Top-tier Indian Loudspeaker Brands

[Kannan_madhu]

Just in case you didn't know - I was O&B's first monoblock customer. I know Ardhendhu (Aniket) on personal terms. Yes really really good amps for the money and I have the deepest respects for the designer but I'd class them as midfi. Nowhere near the best in the world like CH Precision or FM Acoustics or D'Agostino. He is on the right tracks to get there and I wish him the very best though.

When you said that legacy, brand recall don't come overnight - yes they do if done the right way. Look at D'agostino amps - while the designer was well known for his work earlier in other brands (read Krell), this brand has taken the upper end of the market by storm - so much so that more or less every wilson or magico is paired with these in shows. Ten years ago, the brand didn't exist.

Also look at Rethm - their marketing and product line sitting in India was as good as it gets. It is a study on how to get brand positioning spot on.

I think OnBs highest priced amp is around 15 lakh, you are comparing that with brands cost more than crores of rupees .Dan D'Agostino amps cost more than a crore. Ch will also cost many multiples of OnB. If you give half that amount to Aniketh he will build you much better amplifiers. Do you think any Indian customer would pay 1 crore for a Indian made amp ? . Even those who have budget of 15k for a used amp specifies made in UK USA or Japan is preferred .

And why is Rethm is perceived equivalent to international stuff ,they marketed their products in European and American shows and magazines . Our people only agree to buy such products once they see foreign customers or international reviews.

And howcome some brand attain the legacy if the customers from their own country won't encourage them . Many of the local brands can't go to international shows or get a review from a mag like stereophile or from a well acclaimed youtube reviewer because of the serious spend involved .

Top end market we face established legacy brands and other part the cheep Chinese stuff . And when we build, we have to spend very high on components compared to our counterparts in the US or Europe. Also, for test and measuring equipment, we have to pay a huge import duty. An oscilloscope which costs $300 in the US will cost $500 or $600 when we buy it here. Establishing and surviving is not only difficult it's almost impossible.

 

[reignofchaos]

I think O n Bs highest priced amp is around 15 lakh, you are comparing that with brands cost more than crores of rupees .Dan D'Agostino amps cost more than a crore. Ch prrcission will also cost many multiples of OnB. If you give half that amount to Aniketh, he will build you much better amplifiers. Do you think any Indian customer would pay 1 crore for a Indian made amp ? .

And why is rethm is perceived equivalent to international stuff ,they marketed their products in European and American shows and magazines . Our people only agree to buy such products once they see foreign customers or international reviews.

There is a big difference between oh he will build something better (as they say khayali pulao) and oh here is the product - now compare it to the world's best. D'Agostino starts at 18k usd and their progression stereo amp is 30k. These are msrp and street prices will be lower by at least 15-20%. Can we compare the 15 lac O&B with that on all parameters?

Rethm is considered equivalent to international stuff as it is right up there in all the parameters above. Sure they are voiced in a particular manner but if you like that voicing, it can be your endgame system.

I am all for buying domestically manufactured systems. I have bought very many of them in the past and have lost a lot of money on resale. I still have an Anode Acoustics No 1 headphone amp as I consider it to be comparable or better than most branded headphone amps available in the 1-2 lac region. But such things are few and far between. The primary problem is quality - that is simply not there in domestically manufactured hifi.