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Is it O.K. To Speculate Re: Company Stability Here?

  Today I read a thread a poster wondering in Mytek was still in business.  A couple of replies were critical of the poster for asking.

  Owners of Krell products started a few threads when the company didn’t answer queries about repairs.  Some criticism ensued due to alleged insensitivity to deaths in the family ownership.

  I mentioned that I heard a rumor about Sim Audio due to the demise of one of their founders and was told that I was on a mission to destroy their company.

   I fully understand that the Internet is the leading source of information, good and bad .  I also realize that it is the medium of commerce for audio companies .  I also realize that company margins are small and that misinformation can be very harmful to their bottom line.

  However the fact that these companies sometimes have precarious stability means that their customers, potential or otherwise, have legitimate questions.  Look how Thiel Audio, Krell, Audio Research, and Mytek have done over the past half decade or so.  If a creative voice at Sony leaves the company for whatever reason, chances are Sony will still be here for the next several decades.  With the companies Agoners tend to favor, it could be disastrous.

  That is a long winded prelude to my question, namely: Can we question the stability of companies here?  I don’t want to be a troll and hurt any manufacturer.  However where do we few tens of thousand aficionados get to ask legitimate questions?  This is a Forum for hobbyists, not God’s Writ on Absolute Truth.

  If anything I think that the quashing of rumors benefits the manufacturers more than seeds of doubt in the minds of consumers.  I speak as some who has previously bought Mytek and AR gear, and who has seriously considered SIm Audio.  Personally I am not going to spend thousands of dollars on something if I think the company may not be here in 6 months. YMMV.  However I think this space should be a legitimate place to ask questions.

mahler123
bigkidz
3,506 posts
 

I would check with the company first to see if they respond to a question before I post anything about them.  You have a concern and I understand that.  Is your concern about getting something repaired down the road?

If something can be repaired, then there are repair people who can repair them as long as parts are available and nothing needs to be programed.

20 year old products can be repaired if parts are available from a good repair tech.

We have been building our own gear and repairing for 25+ years.  I can only remember a few products that we could not repair or the cost to repair them was too much.

We can also modify a product to work using a slightly different design when all else fails.

Happy Listening.

 

jl35
4,459 posts
 

I think it's certainly can be a valid question to ask...I think problems can arise if the question presents with a somewhat exaggerated title, and is maybe based on a phone call not being returned within 24 hours...and many read the title, but not the full story...

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
5,191 posts
 

@nonoise ....Snark? US?

Naaaahhh.....😏

Although I can appreciate 'concierge' audio gear as well as y'all do, the $'s involved tends to keep it out of reach and out of my pile of oddities.  Fortunately, I'm reasonably pleased with the current crop with no immediate desires other than my diy projects.

Most has been collected with those goals in mind and intent, so any tariff 'hits' should be marginal if at all.  A lack of esoteria ought to be a plus, even if something goes *foom*.

The amp that binds it all is used and has protective circuits that so far responded nicely....

Any smoke is generally inhaled on purpose... ;)

ericba's avatar
ericba
148 posts
 

Difficult to separate the facts from fake news these days. Opinions are great when they are backed up by tangible facts. Otherwise, speculation makes a good chat but nothing of value IMHO.

decooney
2,565 posts
 

@mahler123 ...Personally I am not going to spend thousands of dollars on something if I think the company may not be here in 6 months. YMMV. However I think this space should be a legitimate place to ask questions.

 

There is no guarantee or reasonable answer. The small boutique companies can be challenged when the hands-on engaged owner gets sick, or has parts supply challenges, or just stops supporting a particular model any more.

The mid-size companies can get bought out, and who knows what happens next to products, parts supplies, and whether they’ll continue to repair something or not.

Larger and known COs get bought out too, Bose-McIntosh, maybe more promising here, we’ll all watch and see what happens with models, parts, ongoing support?

One other member and I here talk about this question quite a bit. One other factor is whether or not we could get something repaired locally or not with a good tech. I had some amps a while back that I really liked for my speakers.  I even had two spares of the same amp liking it so much. One day the main board went bad, tried fixing it five times. Boards aged, hot, cracked, multiple repairs made.  Local 50 year tech buddy gave up, and I sold it for parts. Then let the other amps go too for someone braver than I am keeping amps and gear around with limited spares out there with low-volume produced boutique amps.  

I tend to think it’s a roll of the dice no matter what you buy out there. Can you get it fixed later, that’s the question I’d have first and foremost. Good Luck.

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