New product launch?

[IanG-UK]

The issue of 'brand loyalty' started with a discussion as to why someone might not want to spend 3-4k Euro for a "Mk 2" upgrade if it were made available.  For me, that would be a substantial increase in my investment in my Dev 200.   If such an upgrade were to be made available, I for one, would pause a bit before jumping.  Not saying I wouldn't do it - I'd do my homework, wait to hear the reviews, hope to hear it in my home first, and break a few piggy-banks trying to figure out how to afford it.   

Personally, I really want to see Devialet knock a few out of the park and I'm excited to see what's in store in the upcoming announcement (there will be one, right? ;-)

I can't see any viability in Devialet proposing a €3-4k upgrade for a £5.5k Devialet 200 - presumably €7.5k in Euros.

The UK retail costs are £4k (120), £5.5k (200), £10k (400), £10k (250); and the Od'A costs £23k and the 800 is £18k. Quite a lot of that extra Od'A cost will be the cost of a small volume run and of the rose gold finish.

The cost of the innards of a Devialet 200 is probably no more than £1k. If Devialet want to replace the A and D boards and the AIR board my guess as to the offer to existing 200 owners would be a maximum of £1k - £1.25k, including labour, plus shipping. Probably a maximum £2k - £2.25k, plus shipping, for the 400. I'd guess that not all the Od'A improvements, transferable to the 800 perhaps, are feasible for the differently cased smaller models.

Furthermore, commercially, Devialet will need to judge what 120 owners are likely to be willing to spend on a upgrade. My hunch is that £400 is attractive and more that £800 (a 20% premium) is definitely unattractive. 

Just my opinion.