Worth a close look

[Rlowe]

Villchur interview transcript.

I don't know how long it will be available but check this out;

http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/105v...hur/index1.html

It has a part1 & part 2.

It doesn't include the Roy Allison interview.

[Guest Brian_D]

"...It doesn't include the Roy Allison interview."

Sure it does.

Roy Allison Interview:

http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/105v...hur/index2.html

Edgar Villchur Interview:

http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/105villchur/index.html

-Brian

[Rlowe]

I didn't look closely, as I bought the magazine.

I'm pleased to see it's there.

[soundminded]

It's not only an insight into the golden age of development in high fidelity sound reproduction, it reminds us of a time when innovation was the rule, not the exception and the innovators were real personalities, not the nameless faceless people who design and build the look alike sound alike equipment which is much of today's market. It also reminds us of a time when words like value and integrity still had some meaning. It was a time before this industry died.

[Guest Droog]

I'm very surprised to read in this interview that Acoustic Research had over 32% of the speaker market in 1966, and Villchur states the the number two maker had only about 10% of speaker sales. I had no idea AR dominated so thoroughly.......would have thought Realistic or Pioneer would have held the lead in volume of sales, or KLH maybe ?

Anyone know who would have been the second & third place sellers of speakers in the mid 60s ?

[ToastedAlmond]

JBL? Jensen? I don't think Pioneer, Sansui or any of the major offshore electronics manufacturers would have enjoyed big sales until military personnel started buying the stuff in droves during the Vietnam conflict.

[tysontom]

>I'm very surprised to read in this interview that Acoustic

>Research had over 32% of the speaker market in 1966, and

>Villchur states the the number two maker had only about 10% of

>speaker sales. I had no idea AR dominated so

>thoroughly.......would have thought Realistic or Pioneer would

>have held the lead in volume of sales, or KLH maybe ?

>

>Anyone know who would have been the second & third place

>sellers of speakers in the mid 60s ?

AR's domestic loudspeaker market share was fairly dominant from about 1960 until 1973, and it then it began to decline. It is not known the market share of Radio Shack's Realistic speaker line, but it probably was the largest for most of the years where AR was not strongest. The figures mentioned here came from *Hi-Fi Stereo Review* (later *Stereo Review*) and the Institute of High Fidelity Manufacturer's annual survey among speaker manufacturers, but were not published figures. These figures came from AR's information and Archive files from that period, and were not public information.

In 1960 AR's market share was 16.30%, with E-V at 10.70% and JBL coming in 10.50%. By 1964 AR's market share (domestic loudspeaker market) had grown to 29.60% with JBL down to 9.00% but with KLH now up to 10.30%. In 1966, AR's best year for market share, it was up to a remarkable 32.20% -- highest ever for any speaker manufacturer -- with KLH in second at 12.00% approximately. By 1969 AR's market share was 27.80% and beginning to decline, yet sales were practically doubling each year. KLH was down to 7.70% by 1969, as well, starting the long decline as Advent begin its rise. In 1973 Advent's share was 9.30% and AR's share was down to 12.50%, and following year Advent had surpassed AR in market share with 8.50% vs. AR's 8.10%. AR's decline continued through 1977 with only 1.30% market share, vs. Bose's 7.30% and Advent's 7.00%. AR made a brief resurgence in 1978 (AR-9 etc.) and grew market share to 3.10% and to 5.20% in 1982, then beginning to decline to 2.60% by 1986, the last year of data. By this time Bose was growing faster than most of the other manufacturers, and soon began to dominate. By 1986, Polk had as much as 9.20% of the market.

The glorious years for AR were certainly in the 60s and 70s.

--Tom Tyson

[Guest Droog]

Thank you Tom - for these statistics, it's fascinating to see AR's 32.20% of the market share against the 12% share of KLH in second place in 1966. I had always thought volume of sales was closer between the two companies in the mid 60s. AR was a truely amazing company who offered fantastic products!

[Rlowe]

I assume they'll be replaced in April.

Just in case you didn't see the interviews.

[Rlowe]

I just checked the URL access to the Stereophile magazine still works.

It should be of interest to new readers.

[Rlowe]

I just checked the URL access to the Stereophile magazine, it still works.

It should be of interest to new readers.

Don't forget the music.