<January 25, 2012> Onkyo Corporation had a very busy CES, not just because of the recent news of their strategic partnership with Gibson Guitar (and subsequent to CES, a partnership with Teac), but because the company was showing and demonstrating new technologies recently announced that will enhance their soon-to-be-released receiver line up. Paul Wasek, Onkyo National Marketing and Product Planning Manager, took the ALERT around the Onkyo booth to show and demonstrate these technologies. [Read more…] about Onkyo Demos New Technologies at CES
Marketing
Look! Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s…HiFiMAN
See UPDATE below article…
>See a slideshow with images from the HiFiMAN press conference here<<
<January 25, 2012> One of the more pleasant surprises of the show was an opportunity to meet a company – new to me but apparently known amongst many high end aficionados for awhile now – with a name that struck me as a little goofy – HiFiMAN. But, as I was soon to learn, the name fits…owner Dr. Fang Bian is a man truly dedicated to high fidelity sound reproduction…even in the face of our portable, overly-compressed, MP3 digital music world. Bian is truly a HiFiMAN. [Read more…] about Look! Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s…HiFiMAN
At CES – Monster Turns from Performance to Fashion Model Runway to Sell Headphones
>>See a full slideshow of the Monster Press Conference here<<
<January 25, 2012> In what had to be one of the more unusual press conferences we’ve attended, Monster Cable – who wants us all to drop the “Cable” from their name – launched a whole roster of partnerships including the clothing brand Diesel, and put on a fashion show for both their Diesel-related products and their new Inspiration headphone line. Yes, that’s right, we said a fashion show complete with models walking down a runway of sorts (a cleared center aisle) with music blaring and flashing colored lights, showing off various Monster headphones. [Read more…] about At CES – Monster Turns from Performance to Fashion Model Runway to Sell Headphones
Awash in a Sea of Incrementalism, Pre-Show Press Day was a Desperate Search for Innovation
<January 18, 2012> The day before the International Consumer Electronics Show opens, the show promoter holds something they call “Press Day.” Press Day is a mind-numbing endurance test of the media’s stamina with back-to-back-to-back-to-etc. press conferences. Each press conference is supposed to be 45-minutes long to give the press 15-minutes to move to the next one. [Read more…] about Awash in a Sea of Incrementalism, Pre-Show Press Day was a Desperate Search for Innovation
Onkyo & Gibson CEO’s Give the ALERT the Inside Scoop on their New Partnership
Gibson Guitar Becomes Exclusive U.S. Distributor of Onkyo & Integra Brands
<January 18, 2012> As one of a select (and very small) group of reporters invited to a hastily-arranged private audience with the CEO’s of both Gibson Guitar Corp. and Onkyo Corp. to discuss their recently announced strategic alliance, I was intrigued. The interview was held on a custom Gibson tour bus literally and figuratively…as the Gibson CEO clearly drove the discussion. [Read more…] about Onkyo & Gibson CEO’s Give the ALERT the Inside Scoop on their New Partnership
CES Wrap-Up #1 – The Big News at CES Was That There was No Big News
<January 18, 2012> When my kids were younger, they used to really love those Magic Eye puzzles. You know, the puzzles that look busy with lots of bright designs and graphics, but a hidden image is buried within them if you put your nose on the page, defocus your eyes, and really concentrate? This could be a pretty good analog of this year’s recently completed CES. How so, you ask? [Read more…] about CES Wrap-Up #1 – The Big News at CES Was That There was No Big News
Once Again, It’s Show Time – Our CES Survey Results Reveal Reader’s Real Intentions
<January 4, 2012> Next week, the International Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas, NV starting January 10 and running through the 13th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Over the last few years, many ALERT and BEACON readers have indicated to me that they no longer attended the event as they feel the show is no longer targeted at the specialty side of the business – and instead were using the CEDIA Expo as their main show. [Read more…] about Once Again, It’s Show Time – Our CES Survey Results Reveal Reader’s Real Intentions
CEDIA Membership Meeting was Remarkable for What Was Said… and for What Wasn’t
<December 28, 2011> The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) held its annual Membership Meeting through a webinar on Tuesday with a total of 76 attendees including CEDIA members, press, and others. The meeting, conducted by CEDIA Board of Directors Chairman Randy Stearns, was remarkable both in terms of what was presented…and what wasn’t. [Read more…] about CEDIA Membership Meeting was Remarkable for What Was Said… and for What Wasn’t
Of Two Big Tech Stories in 2012, This One Will Likely Be the Biggest…and Scariest
<December 28, 2011> We now can predict with a reasonable level of certainty two huge technology stories coming up in 2012. They may in fact turn out to be the biggest stories of the entire year. One is the impending public offering of Facebook, a story that will likely mean the minting of yet another Forbes billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg. But the story that many feel will be the biggest of the big is the impending launch of Apple’s long-rumored iTV. [Read more…] about Of Two Big Tech Stories in 2012, This One Will Likely Be the Biggest…and Scariest
Velodyne Vaults into Direct-to-Consumer Sales Leaving Sales Reps Behind
<August 2, 2011> Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. (Velodyne) surprised many in the industry last week by summarily dismissing their independent sales representative force and announcing that they would begin selling Velodyne subwoofers direct to consumers via a new online ecommerce website. The webstore was already open by the time some of the sales representatives received their termination notice. [Read more…] about Velodyne Vaults into Direct-to-Consumer Sales Leaving Sales Reps Behind
