how come a big corporation like that let a good thing slide in a especially competitive market that has soooo many new brands around ....
Its called 'the race to zero'. Eclipse was a higher-end brand that catered more to brick and mortar shops. They were set up to sell wholesale to shops which in turn would sell retail to the public. They where not whored out online like every other mainstream brand (well, not as much).
Everyone has lost the idea of quality, its all about quantity. Build it cheap, build it in bulk. They all want the cheapest price BUT at the same time 100% service after the sale. Online can't do that, shops can. But when shops have to compete w/ online pricing (many times that price is BELOW their own cost) they can't offer as high a level of service.
Many shops have just become an over the counter sales place. They stick it in a prebuilt and send you on the way. They know its not the best (well, some do) but the customer wants cheap, if you can't supply that they walk.
People also think, "oh its ok, its under warranty, turn it up some more".
Eclipse was 'too high' in today's consumer mindset. Yes it was great equipment, but to most people a pair of $150 12's that 'only got 250watts', custom box for $225 and a 500w amp for $400 is crap. So they go to walmart and get a pair of 1200w sony subs for $80each, 1000w amp for $200, and a box for $80. Now they 'got some real slap'.
That's the truth....sad as it may be.
Edit:
Also, for everyone that says "well, who pays retail anyways???"
Ask yourself this: What do I do for a living? What is my labor-price mark-up?
If you work for $15/hr...would you do the same job for $8/hr and still have to deal w/ people saying you should do it cheaper?
Well, that is what online is doing to brick and mortar shops.
