Re: Grumpy guy observation about the X32 thread
Not a specific but general observation, I wondered where all the haters disappeared to when Uli joined this (and other) forums to promote himself and his company. Apparently it is a little different engaging the man one on one, than sniping at someone who doesn't answer. Also for many working inside the industry it is inappropriate to take cheap shots at a competitor. Even if the shots are more true than false. You don't tug on superman's cape, Uli is clearly a powerful person in the industry so someone a small company would rather not get his attention..
Bose is a very effective marketer. It is hard to be too critical of people doing their job so well. I personally find one new ad campaign a little irritating because it looks to me like they have co-opted a real technical term that actually means something, to use loosley in an advertising campaign (waveguides). Note: Waveguides are arguably used in transmission line baffles, whether the Bose consumer boxes are true transmission line wave guides, is a debate for another time and place. I can safely speculate about how many of their consumers have a clue about what wave guides are.
That seems a tough standard to limbo down under, if the gossip about monster is accurate. I wouldn't accuse Uli of targeting the high price end of any product category, at least in his namesake brand.
Not to repeat myself but quality is often incorrectly confused with features. Behringer does seem solidly positioned for the value segment, not unlike Nady while Behringer appears to be more successful.
Wow what do you have against BGW? Brian Wachner (RIP) did some some good design work, while there was one old amp series with white faceplates(?) that were not very robust. Not the first amp company to have a problem puppy in the litter. A better amp related zing might be "same reliability as Phase Linear", while I suspect, and evidence suggests that Behringer already does better than Phase linear, and has promised to do better in the future.
This is a common problem for value products and comes with the territory. People only buy them because they are low cost. After they can afford to buy more expensive gear they usually do, not wanting to be reminded of things like their own lower skills as a beginner, etc. Success in the value segment, poisons the brand for high end users. The implicit connection with higher end brands Uli bought, helps make future value customers think they are getting more for their money from the low brand, and gives those who have moved onward and upward higher brands to aspire to.
I am personally impressed by Uli putting himself out there, and he has been very good at talking the talk. Probably a skill set acquired from years of writing his own ad copy as a small company owner. It is not unusual for a company after it has gained scale and stature to evolve, at least enough to stay out of court over blatant misbehavior (and also being able to afford better lawyers to win a few cases).
I challenged Uli every time he posted something that I felt was erroneous. There is too much subtle spin to engage every minor exaggeration and he was smart to not argue with me and draw more attention to my posts, letting them roll off into the old post dead bit bucket. I have no desire to make his thread about me, so I didn't press.
For new value customers just starting out, Behringer is probably as a good a choice as any other similar value product. Just like any company some products will be better than others. As long as he walks his new talk he deserves an opportunity to compete fairly like anybody else. It is not our responsibility to do karma's work. If he needs to pay for past sins, he will, or not with or without our help. That said we don't have to acquiesce to history being rewritten when we know better.
JR
