hasn't landed yet

Until consumers start fighting back against these exorbitantly over priced high-end arrangers and/or arranger modules Yammie and Ketron and the others will keep licking their chops and laughing all the way to the bank at our expense. Since I am a conscientious consumer advocate I feel strongly compelled to voice my concerns with others regarding these huge price discrepancies (rip-offs) and by doing so to hopefully see progress with manufacturers in lowering their prices in line to their products true value and worth instead of price gouging the world's populations in the name of greed.
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Mike
You are a long way off base here, last quarter the music division of Yamaha made net operating income of under 2% on sales - and this was an improvement on the previous year. And this was before corporate expenses, which plunged Yamaha into huge losses.
The number of $2000 per unit profit you mention is probably way overstated, and in any case would be gross margin, not profit. Most companies selling this kind of technology need gross margins in the range of 30-50% before they can show decent net operating income, because gross margins will not include many other overhead costs, like legal, accounting, admin, development, marketing interest expense etc etc. In a good comapny gross margins of 30-50% might net 10%, and that assumes you hit your projected volumes to absord overheads. Even if they did sell 500 units, that would probably not be in a single year, so nobody in a company like Ketron is likely to be getting rich at the consumers expense. In fact, with strong competitors all losing montey, there will be a big squeeze on margins in this kind of market, and fir companies like Ketron its probably a constant struggle for survival. Ask yourself, would you run to buy Ketron stock because they were making so much money?MikF

ketron shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as a Gigantic Successful multi divisional corporation as YAMAHA...hey if you cant afford something that tuff luck, save for it, work more for it, or just forget it.....no reason to degrade a company just because YOU don't think all the R&D and all else that goes into making a product that is very well worth alot more then they are charging IMO.Don't think so?.....try making it yourself... not to mention all the joy you get playing thier musical products which to me is priceless.
What do you want everything for free?....

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 08-05-2010).]

the reality is this my friends...

Ketron forces nobody to buy AUDYA
Ketron forces noboby to upgrage your sound for a REASONABLE 35 euros
Ketron's overall sound and styles are like no others, in your face live, real, authentic, musical, like a real band

Ketron IS expensive, we all know that

But so is a Bentley,

and to me, the Ketron is the "Bentley" of ALL arrangers,

and of course Bentleys come with a price.

just my $0.02

Guys - you misinterpreted my post. The first paragraph was a quote from an earlier post from another member on this thread (Dan01. He was saying that the consumer is being ripped off by these keyboard companies who make huge profits from each keyboard. I was responding to this by pointing out that this is ridiculous because even a mega corp like Yamaha cant make money at these prices, and is in bad shape. So for a company like Ketron its probably a constant struggle to stay in business while remaining competitive and its the consumer who is getting the good deal. Even if his statement that they could profit a million bucks from selling 500 Audyas was correct - and there is no way it is even close to correct - spread over 3 or 4 years that wouldnt actually be much of a return on investment.
The Audya 5 is a great keyboard at a great price, - probably several steps in technology ahead of the anticipated new Tyros 4 and at lower cost - and so it will be my next purchase. I believe we are all in agreement!
Mike

Hi All,

The problem I think with Ketrons high price is based on the number of KB they can sell. You cannot compare Ketron with Yamaha, they will only sell a fraction that Yamaha sell.

Sorry but it is as simple as that!

The T3 perhaps, has sold in 1000s, I don't think the Audya WW as sold 500, they will be lucky if they have got the setting up costs back yet??

It was not my post. I replied to Mike's quote. Please read again.

Apologies Dan, you are correct, I should have said keybplayers post.

Mike

where's my AUDYA?