Heads-Up: ARC introducing new G Series

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?14690-High-End-2014

Phil,

Here's a few snippets from your "What's Best Forum" link:

"I think we are seeing the demise of ARC as we have known it, not saying its bad, just a significant change in direction.

Hold on to the ARC gear you have and purchase now because you never know what is going to happen. Inevitably, new owners [want] to make changes and that can be dangerous.... "

And another,

"Most definitely this is the driver behind this exercise. Catering to the emerging market of nouveau riche audio snobs in emerging markets - slap new look on existing designs, jack up price and presto. Can't fault commercial enterprises for wanting to make a buck though."

.................

Being a die-hard ARC fan, I will keep an open mind. But at the same time, I am concerned that ARC may be directing its marketing focus to a more well heeled market segment, thereby freezing folks like me out.

Having said that, if one looks at ARC's complete product line, I suppose a credible argument can be made that ARC hasn't written off us "lesser well heeled" folks. Instead, they're just filling in the market niche between the Ref series and the "super" Ref 10 line.

Personally, I would like to see ARC cater more downstream by raising the Q factor of their existing product lines even more than the high level at which they are holding and lowering prices (gasp). But I suppose that the Fine Sounds Group market analyst types have done their homework and run the numbers.

Last point ... I remember from my basic marketing courses way back in Business School (40+ years ago) that a common marketing technique that retail companies often use is to change the package to keep an "old" product looking fresh. I hope the G Series is more than just pretty gingerbread and KT-120 tubes.

Hopefully we'll learn more from ARC in the coming weeks.

I think it's Fine Sounds and the Italian designers trying to make their mark on things, at least aesthetically. They have also done this to Wadia. With companies such as Wadia and ARC and their heritage, I would think you would want to take more of a hands off aporoach as a parent company.

My main thing is I just don't want to see ARC get too 'watered down' with too many products and a less than clear distinction between products. Like you said, time will tell.

Phil ... well put. By the way, as you may know, another private equity group and some of the McIntosh management team partnered to take over Fine Sounds Group. That may herald another direction yet. As you said what I said, "time will tell."

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http://www.audio-reference.de/?s=audio+research
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