Major Focal Price Increases - Effective March 1, 2020
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
apdoc2004
Member
That is too bad. At these luxury prices, to have shoddy quality control is a deal breaker.
2FlyingYorkies
Member
We got in an order for a set of new Kanta 3's just prior to the price increase thanks to our dealer who gave us a heads up. These will be used for our new multi-channel basement music/movies system. We still have our Sopra 3's in the 2-channel room. Back when the Sopras arrived, one had a completely shattered glass base. This almost certainly happened during transport, even though there were no signs of damage to the shipping boxes. A new serial-matched replacement pair (not just a single speaker) was sent to us direct from the distributor and arrived within a week or so. Sorry to hear that others have had problems, but we've had the exact opposite customer service experience from Focal / Audio Plus. Having said all that, I can say with certainty that we would not have been a buyer at the new prices. Not sure where we would have ended up, but it wouldn't have been the Kantas.
What upgrades Focal making to new EVO III line? I was watching video on youtube where guy was comparing Focal Scala Utopia EVO to Wilson Sasha DAW and metinoned new scala price. I couldn't believe it so I googled it and he was right. New scala price is insane. Oh well probably more sales to Magico, Wilson, Rockport, YG Acoustics.
Yes the Focal /Naim mob have really gone for our jugular--the Naim pricing is also insane--sad in these tough times.
Frankly never liked Focal Speakers anyway--but I have fondness for Naim -owned various since the late 70's--still do!
Seen it before tho when a "Vulture Capitalist" outfit takes control. ( Sonus Faber/ McIntosh/etc).
Bruce
They better pray that after this pandemic gets over, economy bounce back quickly ( which i doubt), otherwise they are in for rude awakening for sure. I have feeling that this worldwide economy crash will wipe out some high end manufacturer. fingers crossed.
- Thread Author
- #28
Competition is the great equalizer.
I’m preparing for a presentation to our audiophile society tomorrow on the changes in the audio industry. Lots of discussions on high end audio and the Internet, a look at those few still stuck in the stone ages with “territories”, the future of e-commerce, trade shows and more.
As for the Covid 19 situation, we’ve had record sales. People staying at home and not traveling has been good for business.
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Glad to hear you are doing good business. Main question is whats going to happen when real tsunami starts? Crack already started in commercial real estate and more than 4 million residential mortgages are in deliquincy. Hope I'm proven wrong and high end audio continues doing great business in coming future years.
- Thread Author
- #30
There will certainly be segments of the economy that struggle: restaurants, travel, hotel, etc. but the underlying economy was so strong prior to C19, that I feel things will and are coming back. Roaring back? No, but coming back strong. It’s like a car racing down a hill at 100mph, you apply the breaks and yeah, you slow down to 10mph, but let off the breaks and you slowly pick of speed again. Economic momentum.
2008 was a different bird. We had crooks, thieves and liars everywhere. The banks and economic institutions, many in the real estate world were all in cahoots. I personally witnessed real estate agents in cahoots with appraisers who were in cahoots with lenders. They were encouraging people to own 6 or 7 or 13 homes in one case. It’s was a crooked mess.
2020 is a pandemic. It’s a hidden enemy. We will defeat it and come back stronger than ever, just like they did with the Spanish Flu and the roaring twenties that followed.
But I’m a long way off speaker prices now! Ha. Sorry.
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Odyssey
Member
- Thread Author
- #32
I doubt the freebie video conferencing software the group uses has that feature.