ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
I thought I'd start this thread as there seems to be a general malaise at the moment. The forum is pretty slow (it is every Summer though, in fairness - but it seems very slow at the moment). eBay is deathly quiet with items making peanuts - and even LifeStyle AV is pretty quiet by our standards when it comes to enquiries and questions.
The reason for the question is that I wonder how everyone is feeling about Bang & Olufsen at the moment. I don't seem to get a sense of excitement from anyone, and wondered why this is?
Over to you.. Am I wrong?
Lee
The last thread I read on this site learned me that no Beosound music system sold right now offers direct digital input to a Beolab 5, apart from the Beolab 90 the top-speaker at this moment.
I think that pretty well illustrates the situation. I, as a long-time B&O enthousiast, am afraid that if nobody buys B&O in the coming years, it's likely all over, and we will see a 'SAAB'-like tragedy unfold.
The TV-business is very difficult if not impossible for a small firm like B&O, and the market for music systems has virtually vanished. That leaves their core-business; speakers.
I hope for the best, hopefully I'm to pessimistic.
I'm a few years intuziast of B & O
and ..have at least 15 item from B&O
I can not ignore the fact that for several years a lack of ideas, design, marketing,bad decisions and poor leadership abilities.
plus,,,
- Products are depending on the quality of a little overestimated.- some items too demanding for the average 50+ user- Design is already a few years into the crisis except couple Exceptions- Sales and Marketing Strategy limping- Price service, spare parts and service is overrated !!!- FM tuners in new installations is no longer in offer- Where is the ease of use without softwre upgrades?- B & O are not aware that all users have not the knowledge in the modern electronics (wireless, streaming, bluetooth, ectyes ..i kow...they must learn..yes ..agree ..but theh have money ..and they buy item that is simple to use..
Maybe I'm wrong ... but some of this is maybe true.All my clients are such opinions as I stated above.My small contribution :)
I'm sad and sorry to tell that B&O doesn't make me dreaming anymore. 10 years ago I was an absolute fan of the brand and I was OK to pay let's say double price but now I lost my faith and I'm not ready to pay 3-5 times the price for a device having software problems all the time or not being superior (or even inferior)... They don't innovate anymore and just follow the mass markets with some delay... And I don't speak about the very bad service in some shops. I sold almost all what I had and right now the only device that makes me smile is the little A1. I'm curious to see the future Beosounds 1 & 2 and the new Horizon TV. Maybe they will light again the flame if the design, build quality, characteristics, price, and ease of use are up to date.
I also would like B&O (like Apple) to tease (more) about the coming new launches in order to keep people curious and push them to speak about the brand. No or poor communication makes people to forget the brand.
I am missing everything I had with B&O in the 90's and early 2000's. Simple as that.
The magic, the movements, the lights fading in/out. I know that this is not needed anymore, since all is digital, and no physical media is required.
I am from the generation with all these physical devices, and when I talk and show it to young(I am just 43) people today, they don't care at all. They want ease and millions of numbers on their phone. And I understand them, actually so do I.
And that is why B&O is not offering products anymore, where I think that the price is ok. The speakers they make are fantastic, and I think that will be the only thing they will succeed with. All the music systems and apps they have today is not for me.
Maybe if they actually worked from day 1, and not the usual "we promise that if you buy this now, in 6 months it can do this and this and this, and if we were mistaken, then we will make a MKII you can buy. Sorry about your MKI... our bad.."
The TV's have long gone for me, and I probably will never again own a B&O tv. Very sad, but the experience I had with my BV7 and BV4, threw me right of, and the future of new Android tv's which are already outdated before they meet the market, an new LG tv's without B&O menus and SW, but only a sound-bar controlling another tv via CEC. No thanks..
They have made so many bad products and decisions lately, that it will take many years for people to trust them again with all their money. And as stated by someone else, they are way to secret about what is coming. We have no idea if buying a TV today is bad, because the next TV can this and this, and your money has been wasted(I know they haven't if you actually are happy, but you know what I mean).
In today's marked, B&O just cost to much for me to justify buying new units every second year.
I sound mad at B&O, but I am actually very sad. I used to love the company, now I have more joy with my BS7000 and Samsung TV, than the newer products.
I am very capable of IT and computers, byt having seen the thread on the Moment and Twonky and installation and RPC status and Deezer problems, i really cannot be bothered with messing around with all that constantly to have it working.
I hate beta SW, I hate versions problem between systems, I work with it a lot on a daily basis, don't want to do it in the evening when I just need to listen to music or watch TV.
/Weebyx
Personally I feel fine about B&O overall. I think that the Play range is absolutely outstanding and a real innovation from the previous CEO that will stand the business in good stead for years to come. It should continue to represent an increasing proportion of the overall business for the foreseeable future.
Whilst I accept Marexy's point above about some customers not being familiar with streaming/Bluetooth etc, it is the way the world has gone and B&O simply has to address the needs of people who take this stuff for granted.
As for the B&O branded products I think the speaker range is fantastic for both sound and design. My only disappointment is that from a sound system point of view the Moment doesn't grab me at all and I therefore continue to use my BS5 to drive my BL18s. Don't get me wrong, I love my BS5 but by now I would have expected B&O to produce something that I would have wanted to trade it in for, and they haven't. I don't know what that product should be exactly but I'll know it when I see it much like when I first saw and bought an Overture, followed by a BS9000 and then my BS5. Whatever that product is it shouldn't require any special knowledge of nas drives or anything else. It has to be useable by anybody. And software should stop being a major topic of conversation among users, it should be virtually invisible in this type of consumer electronics.
On software: I believe that it would in B&Os interests to use its customers better to beta test its software prior to release. There is a limit to any testing that can be done in-house. It is only when it is used in real world scenarios that you really find out how things are; and the more scenarios/testers you have the better. B&O could do worse than to give a Moment to a bunch of beoworlders (just for example) and get their feedback prior to general release of new software versions. (They may do this already and I'm not aware of it. In which case they should do it more)
Interested to see the next range of TVs and hoping that the "cheaper" one will blow me away. Oh and I still want a BL19.
Overall I love my B&O stuff. It makes me smile on a regular basis. Here's proof
Well for me, their A1 is the nicest design for years! Nothing else in the range inspires me. H8 problems have been a disgrace and highly dishonest of B&O to continue selling a product with a known fault. Real freud there. Plus their lazy customer service meant zero sales for me. Three days each way to reply to Emails is a pure disgrace. Parts that are not available for expensive PLAY products is inexcusable. It's a shoddy way to do business in a premium market sector.
They've got what they deserve. Make a product with faults (H8, Moment) along with arrogant customer service that is nothing but lazy and of course, you lose customers big time.
Also, the A1 has NEVER featured in any UK magazines such as GQ, Conde Nast Traveller, Vogue, Esquire, Porter, Vanity Fair, Elle Decoration, Living ETC. Why is that? All it takes is a marketing assistant to send a press release and pic to the editor.
+1
as i mentioned..some of them :)
my BS9000 is one of the most beautiful Hi-FI item ever in my eyes :)
for the speakers..no comment nice soud and design.
B&O ..make some icon like that again..and you will be on the propper way.
KMA
B&O product history since 1991: Ridiculously long to list in a signature.
@KMA
This is what I call: you hit the nail on the head.
"Believe nothing you read and only half of what you see, let your ears tell you the truth."
We've been sailing sound the Florida Keys for just under 2 weeks, and to a person people have been very complimentary about the A1. Nobody had even heard of B&O, and these were mostly wealthy well to do Americans.
I didn't even bother wearing my H8s on the plane and just wore my A3 ANCs instead. I just couldn't be bothered with trying to make then work.
If I was buying a TV today, and without having seen the new 14 or Horizon, I'd probably buy the 65 inch Loewe OLED tv.
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
I was heavily into B&O in the 90s/early 2000s. Having owned an Avant (David Lewis), BV8, BS9000, BS6500, BL3, Bl2, and really, the list goes on. For me, it was design and quality heaven, but the compatibility, interoperability (with non B&O), user-control, or lack there of, issues led me away from the Brand.
The reason I'm back in the small small sens that I am (I don 't have many B&O products now), is that B&O has addressed the interoperability and user-control issues. That is, I don't have to call a dealer to upgrade my PUC, I can use ethernet cabling (and WiFi) in place of Masterlink. I can use my iPhone as a remote.
Design is still there, in my opinion, but it is different. Lewis and Jensen were geniuses, yes, but we have to recognize that forced-change is sometimes a good thing. I have to admit that the new designs for me are acquired tastes, but they are different from anything else out there, and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery -- the electronics industry continues to flatter B&O.
Quality & Software (I think a component of quality is the user interaction / interface, etc). This is a big deal in my opinion. Much of the ire from B&O customers regarding the newer products has been a result of poorly designed software, which affects the overall experience. Improve the user experience and create robust software, and customers will forgive some corner-cutting in the way of materials / design.
I'm not going to comment on the speakers, because I think B&O continue to do a stellar job on that front.
Wishlist: I liked when all B&O Products were heavy. I know that sounds silly, but I knew I was getting something expensive and "worth it" when I got a B&O box, and it weighed 40lbs or more. I wish B&O would use less plastic, more glass, more substantial materials. As I said above in the way of software, customers are willing to forgive inadequacies in one area if they find value in another. My old Avant weighed a TON, my BV11 weighs a TON... this is in due part to the materials.
US Specific thoughts: I worry about B&O here in the States -- almost no stores anywhere. I think in addition to the Pro Partner strategy, B&O need to be in stores. Not dedicated B&O stores, but in hi-end audio shops. Just get exposure. Folks have "heard" of it, but they really haven't HEARD B&O. Imagine looking at a set of B&O speakers amid a sea of black and brown boxes? And then actually listening to them!
In summary:
Speakers: don't change a thing
Sound Systems: Need another modern choice which doesn't rely on a NAS (my selfish wish)
TVs: perhaps get out of the TV business and into the processor (ie. BS4) business
Overarching Software: Invest the most $$$ in making this robust and user friendly, software should not be an afterthought.
I still like my speakers wich ar the 17s, I also like my A6 and the H7 headphones. And I would love to have the full B&O experience with a beovision. It is just out of my pricerange. In my opinion there are two problems for B&O. The first is there are simply to many problems with the Essence and transmitter1. I even considered switching to Sonos because, even though it doesnt have the same soundquality, it just workes. And the differenve in soundquality isn´t that great anymoreThe other problem is that other manufacturers are getting so good. For instance the new Lg oled tvs are both nicely designed and have an amazing picturequality. So its harde to justify the extra cost. Still I am hoping that new tvs will be great and prices resonable.
Speakers fine (although I still think that B&O missed out by not having any regular Beovox passive speakers in the range.)
TV's- the hinged BV10/11 is an iconic design.
Beoplay- going by my A3 most are not robust enough (faulty power socket that cannot be repaired/ accessed for repair.)
Unless you have a stunning feature like a motorised stand (plus amazing sound quality) you might as well stick with a cheap standard mass produced set of boxes and stick them in a cupboard.
Regarding the SAAB comment above, yes there is a real risk that B&O will get bought out by a big player, stripped of its remaining unique technologies/ patents, and then dropped into to the dustbin of history. At least SAAB aircraft are still in business.
Graham
Sal: In summary: Speakers: don't change a thing Sound Systems: Need another modern choice which doesn't rely on a NAS (my selfish wish) TVs: perhaps get out of the TV business and into the processor (ie. BS4) business Overarching Software: Invest the most $$$ in making this robust and user friendly, software should not be an afterthought.
The question was, "how do I feel about B&O now"? The sad answer is I don't feel anything anymore, I think they have lost their "soul" and products, particularly the play range, are disparate and are released adhoc without any joined up thinking.
It went wrong when they changed their target customer from "mr comfortable middle class" to "mr bling russian/ chinese oligarch" and they haven't ever really recovered. Of course this has been compounded by the digital music explosion and everyone elses flat screen tv being reasonably stylish with network connectivity etc. Masterlink, once their great strength, can pretty much be matched if not bettered by others.
So what now is their USP? The flagship audio product is a shoe box with a chinese tablet for a lid - how much, really???
As an engineer I love the latest speaker technology but even though I understand it it doesnt make me want to drop £7K+ on a pair.
Maybe its not b&o, maybe its me but I do wonder how many more me's have lost the spark and are unlikely to be new product buyers ever again!
Ban boring signatures!
The (lack of) enthusiasm of long term Beoworlders, or their absence altogether, tells you all you need to know.
I have become unenthused about Bang & Olufsen. I like the speakers but not much more. I am planning on purchasing a new 4K TV but only the LG B&O version coming out in 2017. My reason is LG is everywhere in the US and if I need service it is readily available. There are only about 20 B&O stores in the United States. There is good reason to believe B&O will probably leave North America especially if there is another recession.
Beoplay was a good idea and apparently has done well. I was an early adopter of the Beolit 12 which was a disappointment. I am putting it on eBay soon.
Their marketing strategy is a complete mystery. I never expected the Beolab 90. I agree it is a wonderful speaker but they don't have something to go with it. It really is confusing and then there is the possibility of software problems.
B&O has new management. Maybe there will be improvement.
BeoNut since '75
Puncher:The question was, "how do I feel about B&O now"?
You're right... so here's an answer which isn't a "review" like my previous post...
I used to be "obsessed" with B&O. I'm with Puncher in that I don't feel anything anymore.
Don't get me wrong, the products I've chosen to buy are wonderful and serve their purpose in my lifestyle -- and *cross my fingers* they'll last way longer than their big-box counterparts (hopefully).
I know I certainly felt something stirring within me when I thought of B&O back in the late 90s / early 2000s. I used to want to own everything in their catalog. Now, I really contemplate whether it is something I truly need and agonize and research before pulling the trigger. I know that's a component of B&O's dwindling presence in the US, compounded with a change of emotion in my gut when it comes to thinking about B&O.
I don't wan to be THAT guy, but I'm going to go there: I share the same feelings - or lack thereof - when it comes to what used to be one of my other passions: Apple. I used to be one of Guy Kawasaki's Mac-Evangelists... but for reasons different from the direction B&O have taken, those soul-stirring, good-feeling, emotions are gone. Now, to me, Apple is basically a useful appliance. I used to upgrade because I wanted every new iteration of PowerMac / Power book, etc... Now, I find myself running a late 2010 PowerMac and a Late 2011 MacBook Pro.
There are so many intangibles when it comes to an emotional connection to a brand. It does become difficult to articulate our reasons for why we feel the way we do without getting into a diatribe about what can be done to "fix" the broken. lol
I used to love Apple when they paid more attention to music than they do now. From my perspective Apple lost its soul when it started focusing on streaming music. While I still heavily use iTunes and my Apple TV 3, I don't see much future here for me. Apple TV 4 didn't cut it since it left out so many features of Apple TV 3, like on-the-fly playlists (at least the original version).
I still love all my B&O products, or at least the concept of them if they worked the way they are supposed to. I get the feeling that I am not in their desired target customer base by the responses I get when I contact them. It seems like they are after the mega-rich that can't be bothered with the issues encountered in the products, so they will just push it off on their dealer to take care of it. Any time I contact the support team it takes at least 2 weeks to get a response, and often I don't hear anything afterward. A year ago I reported the inability to play high definition AIFF's, purchased from HD Tracks, through Twonky on my Essence Mk 2. They play fine on my BeoSystem 4! It took 6 months before the issue got sent up to Denmark (I suppose) and was then asked to supply some files. I did and never heard anything back. I still can't play these files, so I just have to assume they aren't interested in fixing this.
I would be interested in the next generation Essence and BeoSystem, but I worry that the quality and customer support will continue to decline. I wish I was the mega-rich then it might not bother me as much... but these are significant purchases for me! I get more feelings of contempt from them than I do appreciation!
But for now they are the only game in town for me that come closest to meeting my requirements.
^^^That's certainly a possibility; however, a 'Volvo'-scenario is also possible...
There's really nothing further I can add as it has all been said. Even my enthusiasm and excitement at composing lengthy posts has dwindled; they never seemed to lead to much further debate anyway in of late, which only makes me feel less bothered to write. There does seem to be a bit of a theme playing out here. The lust for greed backfires... Simon (formerly The Beonic man).
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.
I am looking forward to the new BeoSound that is rumored to be released. I would like to replace the Klipch G17 in the kitchen. I'm just hoping for the best, or maybe acceptable! I'm still holding out hope for the Essence. If it worked as well as my BeoSystem 4 I wouldn't have any gripes!
Puncher: The question was, "how do I feel about B&O now"? The sad answer is I don't feel anything anymore, I think they have lost their "soul" and products, particularly the play range, are disparate and are released adhoc without any joined up thinking. It went wrong when they changed their target customer from "mr comfortable middle class" to "mr bling russian/ chinese oligarch" and they haven't ever really recovered. Of course this has been compounded by the digital music explosion and everyone elses flat screen tv being reasonably stylish with network connectivity etc. Masterlink, once their great strength, can pretty much be matched if not bettered by others. So what now is their USP? The flagship audio product is a shoe box with a chinese tablet for a lid - how much, really??? As an engineer I love the latest speaker technology but even though I understand it it doesnt make me want to drop £7K+ on a pair. Maybe its not b&o, maybe its me but I do wonder how many more me's have lost the spark and are unlikely to be new product buyers ever again!
Afraid I have to agree with you, especially the refocus on this silly rich pricing.
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
For me however is a big bonus for B & O that it does not have any average user.The very design makes special when you add a little bit higher price most of B&O customers are people with a high sense of design.View topic where are shown our apartments and houses.Almost all have a sophisticated style and taste in interiors.In this business, I’m for some time now.The majority of my customers is that the above-mentioned range.
B&O doesn't seem to care about customers anymore... see the product lifecycle of the Essence. The MK2 came very soon after the MK1 and B&O doesn't care about the MK1 users. They have our money and now we are out of luck? Updates? Yes: Just buy a new Essence MK2. This is not the way to treat customers.After opening the packaging of the Beoplay A2 the chemical vapours that hit me, will let me die 5 years earlier. They even don't get the simple things right: Have a look at the colours of their press photos, then you buy the product, unpack it and will be surprised in a negative way about the real colour and look. That was different a few years ago.The new CEO just talks the typical bullshit bingo stuff and the current design of portable speakers and headphones looks like any other brand, but not B&O. B&O needs a CEO that has the same passion and knowledge in his area as Geoff Martin has in the acoustical department as well as designers that'll bring David Lewis design passion into the new century. The Cecile designs may be appropriate for other brands, but they don't have that stunning B&O look a Beosound 3000 or 9000 have. Yes, many people just stream music and are happy with those compressed streams or Bluetooth music. But you can integrated mechanical magic into digital devices, too. How about a motorized tray for example where you can insert memory cards or CDs/DVDs/Blurays or USB-Sticks?Ironically there seems to be one thing that can cure you from the beloved Beovirus: B&O itself due to the lousy management, product strategy etc. The Moment is just laughable and could easily be some kickstarter project.
I'm a 52 yr old simple soul that still uses CD's. I love the physical interaction of gliding doors, fading lights, things that turn towards you. I also love the way out almost futuristic designs that was very distinctly Bang & Olufsen. Yes I'm stuck in the 80's to 00's.The trouble is the future is here now and everything looks the same to me. It's not the brand's fault - there's no need for physical interaction and motion these days but that's what brought me to the brand.I know they tried to recreate some of the original Avant into the new Avant and they did great job – but through no fault of B&O, if you put it amongst a sea of other flat panels in a department store it wouldn’t stand out (to me) anything like the original Avant among it’s CRT competitors. That’s why, even back then it could command such a high price and still sell so well.On the sound systems, I used to enjoy visitors entering my house and asking about that strange looking hifi I had and then I'd show the moving parts and wonderful sound. Now days all you're left with is a good quality remote and lovely sound.Love the A1 though
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
9 LEE: The reason for the question is that I wonder how everyone is feeling about Bang & Olufsen at the moment. I don't seem to get a sense of excitement from anyone, and wondered why this is? Over to you.. Am I wrong? Lee
Hard to say, whether you are wrong or not!
This is a very personal - and emotional - matter.
Most of the comments, I have read, come from old time B&O costumers, who have already got what they (!) need for their way of enjoying video and sound, and the visible aspects of the gear.
Generally it all sounds very negative, when focusing on the future.
Ok - many will aim to replace their current products, but they often do expect 'something alike', what they already have.
Like it or not, in the future - for future B&O buyers - there will be no need for physical media.
Things (the equipment) will be more and more 'invisible', and the great challenge will be how to create a unique experience under these conditions.
I am happy, that B&O has already faced this challenge.
The 'wheely' isn't a music system in the old fashioned (BS9000) way, surely - but it allowes for an experience that costumers may want in the future.
Since I have my Essence box (a hide away box!) in my setup, I have enjoyed much more and different music than ever before - in a very convenient way.
Sorry to say it - but that is 'magic' to me.
Personally I would never go back to a 'CD-only' experience.
I know, that this doesn't cover all the aspects brought into the discussion in the above post, but - honestly - there have always been 'issues' with the B&O products. And integrating modern digital/non physical based media in a multiroom surrounding is much more different than popping a CD player into a case with moving glassdoors and having a ML cable running to others rooms.
I generally like the way that B&O has taken - I welcome the effords to make good (which also means able to integrate in the B&O network) affordable BV's.
Gone are the times of the overexpensive tv's, where you even had to buy almost more expensive external speakers to make them work. Sure they were pretty and 'weighted a ton', but very few people could afford/wanted to spend their money on such a combo.
I am looking very much forward (yes I am exited!) to seeing the new tv (the Horizon) and the upgraded versions of the 11/Avant too. And I welcome the new music systems, that may give me more choices how to 'create' my future setup.
Basicly I have to ask - reading all the negative comments, which may be justified - isn't there anything positive about, what B&O currently does (in the A/V division) apart from the speakers?
When I think of the manpower and money spend on making a device (the NL/ML converter), that lets you integrate 20 or more years old B&O gear with the current range of products, I feel proud to be a B&O owner/costumer.
Which other company would have done the same for their 'oldtime' costumers???
When I think of integrating products in my home (including using the same 'remote control language'), I would not know where to look, if B&O wasn't there for me.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
I love the B&O products for many reasons but I also start to hate some of the decisions they have taken at Bang & Olufsen these days.
I started with B&O in 1987, where I was employed in the development for 4 years as part of the Beocenter 9000, MCL2AV and Blink 5000 projects. Been there and having B&O products my whole life makes you seeing B&O different than ordinary buyers.
Let me give one example: A friend of mine has a BeoCenter 9000 bought in 1994. This has been running for all these years without any failure and now he comes asking me how to fix a CD failure. This has been running 22 years ! (maybe my heart is warm because I was a part of the development, but anyway). The MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) is well over what was estimated during development.I relation to this I bought a Moment app 1,5 years ago. The first months I was struggeling with software problems and lost connection to the Internet - despite I have a cable connection - and 6 month ago the Jukebox failed (display clicked and blinked the B&O logo, else just locked). This was repaired by one of the service technicians directly from Struer (I live 40 km away). I got a brand new Jukebox. Few days ago the same problem came with the Jukebox and he is back Monday to change the whole system. What is the MTBF for this Moment product - months compared to 22 years.
Quality problems on many of the products leaves current customers with the feeling of paying a lot of money - and stocked only with problems.
Despite of that - I love the design - no other brands can compete with this. I also love Audi, Apple, design furnitures etc. So, I think hopeless people like me spend their money because of strange habits in the brain. Thats also the reason why we spend money on other brands like Audi, Apple etc. People ask me why do you spend money on this - the reason is that design give me value for money and value in life. I also love nice looking girls....
On top of this having a system that works together - Multi room - is important. This was already in place by MCL2, but has been much better than in former days.(where we had the volume problems when raising the volume in link rooms and the master went up as well)One remote controller where you just press a bottom and not thinking about pointing the remote directly into the receiver of the product is so nice (yes, I remember the discussion when we made Beolink 5000). Apple products as remote controller as well is perfect.
A products that is normally forgotten is the Beolink Gateway. This is one of my best products. I have many scenaries in my house combining light, sound, shades, alarm, doors and windows. Apple has done a lot of marketing on HomeKit, but the Gateway is actually much better but not easy for ordinary people to use.
TV's look nice in design but coast 10 times more than others brand looking nearly the same. Come on...Good decision to outsource this
B&O, shape up - better quality in the hardware but much better quality in the software...and make all products inhouse working together in a simple way
We are still smiling...(but do not bring us in bad mood)
Good luck in the future
Rudi
From the length of posts, and number of replies - we clearly still care.
After a particularly disappointing experience returning a faulty B&O Play product, and hearing of others experiencing the same issues, I'm not sure that Play is geared up to service expectations of B&O customers. Also, if this is the gateway to further purchases from the 'main brand' then I'm afraid they're slamming the door before it's had chance to open properly....
As regards a few comments about the usability of B&O products, I still think that if you followed the 'KISS' method (Keep it Simple, Stupid) you'd have a lot more affluent 50+ technophobes putting their hand in their pockets. These are long-standing customers who love the brand, have owned it for many years and still want to buy it. However, set-up and using it scares them away. I've seen it so many times...
I also think that B&O's late dash into the US and Far Eastern markets was too little too late, and focusing on the super-rich was also a crazy decision. All they seem to have done on that front is alienate their core customer base (Europe) and look stupid..
There's an old saying here in the UK. It goes "Times Change. People Don't"
There will always be people who aspire to the brand just out of their reach. They will save, they will want, they will buy. It's a conscious decision, not one made on a whim. Super rich people have so much money they can buy on a whim, but they won't have too much brand loyalty. They didn't get rich by wasting money, so they look for the best value for money in many cases (unless it's an investment piece, which electronics are not). If B&O are three or four times the price, they don't see value. They don't need to impress anyone, so the 'prestige' of B&O doesn't come into play with them. Value does.
With the 'normal' person we see the prestige, the design, and we accept the price differential.
9 LEE:I also think that B&O's late dash into the US and Far Eastern markets was too little too late
I grew up in Detroit Michigan in the 1960's , a very different place than it is today, and we had a high-end audio store "Pecars" two blocks from my house. Even in my very early years I used to love going in and looking at the equipment and occasionally buying an album. That is where I first saw Bang & Olufsen and fell in love with the design. That experience stayed with me for decades until I could afford to buy it. Bang & Olufsen seemed to disappear some time after that and it was much harder to find it, although I think I remember seeing a Bang & Olufsen store in Troy Michigan a long time ago, but so many of these stores are disappearing around the US.
When I was interested in the BeoLab 14, I had a question about installation to a non-Bang & Olufsen device, so I used the contact form on their web site to ask the question. I received a reply, but afterward that email account got locked out from submitting further queries! Did I get put on their "undesirables" list???
I had a positive experience when I thought my BeoSound 8 was experiencing problems of distorted music and I was in contact with the support staff in Illinois, but that has changed now and I wonder if they are still there?
Audio and Video products have undergone a massive change with the switch away from physical media and the reliance on software to bring about features we couldn't dream of 10 or so years ago. I don't have a problem helping them through the initial rough spots, but none of my recent contacts lead me to believe they are interested in my feedback.
I purchased all my equipment from dealers who are now closed, so I do not have [near] local help with any issues. I have a table and wall remote paired with my Essence, and at least once a month I loose pairing of the table remote. It is very jarring when my Essence turns itself on in the middle of the night and I find the table remote to turn it off and it doesn't work! I could have a defective remote or Essence but I have never received any communication other than a generic "how to pair your remote" reply.
The US is a difficult place to be a B&O aficionado when there are no local dealers around and you have to rely on corporate.
Lee, if I'm fair, I'd say rather disillusioned.
This was sparked by the arrogance of the new Bath dealership, who when I complained they were acting a bit arrogantly and need to get in there and prove themselves first and let us customers make that decision (whether they will be superb or not), they banned me from all their social media! But continue to send out flyers inviting me in to the store...
So, yes, they were arrogant. Enough to ban a good solid long-standing customer.
I still buy a few bits of BeoPlay kit, but haven't bought any mainstream B&O product this year.
I still want to love B&O and the Beolab 90s are truly exciting products. I'm also thrilled that they have finally worked out that some of us might just want to connect them to something non-B&O! I'm also very happy with my H6s, but the "Designed in Denmark; Made in China" label on them does make me a little sad.
Sadly, though, the rest of the range leaves me cold. Most of the other loudspeakers are good but some are just 'warmed-over' older designs, the Avant is good but in no way £4000 better than other TVs on the market (unlike the old Avant, which was) and, for me, who doesn't use digital audio files, there is no B&O hi-fi system any more!
As to B&O Play, I'm glad it's helping the company along, but the whole cheap sub-brand does not appeal to me. It smacks too much of the Beocenter 2002/2200 scenario of the early 1980s, and they're not exactly looked back on with any fondness.
Ultimately, I would like them to get rid of the bling footballer's toys and the Bluetooth speakers, and concentrate on what they have always done so well, namely pushing the boundaries in terms of combined style and performance. The Beolab 90s show perfectly that they can still do this and I hope there is much more of this to come.
I can't edit a post in Safari (why does this function still not work in Safari), so I'll reply to my own post.
I also agree with the others regarding the TVs. I used to love my BV11-46 (and still own a 11-40), but the Avant was such a disappointment for me and it looks like we'll all have to wait for the next revision to get the 4K HDR features we'll need - but what happens to our MK1 Avant's we invested thousands of pounds? No dealer will want them, second hand they will be worth almost nothing etc etc.
There was a time when I could trade a B&O TV with my dealer and get almost 40% of the cost back, even after 2 years. Not now. Those days are gone.
Paul W: Also, the A1 has NEVER featured in any UK magazines such as GQ, Conde Nast Traveller, Vogue, Esquire, Porter, Vanity Fair, Elle Decoration, Living ETC.
Also, the A1 has NEVER featured in any UK magazines such as GQ, Conde Nast Traveller, Vogue, Esquire, Porter, Vanity Fair, Elle Decoration, Living ETC.
Yes it has Paul. I've seen it a couple of times. It's been on the Mr Porter site for sure, primarily as they've pushed it to promote it in their store.
The best product for me is the A9 (I also own the A1). The sound quality from this is exceptional, for the price.
Porter ladies magazine Moxxey not the fabulous online shop! I hate the A9 it reminds me of the old white Amstrad satellite Astra dishes and a dart board. Love the A1 design though.
Adam S, it would be foolish to get rid of their Bluetooth speakers - it's were the market is! They need in all fairness to concentrate of their build quality as they have released some real shoddy stuff over the years - BeoLit 12, S3, H8. Hopefully, the A1 is decent long term.