JBL Japan Purchases

[4313B]

Last year, Don alluded to what I perceived as a potential realignment of availability of these products worldwide.

I'm not an insider, nor do I have any inside connections regarding such matters.

I don't read between the lines very well, so I may be considerably off base on this.

Perhaps he can give us an update? :dont-know

[2251J pics tonight....]

Well I'd sure be happy to hear about it. Here is what I've been told as of yesterday - JBL Pro product, including components, can be ordered from JBL Pro Dealers (as always) and JBL Consumer product, including components, can be ordered from JBL Consumer Dealers. Some components, such as the 1500AL or 2242H are Pro drivers but can be sourced by JBL Consumer. Certain drivers highlighted on the Harman Japan website are available over the counter in the spirit of DIY. Some say Project May might help stimulate that market.

[vernb]

. Some say Project May might help stimulate that market.

Is project May actually still going? not much activity to follow on the web.
Vern

[4313B]

Is project May actually still going? not much activity to follow on the web.
Vern

That's because John W didn't do it. It probably would have been done three months after proposal. In hindsight we would have just had JBL drop kick everything to his address. Instead we shipped stuff everywhere and broke a bunch of it. Some people lost interest and wanted to spend what little free time they had working on their own projects instead. Some people moved. Some people had personal tragedies. Some people had job conflicts. If we all had the same zip code it would make a world of difference.

[Don McRitchie]

Last year, Don alluded to what I perceived as a potential realignment of availability of these products worldwide...

Perhaps he can give us an update? :don't-know

I'm not sure if I recollect exactly what comments of mine you were referring to, but I can offer the following. JBL Consumer has been changing how it addresses foreign markets for a number of years. According to Paul Bente, the head of JBL Consumer, the intent is to develop one product line to address both the international and consumer markets to the extent possible and centralize all product development at Northridge. However, it is likely that Harman Japan will always be an exception to this, with products that are solely developed for that market.

To elaborate, at the beginning of this decade there were three separate product development efforts under the JBL brand. Northridge was responsible for the North American market and high end export products. There was a separate design and manufacturing capability in France and Denmark for a European product line (e.g. Tik series) and Harman Japan (which was then a separate company) undertook their own development and manufacture of JBL branded products under license to Harman International.

Currently, the European operation has been completely consolidated into Northridge. The best example of this consolidation has been the Project Array series. This was actually started as a replacement for the Tik series and continues to be marketed for this purpose in Europe. However, it is also marketed in North America as a high end home theater line and in Japan as a more traditional hi-fi stereo line. Harman Japan has subsequently been re-acquired by Harman International and virtually all of the mid to high end product development is undertaken in Northridge. As a final example, Everest development and marketing was undertaken from the very start as being a worldwide product and product was sold into all markets the very first year. This was unprecedented for a JBL statement system.

As I previously indicated, it is unlikely that the Japanese product line will ever be fully homogenized into an all encompassing international JBL brand. The biggest unique offering in that market is the monitor series (4428, 4338, 4348 etc) and it will likely remain so. This is because market demand has never developed in the rest of the world to anywhere near the extent that it has in Asia. This is a phenomenon that has decades of history behind it. The original series of 4300 monitors (4333, 4340, 4350) from the mid 70's sold far higher numbers into Japanese homes than were ever installed in professional studios. Since then, the allure of the JBL monitor series has little diminished in Asia, while such consumer demand has never been established in any other part of the world.

[sourceoneaudio]

Giskard,
Where's them pics of them being worked on/empty?

Jeff
J/S-S1A

[hjames]

As I previously indicated, it is unlikely that the Japanese product line will ever be fully homogenized into an all encompassing international JBL brand. The biggest unique offering in that market is the monitor series (4428, 4338, 4348 etc) and it will likely remain so. This is because market demand has never developed in the rest of the world to anywhere near the extent that it has in Asia. This is a phenomenon that has decades of history behind it. The original series of 4300 monitors (4333, 4340, 4350) from the mid 70's sold far higher numbers into Japanese homes than were ever installed in professional studios. Since then, the allure of the JBL monitor series has little diminished in Asia, while such consumer demand has never been established in any other part of the world.

My only thought would be - if these Monitors are built in the US, I wish there was a way for US audiophiles to obtain a set of these modern Monitors without the trip-to-Japan-and-back and the associated gray-market that seems to be required for such a purchase.

[sourceoneaudio]

My only thought would be - if these Monitors are built in the US, I wish there was a way for US audiophiles to obtain a set of these modern Monitors without the trip-to-Japan-and-back and the associated gray-market that seems to be required for such a purchase.

I agree big time. Like I stated above I wonder if one could still purchase over there, keep the funds in their economy, but stop the shipment from here to Japan, and drop ship to your front door. Then you/we save tons on shipping and duty fees. Gray market issues don't really apply to this transaction because they are seeing a second dealer, no behind close door sales between stores/non dealers.

Jeff
J/S-S1A

[4313B]

My only thought would be - if these Monitors are built in the US, I wish there was a way for US audiophiles to obtain a set of these modern Monitors without the trip-to-Japan-and-back and the associated gray-market that seems to be required for such a purchase.

One would think. I didn't pursue it too much after hitting the initial brick wall since the inquiry was informational as opposed to "I want a pair and here's the money so how do we make it happen."

[4313B]

Giskard,
Where's them pics of them being worked on/empty?

Jeff
J/S-S1A

4348 enclosure.

[Don McRitchie]

My only thought would be - if these Monitors are built in the US, I wish there was a way for US audiophiles to obtain a set of these modern Monitors without the trip-to-Japan-and-back and the associated gray-market that seems to be required for such a purchase.

The problem will always be low demand. I can't imagine that there are many people who would be interested in these products domestically that are not already part of this forum. While a few have spoken on this forum expressing interest, I don't see enough demand to support sales numbers that would ever exceed single digits on an annual basis.

There seems to be an impression that there are no significant costs to selling a small number of systems domestically since the systems are made here anyway. This is just not the case. Setting up a distribution channel, modifying inventory, accounting and parts supply systems for warranty work all costs money. Amortizing these costs over a handful of sales annually would likely price the systems so high as to destroy what little demand may exist.

Don

[hjames]

The problem will always be low demand. There seems to be an impression that there are no significant costs to selling a small number of systems domestically since the the systems are made here anyway. This is just not the case. Setting up a distribution channel, modifying inventory, accounting and parts supply systems all costs money. Amortizing these costs over a handful of sales annually would likely price the systems so high as to destroy what little demand may exist.

Don

I had just assumed such sales could be done through a low volume channel like Harman Direct - but I guess not. Thanks for the taking the time to explain all of this!

[4313B]

Well I won't say anything more about it. Don is absolutely right from a business perspective.

[Zilch]

I had just assumed such sales could be done through a low volume channel like Harman Direct - but I guess not.

I don't consider Harman Direct as low volume. The appropriate channel might be Synthesis, instead, since these are high-ticket items, and that distribution is in place.

[Somewhat.... ]

[rww1951]

Check out this web page and select "WHERE TO BUY", what's up?

[rww1951]

Might help if I added the address http://www.jbl.com/home/products/pro...CheckProduct=Y