SVS Subs not in S&V Buyer's Guide... (1 Viewer)

[Sheldon]

Why would they exclude them from including them in their highly hyped Buyer's Guide?I don't have a SVS Sub yet but will have one when I save enough but it's obvious that by reading the postings here and on other forums that this is one of the best subs on the marketplace.I've also noticed that another Buyer's Guide also did not include them or at least I couldn't find them anywhere.I think that I will send S&V an email asking them why were they excluded.

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Sheldon,
SVS is still a very small fish in a very large pond. It's probably more our fault we aren't listed...as we just haven't had the time to pursue that type of exposure yet.
Instead of the guides and walking around ces for a week...Ron and I are busy working on some very cool things(VERY cool ) for SVS. We're already working on 3 models past the CS+ introduction which hasn't even begun shipping yet!(PC+,PC_U,PC_SS). And...we'll have some additional announcments to make on valentine's day(or before) that may drop a few jaws too...
Ron and I talk about going to CES every year...but to tell you the truth, I think we'd both be looking around thinking...
"my god, just think how much we could have gotten done at SVS today..."
TV

 

[Sheldon]

Tom,I'm sure that you were asked this a thousand times but have you considered letting a respectable higher-end brick & mortar store selling SVS.I now that it is very important to walk first before running but I feel that by talking to people and reading the various forums that your company definately has what it takes.I currently don't have a SVS but I can guarantee you that when I have enough saved you can count on another sale...I have to purchase something for the Mrs first though since I recently upgraded my Receiver.As you know with the exchange rate between Canada and the US,their is quite a difference between the selling price and landed price but even at that I believe that is still somewhat a bargain.Regards...

 

[Steve Zimmerman]

I'm sure they have thought of that, but how does the retail store make any money? ASSUMPTION: In order to be profitable, a retail store must be able to buy merchandise at 50% of retail. Here are the scenarios:

(1) SVS keeps its prices the same; retail store sells for same price as SVS online. Therefore, retail store must be able to purchase the CS+ for $299 in order to sell it for $599. CONCLUSION: Somehow I doubt SVS has a built in profit margin large enough to be able to make money at $299 each.

(2) Retail store sells CS+ for more than SVS online; perhaps SVS sells to retail store for $400, sells to online customers for $599, retail store sells CS+ for $799. CONCLUSION: Nobody is going to buy from the retail store.

(3) SVS increases the online price to $800, sells to retail store for $400, retail store sells for $800. CONCLUSION: The consumer pays an extra $200 just so the retail store can exist.

--Steve

 

[Sheldon]

You may be right Steve however manufacturere generally have a volume rebate policy that sends additional allowances back to the retail stores in the form of co-op monies used for things such as advertising or shelf space.All that I am suggesting is that it's very possible for a win-win situation for all concerned.

 

[Bruce N]

Tom and Ron have discussed this before and the consensus seems to be that they cannot trust a brick and mortar store to deliver the type of Customer Service that SVS would require.
Sounds like the old "If you want something done right you have to do it yourself!"
Bruce

 

[Magpile]

I thought people don't buy anything but SVS?

Anyway, with a retail store, people would be able to demo a SVS sub, they could even bring in their old Sansuii receiver with that big rotary AM/FM tuning knob to see if they could power it.

As far as customer service, you guys must imply places like Best Buys, since the local audio dealer allows people to bring home various subs to try out, and no shipping fee if it none work out for you.

 

[RAF]

SVS Subs not in S&V Buyer's Guide...

And this is a bad thing because....

 

[David Head]

I've already sent an email to S&V complaining that their buyer's guide doesn't include SVS and other internet direct manufacturers such as Ascend Acoustics, Adire Audio, Home Theater Direct and nOrh (although Aperion Audio and Outlaw Audio are included). Anyone that has spent any time on any of the major home theater forums knows about SVS, so I don't think the people that worked on the guide have an excuse. Companies like SVS shouldn't have to request that their products be included or need to advertise in the magazine to get them listed.

David

 

[Paul Gere]

I'm perfectly fine with SVS not appearing in any buyers guides. Let the uninformed spend more than they should for great subs - their loss! This company, its people and its products speak for themselves and are something special that will get the HT rags' attention in due time. Until then, consider SVS a "best kept" secret...but not for long!
SVS available through brick & mortar shops?!? Wake up and smell the silicon! The SVS business model WORKS because you (the consumer) communicate and buy directly with/from SVS (the vendor) with great products, exceptional communication and world class service. Why on earth would you want to mess with that?!?...especially when it's working as well as it is for both parties! Show me a brick & mortar shop with expertise and service like SVS!
...an unpaid endorsement from a happy SVS customer.
P.S. Take it from a Marketing guy...If you don't think there's a correlation between advertising dollars and editorial coverage in print media, I'd be happy to introduce you to the Easter Bunny and if you're really good....you can meet Elvis. Kudos to SVS for smashing the mold!

 

[Everett A]

The company I am with markets their product direct as well.

Steve Zimmerman's post was pretty much bang on.

The costs of a brick and mortar operation are very high. Advertising seems to be the number one cost. Rent is also very high. Anyway, the manufacturer would need to maintain their profit margin, and then tbe retailer would need to make their profit plus cover all of their other expenses.

Another great point that was made was that the customer service wouldn't be as good. I agree with that. Although some places would be fine, you can't control every retailer. And not only would the customer service be unpredictable, but then imagine the sales guys.

I know that the post suggested a higher end shop, but I know of a very high end shop in town where some of the salespeople feed absolute garbage to customers (eg. claiming that an automatic convergence feature on an hdtv is far more effective than a properly done manual 56 pt). Unless you could clone Tom and Ron and put them into every store, it couldn't happen.

In my eyes, going the retail route is not always really a "step up" and something that a company is "ready for". In fact, there are many very high quality products that are only sold direct because of the reasons that Steve mentioned. From a quality and value perspective, products sold at retail have a hard time competing with companies that funnel the majority of their resources into a great product (and great service) rather than all the other peripheral costs of a b&m.

We've gotten the question before of "Why don't you sell in stores?", and the answer really is that you can't do both (b&m AND direct).

 

[Bill_D]

Just look at this way:

SVS is our own little secret ... that everyone knows about!

 

[Ariel]

i just hope that SVS should consider distributors outside of the US. This will be a big help for those people who also want a good product to enjoy. For the price, i think that svs will still be cheaper considering the performance that it can offer.

 

[Raine Linton]

S&V is just another opinion(review), there are plenty to be found on forums and at audioreview. That's what I based my decision on, people using SVS subs in real home situations.

SVS take your time about getting into a magazine review...word of mouth is more powerful!.

 

[Charles J P]

And...we'll have some additional announcments to make on valentine's day(or before) that may drop a few jaws too...

Most likely something that will cost me more money.... you guys suck

 

[SVS-Ron]

We've had a number of folks write us in angst (that's the way Germans refer to what we'd call buyer's remorse ;^) regarding how "things yet to come" might make their subs (even ones they don't have yet, like the CS-Plus line) obsolete.

No way. NONE of our subs become obsolete. Sometimes they improve in certain ways. Drivers, amps, endcaps, tubing, baseplates, hell even BOXES are always improving (we had a famous debate here about model progression and how SVS is comitted to ALWAYS innovating and improving).

In this case there is unlikely to be anything that surpasses the CS-Plus line in terms of price/performance. Ever.

We've already related there will be a "PC-Plus" subwoofer and we'd like to find ways to improve performance and lower price of our famous self-powered PC subs, but that's nothing new (inflationary pressures notwithstanding).

Anything to make the next SVS even better, or more affordable we're going to do. Take that to the bank. We know that upsets a few folks but it's not going to change.

One caveat alluded to above... given the prices we all pay for life's necessities tend to go up, you can't always be sure SVS prices can't go up too, just due to inflation. You can't eat subwoofers, we've tried. Our employees don't seem to care for that either. So change MIGHT sometimes require higher prices. One thing you will NEVER see, is lower performance OR quality on any given sub line. We will never "decontent" a subwoofer to increase profits. This attitude is more rare in the industry than you might imagine. There will be folks upset by price increases, and folks upset by price decreases. We've been doing this long enough to understand both perspectives. Hope you can understand we must move with the market (the competition only LOOKS like it's resting ;^), and the state of the art too.

If we feel any given sub is so changed that it warrants a wholly new model designation we'll do that too. It could happen.

Ron

 

[Charles J P]

We've had a number of folks write us in angst (that's the way Germans refer to what we'd call buyer's remorse ;^) regarding how "things yet to come" might make their subs (even ones they don't have yet, like the CS-Plus line) obsolete

Ooops, that is soooo not what I was implying. I was involved in a very unpleasant discussion revolving around this a month or so ago. I was referring to rumours that SVS might someday go outside the sub product range. By the by... I am very pleased with my 16-46CS and its about the least obsolete thing I own.

 

[SVS-Ron]

No problem Charles, but lots of other folks thought so (not based on anything you said!).

Other projects we might have on the books are hush hush and strickly on the QT.

Till we announce them here anyway. ;^)

Ron