Examples of Sony Audio's Marketing BS

[antcollinet]

Another example, from their over ear Z1R page this time, Sony marketing / product management team claiming that content at 120KHz makes a difference to "vocal melodies (..) and tonality".
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What you don't know is Batman is a customer.

 

[Zapper]

From Z1R marketing material. WFT is audio grade solder?

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A little appreciated benefit of the RoHS laws of 2006 is the elimination of lead solder from audio electronics. It had not been previously recognized that lead solder imparted a dull, lifeless haze to the music. In response to RoHS, electronics manufacturers switched to a silver alloy solder. Despite its higher cost and difficulties in manufacturing, the audio benefits of this new solder were immediately apparent. The dull haze of lead was gone, replaced with a unexpected sheen and transparency. This truly must be considered the biggest advance in audio of the 21st century.

/S ;-)

 

[Zapper]

Sony is notorious for their BS marketing claims.

If you can't beat them, sell them stuff.

The problem for Sony is their success: audio is a solved problem. And yet so many people want to buy expensive gear based on magical thinking. If the punters demand magic, then magic they will have. Sony didn't invent this nonsense, so I don't fault them for keeping their audio business afloat by giving customers what they want.

 

[DonR]

If you can't beat them, sell them stuff.

The problem for Sony is their success: audio is a solved problem. And yet so many people want to buy expensive gear based on magical thinking. If the punters demand magic, then magic they will have. Sony didn't invent this nonsense, so I don't fault them for keeping their audio business afloat by giving customers what they want.

One of the clues for me that Sony had jumped the shark in audio was when in the late 90s I looked at a Sony CD player that had a stabilization puck that had to be manually placed on the CD before playing. At that point, I started moving away from Sony.

 

[cochlea]

Back in the ‘70s their tagline for tv’s was “It’s a Sony.” That was all that needed to be said. The brand was that good. Nowadays, meh.

 

[BinkieHuckerback]

'Multinational conglomerate talks sh1te' shock

 

[Cbdb2]

Back in the ‘70s their tagline for tv’s was “It’s a Sony.” That was all that needed to be said. The brand was that good. Nowadays, meh.

I remember touring a video house in the 90s (telecine, color correction and the start of CGI) and every monitor was a Sony. They also made great pro audio gear. Mics, digital tape recorders, and mix desks.

 

[Mart68]

One of the clues for me that Sony had jumped the shark in audio was when in the late 90s I looked at a Sony CD player that had a stabilization puck that had to be manually placed on the CD before playing. At that point, I started moving away from Sony.

I had that player, it was the XB930 I think - it had a fixed laser mech so the puck was needed or the CD would come loose and jam up the draw.

Superb build quality with the soft-touch controls, one of the few things I regret selling.

 

[DonR]

I had that player, it was the XB930 I think - it had a fixed laser mech so the puck was needed or the CD would come loose and jam up the draw.

Superb build quality with the soft-touch controls, one of the few things I regret selling.

Yes, XB930 sounds familiar. Kind of trying to solve a non-problem isn't it? Most linear motors were fairly robust and all they did was move the CD rather than the laser. I think the lasers themselves were probably more of an issue. Too bad they didn't make them more user-serviceable as they could have created a whole new market like turntable cartridges. I think Sony's build quality was top-notch until the early 2000's-2010's.

 

[Mart68]

Yes, XB930 sounds familiar. Kind of trying to solve a non-problem isn't it?

Totally but the drawer being an inch thick did look pretty cool.

 

[danadam]

can't reproduce it here but I have a mag from early 2000s that has a Sony blurb for SACD which includes the stair-step graphs and some 'gaps between the samples' stuff.

There's still this:

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/hi-res-audio?#editorial_video_127049453139585499759071522

or this:

https://electronics.sony.com/hi-res-audio-mp3-cd-sound-quality-comparison

 

[Mart68]

There's still this:

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/hi-res-audio?#editorial_video_127049453139585499759071522

or this:

https://electronics.sony.com/hi-res-audio-mp3-cd-sound-quality-comparison

Embarrassing for them.

 

[solderdude]

Most audio companies try to sell you BS in their maketting stories. This is not unique to Sony. There are merely just a handful of companies that do not resort to BS.

 

[IAtaman]

Most audio companies try to sell you BS in their maketting stories. This is not unique to Sony. There are merely just a handful of companies that do not resort to BS.

Tried to address this before, but allow me to repeat it again please.

Sure, almost all companies BS in their marketing material. The BS I am criticizing Sony for is not the typical "life-like sound" or "highest fidelity you ever heard" crap. I am talking about hardcore snake oil, Audiogon level, disseminating misinformation type BS that facilitates people to believe in cable lifters, power conditioners and all other type of fraud that is wide spread in audio world.

 

[solderdude]

The things manufacturers do to increase sales is mind boggling.

My point was that singling out Sony or seeing them as the pinnacle of nonsense is not warranted.

They just have a fierce marketting team that knows what to say to the majority of consumers (those that want to believe)

 

[IAtaman]

The things manufacturers do to increase sales is mind boggling.

My point was that singling out Sony or seeing them as the pinnacle of nonsense is not warranted.

Singling out might be a too strong of a word. Top 3 offenders in my view are Chord/Watts, PS Audio and Sony and cases for Chord and grandpa Paul are well documented and discussed here on ASR.

They just have a fierce marketting team that knows what to say to the majority of consumers (those that want to believe)

You call fierce marketing, someone else says scammers, tomato tomatoe.

 

[Rednaxela]

While probably true I personally find it easier to forgive Sony because I feel their products are generally good to excellent objectively, for very competitive prices.

All in alI I don’t see Sony as a ripoff company so slaying them for just their marketing feels a bit unfair.

YMMV.

 

[IAtaman]

While probably true I personally find it easier to forgive Sony because I feel their products are generally good to excellent objectively, for very competitive prices.

All in alI I don’t see Sony as a ripoff company so slaying them for just their marketing feels a bit unfair.

YMMV.

I can relate to that. If I think about this in the context of the Sony brand and their products, I feel the same way as well. But I do not think about this only in the context of their products. I think about this also within the context of misinformation they create and distribute within the already fraud plagued audio industry, and especially given the strong image of their brand. Shout wolf all you want for cable traders and capacitor connoisseurs, Sony's marketing is legitimizing them, and that is not acceptable in my opinion.

 

[Mulder]

Sony is a giant company compared to most companies in Audio. There is no doubt that Sony has or has had very talented engineers who have developed good products that in many cases have been innovative. But as in all large organizations, the departments for technical design and marketing are probably two different legs. And I guess that HiFi in particular is no longer as high a priority as before due to the fact that the market has shrunk to a more or less purely enthusiast market.

 

[Bergante]

Sony is still an important player in the pro audio segment and they have excellent products.

That said they have some dual personality and now and then you can read some really silly marketing blurb from them regsrding consumer products.