The survival of the fittest.


I am constantly surprised at the vast number of speaker manufacturers. But many fall by the wayside. Plenty of reasons why they fail, but more interested in why certain makers continue to succeed.

Sound
Marketing
Fit and Finish
Price
Product availability
New technology
Manufacture association
Profit margin
Luck

I realize most of these in combination contribute but if you had to rank them my money is on the marketing and fit/finish, in that order with sound holding up the rear. Thoughts?
jpwarren58
I agree strongly with kenjit and millercarbon. Where marketing power, familiar brand name, and affordability come into play, the masses will spend lesser dollars and afford those companies with larger profits. It's a numbers game. When it comes to audio (speakers) it's a matter of taste and pocketbook.

Example....Long ago I traveled down the Bose path. The speakers sounded good to me but, foolishly, I believed that the higher cost would yield better sound. In those days there weren't many dealers that offered good listening rooms and lots of different choices. My wake up gradually came by just listening to systems of friends and acquaintances that included speakers below the cost of Bose. That finalized my then, and now, opinion that Bose is mediocre/over priced equipment.

@kijanki but how do ohm,etc, get established when they eschew traditional marketing?

And I distinctly remember Hyperion speakers. They are beautiful to look out, well designed, and more important, sounded delicious. I wonder if their demise was also a consequence of the rebirth of HiFi at that time? And I wonder if they're visual similarity to Wilsons also played a part?
L.U.C.K.  Learning Upon Correct Knowledge.

I’ve seen a lot of Bose speakers in commercial applications such as restaurants and bars.  Perhaps they are focusing some of their speaker business there, too.
High end survives over time by establishing a loyal customer base.  Magnepan is one of those companies.  No one ever made money by selling one to a customer.

That is true for speakers as well as electronics.  Tektron seems to be getting a following, time will tell.

Marketing has value, but quality and value is what makes repeat business.