kapvin
Well-Known Member
Don't know how many of you will swallow this, but, is a fact. Most yearn to own a white-skin made product. A 'brown' local manufacturer barely would get back his cost irrespective of the sound quality he has been able to deliver, which usually sets him back thinking as to whether the entire effort was worth it or not.
Let any speaker manufacturer here disagree to what I have stated above. Take it from a horse's mouth.
I've often given thought to this. and reached a somewhat similar conclusion. (and hey this is my personal opinion)
assuming that a minimum markup is 100% on Total direct cost (COGS +Conversion cost=TDC); it will rarely make economic sense to offer a product below INR 0.75lakh. (or 50k YMMV) below this point large scale manufacturers will be able to source massively better as the price goes downwards. above 1lakh; and increasingly as the price goes up I believe its increasing possible to deliver a boutique brand that can challenge or better the price equivalent big name brands.
The larger challenge is this -- higher end Hifi in India is a kind of Lemming affair, and people are so unsure of what sounds right that they are guided by opinion leaders. which is why you often see so much churn after purchase; when you buy based on someone else's opinion, you will rarely be satisfied in the long run.. that's why so often products are up on for sale just a few months after purchase.
In a situation where one buys as much to impress his peers as his own ears (if not more), brand name and snob value will play a role and that's a gap Indian speaker manufacturers will struggle to fill.
For example, one of the forum members who I respect considerably had put-up kit he had built for himself up for sale at one point on this forum. I had followed that build thread and the attention to detail in cabinet design etc was immense. and very good quality drivers and an all active system. when he put it up on sale (on cost or something similar )- I do not recollect any takers for the longest period. Fortunately the person in question has a day job that keeps him well funded and this is truly a hobby for him, but had he been a designer or been trying to sell a boutique brand for a living, it would have been a hard struggle indeed for a very capable individual.
As a forum we had taken baby steps in mumbai to educate people on good sound. (I met first met Hari and heard his early efforts at one of those meets - And I still remember the positive contrast of his early effort with the branded speakers that played immediately before). unfortunately both the meets that we had were dominated by vendors who diminished the discourse with their empirical attitude. and then we never had any more meets.
I do believe that if we can help people get over their need to belong, then small Indian manufacturers can be in with a chance.