I thought really long and hard if I wanted to make this post. I finally decided I should.
While this is a *good* deal. I am going to let you in on some industry "secrets."
Most speakers' MSRP are 4 to 6 times the cost of bill of materials and labor. The reason why it's so high is because the distributor gets a huge cut, the dealers gets a huge cut too, then defects and warranty, logistics, etc. So in order to be profitable it has to be 4x to 6x of cost.
In my ~28 years of being in this hobby, rarely have I paid MSRP for a new, factory sealed HiFi product. There are few exceptions: ChiFi and manufacturer direct. ChiFi margins are already low and there are only a handful of online retailers. Manufacturer direct of the likes of Axiom, they are the sole sell-side supply chain, so they have every aspect of price control, manufacturer direct are generally 3x to 5x.
How come I am not finding these deals then, you're full of shit!
Because one, you are shopping at the wrong places. Almost ALL chain retailers or retailers with an internet commerce presence (I will not name any one of them, but you can easily guess who I am referring to), you will not get much, if any discounts. Their business model and customer base are "soccer dads" or "naive new buyers."
Two, you are not aggressive enough in negotiating. Remember, you are the buyer, and you have something called the buyers' power, that power is to walk if you are not happy with the deal you are getting. Now this won't work under extraordinary circumstances, such as the supply chain crunch during COVID.
Three, what is your stand on some very personal and social choices? For example, is supporting local businesses important to you, does paying extra from a dealer that's driving distance to your house have value to you, do you have a relationship with a dealer over the years and you feel like he needs to pay the bills too? For me personally, it's a free, capitalist market, and if a local businesses can't be competitive in pricing, they will sink sooner or later.
So in short 25% off of the Revel Be line is a good deal but it's not a *great* deal.
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