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Did eD discontinue A7s-450 and the dual

post #1 of 22
2/15/12 at 5:00pm
Thread Starter 
I was considering 2 A7's but awaiting to save for them, just checked the website and they are not available anymore, along with the a7-900.
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post #2 of 22
2/15/12 at 6:20pm
I've not been on their site in quite a while but it looks like they dropped a lot of their models.
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post #3 of 22
2/15/12 at 6:54pm
There's a thread on their forum explaining the changes. Kind of vague on what changes are temporary or permanent.
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post #4 of 22
2/15/12 at 8:43pm
Wow, it sure looks like all the trouble they've been experiencing for the past year (or more?) must be taking quite a toll on them. According to their website they've jettisoned 50% of their subwoofers:

A3S-250
A2-250
A3-250
A3-300
A5S-300
A7S-450
A7-900

The justification sighted is so they can "focus on core products, to focus on what makes us who we are". So all those products that are no longer available were not core for them? Wonder why they bothered to produce those in the first place if that's the case. I'd hate to own one of them knowing the company who made it thinks it's a tier two product. eD goes on to claim it's only temporary, but so are certain forms of insanity and I think we all know how that usually ends.

Ironically, they also state "We are still 100% open to doing custom items". Aren't those the most time consuming and prone to problems work they could possibly do? It seems like they already have enough to contend with, so I'm not certain I understand the logic behind still doing the thing that probably has the least return on investment while also having the most possibility of issues. The 7 subs they stopped making -- all commodity items -- were going to be far less hassle than any custom work is ever going to be.

It appears to have come about rather suddenly as well, which is never a good sign. To me it kinda reeks of desperation, and almost seems like a last ditch effort to save the company. If true that's really quite sad, because at one point they had a very good thing going (and they did a lot of work in America, something not all these ID companies can say). I'm curious now to see how this all turns out...
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post #5 of 22
2/15/12 at 9:21pm
It probably has a lot to do with getting the drivers, in the DIY section there is a huge shortage of available drivers due to the lack of materials needed to make them.
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post #6 of 22
2/16/12 at 11:12am
From the email i got from them my understanding was not that they canned them all together, they'll still make them for you, but they would be custom made.

The email basically stated they wanted to focus on having a more tight/controlled product line so they could keep the subs in stock rather than having to build/ship as ordered. A lot of people on these forums complain that eD's biggest problem is having to wait 3+ weeks for your sub once you order it.

So, instead of now being:

"Here is a massive line of subs, all of which will be custom built"

its:

"Here is a line of subs we keep in stock, the rest of these you can order custom built"
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post #7 of 22
2/16/12 at 11:43am
The New Year Ushers in a Few Modifications.
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post #8 of 22
2/16/12 at 11:59am
ED is just following in Epik's footsteps...Epik used to offer at least 3-4 models, now their down to 2. SVS has also decreased the number of models it offers. Most of the PC series is gone as is the PB-10. CHT has also dropped the 18.2 from its line-up.
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post #9 of 22
2/16/12 at 12:01pm
I have always thought eD had waaay too many subs for the pricepoints they were targeting. I mean 14 subs price vaired up to 2500? That's way too many options for the same basic segment of the market. they are doing the smart thing by cutting back I think. It should make them more efficient and streamline, all while keeping most of the best subs they had to offer (I am a little sad to see the A7S-450 go though).
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post #10 of 22
2/16/12 at 12:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spyboy View Post

CHT has also dropped the 18.2 from its line-up.

FWIW: According to this post, it appears that the dual opposed-firing 18.2 has been replaced by a dual front-firing 18.2.
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post #11 of 22
2/16/12 at 12:12pm
I think it is more than just consolidating their offerings. eD needs to refocus their customer service efforts. I won't go into too many details, but I personally no longer recommend eD subs after mine and others experience with their customer service.

You cannot even compare some of the issues at eD that you can with Epik, SVS, HSU, etc. Reading between the lines, I think eD is making some tough decisions right now, and I do agree that streamlining their lineup and having stock on hand is a step in the right direction, however, they are really sending a mixed message with all the custom stuff they are trying to do on the side.

I really hope eD turns things around. I am ready to spend a big chunk of change on new subs and I did not even consider eD. And I currently own an eD sub.
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post #12 of 22
2/16/12 at 12:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eljaycanuck View Post

FWIW: According to this post, it appears that the dual opposed-firing 18.2 has been replaced by a dual front-firing 18.2.


Thanks for the heads-up
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post #13 of 22
2/16/12 at 12:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kgb540 View Post

I have always thought eD had waaay too many subs for the pricepoints they were targeting. I mean 14 subs price vaired up to 2500? That's way too many options for the same basic segment of the market. they are doing the smart thing by cutting back I think. It should make them more efficient and streamline, all while keeping most of the best subs they had to offer (I am a little sad to see the A7S-450 go though).

Agreed....I also wonder about the A7S-450 not being "core". That seemed to be one of the most common subs mentioned around here when it came to ED.
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post #14 of 22
2/16/12 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimWilson View Post

Wow, it sure looks like all the trouble they've been experiencing for the past year (or more?) must be taking quite a toll on them. According to their website they've jettisoned 50% of their subwoofers:

A3S-250
A2-250
A3-250
A3-300
A5S-300
A7S-450
A7-900

The justification sighted is so they can "focus on core products, to focus on what makes us who we are". So all those products that are no longer available were not core for them? Wonder why they bothered to produce those in the first place if that's the case. I'd hate to own one of them knowing the company who made it thinks it's a tier two product. eD goes on to claim it's only temporary, but so are certain forms of insanity and I think we all know how that usually ends.

Ironically, they also state "We are still 100% open to doing custom items". Aren't those the most time consuming and prone to problems work they could possibly do? It seems like they already have enough to contend with, so I'm not certain I understand the logic behind still doing the thing that probably has the least return on investment while also having the most possibility of issues. The 7 subs they stopped making -- all commodity items -- were going to be far less hassle than any custom work is ever going to be.

It appears to have come about rather suddenly as well, which is never a good sign. To me it kinda reeks of desperation, and almost seems like a last ditch effort to save the company. If true that's really quite sad, because at one point they had a very good thing going (and they did a lot of work in America, something not all these ID companies can say). I'm curious now to see how this all turns out...

Wow, this is a particularly vicious post. Did you get burnt by ED or something?

As for the subject, if it alleviates ED's supply problems and wait issues, I think this is a good move, and probably something they should have done earlier.
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post #15 of 22
2/16/12 at 3:36pm
I agree. I was considering the a7s but I think I am going with the A5-350 now but in any case, I think they had way too many subs and you end up confusing people so is a smart move.
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post #16 of 22
2/16/12 at 4:30pm
They should have done this along time ago. But they just kept coming out with more subwoofers and speaker lines. They just stretched themselves too thin, IMO the DL and EL series speakers should not have happened. They should have focused on the A series and the best selling subwoofers. Instead of trying to have all these different models with not focus.
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post #17 of 22
2/16/12 at 4:56pm
man this has to bum pure evil out.
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post #18 of 22
2/16/12 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shadyJ View Post

Wow, this is a particularly vicious post. Did you get burnt by ED or something?

Not vicious at all, just my own observation. I spent a lot of time researching different companies a while back while looking for a sub, and eD got crossed off the list pretty early because of what I felt to be a litany of problems. If you look at some of the eD-related threads on blu-ray.com and audioholics.com you'll see a lot of unhappy people their too, so it just seems to me that the problems they have are growing.

Maybe they are only trimming the product line to something they can manage, but it seems like more than a simple coincidence the only subs that made the cut are the larger models. Yet oddly enough the A7-450 -- which does appear to be a rather popular model, and wasn't really small -- didn't survive, while custom work did. I find that type of thing confusing.

Perhaps it's not desperation that's driving this, maybe it is, who knows, but either way I still don't fully understand why they made some of these choices. If it turns out they are able to save themselves, and do some damage control on their reputation, it might prove to be worth it in the long run. Hindsight will be the only part that's 20/20.
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post #19 of 22
2/16/12 at 6:31pm
I spoke to ED the other day about the A7S and they mentioned to me that the 18" was out of stock, so they might be streamlining their product along with a shortage of drivers to build certain subs at this time.
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post #20 of 22
2/16/12 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimWilson View Post

Wow, it sure looks like all the trouble they've been experiencing for the past year (or more?) must be taking quite a toll on them. According to their website they've jettisoned 50% of their subwoofers:

A3S-250
A2-250
A3-250
A3-300
A5S-300
A7S-450
A7-900

The justification sighted is so they can "focus on core products, to focus on what makes us who we are". So all those products that are no longer available were not core for them? Wonder why they bothered to produce those in the first place if that's the case. I'd hate to own one of them knowing the company who made it thinks it's a tier two product. eD goes on to claim it's only temporary, but so are certain forms of insanity and I think we all know how that usually ends.

Ironically, they also state "We are still 100% open to doing custom items". Aren't those the most time consuming and prone to problems work they could possibly do? It seems like they already have enough to contend with, so I'm not certain I understand the logic behind still doing the thing that probably has the least return on investment while also having the most possibility of issues. The 7 subs they stopped making -- all commodity items -- were going to be far less hassle than any custom work is ever going to be.

It appears to have come about rather suddenly as well, which is never a good sign. To me it kinda reeks of desperation, and almost seems like a last ditch effort to save the company. If true that's really quite sad, because at one point they had a very good thing going (and they did a lot of work in America, something not all these ID companies can say). I'm curious now to see how this all turns out...

What?.....Why?

I don't see any other companies offering 20 different subs or whatever they had. Seems like the most likely explanation is that it's just not the optimal business model, and there aren't that many distinct categories of demand.
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post #21 of 22
2/16/12 at 6:40pm
I'm surprised to see the A7S-450 go...I thought that seemed like popular model. I agree with the poster above...I think a majority of these ID companies are learning the more models you offer, the less efficient and more problems that can arise. You are never going to please everyone and someone is going to want something slightly different. I think selling 5-6 different models of subs is probably wise. Just hit a few different price points and be done with it. Especially when you sell speakers and other stuff. It takes a lot of work to manage all of the variety and I'm sure ED isn't a huge company. I think this is probably going to be a good move on their part.
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post #22 of 22
2/16/12 at 6:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by benclement11 View Post

I'm surprised to see the A7S-450 go...I thought that seemed like popular model.

My guess is margins. The A7s-450 was a whole lot of bang for the buck...they probably didn't make as much $ as compared to other models. Just a guess.
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