New Home Hi Fi and Home Automation Eccomerce site.

[christmc]

Hi Guys,

I have a new Home HiFi and Home automation eccomerce venture starting within the next month. It will have forums to discuss all matters surounding Home entertainment. And will have regular expert product reviews and star ratings.
( we will also have a large multiroom demo facility as soon as it is finished)
I already have direct accounts with 99% of manufacturers but i would like your opinion on what brands you guys think are the must have's?

Thanks in advance

[allgonepetetong]

Squeezebaox and Sonos a must I would say, but I imagine you have them covered off already.

[RedLeicester]

Aforementioned assuming you're going for the consumer end of the market, Crestron/AMX et al if you're going for the proper stuff. But given you're in the business, why on earth are you asking us this?! Surely you should be telling us what we ought to buy?

[was8v]

Alba and Matsui.

I'll get my coat....

[headcase]

Samsung....

[christmc]

allgonepetetong said:

Squeezebaox and Sonos a must I would say, but I imagine you have them covered off already.

Got those yes, great bits of kit

[christmc]

RedLeicester said:

Aforementioned assuming you're going for the consumer end of the market, Crestron/AMX et al if you're going for the proper stuff. But given you're in the business, why on earth are you asking us this?! Surely you should be telling us what we ought to buy?

Dear boy , that is not the way the market works. You have to supply the demand, not dictate the supply.

I am asking you guys because by the nature of you guys being on this forum have an interest in home hi fi, which makes this a great place to market test brands.

[christmc]

was8v said:

Alba and Matsui.

I'll get my coat....

Let me get your coat off the peg myself lol

[christmc]

headcase said:

Samsung....

Normally heavily discounted, although they do make decent screens

[Maxf]

A decent range of DACs - everything is going digital but finding/demoing DACs is a royal PITA.

Headphones and headphone amps are a pain to source in the UK as well - a huge pain to demo side by side.

[christmc]

ok thats a good suggestion, would you find video reviews helpful? aswell as writen reviews?

And would you find a forum helpful ?,, (obviously i can only aspire to be a succesful as this forum)

[Maxf]

christmc said:

ok thats a good suggestion, would you find video reviews helpful? aswell as writen reviews?

And would you find a forum helpful ?,, (obviously i can only aspire to be a succesful as this forum)

Video reviews are handy - you can see the product in a more real setting than just photos.

Get set up with Headroom, Woo Audio and little dot - they are popular brands we struggle to get in the UK/EU without massive shipping and custom costs.

[wiffmaster]

christmc said:

ok thats a good suggestion, would you find video reviews helpful? aswell as writen reviews?

And would you find a forum helpful ?,, (obviously i can only aspire to be a succesful as this forum)

I think video demonstrations would be a good idea. Any sort of review is helpful, but people may view them cynically if the site writing them is also selling the reviewed product? That said, I always like to see a shop add 'personal' comments to an item description, rather than just having the standard manufacture text/blurb.

As for the forums, they wouldn't be a bad idea, but I wouldn't invest too much time/money into them. There's already the likes of AVForums, Audioholics, etc who have huge forums - gaining members whilst these exist may prove tricky.

[Saintjsmythe]

Will you be stocking/demoing high end (Meridian/Krell/Bryston/Sonus Faber etc)
or medium (Arcam/Cyrus/Naim/Monitor Audio/ etc) or lower end richer sounds stuff?

Will you demo Turntables as well?

I would like to see you do home automation (crestron/amx) as already mentioned. So maybe an entry level multi room audio system (sonos)
a medium level home automation product (system line/control 4)
a high end HA product (crestron etc)

ALL to demo of course

[headcase]

Bose... yes whole can of worms but basically the women allow it

[Plotloss]

How could one web punt a proper control system?

It's ALL about the requirements analysis and subsequent programming arising from that.

[mart 63]

headcase said:

Samsung....

Nice to know a Panasonic rep likes another great make.

[Lord Flathead]

mart 63 said:

headcase said:

Samsung....

...Panasonic rep...

Panaheads - When Samsung just won't do

[Beardy10]

I have no idea who makes it but I think there would be a big market for a good quality and relatively affordable HD distribution system, especially if you could tie in Sonos style access to a central server for all video content stored on a central server. If you could deliver a system that does this with something like Sonos pricing I think you would sell an awful lot of kit.

[christmc]

headcase said:

Bose... yes whole can of worms but basically the women allow it

We are a Bose Pro Partner and also a Bose HiFi Dealer, the only one in the uk actually to be both