B&K 307 Review- Does this sound familiar? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Austin]

I have at least 4-5 stores within 15 minutes of my house that I can get the Pioneer from.

I'm sure living in LA has nothing to do with that. Good guys isn't exactly a national chain, by any means, like CC is.

 

[Gifford L]

They are all Mass Market because they are mass produced on a large scale. BB and CC don't carry the 49tx but places like Ultimate Electronics do.

 

[Robert George]

I don't necessarily consider the terms "mass produced" and "mass market" to be interchangable. Although a piece like the 49TX and the Denon 5803 are manufactured using modern mass production techniques, I certainly don't consider audio gear that retails for over $4000 to be even designed for the "mass market".

These are specialty products that are more a technology statement for their respective companies and intended to be showcased by the best dealers. The fact that one can occasionally find a deal on some of these type products on the internet does not change the fact that they are designed and built for a relatively small segement of the market. Indeed, Pioneer Elite is not supposed to be sold by mailorder and I know companies like B&K, Denon, and Marantz also try to protect their authorized dealers that sell their top line products.

 

[RajeeK]

The fact that one can occasionally find a deal on some of these type products on the internet

Occasionally???? Hardly, you can find Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo EVERYWHERE on the internet for very good prices. Even the most amature surfer can get a better "net" price than a local B&M store. The manufacturers may frown on this publically, but privatly I'm sure a good percentage of their sales come from "unauthorized" dealers. Lets not kid ourselves, they don't crack down very heavily because it's still a sale. If they they didn't want them out at unauthorized dealers, then simply ONLY distribute the unit to authorized dealers. But they look the other way. There would be far far fewer flagship units out there if there were not the unauthorized dealer sales. How many of the 49TX owners here got their unit from an internet site vs. an authorized dealer? Maybe 50/50? The more units a company can get out to the public, the more promotion that unit creates. Just look at us, we keep touting our 49TX's. But if only 1 or 2 of us could afford the authorized dealer price, there would certainly be far less talk about that unit here. Bottom line, it may not be mass produced like non-flagship models, but it certainly is targeted to the mass market.

 

[Robert George]

Rajee,

Surely you don't consider us the "mass market"? I don't. The majority of people on this forum and others like it are not representative of what I consider the "mass market".

And BTW, most Circuit City stores I have been in don't carry Pioneer Elite and those that do rarely have the top model. Even my local Elite dealer doesn't have the 49TX on display because, in his words, it costs more than the vast majority of his customers will spend. I consider Good Guys a cut above the average Circuit City.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I think most consumers of "mass market" or "mass produced" equipment would be hard pressed to spend more than $500 on a home theater receiver.

 

[RajeeK]

Surely you don't consider us the "mass market"? I don't. The majority of people on this forum and others like it are not representative of what I consider the "mass market".

I certainly agree with you 100% on that point. The regular posters here probably account for less than 1% of the home theater enthusiasts. That being said, I still think these flagship models are targeted to the masses out there. Namely the silent majority of flagship owners that just don't frequent home theater sites.

 

[Rob Roth]

Price may be part of the differentiation between Mass Market and Specialty but there are other factors:

Product features are typically more advanced on cutting edge products- which are, again typically, didtributed through specialty shops.

The degree of staff knowledge and involvement helps distinguish between mass and specialty distribution channels. We have all had the experiences of; a.) Knowing much more than the clown at CC and, b.) actually learning something at a good retailer. Some manufacturers provide onsite or factory training for distributors.

There are some brands which occupy an ambiguous position in the marketplace. They may be the top brand (or product line) carried by a mass retailer while simultaneously being the entry level at a specialty retailer.

 

[RajeeK]

There are some brands which occupy an ambiguous position in the marketplace. They may be the top brand (or product line) carried by a mass retailer while simultaneously being the entry level at a specialty retailer.

Good point. Although flagships wouldn't certainly be considered entry level most anywhere, I think they do have a place in both specialty and the upper tier chain stores.

 

[Chip E]

You can't find ANY flagship receivers at ANY Circuit City near me including the Onkyo 989. You'd have to go to Tweeter whick doesn't carry Onkyo or Integra, in my area (South Jersey). Having said that, Tweeter doesn't stock the 49TX, it's special order. I did get my 5803 from Tweeter (and my previous B&K 307).