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Apply knowledge learned here to make a Business?

PabloT

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Is there a company that caters to rich audiophiles who don't dive too deep into audio but still care about audio so they are not too opinionated about it? I believe such a market exists, at least in some countries. I imagine a good percentage of audiophile equipment buyers are very rich and don't look much into the gear, they may even have paid someone else to build their system.
I believe such people would generally be really impressed at room correction DSP and improved acoustics if they heard it. I get that it's a very niche market but, do you think an acoustician and a salesperson could succesfully make a business that caters to this market by pimping systems with DSP and improving room acoustics for a hefty sum?
 

beeface

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Yes, I think there's a niche market for this. Room acoustic treatment in particular seems like an easy upsell for wealthy customers, as long as they're ok with the aesthetic repercussions.

There are already some similar services available, particularly in the custom install and home theatre markets.

For multi channel installations, there's a good chance that the receiver or processor being installed has some kind of DSP room correction built-in. There's also an opportunity for additional services like room acoustic treatment and screen calibration to be sold to the customer. Whether the integrator actually bothers with this depends on the ability and willingness of the integrator, as well as the client's budget. I feel like this space is more pragmatic and less pretentious than stereo hi-fi. It's more about giving the customer some convenience features like automation, selling them some reclining cinema seats and impressing them when the subwoofer rumbles their seat when there's an explosion in Avengers or whatever.

There would be similar services for stereo hi-fi, too.

But I can picture a different methodology, here. No calibration microphones in sight. Just some sweaty "golden eared" salesperson toeing in 150kg speakers until the "sweet spot" is perfect, carefully balancing the speaker cables on $2,000 cable risers and neurotically Fremering the turntable for half a day.
 

Waxx

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That market exist but is underdevelloped. Bruno Putzeys tries to establish that with his Kii speaker system, and so does Peter Lyngdorf with his brand and quiet a few more. But they don't want to pay for reviews and so get less exposure. But that market is growing slowly, at least here in Europe.

And even before it was the case with some european brands. Durob, a high end distributor that beceme big with snake oil started some brands with at least decent build gear for the market like Prima Luna tube amps (that is relative cheap and very well designed and build compared to others). But in the case of Durob, the snake oil style marketing is still there (altough the product is decent and does what it says it does). And so does Harbeth also, they are open to what they sell (nice coloured speakers) and counter snake oil stuff on their users forum about cables and amps to drive them. But none are as brutal honest as ASR is, because it's bad for bussiness to do that. But the evolution in the right direction is there, and it keeps moving, but slowly.
 

charleski

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You’re just talking about a subset of the custom install business. This may be niche, but it’s a thriving sector that’s attracted a lot of people. I think that in practice, though, the most viable business offering lies in full turnkey solutions (you get employed to provision and install a full system and make sure it works properly) rather than aftermarket tweaking.
 

Waxx

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You’re just talking about a subset of the custom install business. This may be niche, but it’s a thriving sector that’s attracted a lot of people. I think that in practice, though, the most viable business offering lies in full turnkey solutions (you get employed to provision and install a full system and make sure it works properly) rather than aftermarket tweaking.
For that there is also a market in hifi land. But customers don't trust people who are allied with one or the other brand. That's why they hire people like me who do that as a side job or hobby, and have no links with any big brand or distributor. It's a trust relationship, and the advertising is by the mouth in my case, as i'm not looking for customers. I started this as a friend service for a rich friend (who insisted to pay me for that), and he told his friends... I'm almost only working trough him actually, he does my "bookings" and arrange the financial side for me. It's not big enough to make it my main income, but who knows it may become it in the future...

And i'm certainly not the only one who does that, i know some others in the same case. Hobbiest with big knowledge who advice for what to get and install it on site. But that require to be open minded and set your own subjective preference on the side and think with the customer and in his subjective preference (while keeping it science based). Not many can do that, even not on the objectivist side of the spectrum. And for hifi, looks and practicality is also important, not only the sound. Most don't want to fuss and tweak all the time, or have to have engineering skills to operate their system.
 

charleski

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For that there is also a market in hifi land. But customers don't trust people who are allied with one or the other brand. That's why they hire people like me who do that as a side job or hobby, and have no links with any big brand or distributor. It's a trust relationship, and the advertising is by the mouth in my case, as i'm not looking for customers. I started this as a friend service for a rich friend (who insisted to pay me for that), and he told his friends... I'm almost only working trough him actually, he does my "bookings" and arrange the financial side for me. It's not big enough to make it my main income, but who knows it may become it in the future...

And i'm certainly not the only one who does that, i know some others in the same case. Hobbiest with big knowledge who advice for what to get and install it on site. But that require to be open minded and set your own subjective preference on the side and think with the customer and in his subjective preference (while keeping it science based). Not many can do that, even not on the objectivist side of the spectrum. And for hifi, looks and practicality is also important, not only the sound. Most don't want to fuss and tweak all the time, or have to have engineering skills to operate their system.
Sure, but what you're describing is a hobby that lets you pick up some pocket-money every now and then. If you have a contact who can hook you up with a bunch of 'rich friends' who'll let you play around with their systems then that's quite cool. But if you want something you can put in a business plan and take to the bank then you're going to need something else.
 

dorakeg

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Is there a company that caters to rich audiophiles who don't dive too deep into audio but still care about audio so they are not too opinionated about it? I believe such a market exists, at least in some countries. I imagine a good percentage of audiophile equipment buyers are very rich and don't look much into the gear, they may even have paid someone else to build their system.
I believe such people would generally be really impressed at room correction DSP and improved acoustics if they heard it. I get that it's a very niche market but, do you think an acoustician and a salesperson could succesfully make a business that caters to this market by pimping systems with DSP and improving room acoustics for a hefty sum?

Yes there is such a market. It's a niche among niche but extremely lucrative.

However, it's not that simple and it's more of a personalised market, i.e. the salesperson has to cater to the needs and preferences of the client. it's not really easy to understand what a person want and does something to provide that experience.
 

Waxx

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Sure, but what you're describing is a hobby that lets you pick up some pocket-money every now and then. If you have a contact who can hook you up with a bunch of 'rich friends' who'll let you play around with their systems then that's quite cool. But if you want something you can put in a business plan and take to the bank then you're going to need something else.
The thing is, that was never the plan. I'm work in IT in a nice position and with a good salary. I'll never get that when i start doing this fulltime now. The market for it is to small to make it more than a paid hobby. And if I go full pro, i'll get links with brands and so anyway. And then my credibility goes away for most of the customers. There is so much snake oil bullshit that many music lovers with big budgets are very suspicious today, and or stay with old working stuff or try to find a knowledgable hobbyist with no commercial interest to push a brand to help them choose and install systems. Or they go to companies who install music studio's (but even there there is a lot of snake oil today).
 

Sokel

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Traditionally that's the job of high-end dealers specially when some of them are also dealers for pro gear and also arrange shows and stuff.
The one who made my installation is like these and also is a friend for many years,met him through my best friend who is deep into high-end.

They have all the expensive gear (I think the mic's I saw cost more than 2-3 grand,maybe more) and they hire people who have study this stuff.
But smaller dealers (a little snake oil ones) do that too,both by measurements but they include the ear secret sauce :facepalm:.

I don't think is so niche,I have met lots of those attached to audiophile community and the key words for success is reliability,EXTRA quick service and the feeling that they're only a phone call away.
 

beeface

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and the feeling that they're only a phone call away.
This is why people I know in the corporate AV industry have vowed to never return to residential (or pubs and clubs for that matter). Too many needy customers who want to call you all hours of the day
 

Sokel

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This is why people I know in the corporate AV industry have vowed to never return to residential (or pubs and clubs for that matter). Too many needy customers who want to call you all hours of the day
You may say it as a joke but I know occasions that someone woke them up at 03.00 at night and never left this house till noon (after they feed them too).
 

kemmler3D

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do you think an acoustician and a salesperson could succesfully make a business that caters to this market by pimping systems with DSP and improving room acoustics for a hefty sum?
Yes, in fact there's at least one person on this forum who makes a living in such a business.

The trick, as in any similar field, is how to get clients when you're still new? If you happen to know any rich folks who are ripe for a hifi demo, you can put up a website, get some business cards and embroidered polo shirts, and get started.

However, keep in mind that there's competition already out there. You can't just be someone who has heard of Dirac, you really have to produce results and be able to work with unreasonable or unrealistic demands from rich people.
 
D

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Maybe, but I think that's a dying market. There used to be a lot more high end audio stores. Could you make a business out of it? Yes, figure out where to advertise. Something local the well to do read like newspapers. We get mailed things that are local, you can tell some high end stuff is being advertised. Like local magazines catering more to the upscale. You could even do targeted ads via Facebook. Make a page, have FB target local customers based on some demographic.
 

Yngsammy

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My buddy started something similar—blending acoustics genius with sales charm. Clients eat it up!
 

Digby

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Just some sweaty "golden eared" salesperson toeing in 150kg speakers until the "sweet spot" is perfect, carefully balancing the speaker cables on $2,000 cable risers and neurotically Fremering the turntable for half a day.
I want to see a little model train track run along beside the 'risen' cables, at least make it kinda cool.
 

fpitas

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I want to see a little model train track run along beside the 'risen' cables, at least make it kinda cool.
Run 25kV 3-phase on those risers to run the train.
 

fpitas

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or turn the cables into mock electricity lines for the trains, with pylons and the whole shebang :cool:
You might just sell that.
 
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