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How much do we at A'gon influence the industry?

Hi everyone,
Just a question that's been in my head for a little bit. How important do you folks feel this forum is to the audio industry at large in the Ensligh speaking countries?  I ask because I often see some taking it way too seriously, and personally.

I mean, I know times are tough, being a boutique audio manufacturer is not easy at any level in the audio industry, so I can really understand how negative buzz for your product can directly relate to your livelihood.
On the other hand, it's just A'gon. I doubt most audiophiles even come here very often.
What do you all think?

Best,

E
erik_squires
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I can only provide one data point related to Erik’s question, namely my own purchasing experiences.

When I consider purchasing an audio component, if after following and/or researching comments that have been provided here or elsewhere about particular products within the specific category I find what seems to me to be significant controversy about the manufacturer’s customer service and support, or that seems to suggest that system matching and/or setup are more critical than usual with that component, that component becomes a non-starter as far as I am concerned. There are always alternatives which don’t have those concerns but are otherwise comparable.

So to me commentary provided at forums such as this one are an essential and very influential means of narrowing the possibilities when it comes to selecting an audio component.

Best regards,
-- Al
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

Hi Erik

This is a question I and my associates happen to be right in the middle of as we speak. In fact some of them are here at my place over this weekend. The question is not about the posters as much as it is the readers. What you are not seeing on the pages is what is happening behind the scenes.

Something I have expressed several times with Audiogon is they need to seriously consider cracking down on the internet trolling, because times are changing. The economic change alone taking place in audio is a major paradigm shift. For example this Class D Low Mass movement brings the young back into the picture. These listeners are not going to tolerate trolling. They will either be here or start their own thing.

Audiogon has an opportunity to be a part of the newer version of Consumer Electronics but it will ultimately be up to them to be a main contributor or a forum who ends up ushering in the new era with others being the main attraction. I’m as interested as anyone to see where Agon fits.

So for me it's not where Agon is now but where will Agon be with a newer generation.

mg

jl35
3,977 posts
 
only a very small percentage of my audiophile friends read these, or any other, forums...
jl35
3,977 posts
 
I enjoy the forums, but feel they have very little effect on my purchasing...
tomcarr
1,504 posts
 
Depends on how much of the industry you're looking at. All of my friends say they enjoy listening to music while they are doing other tasks, none of them can imagine sitting and listening, and none of them have any kind of system to speak of. Most of the audio industry is aimed at the masses. I'm pretty sure our tiny niche group has zero influence on that, though I think we might have some influence on the high-end manufacturers. Maybe.

Tom
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