L100 Classic

[Donald]

Did I (we) miss this?

https://www.audioholics.com/tower-speaker-reviews/jbl-releases-updated-iconic-jbl-l100-speakers

$4000? More than a pair of L300?

[DES-1]

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?40501-JBL-by-HARMAN-Introduces-Updated-Iconic-JBL-L100-Loudspeaker-at-CES-2018


You can read it but I think the consensus was $4k was more than the originals allowing for inflation, but not that much more. Then again, technology and materials of today make the timeframe of the originals look like Stone Age relics. Further, the number of well-off consumers who can afford such luxuries has probably expanded by an order of magnitude.

What will surprise me is if the L300's can maintain their prices indefinitely. I don't mean this in a caustic way, I'm just wondering how long it is before the rekindled interest in vintage audio begins to fade. Considering my recent purchases I am certainly not a corroborating datapoint!

[Ed Kreamer]

Colleagues,

My first reaction to the $4k price tag was: whoa! too much! But is it ? The Klipsch Forte III has a retail price of $1800 ea, the Harbeth is $15k pr! I can imagine my trying to justify that to my beloved wife: "but Dear, the nut jobs
over at Absolute Stereo blew all their fuses over these things! we can put in a new kitchen floor next year.

I think I may require a drink to calm my nerves.

[SEAWOLF97]

Then again, technology and materials of today make the timeframe of the originals look like Stone Age relics.

maybe ... that's a stretch, but JBL did pretty well with the technology and materials of that day. Original L100's still bring many smiles. :D

[Ian Mackenzie]

There is change however in pricing at reseller level across the industry.
The problem is with global distribution like Harman they have an importer and then a reseller.

So Harman pitch a RRP $4000 price to cover all shipping, import and landing charges and mark ups.
The market ups are at least 100%
So Harmon might export for $1000. They do the www website and marketing, PR, advertising and major trade shows.

The cubed cost of shipping is relatively high as are landing costs on hifi loudspeakers
The importer absorbs landing and shipping fees and wholesales to the reseller for $2000
The reseller has an RRP by Harman of $4000

But the savvy hifi consumer might find a price discrepancy on the www where a foreign market reseller actual retail price is significantly lower than his local RRP. Harman and other global brands cant really control this other than threatening to break distribution signed agreements which is why you don’t see the likes of Jbl being consistently stocked. Their RPP is deemed too high against other competing brands.

This is impacting on the RRP of some big brands and the RRP is being adjusted down to make those brands for competitive. If they don’t they start going out of business.

In some cases the manufacturers are taking up the role of distribution in foreign countries to be price competitive against other brands. But that means employers overheads go up and local business costs.

The new classic L100 is another foray by Harman to get back into the hifi market by pitching at the hipsters.

Is the new classic L100 priced correctly? Time will tell.

[DavidF]

I saw this a while back. My first reaction was that it look's like someone else's superficial knockoff. Fair or not, I just don't get what is up with this effort.