I think this is a great thread. First let me say that I don't own any AudioQuest (AQ) cables. Let me try to address your points. With regard to AQ benefitting from the existence of bogus copycat lookalikes: I would agree with that as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as they say. With regard to AQ deliberately allowing it to happen I am 50/50 on that one. I guess in theory AQ could drop their prices enough to put the copycats out of business, but that is not sound business strategy. With regard to the notion of being responsible for the copycats in the first place, I would not agree with that as the existence of the copycats is just the free market capitalist machine at work. Is AQ doing everything they possibly can to make the copycats' job harder? I doubt it. Is AQ doing anything in that regard? I don't know. Do they have a responsibility to do anything? I would think so, in order to protect their reputation. And lastly, as far as AQ being an "innovative" company: personally I find their marketing strategy to be off-putting. How so? They have too many products, each with slick names which lack imagination and give the consumer absolutely no clue whatsoever about the products' performance. The sum total of that marketing strategy is intended to bewilder the consumer, such that they only thing left to do is assume that their cable which they charge X for is better than a competing cable which is lesser in price. Cable companies are notorious for this type of marketing strategy, and I find AQ to be one of the biggest offenders in this regard. I could name others but since the topic deals with AQ I will leave it at that; the other cable companies who do this know who they are.
Counterfeit Audioquest Cables
I just wanted to put out a general query in regards to how people feel Audioquest is handling the issue of counterfeit cables. Personally, I am a huge fan of Audioquest and their products but I feel there could be a little more room for transparency on their behalf... No pun intended...
I don't mean to sound like a total heretic or a paranoid conspiracy theorist but I don't feel like my suspicions would be totally misplaced if I were to speculate that Audioquest is not only benefiting from the existence of bogus copycat look alikes but that they are deliberately allowing it to happen if not entirely responsible for it in the first place.
It is undeniably an effective way to dissuade consumers from private sales and coercing them into paying full retail prices for any of their products. It's also hard to ignore the steady decline in classified ads for Audioquest products on the various audiomarts.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, the AudioQuest Authentication Process also does not require them to explain their findings thus granting them authority to summarily judge a cable's authenticity.
In my humble opinion, a company as innovative as Audioquest could certainly divine a method to apply serial numbers to their products. That way, everything could be traceable and consumers could register their products. Not to mention that Audioquest could rebuild some of the lost confidence in their brand name.
Am I totally out of line here or perhaps missing something obvious? I would love to hear more points of view...
I don't mean to sound like a total heretic or a paranoid conspiracy theorist but I don't feel like my suspicions would be totally misplaced if I were to speculate that Audioquest is not only benefiting from the existence of bogus copycat look alikes but that they are deliberately allowing it to happen if not entirely responsible for it in the first place.
It is undeniably an effective way to dissuade consumers from private sales and coercing them into paying full retail prices for any of their products. It's also hard to ignore the steady decline in classified ads for Audioquest products on the various audiomarts.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, the AudioQuest Authentication Process also does not require them to explain their findings thus granting them authority to summarily judge a cable's authenticity.
In my humble opinion, a company as innovative as Audioquest could certainly divine a method to apply serial numbers to their products. That way, everything could be traceable and consumers could register their products. Not to mention that Audioquest could rebuild some of the lost confidence in their brand name.
Am I totally out of line here or perhaps missing something obvious? I would love to hear more points of view...