Squeezebox discontinued?

[MajorFubar]

Why kill a product if it was so popular?

 

[omnibeard]

Why kill a product if it was so popular?

It can't have been profitable - either that or not significantly profitable in comparison to its other products.

Hence they cut it to stop losing money, or to concentrate on other areas that they know make money.

Money makes the world go round my friend, it's a dog eat dog world, you've got a rat behind you and a rat in front of you, and so on and so forth.

 

[nads]

if you read the links provided you will see that it was making money despite no advertising. and it caught them out.

they bought it but did not understand it. and still do not.

 

[chebby]

Why kill a product if it was so popular?

Evidently not popular enough to encourage Logitech to bring out a new one. (Assuming they won't.)

Just because a stack of people here on the hi-fi forums (and other hi-fi forums) have one, and talk about it/recommend it a lot, we can't assume it was as popular with everyone.

What did it normally cost? £200? That's 'steep' - even for an entire system - for most people.

Logitech typically make much cheaper stuff that goes out in the supermarket or a PC World/Currys/Dixons barn. Maybe - outside of people with bespoke £3K active hi-fi speakers or other similarly expensive systems - the £200 streamer wasn't shifting very fast.

We get a very skewed version here of what 'popular' or 'great value' really means.

 

[smbmetal]

Great point!

You're right, I think sometimes (myself included) we forget that we are in a niche market and £200 in hi-fi is cheap/a bargain, in other peoples worlds £200 would be the maximum that they would spend on their music system at home. My mate often wonders why I've spent so much money on hi-fi equipment, although he does not deny that it does not sound good!

 

[omnibeard]

if you read the links provided you will see that it was making money despite no advertising. and it caught them out.

I didn't read the links - sorry, which ones? - but I don't believe any company drops a service/product that is making good money.

A service/product might make a little bit of money, so is theoretically profitable, but it might make sense to the company to drop it for a variety of reasons, for example: perceived lifespan of product, competitor threat, a need to concentrate on core products.

Pretty sure if Logitech were making money hand over fist with this then they would not be dropping it.

Now I'm waiting for a raft of famous examples of companies dropping massively profitable services/products.

 

[omnibeard]

My mate often wonders why I've spent so much money on hi-fi equipment, although he does not deny that it does not sound good!

Think you might have been ripped off.

 

[MajorFubar]

if you read the links provided you will see that it was making money despite no advertising. and it caught them out.

they bought it but did not understand it. and still do not.

Hmm...sad but we've seen that before in the past: Commodore Amiga anyone? Commodore bought the rights to make it, found out it completely whipped the a$$ of the PC-compatibles they'd already paid good money to build, and then were completely dumbfounded by what to do wth it.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Let's see if it's not a marketing play, to sell all tha SBT out there in the market to drop the new one in a few month's... :?

 

[Covenanter]

Companies kill products for all kinds of reasons, some good and some bad. From what I have seen and read about this situation it looks like a strategic move out of this type of product in order to concentrate on internet radio (as well as their other computer products). What is behind such a strategic decision, if that is what it is, is impossible to know from the outside. Profitability is only one factor and may not be the most important.

Chris

 

[gregvet]

Profitability is only one factor and may not be the most important.

Chris

While this is quite true, there are very few companies who choose to kill off a profitable side of the business, irrespective of how small. So they must either be very confident in what they are replacing it with, or (more likely IMO) the margins and volumes were so small on the Squeezebox that it wasnt worth continuing/updating.

 

[shooter]

Why would you only consider a SBT for the short term? They won't suddenly stop working when Logitech stop making them.

Very true though in the long run support (if its needed) will disappear along with any chance of repair and used ones will be around for some time.

Buying used doen't put me off as long as the manufacturer still support the product, i've done it with MF, Chord and Naim to name a few though the ex-demo O2M around at the moment looks tempting at the price just not my colour preference. I've emailed Olive regarding the DAC bypass and what would happen if you fed it a 24 192 file, waiting on a response.

 

[Covenanter]

Profitability is only one factor and may not be the most important.

Chris

While this is quite true, there are very few companies who choose to kill off a profitable side of the business, irrespective of how small. So they must either be very confident in what they are replacing it with, or (more likely IMO) the margins and volumes were so small on the Squeezebox that it wasnt worth continuing/updating.

It did occur to me that maybe some other company who are more mainstream in this area may have paid Logitech to withdraw. Such deals are not unknown.

Chris

 

[The_Lhc]

I'm not 100% sure the Olive DAC can be by-passed though it has digital outs

Is that a serious statement? If you use the digital outputs you are, by definition, bypassing the Olive's DAC. They're not going convert from digital to analogue and then reconvert it back into a digital signal for the digital outputs.

Well, I suppose they might but that would be monumentally stupid.

 

[shooter]

I'm not 100% sure the Olive DAC can be by-passed though it has digital outs

Is that a serious statement? If you use the digital outputs you are, by definition, bypassing the Olive's DAC. They're not going convert from digital to analogue and then reconvert it back into a digital signal for the digital outputs.

Well, I suppose they might but that would be monumentally stupid.

Agreed and on the Olive site analog and digital outputs are differing bit rates, just want to get it from the horses mouth.

 

[shooter]

Companies kill products for all kinds of reasons, some good and some bad.

Chris

And you need to remember Logitech are computer peripherals company not Hi-Fi based.

 

[Covenanter]

Companies kill products for all kinds of reasons, some good and some bad.

Chris

And you need to remember Logitech are computer peripherals company not Hi-Fi based.

Yep and I can just hear some finance twerp like me saying "Hey guys I know it's been a success but do we really want to get into the hifi business. Shouldn't we 'stick to the knitting'?" :rofl:

Chris

 

[nads]

thereis life in it yet.

Logitec may be killing it but others see it as a great base for new product.

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/fusion_research_to_unveil_music_server_built_off_logitechs_squeezebox/#When:13:18:17Z

 

[The_Lhc]

thereis life in it yet.

Logitec may be killing it but others see it as a great base for new product.

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/fusion_research_to_unveil_music_server_built_off_logitechs_squeezebox/#When:13:18:17Z

Prices START at $995 and support up to 5 (count them, on one hand, FIVE) zones.

It's not exactly going to have Sonos worried is it?

 

[Anonymous]

No more Squeezebox Touch?

You have got to be ******* joking.

Why kill such a successful product? I am fuming.

 

[simonlewis]

I am fuming.

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

 

[MajorFubar]

Logitech: non-descript PC accessories company which makes cheap mice, keyboards and tacky accessories, accidentally 'invents a monster', under-values it, under-prices it*, has no real idea of the significance of what they've made compared to the cost of comparable products, and then kills it off.

*If a well-known HiFi company made the same product, can you imagine the cost...

 

[The_Lhc]

Logitech: non-descript PC accessories company which makes cheap mice, keyboards and tacky accessories, accidentally 'invents a monster'

They did no such thing, Squeezebox was brought to market by Slim Devices, who were subsequently bought by Logitech when they started to do reasonably well.

 

[chebby]

Logitech: non-descript PC accessories company which makes cheap mice, keyboards and tacky accessories, accidentally 'invents a monster...

Slim Devices invented it. Logitech bought them out.

 

[The_Lhc]

*YES!* Get in there...