HAR Buyout failed at $120 Now $26.50

[4345]

Wow. That is a mighty big drop in value. I hope it goes back up for the stockholders sake. I wonder what effect this will have on marketing decisions.

[BMWCCA]

Looks like they should be used to it by now:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=HAR#chart2:symbol=har;range=2y;indicator =volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;l ogscale=on;source=undefined

[soundmanshorty]

Looks like they should be used to it by now:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=HAR#chart2:symbol=har;range=2y;indicator =volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;l ogscale=on;source=undefined

When you flood the market with undesirable product, and dont offer what people want with arogance this is what you get.

There are alot of speaker and amp companies offering what people WANT, so this is the result. This is a company that has had reckless regard for the companies thety have destroyed, they had great products at 1 time that sounded good, and they discontinued them. again this is the result a company with next to 0 value now, I hope this company folds all together.

[10 Watt Street]

I read the rest of this in the print edition, quite interesting:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122229305205272783.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo

[hjames]

When you flood the market with undesirable product, and dont offer what people want with arrogance this is what you get.
...
again this is the result a company with next to 0 value now, I hope this company folds all together.

Well, that seems like a funny "thank you" for the time you've spent using their products and sharing your trade on this website.

Frankly, I have enough Harman stuff around that I sincerely hope they DON'T fold ... I've really enjoyed the products I've bought from them! The whole audio business has gone through MANY changes since the boom years of the 70s - so many other companies (good or bad) have gone, I'd sure like to see JBL stick around ...

And as to Companies with Arrogance - heck, look at the whole Detroit car bidness - there is so much misguided junk sold from the big tree - and the junk of the last 30 years hasn't doomed any of them but AMC/Jeep (yes, I know Jeep is here, but some would argue its hardly the same Jeep).

[Tweak48]

When you flood the market with undesirable product, and dont offer what people want with arogance this is what you get.

There are alot of speaker and amp companies offering what people WANT, so this is the result. This is a company that has had reckless regard for the companies thety have destroyed, they had great products at 1 time that sounded good, and they discontinued them. again this is the result a company with next to 0 value now, I hope this company folds all together.

I think HI has been a wonderful steward of JBL, harman/kardon, and Infinity, just to name a few. Furthermore, I consider Sid Harman to be a national treasure, who has contributed much to American culture through his products and technology.

What other CE-audio industrial giant has the commitment to product excellence that would staff a major R&D organization with engineering talent the likes of Dr. Floyd Toole?

If they can be criticized for anything in terms of "share value", it's a lack of obsession with the bottom line. It is much the same way the Costco (warehouse store chain) is criticized by market analysts: Costco doesn't charge customers enough and their pay and benefits to employees are too generous.

[Titanium Dome]

Look at Microsoft's chart. It's selling at $26 (down from $35).

How about Apple? It's selling at $81 (down from $198).

Philips Electronics (incl Denon and Marantz) is at $24 (down from $45)

Samsung is at 24,100 Won (down from 70,900 won).

There are many other examples, but it's obvious everyone is down--way down. Add in Harman's problems with succession, its near rape by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Goldman Sachs (a widely despised group of blood sucking money grubbers who routinely destroy jobs and companies in the interest of lining their own pockets--all of whom should live miserable, mean, petty, and painful lives followed by eons in a torturous hell), and the legacy of support they still provide for many long out of production products,, and I'm not sure why anybody would
1) be surprised the stock is down,
2) go out of their way to insult the company and its products, and
3) wish that the company, its worldwide employees, its brands, and it holdings would go away.

:hmm:

[BMWCCA]

How about Apple? It's selling at $81 (down from $198).Hey! I put in an alert for $90, I thought. Must have been $80. Makes up for when I didn't buy it at $76 a while back. Oh, I see it closed the day at over $98. Still a way down from a 52-week high of $202. Must be because they gave me a free MacBook Pro replacement . . . back when their stock was at $200. It's all my fault. :duck:

[Mr. Widget]

Must be because they gave me a free MacBook Pro replacement . . . back when their stock was at $200. It's all my fault. :duck:Apple's customer service is outstanding. Mrs. Gadget got an almost free MacBook Pro replacement for her dead PowerBook... she had to pay $125. That is what the out of warranty repair on the old un-repairable PowerBook would have been.

You know, JBL used to be like that... I remember getting a nice note after a free "warranty" repair from JBL letting me know that factory inspection detected user abuse, but they fixed the drivers anyway. What a company!


Widget

[4345]

I hope Harman survives and thrives. I wish all the shareholders and employees the best. I think with the new ecomomic realities that we face they will market more of what we are asking for. I think the bottom line will dictate they do more to satisfy consumers. I think the product development department is currently not as focused on what made JBL great, but may have to be so in the future.

I want a re-pro 375 driver. Alnico with a new diaphram!! They would sell a ton of them.

[soundmanshorty]

I think with the new ecomomic realities that we face they will market more of what we are asking for. I think the bottom line will dictate they do more to satisfy consumers. I think the product development department is currently not as focused on what made JBL great, but may have to be so in the future.

I want a re-pro 375 driver. Alnico with a new diaphram!! They would sell a ton of them.

I dont think they care what the customer wants because of there arrogance. They have not made a product imho that has sounded good in a long long time. Long Live TAD

[Titanium Dome]

Apple's customer service is outstanding. Mrs. Gadget got an almost free MacBook Pro replacement for her dead PowerBook... she had to pay $125. That is what the out of warranty repair on the old un-repairable PowerBook would have been.

You know, JBL used to be like that... I remember getting a nice note after a free "warranty" repair from JBL letting me know that factory inspection detected user abuse, but they fixed the drivers anyway. What a company!


Widget

I've gotten free repairs from JBL as well, but that's a difficult business model to perpetuate as it used to be practiced. So, yes, things are tighter, but they haven't lost that customer service attitude as much as some would think.

I don't know of too many companies that will just send you two free parts with free shipping just cause you say so.

[Titanium Dome]

Now of course, JBL requires that you be an actual customer and prove that you bought the product that needs the part, but that is reasonable. I used the self-repair service when I needed it, and it was quite a pleasure to use.

Of course, I actually buy current product, and even from authorized dealers (sometimes).

[Doc Mark]

Greetings,

I must join with those who support and appreciate what Harman has done and can say nothing but good about the company, from my own point of view. Almost all of the products I've had from H/K have been outstanding performers! Of all of them, only two CD players have given me problems. One was a changer, which, after MANY years of hard and flawless use, decided it couldn't "see" anymore. When I took it to a service place for repair, they wanted to charge me way too much, so I just bought another H/K unit, this time a single disk player. That one didn't last more than a few years, but when I contacted H/K about it, they told me to send it in to them. In less than a week, I had a brand spanking new model CD player, no charge, which has worked like a champ every since!! I most certainly cannot fault the company for wonderful service like that!! So, seems to me that someone has a pack full of dull axes, in their dislike for, and disrespect of, Harman/Kardon. I think that's short-sighted, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I guess. For that it's worth, I like H/K, and LOVE JBL, and that will very probably not change in the future, if my own experience with Harman is any judge of the way they do business. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[hjames]

Very interesting thing. Last night on WUSA-TV9, (http://www.wusa9.com/) (the local CBS affiliate),
during their 6Pm evening news show, there was a 20 second ad for Harman -
I saw it go by and flipped back via the TIVO to watch it again.
Basically just a page with a voiceover, it featured a gradient background,
the Harman Logo and a voice over talking about quality audio products.

I really would have expected the various sub brand logos to be scrolled past (JBL, Crown, etc),
but no such luck ...

of course, we DO have the Harman Center in town now ...
maybe it was vague branding related to that ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman_Center_for_the_Arts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Harman_Hall
http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/harmancenter/index.aspx