The McIntosh Group's Firing of Independent Sales Reps

[@flyingjeff1984]

From one old guy to another: EVERY BUYOUT IS PAID BY THE EMPLOYEES. NO EXCEPTIONS.

[@richardelliott8352]

they decided to ditch the brick and mortar sales model. not surprised a brick and mortar store has concerns. doesn't bother me, my system is pretty much built. my thousand dollar cart purchase was triggered by a rare Black Friday price reduction, shipped from a distant audio store I will never visit.

[@bilguana11]

Manufacturers should not sell direct as there are negative benefits to customers. This used to be called "selling out the back door".

[@audibleeleganceinc]

There are so many doing it today that it is very frustrating. We have begun to limit our exposure to manufacturers who do that as continue to be their demonstration center, without pay, for them to book the sale. Please do share out site with others as I have over 230 videos up and produced 6 new ones today and 6 more tomorrow. I would love to have more subscribers as well as it allows me to continue to improve our videos. We have a few real special ones coming up.

[@danielgeiger7739]

After your video, I still don't know what is going on or what the "problem" is. The best I can interpolate from bits and pieces is that brick and mortar dealers now order straight from factory, and not from intermediary regional manager. Cutting out one layer of red tape seems like a good thing to me [except for the people loosing a job or being re-assigned]. And isn't the brick&mortar store owner supposed to know their local market? At any rate, audioMacs are not my cup o'tea, have plenty of computer Macs at home. Your video left me more confused than before.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Independent reps were able to tailor to the needs of the dealers in many ways some of which I will not go into here. However, when you see that personal touch removed, corporate has a tendency to become very monolithic. There is a lot of elements that make up the high-end industry and factory direct is not exactly one of them. Where one orders from is not the issue. So, if you pay the same price, do you want it from a vending machine or from someone who brings it to your table? Same sort of touch and this is an opening move. This means that little time was taken to talk with each firm to learn more about the territory and the dealers. The librarian effect, as I call it, as I did massive takeovers as a lawyer, two of the world's largest at that time. There's a lot of information they chucked out the window which means they have a game plan they are going to run whether the dealers like it or not. It's the inferences that I see right now. Hopefully this clarifies things for you. All this talk of "efficiencies" reminds me of the troubles that lay ahead for this country. Throwing away knowledge is not efficient and that's what I see happening at this moment. Enjoy AI marketing.

[@bilguana11]

These manufacturers are cutting cost for their own greed. They do not pass the savings on to customers.

[@williamhicks2763]

It would really help to not assume we all know what happened and dribble out pieces of the change as you go along. Maybe start by telling us what the announcement was.

[@oldschoolaudioenthusiast]

This move is simply about the bottom line / $. This has happened for years in other industries when the company decides it no longer wants to pay the commission structure previously negotiated with the independent Sales Reps and subsequently takes the sales function in house. There's no surprise here with a new owner like Bose taking over. Over time Bose will probably make other changes in the day-to-day operations at McIntosh. Unfortunately this is what happens when companies are sold and new owners take the reigns. Whether you like McIntosh products or not, it's an iconic American company in the Audio industry that has survived since 1949 and is recognized throughout the world for quality and performance.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Certainly that is a valid observation but more times than not, it's usually done on a rolling out platform. I remember when Equity did something similar to those with B&W, Rotel, and Classe Audio. But, I also recall that it worked for some time before it all collapsed. McIntosh has now been through three owners since being originally sold. See Wikipedia for a very nice breakdown of ownerships. That all said, I was with Equity with that purge and nothing good came of it within 6 months. What once was a personal relationship became very cold and sterile. Within a year they began their mischief. Well, anyway, please share my channel with others as we have over 230 videos currently up with many more planned or in the can. Please subscribe as it helps us build the channel and make it better.

[@TomSherwood-z5l]

Will there be Macs with black plastic faceplates and hollow plastic knobs. Will it result in a defining division between old Mac and new Mac. With people coming down on both sides.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Well, I don't think we will see that sort of thing but I do wonder about the level of detail and attention to customers first of which is their dealers. I'd be a bit nervous if I were one of them. Please do share our channel with your friends as we have over 230 videos and I made 6 more today. Another 6 tomorrow. So, subscribe if you can as it helps us improve the channel.

[@Tom-xg1kj]

Give dealers an 800 number and hire low paid "customer service reps" to handle the calls, that should do it.

[@marcbegine]

Welcome to Mc Bosintosh land

[@RandySmith-iz1ml]

I think they're making a mistake and will find out within 2 years. Hope they see your video, makes so much sense. It's just like music, you wouldn't be able to sell Rap in the area I grew up in.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Thank you for your comment. Some folks didn't understand what I was trying to say and I was beginning to question how I said it. The other way I told another is that when you buy a business (a library of information) you keep the librarians around until you know the layout of the books. What they did was to discard people with information, some of which might be very important, and trying to run it. To me, it is either overconfidence or arrogance. Previous purges of rep firms are usually done on a rolling out doing one or two at a time and not "away with you." It's that attitude that concerns me and what it potentially means for existing dealers. It's not about efficiency or money but control. Doesn't really matter if they watch this or not, the deed is done and all trust is lost. Retribution would be the human response now. Well, anyway, please share my channel with others as we have over 230 videos currently up with many more planned or in the can. Please subscribe as it helps us build the channel and make it better.

[@cl65captain]

The alternative was Machintoch goes out of business or is sold to a Private Equity company, loaded up with debt and then milked to death. Obviously, the business was not capable of continuing on their own.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Well, they just gained access to 3 major markets in the last year so I don't think they were hurting at all. They were already owned by a Private Equity Company who purchased it, as I recall, from a Japanese company known as Clarion which was best known at that time for car stereo. They then sold it to Bose. So, this isn't a mom and pop needs help story. See:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McIntosh_Laboratory. So, let's move beyond that and think about what it really means. Originally, I did an article following the script of the CEO which looked like they were going to expand both McIntosh and Sonus Faber further into the automotive industry where Clarion had failed before. This move, however, is quite a bit different and not exactly part of the original script. It does raise questions, particularly recognizing that the high-end community is both personal and political. So, will the use of marketing by AI overcome that? I don't know but it is worth noting the changes.

[@mrpmj00]

At 55, I tried a $5500 McIntosh C49 preamp. While it looks nice, it did not sound any better than my $450 Parasound 2100 (which has more features like highpass 80hz) or maybe even the $2200 Parasound P6 (has all features that the C49 has and has a highpass). McIntosh wanted another $70 for a proprietary trigger cable! I have a $17k 2.2 stereo system and I have no interest in buying another McIntosh (mostly too heavy, too big, too hot). This may explain why McIntosh sold out to Bose in end of 2024. My kids from their teens to early 20s have no interest in component stereo like me, yet they own several pairs of Apple Airpods...that is the future. My video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4jFh6airpaLZtk --------- source=Apple Music lossless quality

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Please kindly remove the link attached to your comments. I, as a rule do not allow such things as an automatic response. I don't know what what is being said in them, have little time to review every one of them, and want to be sure my channel is safe for all to use. I did enjoy your view and there will be some who take exception to it. That's ok. So, I'll let it up for a couple of days but unless removed, I will, unfortunately, remove the entire comment. Please do share out site with others as I have over 230 videos up and produced 6 new ones today and 6 more tomorrow. I would love to have more subscribers as well as it allows me to continue to improve our videos. We have a few real special ones coming up.

[@marcroth3033]

Always felt you could do much better than Mcintosh for the same money and less money would match them. Been in the hobby for a while and over the blue meters. Dont see Mcintosh making it in the high end world. Time will tell..

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Thank you for your comment and while I share some of the same views as you, it will be interesting where this will all unfold. The Hi-fi industry has always been personal (and political) and I am uncertain how this will pan out amongst the players. Certainly, I think the gloss will be off the apple pretty quickly now. Please do share out site with others as I have over 230 videos up and produced 6 new ones today and 6 more tomorrow. I would love to have more subscribers as well as it allows me to continue to improve our videos. We have a few real special ones coming up.

[@mikeg2491]

I’m more of a headphone guy but I own a lot of different HP amps, including McIntosh. I wouldn’t describe their sound as the last word in transparency but it’s also a very smooth, non-fatiguing sound and they do have a unique feature to be able to dial in impedance settings for virtually any headphone. And yes the blue meters is cool and the build is top notch, they are expensive but they at least feel and look expensive. But if I didn’t own several dozen headphones, it would be harder to recommend. If I had to get rid of every HP amp tomorrow and keep only one though the MHA150 or subsequently its tube brother MHA200 offers the most flexibility for my varied collection.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

@ Well, I can say, as I tried to service several, their AV processors are nothing to really write home about. Some were really nothing more than rebadged Marantz products with better power supplies.

[@zizendorf]

What's with the crazy tapping noise in the audio? I anticipate the coming years to be rather ruthless.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

As I explained in another video, that is the sound of my wife's wound vac draining an open incision she received while in the Cleveland Clinic from December 13 to January 9. Yep, we were apart Christmas and New Years as they did surgery and then spent a month fighting bacterial infections which could have turned very ugly. So, If you want to see new videos from me, kindly tolerate the noise as we work through problems created during the second heart transplant in 4 years. Or, don't watch the next dozen or so. 3 years ago I changed leg bandages for 3 1/2 months on an open wound that was 3 inches wide, and about a foot long down her calf. She's been through a lot but we stand tough. Yes, it will be interesting what happens next. Certainly I am not as confident or assured as I was originally about them. There is going to be some political fallout from this move.

[@zizendorf]

@ Oh, sorry about that Lou. Means I didn’t know and I missed a video. My error. She’s home? Signs of progress?

[@audibleeleganceinc]

@@zizendorf No problem, we changed the sequence so that video has yet to appear. We are making progress but it still has had it challenges. Thanks for asking.

[@grumpy9478]

you put it succinctly, "cram-down" from on high. Bose Corporate is far too aligned w/ the finance sector than the hi-fi marketplace for this to end well. who needs a layer of contact w/ customers on a local, individual basis? "we'll surf brand loyalty & image until there's nothing else left". probably impressed by a sweet presentation about how AI is going to link monied prospects directly to corporate coffers, eliminating overhead of those problematic humans. they'll also sweep through headquarters & do more elimination... "redundancy... changes in the global marketplace" etc - some new slots in cost analysis to source cheap / crappy components. in 3-5 years corporate guys who led the deal split (via golden parachute, natch) blaming US trade policy for the collapse of the biz. I wouldn't mind being wrong...

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Wow, do you have a finger on the pulse of the very suspicions I have as well. That's why I said it. I've seen this before both within the industry as well as an attorney who did massive corporate takeovers. Yes, it will be very interesting going forward, now. Please do share out site with others as I have over 230 videos up and produced 6 new ones today and 6 more tomorrow. I would love to have more subscribers as well as it allows me to continue to improve our videos. We have a few real special ones coming up.

[@joso5554]

I regard Bose very poorly. They are a mass market consumer products company for supermarkets. If they think they know how to sell McIntosh and SonusFaber very high end audio better than those who previously did for decades, they are in for some bad surprises. It’s about as if GM wanted to lecture Bugatti about how to sell their hypercars.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

Or watching GM destroy Saab with cheap parts and poor quality. Yep. Thank you for your comments and contribution to the video. Please do share out site with others as I have over 230 videos up and produced 6 new ones today and 6 more tomorrow. I would love to have more subscribers as well as it allows me to continue to improve our videos. We have a few real special ones coming up.

[@jimmyBside]

@@audibleeleganceincHey Lou. I was going to comment on the Walden Books reference. Now a SAAB mention…Sounds like we have a lot in common. I spent many years working in malls at Kinney Shoe and loved Walden Books. Like you said…there used to be a variety of places to go. All within driving distance. Now I just drive around Amazon trucks, parked in front of peoples houses. Absolute shame what GM did to SAAB. Would be nice to still have them around. The best engineered cars, I’ve ever owned. Tried a couple of Volvo’s…but…just not the same. The last Volvo I got because of the B&W system- what a disappointment. Got my eye on a Jeep, with McIntosh, next. I know, I’ve got a problem…😂. One more quick one for you…Mrs B has been looking at retirement houses for us. She found a beauty in Bidwell, OH about two hours from you. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll be neighbors. Would be nice to have a great stereo shop to go to…Not too many left. See you next video. 🍻

[@audibleeleganceinc]

@@jimmyBside Thank you for the wonderful stories. I miss my 9000. It was an amazing vehicle. Bought a GM version and had $6000 in it in 6 months and it was still a mess. Shit, the HID headlights were wired from the factory with 20 to 22 guage bell wire. The wires burned up. Total piece of crap. So, yeah, we are one of the last of our generation. Please tell others about our channel and please do subscribe.

[@danijel-c]

I am not a fan of Bose, but they have below three percent of the AV industry in the states. On the other hand, they are among the top three companies that provide tech for the aviation industry. Meanwhile, McIntosh is riding on the old glory. The company arose on tube gear and didn't know how to produce single tube integrated for how long? 40 years? At the same time, they built six incarnations of 275 amp, which is just meh-nothing to write home about. I like them (and own them among the other gear), but in the wildest dream, I would rebuy them.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

@@danijel-c Your comment about the aviation industry is a new fact. (I don't think we will see blue meters on the backs of seats for the passengers to see. I could not resist with my sense of humor.) You raise an interesting point as those who have been buying their equipment is an older generation treating themselves to the "I finally arrived." Maybe you're right but transitioning to a younger generation might be very difficult without going to cheaper products built overseas. Please share my channel with others as we have over 230 videos currently up with many more planned or in the can. Please subscribe as it helps us build the channel and make it better.

[@charlesf2804]

I don't like this move by Bose. I don't know what the master plan is, but this doesn't seem right. Hoping McIntosh survives it. Could Bose be too far removed from how things work in the high-end part of the audio pool to assess it properly? I wonder.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

The high-end industry is very different than the most. It is very personal and political. Heavy handed moves by a manufacturer are typically not well received. I too wonder and now I am going to watch them more closely. We will see if this affects products at both the next CEDIA and other shows. It will take about 9 months for it to first appear if they are going to affect front line product.