala and the Heresy up until last year. The reason I stopped, most demos were givin to folks who wanted to hear what they were bidding on from E-Bay or the used market. I think you will have to search far and wide to find any dealer interested in giving floor space to the Heritage The investment to properly set them up is too great and the return is too small JMOHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor.Ham.Slap Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Yeah, I understand what BobG is saying. Unfortunately this is probably the downfall of all things good. I am probably what you would call a hardcore Klipsch fan. I am only in my second year of college, yet I've been banking cash away for the past year in order to buy a great new pair of Klipschorns. If the Jubilee was released, man... I'd wait even longer to get that. It just fires me up that (as was noted earlier) the low end of the Klipsch spectrum is getting all of the attention, whilst the upper end is apparently going over the edge. It truely is a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Thats why JBL has released the K2 S 98000 in the us at 30,000 pr To proove Klipsch hasnt the balls to compete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev313 Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Exactly Maron. I was also thinking that JBL and Klipsch are very similar. They both have Best Buy lines and professional/cinema products as well as higher end gear. What type of distribution network does JBL have. Who sells their better speakers? As an aside, I recently found it interesting to discover that the nearest heritage dealer to me (in Chicago) is over 100 miles away in Indiana according to the dealer locator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 ---------------- On 11/8/2003 12:07:54 AM kev313 wrote: But you must recognize that you are now focusing on selling your worst speakers for high profit while telling the most loyal customers, the ones who want to spend the most money on your speakers, that they should look elsewhere for their $8K to $12K speakers. That sound you hear is not the Jubilee. It is PWK rolling in his grave. Or is it the Klipsch accountants dancing on it? ---------------- Sad but absolutely true. Klipsch should not abandon their best stuff just because it poses certain problems. Overcome the problems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Part of he reason JBL has the money and the clout is that it is owned by Harman International. They also own the following: AKG AMEK AUDIO ACCESS BECKER BSS CROWN INTERNATIONAL CUSTOM CENTRAL DBX DIGITECH DOD HARMAN KARDON HARMAN MULTIMEDIA INFINITY JBL JBL PRO LEXICON MARK LEVINSON PROCEED REVEL SOUNDCRAFT SPIRIT BY SOUNDCRAFT STUDER Just a few rather popular names. Products by some of these companies are rather cheap, but get the intended job done. I'm thinking here of some of the DOD and Digitech stuff. However, the Studer and SOundcraft products are pretty high end for studios. The market is so full of their products, they can afford to have some very high end products sit around. BobG, How about some kits of the Jubilee? Partial Kits? Ship it all knocked down. You could have a certification program to have someone travel and inspect the work done, and say "Yup, this is really a Klipsch." Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 ---------------- On 11/8/2003 11:47:22 AM paulparrot wrote: ---------------- On 11/8/2003 12:07:54 AM kev313 wrote: But you must recognize that you are now focusing on selling your worst speakers for high profit while telling the most loyal customers, the ones who want to spend the most money on your speakers, that they should look elsewhere for their $8K to $12K speakers. That sound you hear is not the Jubilee. It is PWK rolling in his grave. Or is it the Klipsch accountants dancing on it? ---------------- Sad but absolutely true. Klipsch should not abandon their best stuff just because it poses certain problems. Overcome the problems! ---------------- Tom, Ham,Kev,and Paul, All of you have hit the nail on it's head. Do the IndyKlipsch crew think that people were lined up at PWK's door to buy a Khorn 50 odd years ago? it's not just about money boys....It is about him and the design, Paul's final "gift"..... He is gone and the Jubilee died with him. tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Yes its sad the new Klipsch is all about PROFIT and PROFIT and does not giva a damn about the high end Klipsch speakers and PWK's gift to audiophiles. And YES when PWK designed his speakers they were not cute or made to sell in HUGE quantities,or produced for mere peanuts like today's Klipsch. Klipsch should have a statement speaker placed above the K-Horn,and sold ONLY in HIGH-END stores where matching gear would enable to open the ears and eyes of audiophiles again. Klipsch has the $$$$$$$ do design and produce such a speaker,and would no doubt sell them.Like with their poor excuse a RSW18 would not sell,BS if HGS18's,SVS B4-Plus sell then Klipsch statement products would sell too.I know I would be a buyer What does it take to convince Klipsch?Do they have any guts left Even Paradigm intriduced a new Signature line consisting of speakers and a sub and these are much more expensive than their current best.Will they sell...YOU BET.And I will get the Signature 2500 sub and Signature 20 sats. If speakers like the Wilson Alexandria X2,Dynaudio Evidence Master and JM Lab Grande Utopia BE sell and these cost over $80000 then great speaker priced around 10K from Klipsch would too. I have the top in the so caleld REFERENCE lineup,both speakers and subs and these deserve a new higher end line.This would not hurt Klipsch image and would also sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 I wholeheartedly agree, klipsch must be run by a bunch of ******** guys that don't have no balls kissen up to best buy to sell thier stuff, selling all of us REAL klipsch lovers down the drain. I was in best buy tonight buying dvd's and cd's(they don't sell no vinyl)and I was listening to 3 customers talk to 2 saleman and they were bashing klipsch in favor of JBL cause JBL gives more for the money...all I could think of is thats a bunch of ****...get klipsch back in the hands of people who understand what it is. I know from looking at the fab systems posted all over this site we are all dead broke pissant mothers who could never afford to spend our hard earned cash for top notch innovative products...all we can afford is used, beat up outdated no good sounding audio equipment that we all overpay for!!! Just look at all the tube equipment you guys buy, it's all so cheap, scott, eico, dynaco, mcintosh, ect ect..Gee sometimes you might even spend over 100 dollars on something. oh my all I spent SO FAR on my system is about 500 dollars x 60.guess I cant afford 10 grand for a great pair of speaker or the right subwoofer, oh my poor me...maybe we should just look elsewhere to a company who can grow some and keep there REAL CLIENTS happy... Until klipsch grows balls EBAY< AUDIOGON>AUCTIONSNEWSPAPER ADS>USED AUDIO STORES>TRADEINShere we come Its funny, my 1 subwoofer cost me more than my 4 pair of klipsch...i bet most of you here on the forum would never be willing to pay up for a jubilee, cornwall, 18" fab sub, or how about some MODERN HERITAGE COST NO OBJECT INNOVATIVE WONDERFUL SOUNDING CREATIVE DESIGNS> oh I forgot, nobody would buy them Show me da money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Thank you Ear. The image of new Klipsch is becoming "mass-market". Make all the money that you can in the consumer products at Best Buy. No one has a problem with that. The low end lines should generate enough margin to produce a small quanity of "what the company was built on". Every company needs a Flagship. It is not a loss-leader. It is the thing that low $ buyers strive for. If Paul Klipsch designs are not available....maybe the company name should be changed. tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 Bob G. I live in the SF Bay area and remember about ten years ago when The GoodGuys carried the heritage line as well as the others at the time (and they still carry Klipsch). I don't see why Klipsch's long time dealers would not allow the space for the Khorns, La Scala's and Heresy's in there showrooms. It really not like they take up so much room as to crowd others out. The Goodguys have several different environments in there stores were they could place the bad boys. Then, make them special order and provide some kind of co-op for using up the space. This would open up the door for those that are really interested in hearing and buying them. Plus Klipsch would gain the prestige have showing of there flagship model to the general consumer. Besides it is not a price issue or really a space issue in most of the larger dealers, hell they big screens taking up whole walls and I bet half of them gather dust just sitting there not to mention the 10k plasma screens hanging around. But hey I bought mine at the time where the only showroom in the store had the FULL Klipsch line, AR and Advents full line plus some cheesy Japanese brands and theer was never an issue of space or cost. Atleast IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 D**n Smilin, Why don't you say what you think? ..... maybe thats what we all think!!!!!! The balls and the brains are in the grave. tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc1091 Posted November 10, 2003 Share Posted November 10, 2003 Since most of us Klipsch enthusiasts are also into tinkering, maybe Klipsch can put together a kit in IKEA like flat packs for home self assembly. (I'm only kinda kidding here) In Minnesota, just convince Ultimate Audio that they really can haul off a few of those Martin Logans off the floor and replace them with a better speaker. They had the References in their big buck screening room for a while, but then moved them. My theory is that the Klipschs were outclassing the Martin Logans in the same room. Who wants to have their $10k speakers left on the sales floor in favor of a $2k speaker. I also stopped by the Worst Buy store recently where they had three listening areas set up. One was for...I think it was Cerwin Vega speakers, then there was the Klipsch speakers. The final area was set up with Bose. The Klipsch area was turned waaaay down and the tone controls were set to the least attractive setting. Speakers sounded thin compared to CVs or Blose. Additionally, the Kenwood receiver connected to the Klipsch speakers was using the tuner section to tune in a local station, while the other speakers at least had CDs playing. C'mon Klipsch...get out of Worst Buys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc1091 Posted November 10, 2003 Share Posted November 10, 2003 sorry folks..I hit the submit button twice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev313 Posted November 10, 2003 Share Posted November 10, 2003 I agree with the above...Klipsch should have some type of training program or display guarantee worked out with BB. I hope they considered the negative impact that this move could have on their image IF not handled properly (Thus even farther reducing the liklihood of getting the Jubilee on a high-end store floor!!!!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 Ok BobG...if you're still listening in here, I've got another suggestion and this time I'm being serious. I'm no where near a marketing person, but what if Klipsch was to follow a marketing model like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have done with their Acura, Lexus, and Infinity lines respectively? Seems that by creating a spin-off company it would free you from the mass production model that is boxing you in. Additionally, it may create the perception of exclusivity thereby drawing dealers that once ignored you. My other suggestion is something that Dr. Sheppard (my audio mentor) always stressed to us young college wipper-snappers that worked at his hole-in-the-wall audio store; and that was "educate them". Don't sell them - educate them. Then they sell themselves. So I say to you....educate people. Spend some of those marketing dollars educating people and not "telling them" to buy your product. I firmly believe that if you cultivate your customers via education, then people will sell your product and not your marketing folks. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 For those of you who haven't seen the domestic version of the Jubilee............ I think it's a gorgeous speaker! As far as the Heritage series goes, I'd be willing to open up my listening room and spend some time with prospective Heritage buyers, provided I can share in some profit, on a commission basis. Hell, thats actually the way Klipsch was really sold in the first place. The 'customer' heard the speakers at a friend's or relative's place, etc. And THEN, they went to the dealer to buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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