I had to go back to the initial post to verify the title; seemed as though it needed to reeled back in.
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Direct shipped to your door at wholesale prices!!
I read somewhere on this thread there are PS Audio speaker prototypes! Am I on the right thread? If @Elk has to relocate the rest of the thread post that went off the tracks heās going to be busy!
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For those who did not follow the thread, PS Audio is targeting the publication of the new speakers late summer / fall this year prior to RMAS, that is, if that show is going to take place. As far as current North American c-19 entry ban is concerned it might be a very national event.
The fact that this thread is open for so long and goes in all kind of directions is that PS Audio has demonstrated every detail of the development for the first and second attempts. Then they experienced that none of the feedback they get via this forum is very productive for a rationalized and less ad hoc development process and shut the communication down.
It was fun following the first attempts.
It makes me wonder what will be the end result and more importantly how and where customers will be able to listen to them.
The first attempts have been presented as the best technology. But yet, according to PS Audio, they did sound so far from optimum, that the entire design philosophy needed to be changed. This just demonstrates how important it will be to listen to the speakers first, prior to spending the money.
If and when the live see, feel listening session is satisfying I might pull the trigger on expensive equipment like those speakers.
Not the other way around, paying them first, never having seen, touched and heard them live.
The way these speakers are demonstrated and sold matters a lot.
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I had an audio engineer/designer around at my house yesterday and he observed that you canāt get people to appreciate good sound until they hear it. To me, long term this seems the fundamental disconnect, how is anyone going to get new customers selling premium audio direct?
The dealers I mainly use sell at all price-ranges, you just canāt be selective about your customers. They may buy a $1,000 product now, but a $100,000 product in 20 years time. In their portfolio of products, PS Audio would not be high end.
Michael Fremerās knowledge and enthusiasm are well respected in the industry. Every item the Michael has reviewed that I own is on the mark. There are unfortunately some people who remind me of houseguests who overstay their welcome and disparage their hosts. They shall remain unnamed but we know them well.
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Paul, Iām sure you made the right decision for the USA. As Iāve explained before, in the UK and EU you canāt dump dealers or sell direct against them.
Amazon are pioneering in many ways. When they started, their customer service was truly terrible. They realised the impact on their business and have now become the most customer-focused business in the world. This philosophy is from Bezos down and there are no excuses or exceptions. Itās a bit like the IBM blue-suits of years ago, but taken to extremes. For a direct seller, Amazon now probably have the best customer service in the world. My wife ran an Amazon business and I helped her quite a bit, so was convinced that direct selling/service can be incredibly effective, but can be a very complex process.
I can understand it was not an easy transition. With regard to pricing, Iāve not worried about dealer margins. I would have thought that some people will buy regardless and others like me who are price-sensitive will consider a product/price on its merits, irrespective of who profits. Thatās not my concern.
In my experience the best after-sales service is to make products that are 100% reliable.
p.s. I just spent $300 on a Neotech mains cable to run from a new consumer unit to the audio plug socket. My builder, who had run 2 x 6amp flex, thinks Iām completely mad.
Thanks, Steven and yes, youāre right on all counts.
It makes no sense for us to try and go direct outside the US - my Germanās ok, but not up with our distributorās and my Japaneseā¦. 
A hybrid model where our distributors have some direct sales might someday make sense, but I cannot foresee any scenario where a factory direct approach would make sense for us or our customers.
We put the customer experience first in all we do - even trying to make products that donāt break but so far, no company I know can claim that. We are trying.
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Bottom line you made the characterization of the echo chamber. You can take that back or a bunch of folks like me will call you on it because it is BS. I own one piece of PS Audio gear in my system and have gotten plenty of advice on all sorts of products from this PS audio forum. An echo chamber it is not.
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We are going to stop the āecho chamberā discussion, as well as the other bickering.
This goes for everyone and is not aimed at @minnesotafats , he just happens to the last one who posted.
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A big thank you to Elk for moving many posts from the speaker thread to this one where it is much more appropriate. Also, it should be obvious (look at the āsliderā on the right side), but this topic was first discussed in August 2019, almost two years ago. Itās a little late to voice disagreement, that train left the station a long time ago.
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@Paul donāt you think itās time to build a second subsidiary factory/legal entity in Europe?
- Assembling parts directly purchased from China to Europe, as now PS Audio is doing in Boulder - less import custom fees, speedier supplier times, perhaps better production costs.
- Avoiding expensive VAT (even if is due in any case, it would apply it on a cheap net amount) due to import US-EU if you produce in Europe, so that the end price for customers is inferior than now. And no custom taxes (duty extra cost and shipment overseas extra cost) of course within EU countries (Not mention UK after Brexit unfortunately)
- Increasing number of PS Audio customers in Europe, due to prices more affordable, trade up and trade in programs - a true revolutionary thing here - (how many new customers may reach in Europe if people would try at home your product? Never heard, almost here in Italy, about brands able to do the same)
- Shipping delivery would be better. At the moment I experienced 2/4 months waiting for order (thanks to Scott and Travis reduced - here again why going direct is win/win policy!)
- PS Audio would go direct sales also in Europe, as in US. And probably it would be the first step to provide entire EMEA area in a second time.
- Used PS Audio products would be finally on the market for customers - now only McIntosh brand keeps value after years here - a totally new market of second hand gear (made also directly from PS Audio under manufacturer warranty!?!) and most of all increasing sales of new PS Audio models in future in substitution of old ones at the moment truly impossible here with actual dealers.
Already a lot of brands are doing so: furnitures, cars, top famous fashion clothes or shoes, consumer tech, etc etc
What do you think about this idea? And if you think about quality of life: happiness, art, food, healthā¦ Italy would be one of the right solutions or Spain. Or Ireland or Portugal for taxes convenience. Or France or Germany for logistics reasons. Or Denmark for some of your best forum guys. Or Amsterdam, in this case remember this time to pay more attention with your VW van before!!! Orā¦ whatever in EU you wantā¦ we European follower of HiFi Family would be happy!
Ask @Elk to creat a new thread from this post or change it if this one is not appropriate, thanks a lot.
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I know just enough about European distribution law to be dangerous, so take this with a grain of salt. But my impression is that European law doesnāt give a manufacturer as much freedom as in the US to totally change its distribution model and go to direct sales at the expense of distributors or dealers.
Having said that, what @luca.pelliccioli suggests obviously makes a ton of sense. Seems like a lot of potential. Of course, the distance between the potential and the actual is often great. Anyway, good thoughts!