# Goodbye Clarion.. Sort Of



## Angrywhopper

> The 12volt industry received surprising news on Monday morning, March 28th. Clarion is saying goodbye to the traditional 12volt marketplace in the U.S.
> 
> The distributor network, plus the traditional 12volt brick and mortar retailer channel, is no longer in Clarion’s U.S plans. Instead Clarion car audio products will be available to consumers via online retailers Amazon, Crutchfield and Sonic Electronix.


Bye! As a speciality retailer, Clarion has been 'dead' to us a long time ago. They hadn't brought anything unique to market in quite a while. Their distribution, marketing, and reps were non existent. I highly doubt Amazon/Crutchfield/Sonix will give them much attention. They won't be missed.


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## SkizeR

from what i said in the other clarion thread..

"yeah it sucks, but at the same time who the hell is buying newer clarion stuff anyway? people who are shopping on the internet anyway. on top of that, how many brick and mortar places were actually pushing clarion? i only know of one, and theyre 5 hours away from me. not even sure if they were "pushing" them too."


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## Weigel21

"I" haven't seen much interest in Clarion for a good 10 years. At lest l rarely heard mention of them for the last 10ish years. I did own a clarion Hu back in the late 90's, seemed at the time Clarion was one of the "brands to have" around here. Wasn't impressive at all, damn thing skipped on the slightest of bumps and if a disc wasn't in PERFECT condition, it often refused to read it. That was my first, last, and only personal experience with Clarion.


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## SkizeR

im actually contemplating getting a clarion drz and helix pro to replace my p99.. but that was when clarion was worth a damn


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## m3gunner

Maybe they'll sell me that sweet 1974 2002 they built last year...

1974 BMW 2002 | Clarion Builds


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## chuyler1

I've always been a huge clarion fan...but my purchases have been of the "new to me" not "new" variety for the past 16 years.


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## AVIDEDTR

In Canada they do well because the guy behind the products gives a ****. He told me the US distributions intentional drop the prices to flog inventory which affected Canadian brick and mortar sales.



Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## rton20s

Just saw this myself. I had some hope for Clarion going into CES 2016. After visiting the booth, there wasn't much hope left.I can't say I'm surprised at the move. They're going to have a heck of a time selling their full digital system without a way to demo it for people.


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## SkizeR

rton20s said:


> Just saw this myself. I had some hope for Clarion going into CES 2016. After visiting the booth, there wasn't much hope left.I can't say I'm surprised at the move. They're going to have a heck of a time selling their full digital system without a way to demo it for people.


im still not even sure how that system works. but i agree. big **** up on their part. i cant picture anyone buying that via the internet


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## cobb2819

Well...it's only Clarion Corp of America...but i love the wild assumptions they state about how this is how it's gonna be with all manufacturers soon and blah blah. We'll see, but look what happened to MTX!!!


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## rton20s

SkizeR said:


> im still not even sure how that system works. but i agree. big **** up on their part. i cant picture anyone buying that via the internet


Crutchfield will sell half a dozen sets at just below MSRP. In two years they'll blow the remaining stock out for pennies on the dollar.


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## Babs

I was really hopeful since their fully digital thingy kinda forced them to hang a toslink output on a new 2-din, but from all intents and purposes since that one gets such awful reviews, I'd say it's a brand that won't even be remembered in aftermarket with as much fondness as Eclipse / Fujitsu Ten. But that's not their business plan anyway. I don't know but I'd be amazed I suspect at how much stuff they do in the OEM business. Hell, my stock 8th Civic head unit is clarion-made I'm pretty sure.


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## Victor_inox

Clarion`a XC 6610 amplifier is as good as JL HD for much less money, marine grade on top of that. their "full digital" system is dead for hobbyists as it only works with drivers specifically designed for that system, perfect as oem though.


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## Beckerson1

Babs said:


> I was really hopeful since their fully digital thingy kinda forced them to hang a toslink output on a new 2-din, but from all intents and purposes since that one gets such awful reviews, I'd say it's a brand that won't even be remembered in aftermarket with as much fondness as Eclipse / Fujitsu Ten. But that's not their business plan anyway. I don't know but I'd be amazed I suspect at how much stuff they do in the OEM business. Hell, my stock 8th Civic head unit is clarion-made I'm pretty sure.


You're correct the Stock HU is Clarion. 

I doubt there will be any effect on the OEM market.


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## rton20s

Babs said:


> I was really hopeful since their fully digital thingy kinda forced them to hang a toslink output on a new 2-din, but from all intents and purposes since that one gets such awful reviews, I'd say it's a brand that won't even be remembered in aftermarket with as much fondness as Eclipse / Fujitsu Ten. But that's not their business plan anyway. I don't know but I'd be amazed I suspect at how much stuff they do in the OEM business. Hell, my stock 8th Civic head unit is clarion-made I'm pretty sure.


The reps in the Clarion suite said as much when I was there. They talked about how much work Clarion was doing on the OEM side, but they were using it as a selling point for their aftermarket product. Trickle down technology sort of spiel. 



Victor_inox said:


> Clarion`a XC 6610 amplifier is as good as JL HD for much less money, marine grade on top of that. their "full digital" system is dead for hobbyists as it only works with drivers specifically designed for that system, perfect as oem though.


When it was announced, I really wanted to give the XC line a shot. I think their amp line is probably the best thing they had going. Certainly better than their HUs and drivers in recent years. I never did go for an XC though, because they never released a matching mono amp. Sorry, 250W @ 4 Ohms bridged just isn't enough for most subwoofers these days. 

The other hard pill to swallow was that you could not find the XC line at a fairly low price point. The previous generation XH was DIRT CHEAP power with good build quality and reliability. Good luck even finding a full size XC amp today. All that is left are the micro amps.


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## Angrywhopper

Going internet only. Lol, goodluck. 

There are brands that people *SEEK OUT*. Those brands can be pulled from stores and people will _actively_ search for them by any means necessary. People will generally buy these brands without any type of demo. Clarion is not one of those brands. The average joe on Amazon looking for a radio will buy a Pioneer/Kenwood/Sony/Alpine/JVC before they buy a Clarion. With Amazon doing zero selling, I just don't see Clarion units moving. 

You might say price could win internet shoppers over. Sure. But in 12 volt, stack em high and let em fly days are over. There's much less people buying $69 radios anymore. There's less people changing their car stereos in general. You want to sell your digital system? Heck, half of the people in the industry don't even know what your digital system is about how do you expect new shoppers to?


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## rton20s

Because of some recent discussion surrounding Clarion in here and on FB, it got me curious about the company again. One thing I saw repeated several times was that Canada was still being fairly well supported while the US was being abandoned except for a small group of online retailers. I decided to take a look for myself to see just how large the disparity was between the two markets, from Clarion's point of view. 

Large enough, apparently. Check out this product page from the Clarion USA site...
Clarion U.S.A | Speaker / Subwoofer / Amplifier

And then the equivalent page for Clarion Canada...
Clarion Canada | Speaker / Subwoofer / Amplifier

The US is missing an entire speaker/sub line (which I know few in here would care about), but look at the amps by comparison. In the US we get four good value micro amps and a 6 channel that would appear to be a decent buy, but it is impossible to find for sale. In Canada they get five micro amps (they add the smaller mono), three more XC6___ amps (4ch, 2ch and mono added) and a the entire XC7___ line (5ch, 4ch, mono) that match the aesthetic of the XC6 amps and provide a built in DSP (though fairly limited) on the multi-channel amps. 

If all you are willing to provide in the market is the bottom of the barrel and a "pie in the sky" system that no one will be able to demo because of no B&M presence, then yes, you have set yourself up to fail in the market. 

I guess I don't get why they don't offer the same product in the US, especially with no more dealer network to support. While I don't think abandoning B&M retailers is the best tack, they have set themselves up to only have to support a small number or retailers. Providing the better product (that people may actually want) through the retail channels would make sense to me. 

And I'll leave the discussion of the much lauded and derided NX706 for a different thread.


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## AVIDEDTR

Hahaha.. The US doesn't have those Amps and subs because dealers in america screwed it for Canadian retailers.

And the story is backwards. The US abandoned retail, it wasn't Clarion that abandoned the US.


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## AVIDEDTR

rton20s said:


> I guess I don't get why they don't offer the same product in the US, especially with no more dealer network to support. While I don't think abandoning B&M retailers is the best tack, they have set themselves up to only have to support a small number or retailers. Providing the better product (that people may actually want) through the retail channels would make sense to me.


US BM Dealers couldn't sell the product at the suggested MSRP, because of Sonix's / Woofers etc's. So, US distribution would flogg the products to the online retailers and Canadian buyers would surf the US online retailers and would buy from them instead of buying locally for $50 more or demand a price match due to the dollar.


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## AVIDEDTR

Saving Canada's retail market and corporate teams was way more important then US retail IMHO. 99% of the RnD, testing is in Canada by a small team. 

Canada deals with Bricks and Mortar specialist retailers.


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## Angrywhopper

AVIDEDTR said:


> Hahaha.. The US doesn't have those Amps and subs because dealers in america screwed it for Canadian retailers.
> 
> And the story is backwards. The US abandoned retail, it wasn't Clarion that abandoned the US.


Care to elaborate a bit further?


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## AVIDEDTR

Angrywhopper said:


> Care to elaborate a bit further?


nope


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## rton20s

Thanks for the insight. So this leads one (ok, maybe just me) to the following questions...



AVIDEDTR said:


> Hahaha.. The US doesn't have those Amps and subs because dealers in america screwed it for Canadian retailers.
> 
> And the story is backwards. The US abandoned retail, it wasn't Clarion that abandoned the US.


Consumes do what consumers do. Alpine is still here. Pioneer is still here. Kenwood, JVC, still here. Even Dual, Farenheit, Boss, etc... all still here. All are dealing with the same "internet threat" and all are still in B&M. Granted, we don't get all of the best stuff that might be available in Japan (or even Europe) from the big names, but it has been that way for a long time. And that doesn't even get into the more specialized car audio companies.

So what was different with Clarion?



AVIDEDTR said:


> US BM Dealers couldn't sell the product at the suggested MSRP, because of Sonix's / Woofers etc's. So, US distribution would flogg the products to the online retailers and Canadian buyers would surf the US online retailers and would buy from them instead of buying locally for $50 more or demand a price match due to the dollar.


Sounds like this was an issue with supply chain. Clarion could and should have had better control of distribution, if that was the case. If Sonic Electronix and Woofers Etc. shouldn't have had the product, how did it get there? If they were legitimate dealers, why were they allowed to list/sell for below MAP?

The introduction of an all new product line, like the XC amps is the perfect time for the company to "fix" distribution. Let the old product run out (Yeah, I remember seeing the old product at blow out prices on Amazon), lock down distribution, roll out the new product and make sure you keep a handle on where the product is going. Make sure you are keeping distributors, reps and dealers in line with MAP. Promote and protect your image.

Again, currency disparity between Canada and the US is something that all manufacturers have to deal with when their product is available in both countries. 



AVIDEDTR said:


> Saving Canada's retail market and corporate teams was way more important then US retail IMHO. 99% of the RnD, testing is in Canada by a small team.
> 
> Canada deals with Bricks and Mortar specialist retailers.


I know Clarion has a presence down in Southern California. In talking with the Clarion reps at CES, none of them said "eh," wanted to talk about ice hockey or was eating poutine, but I know it still isn't safe to assume they were all American.  I have no idea the balance of R&D between the US and Canadian teams. What I did gather at CES was that Clarion's focus seems to be more on OEMs right now. From there it is "trickle down" to the aftermarket and the US gets the scraps. 

The question here... why couldn't they do the same in the US? 

Clarion isn't a victim of the consumer, they are a victim of their own business practices. They did choose to change their strategy in the US. They pulled their best product out of the market, abandoned B&M and embraced the very people you claim was killing their business. 



Victor_inox said:


> Clarion`a XC 6610 amplifier is as good as JL HD for much less money, marine grade on top of that. their "full digital" system is dead for hobbyists as it only works with drivers specifically designed for that system, perfect as oem though.


I come back to this statement from Victor though. By all accounts the XC6610 was an excellent amplifier. The price point was a tough pill to swallow after seeing the low prices of the previous amp lines and that is probably why it didn't do so well. I will give you that. 

Maybe there is a bit of hyperbole in claiming the XC6610 to be as good as a JL HD, but Victor does seem to know his stuff pretty well with amplifiers. Even if the HD is a bit of a stretch, I would say an XC6620 is a probably a pretty close match to an XD700/6v2. Similar footprint, slightly more power. And the expanded product line is right along the lines of what JL is doing with the XD. The JL sells for $540, slightly less (around $500 unauthorized). Converting Canadian street pricing to US dollars, the XC6620 would sell for about $420. 

In a market where Clarion actually protected and promoted their brand, I could certainly see people choosing an XC6620 for $420 over an XD600/6v2 for $540. But, maybe that is just me. 

For some reason, I have a bit of a soft spot for Clarion. Maybe because I view them as a bit of an underdog, or maybe because I like to take the less conventional route a lot of times. For now though, the tack that Clarion has chosen is hurting both themselves and the consumer. At least in the US market.


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## AVIDEDTR

rton20s said:


> Thanks for the insight. So this leads one (ok, maybe just me) to the following questions...
> 
> 
> 
> Consumes do what consumers do. Alpine is still here. Pioneer is still here. Kenwood, JVC, still here. Even Dual, Farenheit, Boss, etc... all still here. All are dealing with the same "internet threat" and all are still in B&M. Granted, we don't get all of the best stuff that might be available in Japan (or even Europe) from the big names, but it has been that way for a long time. And that doesn't even get into the more specialized car audio companies.
> 
> So what was different with Clarion?
> 
> Sounds like this was an issue with supply chain. Clarion could and should have had better control of distribution, if that was the case. If Sonic Electronix and Woofers Etc. shouldn't have had the product, how did it get there? If they were legitimate dealers, why were they allowed to list/sell for below MAP?
> 
> The introduction of an all new product line, like the XC amps is the perfect time for the company to "fix" distribution. Let the old product run out (Yeah, I remember seeing the old product at blow out prices on Amazon), lock down distribution, roll out the new product and make sure you keep a handle on where the product is going. Make sure you are keeping distributors, reps and dealers in line with MAP. Promote and protect your image.
> 
> Again, currency disparity between Canada and the US is something that all manufacturers have to deal with when their product is available in both countries.
> 
> 
> 
> I know Clarion has a presence down in Southern California. In talking with the Clarion reps at CES, none of them said "eh," wanted to talk about ice hockey or was eating poutine, but I know it still isn't safe to assume they were all American.  I have no idea the balance of R&D between the US and Canadian teams. What I did gather at CES was that Clarion's focus seems to be more on OEMs right now. From there it is "trickle down" to the aftermarket and the US gets the scraps.
> 
> The question here... why couldn't they do the same in the US?
> 
> Clarion isn't a victim of the consumer, they are a victim of their own business practices. They did choose to change their strategy in the US. They pulled their best product out of the market, abandoned B&M and embraced the very people you claim was killing their business.
> 
> 
> 
> I come back to this statement from Victor though. By all accounts the XC6610 was an excellent amplifier. The price point was a tough pill to swallow after seeing the low prices of the previous amp lines and that is probably why it didn't do so well. I will give you that.
> 
> Maybe there is a bit of hyperbole in claiming the XC6610 to be as good as a JL HD, but Victor does seem to know his stuff pretty well with amplifiers. Even if the HD is a bit of a stretch, I would say an XC6620 is a probably a pretty close match to an XD700/6v2. Similar footprint, slightly more power. And the expanded product line is right along the lines of what JL is doing with the XD. The JL sells for $540, slightly less (around $500 unauthorized). Converting Canadian street pricing to US dollars, the XC6620 would sell for about $420.
> 
> In a market where Clarion actually protected and promoted their brand, I could certainly see people choosing an XC6620 for $420 over an XD600/6v2 for $540. But, maybe that is just me.
> 
> For some reason, I have a bit of a soft spot for Clarion. Maybe because I view them as a bit of an underdog, or maybe because I like to take the less conventional route a lot of times. For now though, the tack that Clarion has chosen is hurting both themselves and the consumer. At least in the US market.


Trying to remember all the details of the conversations but something to the effect of loss in profit in the US and distribution/sales was part of the problem.


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## SkizeR

but most importantly.. do any of us really care? the older clarion single dins were sweet, but what use do we have for their newer stuff. for everything we have, another company makes similar and probably better


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## AVIDEDTR

SkizeR said:


> but most importantly.. do any of us really care? the older clarion single dins were sweet, but what use do we have for their newer stuff. for everything we have, another company makes similar and probably better


Older yes, but the market has changed. All mfgr's are all building the exact same type of products with same level of components. The software is where each mfgr shines.

I know the amps here in Canada are catered to BM shops that want simplicity, reliability at a fair price.


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## rton20s

AVIDEDTR said:


> Trying to remember all the details of the conversations but something to the effect of loss in profit in the US and distribution/sales was part of the problem.


OK, but that really doesn't tell us anything. I understand if you have to be careful about what you say in a public forum. But, loss of profit due to...? The problem with distribution/sales was...?

Again, nothing I see here or elsewhere that points to anything but Clarion's own doing. It was their business practices that led them down this road. 



SkizeR said:


> but most importantly.. do any of us really care? the older clarion single dins were sweet, but what use do we have for their newer stuff. for everything we have, another company makes similar and probably better


Unfortunately, I think you're right. So much of the time, Clarion will announce something and it will generate a glimmer of hope for people like us here on DIYMA. For instance...

Clarion has a new single DIN active head unit available! 
It turns out to be the CZ702. 

Clarion has a new Double DIN with Nav, High Res Audio and Optical Out! 
It turns out to be the NX706 and it retails for $1000. 
But wait, Sonic has dropped the price to $670! 
But it is still the NX706. 

Clarion introduces an innovative full digital complete system solution! It is tuneable from a tablet and will be on display for demos at CES! 
Only a demo board is available and the car with the system installed is locked up tight. 
It wasn't just a pipe dream and the system is available! The price is a bit steep at $2500+, but it is real and innovative! 
Clarion kills B&M distribution and there is no place for consumers to go and demo the system before dropping up to $4000+ to purchase the system components. 

The rest of their lineup could be considered "also rans." But I do believe that if the product was available, promoted and protected, Clarion's lineup does have the potential to do well. For instance, if I was looking for a mini amp, the XC2410, XC2510 and XC2110 look like some of the best options for the price.


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## Angrywhopper

AVIDEDTR said:


> nope


Thanks for being part of the forum.



SkizeR said:


> but most importantly.. do any of us really care? the older clarion single dins were sweet, but what use do we have for their newer stuff. for everything we have, another company makes similar and probably better


Not really. Single dins have been on their way out for a long time now and other Manufacturers make speakers, amplifiers, and processors we'd actually want to sell and use.


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## AVIDEDTR

Angrywhopper said:


> Thanks for being part of the forum.
> 
> 
> 
> Not really. Single dins have been on their way out for a long time now and other Manufacturers make speakers, amplifiers, and processors we'd actually want to sell and use.


Anytime Andy 

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


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## subwoofery

High-end class A/B nobody heard about: 
Clarion Canada | ADP6000
Clarion Mexico & Latin America | ADP4000

Kelvin


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## geshat00

subwoofery said:


> High-end class A/B nobody heard about:
> Clarion Canada | ADP6000
> Clarion Mexico & Latin America | ADP4000
> 
> Kelvin


21" in length no thank you!


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## geshat00

Every other country makes affordable DSP amps, but us!!!!

Clarion Canada | XC7520


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