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
If only......
No Google Assistant product works without saying Hey Google.
Cant quite see how B&O would achieve something different, whilst integrating GA?
moxxey:I was going to ask that question. Isn’t the BS2 £1495 right now, but the “next gen” now £1650 just with the addition of Google Voice?
w5bno123: Due to component costs rising for BS1, BS2, BL50 and Essence remote there’s a price increase effective 1/9/18. This isn’t just because GA has been added.
Due to component costs rising for BS1, BS2, BL50 and Essence remote there’s a price increase effective 1/9/18. This isn’t just because GA has been added.
I think you sort of missed my point a little. I paid £995 for my BS1 - two years on and it's more expensive. Every other manufacturer of tech devices manages to reduce pricing, not increase!
Was in Selfridges today - it struck me again how good the A9 is, and while its more expensive and a different proposition to the BS1 / 2, i does strike me as so much better a speaker.
I've got both the A9 and BS2 for the record.
I wonder if they voice update the A9 - be a real shame if they ditch the model.
**side note, Selfridges were giving 1000 pounds off the 65inch LG W8 (and 2000 off the 77 inch version) , which while hardly still a bargain (6,700 with the discount for the 65), i thought wasn't a bad incentive. Backed up perhaps what i had been told about the Wallpaper range, in that they are too expensive for the LG demo / base. Please B&O licence the damn thing.
Sandyb:I wonder if they voice update the A9 - be a real shame if they ditch the model.
Don't forget that the current A9 is already a Chromecast device : if you buy a €50 Google Home Mini and say "ok Google, play XXX on the A9", it will work exactly as if GA was integrated!
diisign.com
I also think that A9 must continue, it's a classic.
I don't see why B&O would stop it: I think it's selling quite well, it has a B&O aluminum touch (so it's not too much Beoplay as the A6, and can join the B&O main brand)... Only problem of the A9 on the current product line: it's way too cheap at almost the same price than the BS2 mkII! But B&O has always known how to solve this problem...
By the way, adding microphones to an A9 is not as convenient as for BS1 and BS2: when you have a GA product, you try to place it at a position where you can listen to it from almost anywhere in the room and a position where it can listen to you wherever you are... So adding GA to a mobile speaker that kinds of follows you is a logical addition. Concerning the A9 it's a fixed setup, you want to place it where it sounds better (and where it can have a bit of place, as it's quite big), and it's not evident that it's a nice place for it to listen to your orders...
BeoNut since '75
...as well as the Airplay 2 fw update. Good to see existing products will be able to join the voice trend in two major ecosystems.
moxxey:I think you sort of missed my point a little. I paid £995 for my BS1 - two years on and it's more expensive. Every other manufacturer of tech devices manages to reduce pricing, not increase!
The GVA should of course be built in to the Core. That way you could voice control all your products when you are in talking range to the Core.
But I highly doubt that they will do something that actually upgrades a product you already paid for.
"You think we can slap some oak on this thing?"
w5bno123: I’ve never known B&O to successfully reduce costs, every year there’s a price rise!? If it’s not currency fluctuation it’s component price Increases from third parties.
I’ve never known B&O to successfully reduce costs, every year there’s a price rise!? If it’s not currency fluctuation it’s component price Increases from third parties.
True, but the reason most hardware manufacturer's reduce prices year-on-year is that the economies of scale is reduced over time, partly as the cost of recouping their R&D on the design and initial prototyping, is obtained within the first year or so. Not completely convinced about the 'component price increasing' as a good excuse for raising prices each year.
The BS2 is better value than the BS1. In hindsight, I wish I'd bought the BS2.
moxxey: w5bno123: I’ve never known B&O to successfully reduce costs, every year there’s a price rise!? If it’s not currency fluctuation it’s component price Increases from third parties. True, but the reason most hardware manufacturer's reduce prices year-on-year is that the economies of scale is reduced over time, partly as the cost of recouping their R&D on the design and initial prototyping, is obtained within the first year or so. Not completely convinced about the 'component price increasing' as a good excuse for raising prices each year. The BS2 is better value than the BS1. In hindsight, I wish I'd bought the BS2.
It's all about what you have to do with your free cash that you and your friends reported as "gross profit". If you used cash to build your stuff you get to spend it on what you want, like R&D or bonuses, or hiring, or stock purchase, or all kind of fun things. If you borrowed money to buy your raw materials then your free cash is probably gone. By communicating EBITDA it would be interesting to see what people were doing with money to need to raise prices.
Wonder why the CFO got the boot and the new board member is CEO of Panda? Affordable luxury is the new brand strategy, perhaps? Makes sense, putting B&O standard in some Fords, and blending the sub-brand back into the main brand. Just don't look behind the curtain.
When you say "bought in your raw materials" how does that apply when it's all outsourced?
Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1
Simonbeo: When you say "bought in your raw materials" how does that apply when it's all outsourced?
What a fun question! Would it depend upon whether I bought 1000 of your regular production and you or I stored them, versus me promising to buy those 1000 things you built over a period of time according to my specification? Those would have different impacts on both bottom lines, but I don't know how significant either would be.
It would also depend in how costs were amortised ; whether shared with the supplier or spent upfront. There are many variables we'll probably never know about.
I spoked to a dealer as I’m not interested in the voice assistant and he told e the mk1 will not support the docking station :-(
it it seems as well that in countries having voice assistants mk1 will not coexist with mk2.
The my buttons are one of the best features in the new generation: You don't need an app, your phone/tablet just to switch favorites (e.g. radio station for the kids, one for background music while dining etc.)Would the new Beosound 1 & 2 work when you physically cut off the internal microphones?
TWG: Would the new Beosound 1 & 2 work when you physically cut off the internal microphones?
Would the new Beosound 1 & 2 work when you physically cut off the internal microphones?
Sure, there is a switch at the buttom for this.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
TWG:The my buttons are one of the best features in the new generation
I very much share your view. Even explored in the past whether BeoRemote One could work with A9Mk2 to buy it only because of that functionality.
Even better now that 4 My Buttons are physically locate on the product itself. Winner feature for me.
Millemissen: TWG: Would the new Beosound 1 & 2 work when you physically cut off the internal microphones? Sure, there is a switch at the buttom for this. MM
Thanks, didn't know that. Is it a physical switch or just an electronical switch like e.g. on the Alexa speakers?
AnalogPlanet: TWG:The my buttons are one of the best features in the new generation I very much share your view. Even explored in the past whether BeoRemote One could work with A9Mk2 to buy it only because of that functionality. Even better now that 4 My Buttons are physically locate on the product itself. Winner feature for me.
Thank you for the hint; I almost forgot about the Beoremote One or Essence Remote use case for the new speakers. Do both remotes work with the 1st generation Beosound 1, too or only with the new Voice assisted Beosound 1?
TWG: Millemissen: TWG: Would the new Beosound 1 & 2 work when you physically cut off the internal microphones? Sure, there is a switch at the buttom for this. MM Thanks, didn't know that. Is it a physical switch or just an electronical switch like e.g. on the Alexa speakers?
A physical one - I was told, at a demo it in Struer lately.
Thank you MM! The possibility of disabling the microphones with a physical switch makes the new BS1 more attractive.
benoit: I spoked to a dealer as I’m not interested in the voice assistant and he told e the mk1 will not support the docking station :-(
TWG:Thank you MM! The possibility of disabling the microphones with a physical switch makes the new BS1 more attractive.
A “physical” switch doesn’t mean the microphones are physically disconnected. You have to verify the wiring to be sure of that.
Thanks for the feedback on the "my buttons". I hadn't thought this through so now I understand their value. I guess I'm not going to hurry to buy a Mk1 as I never liked having to fumble with my phone to use my Essence. Once I got a remote for the Essence I use it a lot more. I guess an Essence remote might provide similar capability for a Mk1 BS2 - i.e. give you a button to press for music vs. phone fumble - similar in cost, too with the Mk2 going ~$250 up in price (about the cost of a wheelie), but then you have 2 pieces instead of one.
I'm also glad to hear that the microphones can be switched off. Hopefully, it really switches them off. Then again, maybe it's part of Google's licensing agreement to not actually physically disable the mics
mbee: TWG:Thank you MM! The possibility of disabling the microphones with a physical switch makes the new BS1 more attractive. A “physical” switch doesn’t mean the microphones are physically disconnected. You have to verify the wiring to be sure of that.
That is how it is done....I was told.
Let's hope it not a "placebo button": https://www.cnn.com/style/amp/placebo-buttons-design/index.html
Anyone knows whether the dealers have the speakers yet?
I think this have something about licens to google, because they have the google cast and google voice built in, B&O need to pay google a fee for this. I dont know, but could be a reason. Remember also the aluminium fabric is still located in Struer and the cost of danish worker is rice every year. BS 1 and BS2 is pure aluminium from the aluminium fabric 5 in struer :)