Goodbye Onkyo, hello Integra

You’re worried about Magnolia Home Theater when you can find Onkyo heavily discounted everywhere online?

Onkyo might the loosest product in terms of distribution and internet sales. There is nothing unique that Onkyo offers and it should remain a 5th or 6th option for most integrators unless your client demands it.

This is no surprise.  Onkyo needed to find someone to fill the gap that Circuit City created for them by going out of business.

“Onkyo says the partnership with Magnolia Home Theater is “one of the most exciting developments” in its recent history.”

Wow, looks like it doesn’t take much to excite Onkyo.

The last decent product Onkyo ever made, (and at that time is was under their Integra label), was their tuner… T9090 MKII.

Back in the day, (25 years ago), Onkyo and Harmon Kardon we’re the 2 best receivers on the market. Today, both of them can be purchased at “Payless Shoes.” Who cares???

I agree with Kilroy… It sounds like Onkyo doesn’t get out much.

Dave, I can’t agree with your assessment that the T9090MKII was the “last decent product Onkyo ever made,” but want to offer a point of clarification. The T9090 (an absolutely awesome tuner that became the reference standard for many radio engineers) was ACTUALLY an Onkyo-branded product.

You are correct that it carried the Integra designation. Back then, Onkyo’s top of the line models were called Integra (to designate their best models). Now, of course, Integra has been re-envisioned as a completely separate brand.

Ted,
You are correct sir… However, their best products, (at the time 20 years ago), were the “Grand Integra” pieces which did not carry or display the Onkyo name on them. I was one out of only 5 dealers in the US that actually carried, sold, and displayed them.

These pieces were not listed on the standard Onkyo/Integra price sheets, and many people, (including Onkyo dealers), did not know they even existed. Matter of fact, in order to get them your regular Onkyo sales rep had to vouch for you, and then made arrangements for the president of the company, (who came directly from Japan, did not speak English, but came with an interpreter), had to visit your showroom to make sure you met his standards.

Theses pieces, (there were only 2… amp & pre-amp), were actually a work of art, weighed a ton and were only available in a Gold finish.

This was Onkyo’s attempt to compete with Krell & Levinson pieces that were growing steam at the time. If I remember correctly, the combo was about $12K-$15K.

It didn’t sound as good as the Krell, but what sold it was “John Q. Public” knew and felt comfortable with the Onkyo brand. Boy… how things have changed.

Yes, I remember Grand Integra well. And you are correct, it was a separate brand targeted for dealers who more directly addressed the high-end market.

Of course, the T9090MKII was not in this line either…it was an Onkyo product through-and-through.

Not every Onkyo dealer realized just what they had with this incredible tuner!

But then again, not every high-end dealer realized what they had with Grand Integra, either!

Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane…it was fun!

Ted Green
The Stratecon Group, Strategic Concepts in Marketing
http://www.stratecongroup.com

Ted,
Always a pleasure to speak to a long time veteran of this business. If you wish to keep going down the “Onkyo Memory Lane,” the following pieces truly put Onkyo on the map:

The entire TX-2500, TX-4500, TX-6500, and TX-8500 Mark II series of receivers. Beautiful construction, laminated wood finishes, and, (I don’t remember what it was called), when you took your fingers off of the large tuning knob, the PLL Quartz Locked tuner lights would give you the cool red and green LED bars in the analog display showing your station was locked in.

Still one of my favorites was the Onkyo TD-630D cassette deck, retail $249.00. (Not to be confused with the original TD 630 which did not have Dolby noise reduction and retailed for $219.00) Tall silver front panel that was larger than the entire black metal housing, keyboard controls, and the ever famous black mechanical 3 digit tape counter.

For people who could not afford these decks, there was always the alternative Akai 702 & 702D which sold for $35.00 less. Not as good, but they did have the simulated wood vinyl finish.

I think I’m having an acid flash back because I now have a craving to go onto to E-Bay and see if I can find a Sansui 9090DB… 1st Dolby FM tuner.