On another thread there were a few people singing praise to Bay Audio.
I currently offer Triad, Wharfedale, and TruAudio. Recently I have been talking with the reps for Sonnance and Bay Audio. I have decided to pick up the sonnance line because they have a very shallow in ceiling speaker that should work well on my condo jobs and they have the Mariners that I need badly. Right now I'm using pinnacle Atlantis outdoors, which are awesome but I would rather be using a line I am direct with. Bay Audio looks interesting, especialy the 900 sereis in-wall ( the new small 940 is what caught my attention). My question to you folks that may know both brands is how do they compare to Triad? I don't move much Wharfedale because we don't sell many Towers down here so I would probably start moving away from them if I were to pick up Bay Audio.

Thanks,
Allen

I've never installed Triad, all I know is feedback here and from AVS. Having said that, the key thing I'm aware of that I'm hot on is Triad's use of recessible back boxes... really cool, and I've been pestering Bay Audio to do it. They're doing custom stuff now (I hear they have a cabinet shop in the same facility) and might spend a little R&D to copy Triad... if we push them.

What I like about BA is they offer the complete package;$150 a pair in ceilings all the way up to custom made stuff. My own 5.1 is all BA 900 series inwalls with Denon, so I'm a little biased.

But, if Triad or TruAudio wants to throw me some 'test' units....

Choosing a good speaker line is important... but the line is honestly second to the manufacturer themselves and of course, the brand which is your company.

In Bay Audio you've got a great line that will please your customers with its performance. What you have above that is a great group of guys that really care about your business and back up their products beautifully.

When I say this it's not to dis TruAudio, Triad or anyone else but what i've found is theres no reason for me to switch from Bay Audio because I've never had a bad experience.

My sentiments exactly. I get people when I call, and they know me and will gladly help with information or advice. I think Triad is small enough to perform that level of communication from what I hear. Plus, BA is a solid line, well rounded, complete. If I was to only offer one speaker, I'd really consider Bay Audio.

The company I work for also offers CAT and BG, but that's sort of niche stuff... Bay Audio is our bread and butter and we could get by without either CAT or BG.

Most importantly... I've had dinner bought for me by a Bay Audio bigwig. What a great company!

Ira wears a wig?

David won't let him come to out here. I do envision him as a 'Mad Professor' type. Great guy, always helpful.

Very similiar companies with very similiar CI attitudes. Here is the difference. Triad, as the name implies, designs all of its speakers to be used with sub-woofers. They are all designed with limited bass extension as they are small acoustic suspension designs. True, their Gold and Silver Omnis can get away without the sub --but only just barely. Bay Audio offers full range speakers with all of the attention to CI detail and audiophile sound. Bay Audio will make custom speakers and we know how both companies ripped off the idea of an other speakers company and make on wall plasma speakers.

I like both companies and until recently did not sell Bay Audio directly. Ira is a very smart individual and any course he teaches is well worth the time. Sonance is Speakercraft is Niles is Elan. Personally, I'd purchase the two products they offer that fit a niche in distribution. What Bay Audio does understand that Triad does not is that having a speaker SKU at lower price points also matters. Bay Audio offers speakers from 250/pair on up. Obviously their lower priced, made in China offerings are not in the same league as their made in the USA, audiophile speakers. Price is what price can do. Everyone ought to drop these mega lines and pick them up via distribution--which is where they long to be any way. So help them help themselves and stop being direct with them. Support companies that support you and Sonace/Speakercraft/Niles have their interests in the mass market not CI--no matter how they wish to claim that some SKUs are restricted. They are bottom line companies so unless you are selling C4 en mass find a niche company that supports your niche market.

If you are already selling Triad Bay Audio may be very similiar. However, having lower priced speakers that are not also in ADI, AVID which every truck slammer known to man has access is a plus. Also having a full range bookshelf like their cube speakers is a plus given the importance of apeasing dreckorators and having the smallest possible speaker. The mini cube has a sensitivity of 102 db and -3db @80Hz. It's 6w x 9-1/2h x 8-1/2d.

Alan

That's one way to look at it. Another is that Triad knows that by resisting the urge to go cheap it's easier to maintain their image and cache as a high-end brand. Personally I'm quite happy that they don't make a $250 pair of speakers and if someone needs that there are plenty of other brands to go to.

It sounds like you have a good line up right now. As far as small box speakers, Wharfedale has the diamond series that will work great.
Truaudio seems to have the lower priced inwall and inceiling products.
Triad is Triad. Nuff said.
Unless the companies are not supporting you, why change?

Not really changing just expanding. I like the Wharfedale Diamond and EVO stuff, it both sounds and looks good. I only meant that wharfedale might phase itself out of my line card because we are a company that does about 80% in-wall / in-ceiling and we don't move much of their speakers because I will not sell their in-wall / ceilings (they are some of the worst I have ever used).

While I do not sell either brand currently, I have to agree with the high end cache thing. Clients sometimes need a reason to stretch a little bit, and giving them the desired brand at a lower price point may be the wrong thing.

Indeed there are plenty of lower priced brands, and ones that are to this day not available through distribution. You can offer an entry level product to clients that can't be duplicated by proposal-matching and price-beating slammers.

I think my point has eluded some which is that when you are small one needs to try maximize your purchases from each company with whom you are direct. Bay understand this whereas Triad chooses to act as if they are above this business reality. Far less important to QQQ and others with mega grossing businesses but more of a reality to small guys like me. Since minimums are a fact of life and reaching certain levels desirable if one is to obtain best terms, a company who helps you to acheive end column pricing is one that understands our business and business realities.

I certainly have made the accomodation and sell RBH but it is helpful to be able to play at all price points and keep one line selection small when you are small.
Dividing one's purhcases amoung too many companies when you are small has consequences.

Alan

You could make that point with any high priced and only going higher product line; Bryston, Levinson, Krell; the list is endless. From the vendor's point of view they may not feel like they can compete effectively and profitable in the mid-level price range, and prefer to lose some sales at the margins to focus on what they do best. The other side of the same coin, I think...


So true. While reps will always be able to tempt with the "just give one a try" offer, there is a significant downside to diluting one's very small buying power among too many vendors. That, and the hidden cost of learning/stocking a new line suggests that any small dealer think twice and three times about shouldering yet another line.

I got your point Alan, and agree. Bay Audio has a complete product line for any CI; ones who work in one market segment or straddle multiple market segments. Their cheap stuff isn't crappy either.

Mad Professor, wears a wig??? Might be Bob Carver in disguise!!!