I'm not sure what to make of the following.
Martel, an electronics vendor in southern California, is offering to
sell a Marantz PMD671 24/96 recorder for $700, the same price as the
16/48 PMD670. Free shipping is included.
Here's the link http://tinyurl.com/yscn5j
The regular price of the PMD671 at Martel is $1000. Other vendors sell
the PMD671 for around $850, but without free shipping. So I think the
Martel deal represents a savings of at least $200.
I'm guessing that Marantz may be ready to announce a new recorder at
the NAB show in Las Vegas in a few weeks. Call the new machine the
PMD672. Maybe Martel is trying to clear out its inventory of PMD671s
ahead of the announcement.
Marantz introduced the PMD670 in July, 2003. The PMD671 followed in
June, 2005. So the time frame is right for a new model. And the
PMD671 has serious competition in the form of the Tascam HD-P2. So
maybe a response from Marantz is needed.
Or perhaps Marantz is lowering its price to meet competition from the
Fostex FR-2LE, a new 24/96 recorder that is expected to reach the
marketplace in a week or two. Several vendors are offering the FR-2LE
for $600. The FR-2LE does not have the digital input and output of
the PMD671, but otherwise the machines have similar specifications.
This is pure speculation. Other vendors have not lowered their prices
on the PMD671. Maybe Martel is just trying to reduce its inventory.
The PMD671 is a rugged, field-proven design. It's easily worth $300
more than consumer-grade recorders like the M-Audio Microtrack 2496
and Edirol R-09.
--oryoki
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