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This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022

 

B&O Play : How do you think it's going?

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9 LEE
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9 LEE Posted: Thu, Jun 9 2016 11:15 AM

I think the title says it all really.  I'm just interested in what you all think, from the perspective of the brand..

As I see it, after talking to many dealers and many purchasers :

Pro's :

* Great business for a company who desperately needed the money. It's cash cow, for sure. They can't move it fast enough and it's bringing wheelbarrow loads of cash.

* Gets the brand awareness we've all been looking for, B&O is now being 'seen' as opposed to vanishing in a dense fog of crap marketing and badly chosen alliances (Sorry DJ Khaled, and Sorry Sir Paul..)

* The products are actually pretty good on the whole, in my personal opinion.

Con's :

* By not being able to move it fast enough, they're not really caring where it goes and eBay is littered with the stuff. It's in the big clearance stores/wholesalers, it's on QVC, it's everywhere. If you've got a fat wallet, a lorry and a pulse it seems B&O will sell you fifty pallets of the stuff at less than a B&O Dealer can buy it for. Some people say the good, and prestigious name of Bang & Olufsen has been tarnished by this.

* Dealers have been made to spend a small fortune on 'Play Tables', stock and further marketing material. Most customers walk in the shop, try a few products - then walk out and buy it elsewhere for up to half the price.  B&O Dealers are the new (UK) 'Comet' when it comes to Play - and they feel like they've been had.

* Is the gulf in price between Play and the main Bang & Olufsen brand a realistic 'jump'? I'm talking about the people who say "well, if they buy Play they'll end up buying the main products.."  I'd be interested to see how many Toyota drivers take the jump up to a Lexus, or Mazda to Infiniti before I comment further.

_____

Over to you good people to discuss....

The Beonic Man
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Interesting thread Lee. For me, while I appreciate B&O Play the A1 is the only product that I intend to buy from the range as nothing else appeals to me either design or functionality wise. The V1 television I did think was interesting and I might have bought one as a second hand television but not as a main one. However, the BV6 was my second tv of choice in the past.

When I buy something, whatever product it is - B&O or otherwise - I always buy from a person who is happy to talk passionately about the products and spend time with me over several visits to their dealership. There are a small handful of main dealers in the UK who can meet my personal expectations and deliver and of course it would be inappropriate of me to name these here, but I am grateful to them for understanding what I believe to offer the right customer experience and approach. My specific point is that hard core sales (i.e. car dealership business models of selling) only deter me from ever buying a product and have the complete opposite effect. It is the build up to a purchase that is exciting and if the seller shares and encourages you on this journey with their own passion from the outset, that's the key. If I have this experience then I buy. If not, I will the type of person you mention that leaves the shop and searches elsewhere to buy, which may or may not be online. It's not about cost, it's about experience.

Online sites and wholesalers are littered with Play products yes and I guess this is helpful for brand awareness. How many of these people then go onto to buy other B&O products is difficult to measure but my feeling is probably not many. Inline with my comments above, I think B&O is a different type of brand with a different message and a different experience. They do not just sell products, they sell experiences. Many of us started with these experiences a long time ago and so the seed was sewn; passion and loyalty took root. I am not sure that a Play product can offer this type of experience - it is what it is and in my mind, just another product. Many of the Play speakers look the same to me.

Finally, I am not convinced that the Play range is as big as a cash cow as you suggest but if it is, then that is positive for the brand and my hope is that it will lead to further research and development to produce better products across the entire range that are as built solidly and behave reliably as those we have been used to from the 60s-90s. Cheers, Simon.

B&O products are V1-32, BS2, H95, E8 and an Essence remote.
11-46 now replaced with Sony A90J 65”, Sony HT-A9, Sony UBP-X800M2 and Sony SRS-NS7.

 

Peter the Biker
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Looking at my B&O stuff I see: Everything is bought in a B&O shop just around two corners, except the BeoTalk 1200 which I ordered from another dealer by telephone (It was nearly sold out in Germany) and a Struer Design cabinet ordered from LifeStyle AV (Maybe you know this marvellous little companyWink).

I am not too bothered about B&O stuff sold elsewhere as long as the dedicated B&O dealer gets a fair price from B&O.

Still yesterday I spotted a BeoLit 12 or 15 in a household which had a stereo and a TV not from B&O. Maybe a few years later this living room gets more B&O stuff, if the price gap between a BeoLab 18 and a S3 is bridged.

B&O ads and catalogues should show more installations by people with lower or middle income, but good taste.

Peter the biker

beojeff
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beojeff replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 12:35 PM

At the attractive price point, I'm finding myself buying more than one of each BeoPlay item in different colors. I have 2x H8, 2x A1, 3x A3, and 1x BeoLit 15. It's nice to have the options of colors and strength of speakers at home to fit which car I'm driving, which outfit I'm wearing, etc. Also, I feel that the limited editions make these items coveted collectors items.

beojeff
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beojeff replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 12:37 PM

Correction: I have 3x A2 (not A3).

(I really do with that the site would fix the forum so that posts can be edited in Safari!)

The Beonic Man
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Yes I am also a Safari user and wondered why I can't edit my posts. Thanks Jeff for pointing this out.  

B&O products are V1-32, BS2, H95, E8 and an Essence remote.
11-46 now replaced with Sony A90J 65”, Sony HT-A9, Sony UBP-X800M2 and Sony SRS-NS7.

 

9 LEE
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9 LEE replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 2:38 PM

The issue has been raised with 'Technical' - (aka Keith)

Lee

vikinger
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B&O is in a state of flux regarding dealerships and BeoPlay. The Play products are now appearing everywhere, and John Lewis now carry the whole range. 

People using a retailer for demonstrating a product and then buying elsewhere is nothing new. It goes back long before the internet when, for example, mail order camera dealers were putting local specialists out of business. The natural progression would now be for the likes of John Lewis to carry the whole range where there isn't a B&O dealership in a town.....very much like the situation of 30 or more years ago.

Graham

linder
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linder replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 7:09 PM

I purchased the Beolit 12 which didn't work very well because of the dropouts.  I ultimately used an ethernet connection for my Beolit 12.  I am either going to sell it or donate it to charity.  I absolutely don't like it.  I did buy a pair of H3s and H7s.  They work well and I like the design.  However after the Beolit 12 experience, I purchased the headphones on Amazon because of the easy money back guarantee.

My last B&O purchase was Beolab 9s.  I am very pleased.  However for the future,I am waiting to see what happens at B&O.  Because the are few B&O stores in North America, the future from my perspective does not look good.

My brother has driven Lexus for at least the last 10 years.  Its a terrific car for comfort and reliability. Some say the styling is too conservative but Lexus sales are better than the German brands in the US.  I have ordered a Tesla. 

Jeff
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Jeff replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 8:18 PM

Just a quick nit...Infiniti is Nissan, not Mazda. And over here I suspect a lot of the Play gear showing up at heavy discounts on eBay relates to a lot of former B&O shop owners who are now closed trying to recoup some of their losses.

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

Simonbeo
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Jeff:

Just a quick nit...Infiniti is Nissan, not Mazda. And over here I suspect a lot of the Play gear showing up at heavy discounts on eBay relates to a lot of former B&O shop owners who are now closed trying to recoup some of their losses.

Eunos did not survive! Infiniti had Simon Cox as Design Chief for a year or two and he was the guy who turned Cadillac round. Now he's been replaced by Matt Weaver who did the Nissan Juke and is a very talented designer. You can't make a luxury brand overnight. I bumped into an ex-colleague who works at Infinity when he'd just explained this to his Japanese bosses by taking them round Mercedes Benz world.

back to Beoplay , I like the idea of plug and play products as I really don't even understand Masterlink. Linking Beoplay products to Apple AirPlay and other transient media has hardly been ideal and the loss of Danish provenence haven't been easy to get around. By the time I got round to buying the A3 it was totally obsolete, out of the control of the company. It was originally not cheap, the price of a product that would be seen previously as an investment. 

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

jarnim
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jarnim replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 9:14 PM

Well, in my field there is an example worth mentioning:

The Gold Standard of great pianos big and small is Steinway, the piano manufacturer with factories in New York and Hamburg (and it is an open secret that the pianos manufactured in Hamburg are the "real" deal and better than most New York Steinways).

Anyway, Steinway also sells - through their dealerships in the same showrooms - "Steinway-designed" Boston Pianos. "Long unrivaled in its class and unmatched in value" is marketing speech for terrible quality but quite cheap... For no single professional musician is Boston pianos an alternative to a real Steinway, never ever. It is an option however for those people who are considering buying a keyboard for their kids instead of a real piano.

However, B&O has not enough of distinction between their two brands - and I do not mean that the quality of the Beoplay brand should be lower, but on the contrary: the stagnation of new achievements regarding the TV business and the way-too-many quality issues (software!!!) of really expensive stuff of the B&O brand hurt them more than any sale of Beoplay equipment way lower than what one paid a few months earlier. Apparently, even the software of the Beolabs 90 was not fully developed before delivery of the first pairs (according to an article in the German FAZ newspaper a few weeks ago).

When I buy a Steinway, even though crazy expensive, I know I have the best of the best for a very long time, and I can trust the brand to deliver the best quality possible. 

That's where B&O lost my loyalty.

Mark-N
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Mark-N replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 9:32 PM

jarnim:
However, B&O has not enough of distinction between their two brands -.

 

And this is what confuses me.  What decides if a product gets the Bang & Olufsen or B&O Play brand?  BeoSound 8 started as Bang & Olufsen and moved over to B&O Play after an upgrade. Same with the Form 2 headphones.  Are B&O Play products thought not to be good enough or expensive enough for the Bang & Olufsen brand?

 

 

Simonbeo
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Mark-N:

jarnim:
However, B&O has not enough of distinction between their two brands -.

 

And this is what confuses me.  What decides if a product gets the Bang & Olufsen or B&O Play brand?  BeoSound 8 started as Bang & Olufsen and moved over to B&O Play after an upgrade. Same with the Form 2 headphones.  Are B&O Play products thought not to be good enough or expensive enough for the Bang & Olufsen brand?

 

 

Legacy B&O products can become Beoplay if they are plug and play things that don't require installation and hence suit on-line sales. That's where the V1 was the odd one out.

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

Mark-N
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Mark-N replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 9:46 PM

When you say installation, you mean plugging it into something besides power?  BeoSound 35 doesn't require installation... does it?

 

 

 

Simonbeo
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Simonbeo replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 10:15 PM

Mark-N:

When you say installation, you mean plugging it into something besides power?  BeoSound 35 doesn't require installation... does it?

 

 

 

If you want a table stand rather than a wall bracket and concealed cables. A Beosound 35 could be part of fitting out an apartment including A TV etc. Some people may not want to do this themselves.

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

Simonbeo
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Simonbeo replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 10:15 PM

Mark-N:

When you say installation, you mean plugging it into something besides power?  BeoSound 35 doesn't require installation... does it?

 

 

 

If you want a table stand rather than a wall bracket and concealed cables. A Beosound 35 could be part of fitting out an apartment including A TV etc. Some people may not want to do this themselves.

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

Mark-N
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Mark-N replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 10:36 PM

Simonbeo:
If you want a table stand rather than a wall bracket and concealed cables. A Beosound 35 could be part of fitting out an apartment including A TV etc. Some people may not want to do this themselves.

But this isn't unique to the BeoSound 35. The BeoPlay A6 and A9 also have an optional wall bracket.  I don't think that "installation required" is the deciding criteria between the two brands.  I certainly don't consider plugging my BeoLab 17's into the Essence an installation, but that may be a fine line.  I think that B&O Play is not meant to have the "prestige" as Bang & Olufsen.  Is it to keep the brand Bang & Olufsen elite?

 

Simonbeo
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Simonbeo replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 10:51 PM

Mark-N:

Simonbeo:
If you want a table stand rather than a wall bracket and concealed cables. A Beosound 35 could be part of fitting out an apartment including A TV etc. Some people may not want to do this themselves.

But this isn't unique to the BeoSound 35. The BeoPlay A6 and A9 also have an optional wall bracket.  I don't think that "installation required" is the deciding criteria between the two brands.  I certainly don't consider plugging my BeoLab 17's into the Essence an installation, but that may be a fine line.  I think that B&O Play is not meant to have the "prestige" as Bang & Olufsen.  Is it to keep the brand Bang & Olufsen elite?

 

B&O describe Beoplay products as "stunning one-piece..." products and fit the A6 and the A9 each with a handle. The 35 is made from a beautiful metal  extrusion rather than plastic moulded casing because it's premium and not carried around as a plug and PLAY sound source. The higher price will obviously keep the Bang and Olufsen more prestigious and precious , which is not the intention with Beoplay

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

Opman
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Opman replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 11:10 PM

B&O dealers are faced with two issues over the current Play distribution and pricing structure.

As already mentioned, we see prospects coming to the store to try out products but not purchasing knowing full well they can get it cheaper at Costco or online.

We also get the disgruntled customers who bought via Amazon and then bring the products in store asking us to resolve service issues. In many cases, the reported "faults" are actually user error.

It's a fine line between providing excellent customer service for loyal patrons and those who only buy from QVC. There have been many threads discussing customer service and how good, bad, indifferent it is today compared to times gone by. The bottom line is that I'm paid by my boss to sell. 15 minutes on the phone explaining how a product works or how to connect to a network doesn't contribute to our bottom line.

The success of our dealership can only be sustained if we make a profit. A few people who frequent this forum and know me personally will testify how much I love the brand and how far I will go to try and help clients. BUT the increasing number of calls and visits from people who have bought elsewhere at a price we can't even buy from B&O makes it very frustrating. Is it right that they should expect top dollar service for rock bottom prices?

Thank you, I'll get of my soapbox now.

Opman

Duels
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Duels replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 11:24 PM
Simonbeo:

The higher price will obviously keep the Bang and Olufsen more prestigious and precious , which is not the intention with Beoplay

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8 , MX 5500 . Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.

Ive always found it interesting that the beoplay A9 and Beosound 35 cost the same (give or take a few quid). Both are very capable speakers with similar functionality. There is a cross over point between the two brands which I see as a deliberate move to provide a bridge from play to B&O.
Mark-N
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Mark-N replied on Thu, Jun 9 2016 11:53 PM

Opman:
The success of our dealership can only be sustained if we make a profit. A few people who frequent this forum and know me personally will testify how much I love the brand and how far I will go to try and help clients. BUT the increasing number of calls and visits from people who have bought elsewhere at a price we can't even buy from B&O makes it very frustrating. Is it right that they should expect top dollar service for rock bottom prices?

My first Bang and Olufsen product was the BeoSound 8 which I purchased from Amazon. Amazon provides no service except for returns, as far as I know.  If Amazon provides a customer service phone number for product help they keep it well hidden. But, Bang & Olufsen decided to sell through Amazon knowing that this dealership cannot provide additional service.  Where do they want their customers to go.  The problem seems to be there are a lot of marketplace sellers which are not authorized that sell for deep discounts, and of course will not provide any customer help.

Is wasn't long after I got my BeoSound 8 that it was distorting when streaming music via an Airport Express.  Having no where to go, I contacted Bang & Olufsen US support and they suggested taking it to my nearest dealer to get it swapped out.  They didn't like the idea, but after talking to the support people they finally did.  I can certainly understand those feelings, but Bang & Olufsen is going to have to find a way provide their customers support, even if it is just basic setup and installation usage, that doesn't negatively impact the dealers who didn't sell the item.

 

Oh, and most of us in the U.S. will not have a dealer anywhere nearby!

Roy
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Roy replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 6:45 AM

Hi all, 

As some of you might know, I'm quit new to B&O. My introduction was a B&O Play A8, after which I quickly bought an A9 and H8 headphones. Besides the struggle I had with the headphones (which is really solved now) I love the products. A few weeks ago I bought my first B&O television, a BeoVision 8-40 MK2. 

Yes it is second hand, but new BV's are on a price point a student just can't afford. But, once I'm graduated and working, I think a new BV is coming in soon, maybe even including new speakers. 

I think I am a real example of what B&O wants to do with B&O Play products. Attract new customers that would never be able to buy B&O (yet), make them loyal to the brand, until they are able to buy B&O products and pass them over to 'the big brand'. From a marketing perspective, I think this is a brilliant move. On social media (not everybody is on social media, I know), I see 90% Play products and 10% B&O. Maybe it's biased because of difference in people that buy B&O rather than Play products. 

However, this just doesn't justify everyone selling it half price compared to dealers. And all the whining about the products not made in Denmark, well let's just say I don't care. Apple makes all their products in China, nobody whines about that, because they are quality products. 

Roy.

BeoVision Horizon ● BeoLab 14 Subwoofer ● B&O Play A9 ● Beolit 15 ● B&O Play H8 ● B&O Play H5

vikinger
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vikinger replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 8:14 AM

Opman:

B&O dealers are faced with two issues over the current Play distribution and pricing structure.

As already mentioned, we see prospects coming to the store to try out products but not purchasing knowing full well they can get it cheaper at Costco or online.

We also get the disgruntled customers who bought via Amazon and then bring the products in store asking us to resolve service issues. In many cases, the reported "faults" are actually user error.

It's a fine line between providing excellent customer service for loyal patrons and those who only buy from QVC. There have been many threads discussing customer service and how good, bad, indifferent it is today compared to times gone by. The bottom line is that I'm paid by my boss to sell. 15 minutes on the phone explaining how a product works or how to connect to a network doesn't contribute to our bottom line.

The success of our dealership can only be sustained if we make a profit. A few people who frequent this forum and know me personally will testify how much I love the brand and how far I will go to try and help clients. BUT the increasing number of calls and visits from people who have bought elsewhere at a price we can't even buy from B&O makes it very frustrating. Is it right that they should expect top dollar service for rock bottom prices?

Thank you, I'll get of my soapbox now.

Opman

Hi Nick,

Well I still haven't made it over to the Wilmslow store since you effectively became the only dealer for this region following the demise of Liverpool and Chester. The reason being that I am not in the market for any current/ new products, and I really can't face an 90 mile round trip including battling the Manchester airport traffic unless I am going to visit something/someone else in that area at the same time.

You dedicated dealers have a real problem, but it is a problem created by B&O HQ and not by the customer. Closing company owned stores. Causing franchise stores to give up. Making the products available on the web and at discounts from other outlets. Why doesn't B&O give its dealers preferential treatment for the supply and pricing of Play products? Sell on line by all means, but offer a discount to personal callers at stores.

Graham

 

Aussie Michael
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Duels:
Simonbeo:

 

The higher price will obviously keep the Bang and Olufsen more prestigious and precious , which is not the intention with Beoplay

 

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8 , MX 5500 . Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.

 

 

Ive always found it interesting that the beoplay A9 and Beosound 35 cost the same (give or take a few quid). Both are very capable speakers with similar functionality. There is a cross over point between the two brands which I see as a deliberate move to provide a bridge from play to B&O.

Couldnt agree more

Chris Hassell
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My dealer has also mentioned to me how people come in, play (pun intended!) with the B&O Play products then go and buy online. I think the dealers should get some ability to offer more to people that buy Play products from them, after service, repairs, discounts or SOMETHING that online retailers can't compete with. This would have to be funded by Struer I'd imagine as the dealers couldn't take that hit.

BeoVision Eclipse 55”, Beolab 18s, Beolab 19s, Beosound 1, Beoplay P2, H3, BeoRemote One IR, BeoRemote One BT, Beoplay S8, Beosound Essence MkII, BeoTime

Peter the Biker
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Chris Hassell:
I think the dealers should get some ability to offer more to people that buy Play products from them, after service, repairs, discounts or SOMETHING that online retailers can't compete with. This would have to be funded by Struer I'd imagine as the dealers couldn't take that hit.

My dealer gave a discount on my A1 (about 8%). BTW: I am a guy searching the internet and mostly buying in a brick and mortar store.

Peter the biker

elephant
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elephant replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 1:03 PM
Duels:

Ive always found it interesting that the beoplay A9 and Beosound 35 cost the same (give or take a few quid). Both are very capable speakers with similar functionality. There is a cross over point between the two brands which I see as a deliberate move to provide a bridge from play to B&O

Sooner than later they need to come out with a technical bridge.

Something that enables A1 and A2 etc products to be meshed together. Some sort of multichannel blue tooth hub or hub and repeaters that enables entry level clients to go from a student bed sit to a couple's apartment and then to a blended BeoPlay / B&O home.

On the other hand maybe they will simple keep churning out A1Xs and H1Xs followed by A2X and H3X ... And the entry level clients won't mind throwing away or bequeathing their BeoPlay as they move upscale.

BeoNut since '75

Chris Hassell
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Peter the Biker:

My dealer gave a discount on my A1 (about 8%). BTW: I am a guy searching the internet and mostly buying in a brick and mortar store.

Peter the biker

yeah - I bought the first A1 online, then felt guilty so bought the 2nd from my dealer and he gave me a discount. They should be able to publicise that ideally.

BeoVision Eclipse 55”, Beolab 18s, Beolab 19s, Beosound 1, Beoplay P2, H3, BeoRemote One IR, BeoRemote One BT, Beoplay S8, Beosound Essence MkII, BeoTime

hadr
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hadr replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 3:07 PM
rvdv:

I think I am a real example of what B&O wants to do with B&O Play products. Attract new customers that would never be able to buy B&O (yet), make them loyal to the brand, until they are able to buy B&O products and pass them over to 'the big brand'. From a marketing perspective, I think this is a brilliant move. On social media (not everybody is on social media, I know), I see 90% Play products and 10% B&O. Maybe it's biased because of difference in people that buy B&O rather than Play products.

I agree with Roy. I was familiar with B&O from a very young age since my parents and grandparents were all fortunate enough (and I with them) to own B&O products (BVs mostly). So I was curious and always looking into the brand and what the new products were etc.

Realistically speaking though, I could not afford their products with my allowance (I could maybe afford a pair of BL 3s, but then I also needed a BS to drive them, or vice versa, and that was my contact frustration) so I was looking forward to the day where I could afford to equip my home with B&O products.

As a student I finally got an A8 and was very excited! I then won a pair of BL6000 (thank you Beoworld! Big Smile) and got a PlayMaker to drive them. Finally I got an A9 and I couldn't be happier. Now that I've started working I'm waiting the see the new BV and I'm already eyeing a Horizon and possibly a pair of 18s.

The BeoPlay range is great both as an initiation to the brand, and as a means to cover needs that the full Bang & Olufsen range does not cater (mostly portable sound either at home or outside). It just caters to a different crowd and/or needs, but generally speaking all customers have the same "values" and the same attention to detail which means that they are also the target audience (potentially and possibly down the line) to be Bang & Olufsen customers as well.

All in all I am very pro BeoPlay and think it's a great move for B&O! Still, the details should be ironed out, especially in regards to the dealers who are getting the short end of the bargain in all this.
koning
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koning replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 3:26 PM

I paid a year ago E399'00 for my A2,now you can buy them on the internet for E279,00.

Well done B&O

 

 

 

 

 

jk1002
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jk1002 replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 4:45 PM

I think online discounts popping up every now and then, biggest was S3 and that was obviously a flop. Other products, I see old color on sale but not current edition.

For the dealer, you are getting foot traffic and if someone asks for help you can built relationship. You get to expose the customer to the more expensive speaker and setups.

Things like the essence remotes which are great with A6 and A9 you can get only at dealer. For the TV, am sure that will be dealer only as well.

I do blame them for the S3, selling a 400$ speaker for 140 here in the US is offensive. 

 

 

Simonbeo
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Simonbeo replied on Fri, Jun 10 2016 6:44 PM

Aussie Michael:

Duels:
Simonbeo:

 

The higher price will obviously keep the Bang and Olufsen more prestigious and precious , which is not the intention with Beoplay

 

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8 , MX 5500 . Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.

 

 

Ive always found it interesting that the beoplay A9 and Beosound 35 cost the same (give or take a few quid). Both are very capable speakers with similar functionality. There is a cross over point between the two brands which I see as a deliberate move to provide a bridge from play to B&O.

Couldnt agree more

The important bit , which isn't in the quote, is that the Beoplay has a handle and the B&O doesn't. It's plastic but it's bigger and sets the scene for the ,relatively, premium pricing of Beoplay. It's a good product to lead people from play to serious! Think original New Mini to BMW 1-Series which corresponded with the end of many peoples Mini lease deals. They'd been encouraged to go through the BMW dealership to get their car serviced on an attractive package deal and that may have led to the One-series. People who buy their Beoplay from the dealers should feel the same and get a better warranty or something like that.

Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1

TWG
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TWG replied on Sun, Jun 12 2016 8:59 AM

it would really help B&O if the would introduce the same rigid pricing policy as e.g. Apple does. Their products costs the same, no matter if you buy online or offline. That would help to get and keep people coming to the physical stores, too if they already know "Ok, it doesn't matter if I buy online or right here in the shop."

A very negative thing of Beoplay: I've read in a german Amazon review that  Beoplay products will not be repaired in general after warranty is over. If that is true that's a very very bad and dumb attitude by Bang & Olufsen!

hadr
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hadr replied on Sun, Jun 12 2016 10:21 AM
TWG:

A very negative thing of Beoplay: I've read in a german Amazon review that Beoplay products will not be repaired in general after warranty is over. If that is true that's a very very bad and dumb attitude by Bang & Olufsen!

That surely can't be true, you can't tell someone who's paid 2000+ for an A9 for instance that after 2-3 years they're on their own. That would be terrible policy and so not what B&O is known for.
TWG
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TWG replied on Sun, Jun 12 2016 11:46 AM

I surely hope that it's not true, either. A german customer wrote it referring to his Beolit and was told that it will not be repaired. I don't know if it's true or not. If yes that but be a k.o. criteria against the whole Beoplay range.

Does anybody know if the ugly Beoplay A1 will be available in other colours, too? I have to listen to it with my eyes closed ;-)

BeoBoy68
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BeoBoy68 replied on Sun, Jun 12 2016 12:56 PM
TWG:

...

Does anybody know if the ugly Beoplay A1 will be available in other colours, too? I have to listen to it with my eyes closed ;-)

Surely it will be available in orher colors. Wink

Waiting for a black one Big Smile

vikinger
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vikinger replied on Sun, Jun 12 2016 2:57 PM

hadr:
TWG:

A very negative thing of Beoplay: I've read in a german Amazon review that Beoplay products will not be repaired in general after warranty is over. If that is true that's a very very bad and dumb attitude by Bang & Olufsen!

That surely can't be true, you can't tell someone who's paid 2000+ for an A9 for instance that after 2-3 years they're on their own. That would be terrible policy and so not what B&O is known for.

Certainly true of the A3. When mine developed a power plug fault (something had given way inside the A3) my dealer was able to swap the A3 for a new replacement, but he did comment at the time that the A3 could not be repaired, only exchanged.  But, oddly enough, someone was selling a large quantity of Refurbished' A3's on eBay earlier in the year. Of course that may have just been a ploy to avoid the guarantee that would apply to new products.

Graham

Puncher
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Puncher replied on Sun, Jun 12 2016 8:16 PM

To me they are trying to spread the "Play" brand to broadly. Couple of hundred quid for a decent pair of headphones or a Bluetooth speaker seems fair enough but several grand for a speaker on a tripod or an entry level TV is too much and blurs the division between the "entry" brand and the mother brand.

It is a confused message which hasn't adequately been explained or justified and I very much doubt it creates many entry to mother brand conversions whilst it does seem to create issues in the other direction.

The major benefit of the brand seems to be getting product in front of folk outside of the B&O sarcophaguses they call stores, - the only ever B&O store in which I felt at home was a family owned store that sold other brand hifi, grand pianos, records, sheet music, brass, guitars and on and on. On a weekend the store was alive with people.......... contrast that to any/most B&O stores where they are completely devoid of life. Luckily they are changing to wooden floors shortly, surely that will make the difference!

Ban boring signatures!

Opman
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Opman replied on Mon, Jun 13 2016 3:01 PM

vikinger:

Opman:

B&O dealers are faced with two issues over the current Play distribution and pricing structure.

As already mentioned, we see prospects coming to the store to try out products but not purchasing knowing full well they can get it cheaper at Costco or online.

We also get the disgruntled customers who bought via Amazon and then bring the products in store asking us to resolve service issues. In many cases, the reported "faults" are actually user error.

It's a fine line between providing excellent customer service for loyal patrons and those who only buy from QVC. There have been many threads discussing customer service and how good, bad, indifferent it is today compared to times gone by. The bottom line is that I'm paid by my boss to sell. 15 minutes on the phone explaining how a product works or how to connect to a network doesn't contribute to our bottom line.

The success of our dealership can only be sustained if we make a profit. A few people who frequent this forum and know me personally will testify how much I love the brand and how far I will go to try and help clients. BUT the increasing number of calls and visits from people who have bought elsewhere at a price we can't even buy from B&O makes it very frustrating. Is it right that they should expect top dollar service for rock bottom prices?

Thank you, I'll get of my soapbox now.

Opman

Hi Nick,

Well I still haven't made it over to the Wilmslow store since you effectively became the only dealer for this region following the demise of Liverpool and Chester. 

Graham

 

Hi Graham, I still have an "Art of impossible" book reserved for you when you make it over here ;-)

Nick

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