I read a report that says Bose has annual sales of 4.5 billion....wow.
Also of interest is the company apparently spends more on marketing than all other speaker manufacturers combined.
Just curious, any idea how JBL sales compare?
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I read a report that says Bose has annual sales of 4.5 billion....wow.
Also of interest is the company apparently spends more on marketing than all other speaker manufacturers combined.
Just curious, any idea how JBL sales compare?
Some companies sell there soul. Guess Armand is turning in his grave.
I know it's popular to trash Bose but, the original 901's were supposed to be a good product has anyone heard them that can comment.
Although I never heard them, they had a professional equivalent, the same size and basic design that employed eight 4" drivers all firing forward. They were excellent speakers for their intended application--crystal clear natural vocals. We used to use them for conferencing, and you could even playback music with acceptable results. A pair can easily cover 100 people in a meeting.
Don't forget the installed OE Bose systems for cars and all those table radios sold via infomercials. Not that Harman's Infinity and JBL don't operate as OE suppliers to the automotive industry. I suspect the lion's share of Bose sales are iPod docks, table radios, noise-canceling headphones, tiny-cube "HT-in-a-box" systems, and the like. My guess is their line of "home stereo" speakers isn't really pulling it's weight, either. Bose' sales success is simply a testimonial to the power of marketing, the stupidity of the American consumer, and changing lifestyles where "invisible" is a selling point for speakers, without regard for "fidelity".
We used to say if sales volume said anything about product quality, a Chevrolet Impala would be a quality vehicle. Now that GM is no longer a sales leader, maybe we're finding out that quality means more than it did, especially when money gets tight. You can't draw much of a conclusion in quality from sales-volume comparisons with JBL and Bose. The top-three best-selling automobile models in the U.S. last year were the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, and Toyota Camry. Unless you're looking for just basic appliances, you have to go a long way down the sales charts to find anything a descriminating buyer would consider quality in the car sales charts. Most likely the same is true for speakers.
Hi Akira, long time no chat.
I remember when the Bose 901's hit the scene in the mid 70's. They definately caused a buzz. A few guys I knew in Winnipeg bought them and flew them from the ceiling. I must admit they were impressive at the time. Were they high fidelity....no, but they sure could take high volume without blowing up.
Bose is a good example of marketing done well. Its a shame that Harman has not been able to recapture the consumer market to the degree JBL enjoyed in the 60's and 70's.
Ken
I remember being at a NAMM show in Chicago when they came out. They set up a demo PA at a blues club featuring Buddy Guy. I remember the high end being so shrill, I had to leave after just a few minutes. It could have been the FOH guy had the top end cranked, but it was dreadful.
I don't think audiophiles will be seeking out vintage Bose speakers like we do with vintage JBL speaker systems!!!
Regards, Ron
Take a company like Bose, I think it's very revealing when you compare what Bose spends on Research & Development compared to any major player like JBL. It WILL SHOCK YOU. :D
Absolutely... Bose, Bud, Marlboro cigarettes... all three offer an average product with above average marketing... leading to market dominance.
That said. Bose has focused on the desire to have invisible speakers as opposed to invisible sound. ;) Their consumer friendly designs at the cost of sonics have proven to be a very marketable design. JBL has to be blamed for not going after this market too. It can be done with better sonics than Bose and still be consumer friendly... unfortunately JBL hasn't put any serious R+D into this end of the market... their smaller systems are mostly "me too" junk.
Widget
Yes, hi Ken it's been a while, but I have been following your Westlake threads.
You are the man...I can't play in your league.
As I have said a number of times on LH, Westlake are the only system I have heard that have completely blown me away.
I once bought one of JBL's mini 'Bose' systems for an apartment I had years back...sounded worse than Bose but only cost $500. for a comlpete theater in a box. THE ONLY JBL'S I EVER RETURNED....but, the only thing JBL put into them was the sticker...the Chinese did the rest.