Old School Acoustics: Discovering the Brand's History
In the 38th issue of the Sound podcast, Timofei Shikolenkov, director of marketing and business development in Audimania, spoke about the new acoustics brand Old School .
/ Bookshelf acoustics Old School Studio Monitor M2
[ Listen to this release ]
Alina: Today we will talk about the acoustics of Arslab Old School. We will devote a whole issue to this topic, because it is so interesting and integral that it is worth discussing it separately, and not in the context of any other issues. How was this acoustics created? Why did you get the idea to do it?
Timofey: It is more correct to take the word Arslab out of the name for the brackets, because historically there was only one experimental column called Arslab Old School Superb 90 - the first part of a large series.
')
It so happened that we decided, as an experiment, to drag her to the exhibition in Munich two years ago. She had tremendous success. We planned it exclusively for the Russian market, because [in Russia] there are certain visual analogs, there are people who are nostalgic for the old speakers, but are no longer willing to put up with the sound they gave and can give now, if someone else remained in the living state.
We made a modern column in the classic form. The experiment with a trip to Munich led to the idea that nostalgia is not only Russian. It, at least, is also European. Therefore, the continuation of the idea was the brand as a whole, not a ruler, since it is strange when the ruler is represented by one column.
Therefore, we decided to make a separate brand. Initially, it was focused exclusively on Europe and Asia, these are our good consumers, in particular, the acoustics of Penaudio . There is no such hard trouble with money as in connection with the crisis in Russia.
Some people think: since there is a crisis here, it means that there is a crisis everywhere. They did not notice anything there, because oil prices affect the ruble, with other currencies there are no such sharp fluctuations. People both lived and live. In Europe, the crisis was in 2008–2009, but this is another story.
We decided to single out a separate brand, and this time we did not have the task to make a very low price. Some people think that Old School is not very cheap. I do not know what they compare with. In fact, for the money almost no analogues. There are externally similar columns, there are similar columns for the price, there are analogues that have speakers of the same size. But put a number and listen.
Alina: So all together, this is clearly not worth as much as people pay for these speakers. The synergistic effect is much more than the price.
Timofey: We did not save on element base. Well, how to save - let's say so, pull out of every invested ruble, dollar, euro maximum. In this sense we relaxed our hands a little and made a premium product. It is a premium both in finishing and in element base.
We even put in WBT terminals, it also says something. It turned out a premium product based on the column [Arslab Old School Superb 90]. This is not a copy!
If we talk about the top-end model Classic 1, it really looks like [Arslab Old School Superb 90], but this is a different product. It is slightly changed in appearance, it is changed in functionality, it does not have switches that nobody needs in Europe.
/ Bookshelf acoustics Old School Studio Monitor M2
This is a nostalgic history in Russia - the old Soviet speakers, where all the switches could be turned. Those who have not heard, who have not tried, do not know that [on the first column of the Old School Superb 90, released under the brand Arslab], these switches do not work at all like they did on Soviet equipment. They work normally, correctly, they do not spoil the sound, but correct it.
Alina: So, in theory, they should have worked then.
Timofey: Yes. We tried to make it so. There are no switches on the equipment of the Old School brand, they are not needed there. There, too, its nuances.
A little modified column called Monitor M1 , which was previously produced under the brand Arslab . There also have their own difficulties. Unfortunately, prices are rising not only in Russia. For this speaker speaker has risen in price significantly.
Since it was a premium series, he moved to Old School, and even with that in mind there the economy hardly converges. It is necessary to earn at least a little. It is impossible to earn much, after all, a rather expensive element base, even if you close your eyes to everything else.
Alina: And how does Old School position itself in relation to Arslab? Maybe it is more youth or, on the contrary, more conservative brand? Or a brand for those who are nostalgic for retro?
Timofey: Old School and Arslab can only be compared in Russia, since Arslab is not for sale in Europe, Asia and America. This is exclusively a Russian brand, and its trick is that we make it exclusively for Russia and Russian needs.
/ Outdoor speakers Arslab Classic 2
Since we are engaged in a dialogue with the consumer on an ongoing basis and we have a lot of feedback, we feel the needs of consumers. Based on this, the popularity of the Arslab brand is growing, as it is very fast in reaction: we can adapt the product, starting with the production of a larger number of those models that are popular, ending with a more popular finish.
Old School - a brand that was originally focused on Europe, built from scratch. This is a premium brand for those who are nostalgic, but not willing to compromise on sound. You can find visually similar counterparts, but with certain nuances. Therefore, we work precisely for such an audience, in the midst of which, in an amicable way, we have no competitors.
At some point we decided to bring this product to Russia. The result was a European premium brand with Russian roots, whose concept is slightly different [from Arslab]. In Russia, we say that historically these are the same people who have developed, the same production, but this is a slightly different product, and it must be treated differently. You can directly compare them, but incorrectly.
Alina: And how is Old School perceived in Russia? Who is its main customer? Who is he most interesting?
Timofey: The audience is the same, just a little more solvent. People who are not willing to compromise, but are willing to pay more and get more. There are quite a lot of them, the only question is that a side effect is arising now, since we didn’t plan on this initially, the impromptu turned out.
In general, we often get some experiments, which then turn out to be very successful, despite the fact that initially it was a test of the idea.
While there are no “wild” sales, Arslab still sells well in a crisis. It turned out very “to the cashier” - at the moment of active promotion of new models, all prices rose sharply, and we tried to avoid it. And, indeed, Arslab is great for sale.
About Old School, I can’t say this yet, but there’s no such task. There is no additional cost. I had to translate instructions from English to Russian, since they were originally written in English. In general, we make plans for this brand for Europe and Asia, for which we have special versions.
Alina: We had a conversation with Artem Fairmark on the topic of Arslab and Penaudio . He mentioned that Old School is interesting not only for its sound, but also for its visual part. It also attracts people who want to see some interesting design object in the audio system.
Timofey: There is such. Now there are generally very strange tendencies [in design], they very abruptly replace each other. At some point, minimalism appeared, when everything had to be removed, leave one super designer vase from China, and nothing else at all, and build the speakers into the walls.
In this sense, the Germans [ Ceratec ] - well done, made Cerasonar , built-in acoustics, which is not visible because it is embedded in the wall, plastered, painted over. And it "flooded." [Thought], now the story about the smart house will still be superimposed on it, control of all this from the console, and the switches will be removed.
And everything turns in the opposite direction. I did not even have time to understand at what point it happened. Again a big device comes into fashion, making it show off, the stands are beautiful. Another level, of course. It's like comparing the repair of the 80s and the repair of the 2000s: [now] more modern equipment, more modern materials.
But here the mod itself is parading again. We are all ready for this. We have beautiful equipment, speakers, racks . For those who follow fashion trends, wants to be ahead, we have already prepared everything.
Rack for acoustics Cold Ray C3
Alina: It turns out that Russian buyers have even more opportunities in this regard than, for example, European, Asian, because they have Arslab and Old School.
Timofey: To some extent, yes. The trick is that in Europe, Asia and America a different format of consumption and other demand. They have a different attitude to equipment, other budgets. This does not mean that they buy more expensive speakers - they buy completely different products.
There are very popular miniature network devices that are expensive not because of the brand, but because it is very convenient. There may be considered that buyers get some extra comfort from it. That is, people do not buy the column, they buy extra amenities. They clearly understand this.
It is no secret that in Europe and America there is no such mad bustle of online shopping. They found, they looked: the price and delivery were fine, they issued it, put it in the basket, saved a lot of time, unlike our consumer, who will first read the reviews and then look for where the ruble is cheaper.
Alina: "Physical" store will still be looking for.
Timofey: That too. The format of consumption is basically different. Therefore, it is difficult to compare products, they are positioned and used differently.
Alina: It turns out that Old School has some other modifications of models for Europe and Asia?
Timofey: We don't tell anyone about this. The only thing I can say is that there are some minor differences. This is our know-how. This allows the speakers to serve longer in certain climate conditions. This is more than I could say.
Alina: Everything! Our listeners learned a trade secret.
Timofey: They did not know anything, but they understood that we are very cool! We understand the consumer a little deeper than many others, even very large manufacturers who do not know such small nuances.
This is all due to the fact that we are very close to the consumer. Not only in Russia, but also in other countries, we actively exchange information, actively communicate. This is a rather serious trump card in our hands.
Alina: It is important to note that the production of Old School is located in the same place where Arslab and Penaudio are made.
Timofey: Yes. These are the same people, the same equipment. These are other materials, other components, but these are the same hands, minds, a team that is partly Moscow, partly in Riga.
Alina: Are there any differences in how the mass public perceives the Old School columns here and in Europe? Has the attitude changed as a whole? Who is interested? Who is photographed with speakers?
Timofey: Nothing has changed in Europe. In the same way, people resort, see this unusual thing, hug, take pictures. This all just showed the last exhibition in Munich.
In Russia, we have not represented Old School in any exhibition. The Moscow Hi-End Show will be here in the autumn, we will bring Old School there [the Moscow High End Show will be held in Moscow on November 18-20]. We'll see. I think that, as always, a certain category of people will say that this is the same thing, just more expensive. There will be people who will understand what it is. But there are always haters, we are ready for this.
When a person physically came, and not just on the forum he wrote such nonsense, it’s easier with him: you put him in a chair, turn it on, he understands “by ear”. Then you bring him by the handle to the column, ask to touch and see how everything is neatly done and how durable and practical it is. It still looks good, and in 10 years it will look good and sound, too.
And still a guarantee. We never abandon the consumer even after the expiration of the warranty period. There were situations, people overloaded the speakers for the holidays for a lot of fun, we helped them, there is no problem. People understand that buying Arslab, they are also protected in a certain way. You can not be afraid, they will not remain without support, unlike world brands, which, if the distributor sold, and then changed his mind, or the brand changed his mind to sell through this distributor, there is no support.
Alina: Of course, because the chain from the end user to those who invent and develop these speakers can be huge and a person can get lost.
Timofey: It is always awesome. That's the trouble. There is a manufacturer, there is a distributor on this side, there is a distributor on the other side, there is a retailer. They are very slow in places. These are serious problems. We also face this problem as a retailer.
A buyer comes to us, who has some difficulties with the product that we sell, even not necessarily, that he bought it from us - he just found out on the network that we have it, which means we can turn to us. You can contact us. But unlike the situation with Arslab, with which we can eliminate almost any problem in a day or two, with everything else you have to wait months for deliveries.
The process is as follows: we cannot directly contact the factory, because the factory sends to its distributor. Distributor says he will order. What does it mean? This means that they will contact the distributor on the side that will contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer has this speaker. What will happen next? The speaker will be put on the shelf and they will wait for the next delivery, because sending one speaker is unprofitable.
Alina: There are logistic chains, there are already well-established processes.
Timofey: Exactly. If in Europe it can be quite simple - you can put the speaker in a box, call a transport company, and it will take, then with Russia everything is quite difficult, because there is customs, certain logistical difficulties.
As a result, this “golden” speaker will come, no client will ever pay such money for it. Therefore, he will wait for the next delivery, the next batch. This can happen in a month, and maybe in six months. And all this time a person has to wait. And most importantly, nothing can be done about it.
Only if a friend who comes from there, ask him to go somewhere, talk to someone. It is always very difficult. Unfortunately, streaming service centers, like electronics, no. As a rule, the problem is logistic and customs. And nothing to do with it.
Alina: Considering that acoustic systems are not pies that are bought all the time, but rather a long-term investment, a person wants his column to work as long as possible. And the question of design, the materials "sharpened" partly to ensure that it was a long-term product.
Timofey: Unfortunately, not all people understand this. In general, of course, it is. But in the market there is already grown up generation Y, which is not used to making long-term plans. They think differently. They live here and now, they are accustomed to this format, and shift it to their consumption process.
Now they will buy cheap, and then what will happen - even though the grass does not grow. I think this will all go away with time, maybe grow up, a couple of times the situation will be "hit on the head with a key." Probably it will come to someone that miracles do not happen.
Until now, people on the forums write that if a brand does not make columns for 5 thousand, but for 50 thousand, this is a divorce of suckers. Fortunately, there are fewer of these now as a percentage, because people have heard how music can sound.
Basically, oddly enough, two areas that are not very close help in this matter. First, it is the automakers, who, oddly enough, build in their cars all the higher quality equipment. People, getting into these cars as a passenger or driver, notice that the music sounds somehow too good.
Alina: Better than at home.
Timofey: Yes. And for some reason, the person at the same time bought [home] such healthy "coffins". Of course, they were very cheap, but they are so healthy, beautiful and black with large speakers. But for some reason here [in the car] these little speakers sound much better.
Secondly, headphones. Now it is the largest market in the field of audio. It is clear that there are absolutely budget headphones that people buy for a while, then they throw it away and buy it again. I do not understand why you can not immediately buy normal.
The one who listened to more serious headphones, also understands that he hears more in them than at home from speakers purchased from a very well-known brand, but at the same time very cheap. And it helps. People got a little involved, realized, understood. And it is very nice.
Alina: We are talking about generation Y. Is the audience of Hi-Fi and High End speakers getting younger? Is acoustics interesting for them from the point of view of home systems?
Timofey: At some point in the past decade, the audience really began to grow up, and now it is starting to look younger. Thanks to, most likely, the fact that the automakers are helping us, they give us the opportunity to hear something new and understand that music should sound different, if, of course, a person listens to something other than radio in a car.
But the radio seems to be gradually stepping aside. I was recently on vacation, took a car, drove around Europe and realized that the future had come, at that moment, when I just took out a smartphone, turned on data roaming, realizing that it was reasonably inexpensive, I opened Apple Music and listened to music in good quality where there in the fields. And the radio does not need more.
Periodically, I notice such moments - “the future has come.” At the time, the first iPhone appeared, and I realized that I had a browser in my pocket with me anywhere. This is a miracle! Now it is the norm. If people don't just listen to the radio, they hear a lot. There is a trend. It is very nice.
Alina: It turns out that relatively young people, but not quite teenagers, who love music and are interested in quite demanding genres from the point of view of various instruments and processing, should appreciate Old Scool, because it visually responds to their youth ideas. This is not just a “big black box”.
/ Bookshelf acoustics Old School Studio Monitor M2
Timofey: There are a few moments. Firstly, genres that are demanding to equipment are, as a rule, hard rock or something else heavier. For this kind of music you need other equipment, on the usual can not hear anything.
Secondly, the younger generation acquires a pair. Mostly such active music lovers are men. Women often have slightly different priorities. There are, of course, “music lovers”, but they are fewer. More for some reason it is inherent in men. A couple of such a music lover, as a rule, is also a creative person, and now it is just important for her to look good.
It turns out that music lovers are always in some uncomfortable position. They need to choose speakers that sound cool to listen with pleasure to what they used to listen. But at the same time, the columns should look like to satisfy the second half, which does not make compromises in this sense. She doesn’t care how the speakers sound, up to a certain level, because it doesn’t happen all the same, but for her it’s more important how they look.
I myself faced this situation. I already told you how I chose columns for myself, and it was impossible to buy them, because my wife was totally against design. I had to order a special custom design. These speakers are the only ones in the world. But this is what I wanted, and it suits her. Everything is super, mission accomplished. With Old School, such a story really passes, because it is both high quality and beautiful. Quite a lot of interiors in which they fit.
Alina: It turns out that in a couple of music lovers, the man is responsible for the content, and the woman is for the form.
Timofey: As a rule, this is exactly what happens.
Alina: Since we are talking so much about the Old School brand, is it possible to listen to him in the Russian showrooms of Audiomania ?
Timofey: Of course!
/ Bookshelf acoustics Old School Studio Monitor M2
[ Listen to this release ]
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Alina: Today we will talk about the acoustics of Arslab Old School. We will devote a whole issue to this topic, because it is so interesting and integral that it is worth discussing it separately, and not in the context of any other issues. How was this acoustics created? Why did you get the idea to do it?
Timofey: It is more correct to take the word Arslab out of the name for the brackets, because historically there was only one experimental column called Arslab Old School Superb 90 - the first part of a large series.
')
It so happened that we decided, as an experiment, to drag her to the exhibition in Munich two years ago. She had tremendous success. We planned it exclusively for the Russian market, because [in Russia] there are certain visual analogs, there are people who are nostalgic for the old speakers, but are no longer willing to put up with the sound they gave and can give now, if someone else remained in the living state.
We made a modern column in the classic form. The experiment with a trip to Munich led to the idea that nostalgia is not only Russian. It, at least, is also European. Therefore, the continuation of the idea was the brand as a whole, not a ruler, since it is strange when the ruler is represented by one column.
Therefore, we decided to make a separate brand. Initially, it was focused exclusively on Europe and Asia, these are our good consumers, in particular, the acoustics of Penaudio . There is no such hard trouble with money as in connection with the crisis in Russia.
Some people think: since there is a crisis here, it means that there is a crisis everywhere. They did not notice anything there, because oil prices affect the ruble, with other currencies there are no such sharp fluctuations. People both lived and live. In Europe, the crisis was in 2008–2009, but this is another story.
We decided to single out a separate brand, and this time we did not have the task to make a very low price. Some people think that Old School is not very cheap. I do not know what they compare with. In fact, for the money almost no analogues. There are externally similar columns, there are similar columns for the price, there are analogues that have speakers of the same size. But put a number and listen.
Alina: So all together, this is clearly not worth as much as people pay for these speakers. The synergistic effect is much more than the price.
Timofey: We did not save on element base. Well, how to save - let's say so, pull out of every invested ruble, dollar, euro maximum. In this sense we relaxed our hands a little and made a premium product. It is a premium both in finishing and in element base.
We even put in WBT terminals, it also says something. It turned out a premium product based on the column [Arslab Old School Superb 90]. This is not a copy!
If we talk about the top-end model Classic 1, it really looks like [Arslab Old School Superb 90], but this is a different product. It is slightly changed in appearance, it is changed in functionality, it does not have switches that nobody needs in Europe.
/ Bookshelf acoustics Old School Studio Monitor M2
This is a nostalgic history in Russia - the old Soviet speakers, where all the switches could be turned. Those who have not heard, who have not tried, do not know that [on the first column of the Old School Superb 90, released under the brand Arslab], these switches do not work at all like they did on Soviet equipment. They work normally, correctly, they do not spoil the sound, but correct it.
Alina: So, in theory, they should have worked then.
Timofey: Yes. We tried to make it so. There are no switches on the equipment of the Old School brand, they are not needed there. There, too, its nuances.
A little modified column called Monitor M1 , which was previously produced under the brand Arslab . There also have their own difficulties. Unfortunately, prices are rising not only in Russia. For this speaker speaker has risen in price significantly.
Since it was a premium series, he moved to Old School, and even with that in mind there the economy hardly converges. It is necessary to earn at least a little. It is impossible to earn much, after all, a rather expensive element base, even if you close your eyes to everything else.
Alina: And how does Old School position itself in relation to Arslab? Maybe it is more youth or, on the contrary, more conservative brand? Or a brand for those who are nostalgic for retro?
Timofey: Old School and Arslab can only be compared in Russia, since Arslab is not for sale in Europe, Asia and America. This is exclusively a Russian brand, and its trick is that we make it exclusively for Russia and Russian needs.
/ Outdoor speakers Arslab Classic 2
Since we are engaged in a dialogue with the consumer on an ongoing basis and we have a lot of feedback, we feel the needs of consumers. Based on this, the popularity of the Arslab brand is growing, as it is very fast in reaction: we can adapt the product, starting with the production of a larger number of those models that are popular, ending with a more popular finish.
Old School - a brand that was originally focused on Europe, built from scratch. This is a premium brand for those who are nostalgic, but not willing to compromise on sound. You can find visually similar counterparts, but with certain nuances. Therefore, we work precisely for such an audience, in the midst of which, in an amicable way, we have no competitors.
At some point we decided to bring this product to Russia. The result was a European premium brand with Russian roots, whose concept is slightly different [from Arslab]. In Russia, we say that historically these are the same people who have developed, the same production, but this is a slightly different product, and it must be treated differently. You can directly compare them, but incorrectly.
Alina: And how is Old School perceived in Russia? Who is its main customer? Who is he most interesting?
Timofey: The audience is the same, just a little more solvent. People who are not willing to compromise, but are willing to pay more and get more. There are quite a lot of them, the only question is that a side effect is arising now, since we didn’t plan on this initially, the impromptu turned out.
In general, we often get some experiments, which then turn out to be very successful, despite the fact that initially it was a test of the idea.
While there are no “wild” sales, Arslab still sells well in a crisis. It turned out very “to the cashier” - at the moment of active promotion of new models, all prices rose sharply, and we tried to avoid it. And, indeed, Arslab is great for sale.
About Old School, I can’t say this yet, but there’s no such task. There is no additional cost. I had to translate instructions from English to Russian, since they were originally written in English. In general, we make plans for this brand for Europe and Asia, for which we have special versions.
Alina: We had a conversation with Artem Fairmark on the topic of Arslab and Penaudio . He mentioned that Old School is interesting not only for its sound, but also for its visual part. It also attracts people who want to see some interesting design object in the audio system.
Timofey: There is such. Now there are generally very strange tendencies [in design], they very abruptly replace each other. At some point, minimalism appeared, when everything had to be removed, leave one super designer vase from China, and nothing else at all, and build the speakers into the walls.
In this sense, the Germans [ Ceratec ] - well done, made Cerasonar , built-in acoustics, which is not visible because it is embedded in the wall, plastered, painted over. And it "flooded." [Thought], now the story about the smart house will still be superimposed on it, control of all this from the console, and the switches will be removed.
And everything turns in the opposite direction. I did not even have time to understand at what point it happened. Again a big device comes into fashion, making it show off, the stands are beautiful. Another level, of course. It's like comparing the repair of the 80s and the repair of the 2000s: [now] more modern equipment, more modern materials.
But here the mod itself is parading again. We are all ready for this. We have beautiful equipment, speakers, racks . For those who follow fashion trends, wants to be ahead, we have already prepared everything.
Rack for acoustics Cold Ray C3
Alina: It turns out that Russian buyers have even more opportunities in this regard than, for example, European, Asian, because they have Arslab and Old School.
Timofey: To some extent, yes. The trick is that in Europe, Asia and America a different format of consumption and other demand. They have a different attitude to equipment, other budgets. This does not mean that they buy more expensive speakers - they buy completely different products.
There are very popular miniature network devices that are expensive not because of the brand, but because it is very convenient. There may be considered that buyers get some extra comfort from it. That is, people do not buy the column, they buy extra amenities. They clearly understand this.
It is no secret that in Europe and America there is no such mad bustle of online shopping. They found, they looked: the price and delivery were fine, they issued it, put it in the basket, saved a lot of time, unlike our consumer, who will first read the reviews and then look for where the ruble is cheaper.
Alina: "Physical" store will still be looking for.
Timofey: That too. The format of consumption is basically different. Therefore, it is difficult to compare products, they are positioned and used differently.
Alina: It turns out that Old School has some other modifications of models for Europe and Asia?
Timofey: We don't tell anyone about this. The only thing I can say is that there are some minor differences. This is our know-how. This allows the speakers to serve longer in certain climate conditions. This is more than I could say.
Alina: Everything! Our listeners learned a trade secret.
Timofey: They did not know anything, but they understood that we are very cool! We understand the consumer a little deeper than many others, even very large manufacturers who do not know such small nuances.
This is all due to the fact that we are very close to the consumer. Not only in Russia, but also in other countries, we actively exchange information, actively communicate. This is a rather serious trump card in our hands.
Alina: It is important to note that the production of Old School is located in the same place where Arslab and Penaudio are made.
Timofey: Yes. These are the same people, the same equipment. These are other materials, other components, but these are the same hands, minds, a team that is partly Moscow, partly in Riga.
Alina: Are there any differences in how the mass public perceives the Old School columns here and in Europe? Has the attitude changed as a whole? Who is interested? Who is photographed with speakers?
Timofey: Nothing has changed in Europe. In the same way, people resort, see this unusual thing, hug, take pictures. This all just showed the last exhibition in Munich.
In Russia, we have not represented Old School in any exhibition. The Moscow Hi-End Show will be here in the autumn, we will bring Old School there [the Moscow High End Show will be held in Moscow on November 18-20]. We'll see. I think that, as always, a certain category of people will say that this is the same thing, just more expensive. There will be people who will understand what it is. But there are always haters, we are ready for this.
When a person physically came, and not just on the forum he wrote such nonsense, it’s easier with him: you put him in a chair, turn it on, he understands “by ear”. Then you bring him by the handle to the column, ask to touch and see how everything is neatly done and how durable and practical it is. It still looks good, and in 10 years it will look good and sound, too.
And still a guarantee. We never abandon the consumer even after the expiration of the warranty period. There were situations, people overloaded the speakers for the holidays for a lot of fun, we helped them, there is no problem. People understand that buying Arslab, they are also protected in a certain way. You can not be afraid, they will not remain without support, unlike world brands, which, if the distributor sold, and then changed his mind, or the brand changed his mind to sell through this distributor, there is no support.
Alina: Of course, because the chain from the end user to those who invent and develop these speakers can be huge and a person can get lost.
Timofey: It is always awesome. That's the trouble. There is a manufacturer, there is a distributor on this side, there is a distributor on the other side, there is a retailer. They are very slow in places. These are serious problems. We also face this problem as a retailer.
A buyer comes to us, who has some difficulties with the product that we sell, even not necessarily, that he bought it from us - he just found out on the network that we have it, which means we can turn to us. You can contact us. But unlike the situation with Arslab, with which we can eliminate almost any problem in a day or two, with everything else you have to wait months for deliveries.
The process is as follows: we cannot directly contact the factory, because the factory sends to its distributor. Distributor says he will order. What does it mean? This means that they will contact the distributor on the side that will contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer has this speaker. What will happen next? The speaker will be put on the shelf and they will wait for the next delivery, because sending one speaker is unprofitable.
Alina: There are logistic chains, there are already well-established processes.
Timofey: Exactly. If in Europe it can be quite simple - you can put the speaker in a box, call a transport company, and it will take, then with Russia everything is quite difficult, because there is customs, certain logistical difficulties.
As a result, this “golden” speaker will come, no client will ever pay such money for it. Therefore, he will wait for the next delivery, the next batch. This can happen in a month, and maybe in six months. And all this time a person has to wait. And most importantly, nothing can be done about it.
Only if a friend who comes from there, ask him to go somewhere, talk to someone. It is always very difficult. Unfortunately, streaming service centers, like electronics, no. As a rule, the problem is logistic and customs. And nothing to do with it.
Alina: Considering that acoustic systems are not pies that are bought all the time, but rather a long-term investment, a person wants his column to work as long as possible. And the question of design, the materials "sharpened" partly to ensure that it was a long-term product.
Timofey: Unfortunately, not all people understand this. In general, of course, it is. But in the market there is already grown up generation Y, which is not used to making long-term plans. They think differently. They live here and now, they are accustomed to this format, and shift it to their consumption process.
Now they will buy cheap, and then what will happen - even though the grass does not grow. I think this will all go away with time, maybe grow up, a couple of times the situation will be "hit on the head with a key." Probably it will come to someone that miracles do not happen.
Until now, people on the forums write that if a brand does not make columns for 5 thousand, but for 50 thousand, this is a divorce of suckers. Fortunately, there are fewer of these now as a percentage, because people have heard how music can sound.
Basically, oddly enough, two areas that are not very close help in this matter. First, it is the automakers, who, oddly enough, build in their cars all the higher quality equipment. People, getting into these cars as a passenger or driver, notice that the music sounds somehow too good.
Alina: Better than at home.
Timofey: Yes. And for some reason, the person at the same time bought [home] such healthy "coffins". Of course, they were very cheap, but they are so healthy, beautiful and black with large speakers. But for some reason here [in the car] these little speakers sound much better.
Secondly, headphones. Now it is the largest market in the field of audio. It is clear that there are absolutely budget headphones that people buy for a while, then they throw it away and buy it again. I do not understand why you can not immediately buy normal.
The one who listened to more serious headphones, also understands that he hears more in them than at home from speakers purchased from a very well-known brand, but at the same time very cheap. And it helps. People got a little involved, realized, understood. And it is very nice.
Alina: We are talking about generation Y. Is the audience of Hi-Fi and High End speakers getting younger? Is acoustics interesting for them from the point of view of home systems?
Timofey: At some point in the past decade, the audience really began to grow up, and now it is starting to look younger. Thanks to, most likely, the fact that the automakers are helping us, they give us the opportunity to hear something new and understand that music should sound different, if, of course, a person listens to something other than radio in a car.
But the radio seems to be gradually stepping aside. I was recently on vacation, took a car, drove around Europe and realized that the future had come, at that moment, when I just took out a smartphone, turned on data roaming, realizing that it was reasonably inexpensive, I opened Apple Music and listened to music in good quality where there in the fields. And the radio does not need more.
Periodically, I notice such moments - “the future has come.” At the time, the first iPhone appeared, and I realized that I had a browser in my pocket with me anywhere. This is a miracle! Now it is the norm. If people don't just listen to the radio, they hear a lot. There is a trend. It is very nice.
Alina: It turns out that relatively young people, but not quite teenagers, who love music and are interested in quite demanding genres from the point of view of various instruments and processing, should appreciate Old Scool, because it visually responds to their youth ideas. This is not just a “big black box”.
/ Bookshelf acoustics Old School Studio Monitor M2
Timofey: There are a few moments. Firstly, genres that are demanding to equipment are, as a rule, hard rock or something else heavier. For this kind of music you need other equipment, on the usual can not hear anything.
Secondly, the younger generation acquires a pair. Mostly such active music lovers are men. Women often have slightly different priorities. There are, of course, “music lovers”, but they are fewer. More for some reason it is inherent in men. A couple of such a music lover, as a rule, is also a creative person, and now it is just important for her to look good.
It turns out that music lovers are always in some uncomfortable position. They need to choose speakers that sound cool to listen with pleasure to what they used to listen. But at the same time, the columns should look like to satisfy the second half, which does not make compromises in this sense. She doesn’t care how the speakers sound, up to a certain level, because it doesn’t happen all the same, but for her it’s more important how they look.
I myself faced this situation. I already told you how I chose columns for myself, and it was impossible to buy them, because my wife was totally against design. I had to order a special custom design. These speakers are the only ones in the world. But this is what I wanted, and it suits her. Everything is super, mission accomplished. With Old School, such a story really passes, because it is both high quality and beautiful. Quite a lot of interiors in which they fit.
Alina: It turns out that in a couple of music lovers, the man is responsible for the content, and the woman is for the form.
Timofey: As a rule, this is exactly what happens.
Alina: Since we are talking so much about the Old School brand, is it possible to listen to him in the Russian showrooms of Audiomania ?
Timofey: Of course!
If interesting
Old School Acoustics Reviews:
Our GT Audio Digest:
- Shelf monitors Old School Classic One. Salon AudioVideo
- Shelf acoustics test Old School Monitor M2. Stereo & Video Magazine
- Shelf monitors Old School Monitor M2. Salon AudioVideo
Our GT Audio Digest:
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/399757/
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