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Oppo Ceasing production

Just visited Oppo's web site.  They are ceasing production of all their products and will only do warranty work and firmware support for their products.  They no longer have the resources to manufacture new products.  Didn't see this one coming.
128x128stereo5
hgeifman
2,110 posts
 

I am very disappointed to hear this news but, I assume, the sales of physical media (CD's) is declining and probably their product sales are not good.  OPPO is a great company and, I would have hoped, maybe, they could have started building other products.  A noted above, I guess they could have also sold the business but, for some reason, decided not to do.

Unfortunately, the audio community is not growing, and I am concerned that other similar business may also decide to cease production.  I am also seeing fewer audio retailers.  It is very disappointing that the Audio Businesses do not do more to attract younger people to this hobby, especially at the various audio shows.  Of course, $65,000+ prices for equipment is not helping.   

The Audio Industry needs to step up to attract more customers.   Time will tell what happens.  Maybe everyone on Audiogon needs to buy at least one new audio product this year (I have).  


uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
To get it straight, at least I think this is the case.
It is just Oppo Digital that is ceasing production of hifi related items, like their bd players and the Sonica.
Oppo itself is not shuttering its doors and will continue in other markets like cell phones for example.
stereo5's avatar
stereo5 OP
6,250 posts
 
From August 2017  up to today, I bought 8 new pieces of equipment.  This is a dying hobby and when all of us old geezers (I'm 64) go, the High End will die with us.  Case in point:  I offered to give my son (36 years old) a high end integrated amp, high end speakers, turntable and cd player (total cost of equipment over 10K) with the only stipulation he uses it and doesn't sell it.  He didn't want it.  He said all he needs is his phone and headphones.  This is coming from a kid who grew up in a household with high end equipment and who used to sit and listen with me.  The High End is doomed.
vrao81
58 posts
 
As someone who is relatively young (36), and a long time member of this forum, I have to say that yes, High End is doomed. None of my friends in my age range are into this hobby, and the high prices of gear are a definite turn off to younger people/millenials. Even I don't spend much money on gear, I tend to stick to budget components and have rarely spent over $300 on a single component. I tend to buy mainly on audiogon and other forums. I haven't so much as walked into a B&M audio dealer in 14 years. 
vahes
47 posts
 

High end has always been a niche within a niche and it is shrinking, I do not believe that it is a dying hobby, there will always be high end, but as the market share shrinks manufacturers of high end keep on jacking up the already astronomical prices to make up for the lost sales, we will see more of them going bankrupt in the near future.

Credit goes to home theater and also the young generation who listen to free music on their portable devices, the sound coming through these digital devices is like listening to music through high frequency drivers only, but kids grow up with this and will never know what quality is all about.

Who knows maybe some of this will survive in the Far East, they seem to be more receptive to high end than the West, but we shall see.


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