High end Audio for ladies? Check this out

i think the key to a successful audio business does not entail treating men or women differently. rather, if people are not pressured, left to browse and allowed to listen, both men and women will feel well served. after all, men and women are human beings. physical differences are irrelevant to consumption.

Women are more into high quality electronics than they used to. Take my older sister for example, she just spent a sizeable chunk of her home renovation budget on a B&W 800 and Classe home theater setup. Another lady friend of mine was just telling me how she believes in spending more on electronics to get better quality like the new pair of headphones she got. Also didn't Hifi News just do a feature on a mother and daughter, about them setting up a top of the line PMC system in their listening room or something. I mean those speakers are so butt-ugly that I won't even allow them any where near my home. The times are really changing.

I too wish you luck. I really think you will have the best luck selling Meridian F80's to women.

When I met my GF she had a boombox and that's all she really wants. She actually hates my system, wires, placment, etc, and I usually play it too loud for her.

But offer a woman of means a compact and stylish system that is not outrageously priced and I think they will be interested.

I have not heard the F80 but read it sounds fantastic.

Another of my GF's friends spends tons of money on shoes, clothes, furnishing, etc. She recently bought a stereo for... get this... $150.

Just the AC outlet many of use for our system (at least I do) cost close to that amount.

So I think it will a tough sell unless a truly novel set of products or appreach is offered. Actually completely hidden in wall systems would probably be of interest to some women.

A speaker manufacturer I get some of my HT speakers from custom makes speakers for Martha Stewart. She requests custom colors. So she's clearly an audiophile... among other things.

Mrtennis, you say that physical differences are irrelevant to consumption ???.Mrtennis, you are only partly right. Men and women of course will react positively if not pressured. But there is a lot more to consider and there are many specifics that apply to only men and only women in order to attract them in buying a product. There is a world of neuro-buttons to be pushed in the ''switchbox'' above. The audio business does not escape this, and yes, I think the key is to DO treat men and women differently. This is not a question of prejudice at all, but closing in on your target market. If that target market is women (like stereolady) you can bet that a specific - and different than men's - approach to the audio market will yield better results. As for the 99% of the other audio shops out there - they will of course say that they cater as much to the women as men - I don't beleive it one second. They sure would like their business - but most don't have a clue as to how to do it.

There is a traditionally sexist observation which states that a man will pay $2.00 for a $1.00 item he needs while a woman will pay $1.00 for a $2.00 item she doesn't need.

While I have seen many examples that support this comment, I can say that I see quite a few that contradict it. Buying tendencies seem to be more a product of personality type than gender. That said, I suppose there are certain personality traits that are fairly consistent along gender lines.

So selling to anyone must be attuned to that individual's personal triggers rather than what's in their pants.

These threads are full of anecdotes about guys who can buy anything being dissed at a hi-fi store because of the way they dressed or looked at a particular time. And they usually accompany complaints about the assumptions that must have been made. None of us like being rejected on the basis of appearance. We can go home and change clothes however. Women are dead at the door when they show up. It's not going to be easy to conceal a lady's gender, and I'm pretty certain she isn't going to want to just so she can hand some misogynist twit a few thousand dollars.