Strategy in TECH...
Apple, Inc. announced today that it has upgraded its popular AirPods wireless headphones, with a new Generation 2 model featuring technology that offers more talk time, quicker connects, a hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ capability, and a new wireless charging case.
TCL, a leading global TV brand out of China, launched several new A/V products at CES 2019, including new higher end 8K QLED¹ TVs with AI, a whole new range of headphone products, and new home theater soundbars. These products not only expand their assortment, they expand their market position with higher end solutions and advanced technologies.
In November 2016, we learned that Samsung had acquired Harman International Industries in a deal valued at $8 billion. At that time, everyone pretty much assumed the deal was all about automotive audio – and area that inside-Samsung sources had identified as a market the company sought to penetrate. Now we learn that it wasn’t just about cars.
HiFiMan, the specialty maker of high-end headphones and portable music players, announced this week the launch of a “premium” electrostatic headphone system that they call Shangri-La. Calling it a “cost-no-object experience,” the Shangri-La system is priced to sell for $50,000 at retail. The price of paradise appears to have risen lately.
Skullcandy, the lifestyle headphone company in which design is as important as performance (some would say more important), saw its stock skyrocket some 16% on Wednesday as word leaked out that the company’s founder was exploring the possibility of taking the company private in a buyout. This idea was revealed in a filing with securities regulators by Skullcandy founder Richard Alden.
HiFiMan, an independent manufacturer of high-end headphones, portable music players, and associated accessories, announced on Wednesday a new top-of-the-line, full-sized headphone – the HE1000. Featuring the company’s preferred planar magnetic technology and a breakthrough diaphragm design, these headphones are for serious music listening, or as the company puts it, “intended for reference use in home or studio.”
Osaka, Japan-based Onkyo Corporation says it has set a new global growth strategy that will focus on launching portable music players and headphones, thanks largely to resources it received in its acquisition of Pioneer’s home AV division. In an interview appearing in Japanese media, Onkyo President Munenori Otsuki said the world is entering “the age of portable music players.”
Yamaha Corp. announced today that it has launched a new line of earphones that includes a model with what it claims is the “world’s first” to use a beta-titanium sound tube. Yamaha’s EPH-M200 also features a “large-caliber” or diameter driver for better quality sound – and features a striking design available in three different colors.
When the history of Monster Products is written some day in the future, there will be many legitimate highlights for their historian to ponder. First and foremost among these will be the fact that CEO Noel Lee (known as the Head Monster) virtually single-handedly created an industry when in the late 70s he popularized step-up, higher quality speaker cables that independent specialty retailers pushed like crazy over zip cord because it was much more profitable for them (and for Lee). And even though Monster Cable was more expensive for consumers, a clever Monster-created retail display demonstrated to them that they could indeed hear the difference with their own ears.
But we’re pretty certain one scene will not make Monster’s corporate history highlight reel – the company’s failure to continue to capitalize on its partnership with Beats by Dr. Dre. That partnership dissolved some two-plus years ago…with Beats going on to be purchased by Apple recently for $3.2 billion. Monster’s share of that eye-popping windfall: $0.
Regular readers of Strata-gee know that we have recently covered news of layoffs and distribution changes by Velodyne – a long-time specialty industry player. Although we had made many attempts to get the company to comment prior to our posting of these stories, we were told that no company executives were available at that time.
However, the day after our second story appeared, we heard from Velodyne’s press representative who said the company’s President was now available to speak with us about what is going on at Velodyne.
