Next Ultimate Guide

One for you, Mr Kerr...

As Mr Kerr is not around, I'll answer in his absence. I understand there will be two Ultimate Guides this year, one on TVs in the summer in time for the World Cup, and one on Blu-ray and home cinema in the run-up to Christmas.

I don't have the exact publication dates to hand, but I'm sure the other Andy will be along soon with the details.

Thanks, Andy. For some reason I thought that there were six every year, and since the last UG to Hifi was in March 2009, I thought a new edition was on the cards...pity!

Hedgehog

Andy Clough:

As Mr Kerr is not around, I'll answer in his absence. I understand there will be two Ultimate Guides this year, one on TVs in the summer in time for the World Cup, and one on Blu-ray and home cinema in the run-up to Christmas.

I don't have the exact publication dates to hand, but I'm sure the other Andy will be along soon with the details.

Hmmm. That's a very poor show.

JoelSim:

Hmmm. That's a very poor show.

 

 

No, it's not a poor show, it's pure business.

It may have come to your attention that the industry is (only just) limping out of a horrific recession, and the hi-fi market was as badly hit as other sectors.

Therefore we're not publishing an Ultimate Guide to Hi-fi this Spring - there's just not the level of extra advertising to support it right now, to the extent a publication of its size/quality/reach needs. 

Yes, we could have still published it with fewer ads, but we'd have had to charge a LOT more for it - and we didn't think you lovely magazine buyers would appreciate that!

It's obviously a different case in other areas we cover - eg TVs and newer tech - so we'll be publishing those as normal, plus a very special high-end guide in the summer.

I'll be writing a blog about the state of 2009 sales in the hi-fi industry very soon - we're just getting final figures and analysis - but if I tell you that the iPod dock/speaker market is now bigger than the entire hi-fi and AV separates market (including speakers and speaker packages), you get the gist.

How does that affect those of us who subscribe, Clare - will it just auto-renew but charge us less? Or do we need to do something?

Thanks!

Various options - letter should be on way to you from our subscriptions people; let me know if you haven't heard in a week or so.

Gotcha - cheers!

Clare Newsome:

JoelSim:

Hmmm. That's a very poor show.

 

 

I'll be writing a blog about the state of 2009 sales in the hi-fi industry very soon - we're just getting final figures and analysis - but if I tell you that the iPod dock/speaker market is now bigger than the entire hi-fi and AV separates market (including speakers and speaker packages), you get the gist.

Not really surprising as the iPod is a commodity.

I'm just disappointed Clare. Just feels like a purely economic rather that reader focused decision. I'd happily pay an extra £ as would many others.

Anyway, I've said my piece now.

Of course we are focused on the readers. But if a title can't make money in current circs, as Clare said, business requirements take over.

And I suspect it would take more than just a pound on the cover price...

Sorry I missed this thread developing last night. It's worth adding that the current situation is, I've been assured, a temporary reflection on recent economic conditions rather than any long-term reflection on the Ultimate Guides themselves. Hopefully, if things level out, we'll be able to return to our standard six issue frequency - or possibly even more, depending on reader demand.

By the way: Prof, no offence, but that new avatar of yours is, well, a bit creepy.

Good stuff - tbh, I was getting a bit worried about gel in another thread - thought this might put him off...

Clare Newsome:

I'll be writing a blog about the state of 2009 sales in the hi-fi industry very soon - we're just getting final figures and analysis - but if I tell you that the iPod dock/speaker market is now bigger than the entire hi-fi and AV separates market (including speakers and speaker packages), you get the gist.

I'd be interested in seeing this blog post, that the ipod dock market is larger than the rest of the hifi and av market is fascinating.

What should the trad hifi market have done differently. it seems mainly non-hifi gadget companies that have the bulk of this lower end market? 

Personally, I feel too many traditional audio companies saw the iPod/internet as a threat, rather than an opportunity. That left a computer company - and its acolytes - free to become the biggest audio brand/grab the biggest share of the market.

Anyway...blog in progress; possibly up later today.