Ruined Legacy

[The Grand Wazoo]

Take one of the most famous and successful brand names in audio: Acoustic Research - a brand that produced truly innovative, milestone products that caused a whole industry to reassess itself several times over. A brand that was once the second biggest manufacturer of hi-fi loudspeakers. Take the legacy of not one, but two legendary audio figures....

...........and piss it all away by flogging off shite like this:



For crying out loud - they were putting the AR name onto ported loudspeakers a while back. (Not sure if these are ported or not - it really doesn't matter, because..........well just look at it.

It's an absolute forking crime, it really is. Ed Villchur & Henry Kloss must be spinning in their graves

[Marco]

Indeed, Chris.

I think you need a linky-poo, to accompany the pic, though, as I didn't even know that abomination had anything to do with AR, until you mentioned it (and I also uncovered the hidden link in your pic, by using my admin rights)

Marco.

[The Grand Wazoo]

The link has now been added and first mention of AR emboldened. Didn't realise there was a link embedded in that piccie, thanks.

[DSJR]

Don't stop there, look at all the Harman owned companies that have suffered, and the Chinese owned UK industry - one or two very well known UK manufacturers have majority foreign ownership as well as the others wholy made in China now and apart from the odd over-hyped product, haven't really moved on.

[Stratmangler]

Why would Henry and Ed be spinning?
They were both businessmen, and both knew that you have to adapt to survive.
They also left A&R long before they died, so they both knew that the future of the company was out of their respective hands.

The current owners of the brand get sod all out of the legacy except for the name, and the number of prospective purchasers of the brand's traditional products is, ironically enough in an ever increasing world population, getting smaller.

Making bluetooth connected speakers looks to be a smart move in my book

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Villchur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kloss

[The Grand Wazoo]

They were concerned with getting high quality sound reproduction & promoting the idea of it to the masses rather than just the rich. So they were no strangers to the concept of taking money from the mass market, however, it was executed with innovation, clever engineering solutions and elegant marketing techniques. They looked after their employees, their customer service was second to none and I'd suggest that, were they still active in the audio business now, they certainly wouldn't be bunging out mono speakers to promulgate the audio mess that is mp3.

[Stratmangler]

They were concerned with getting high quality sound reproduction & promoting the idea of it to the masses rather than just the rich. So they were no strangers to the concept of taking money from the mass market, however, it was executed with innovation, clever engineering solutions and elegant marketing techniques. They looked after their employees, their customer service was second to none and I'd suggest that, were they still active in the audio business now, they certainly wouldn't be bunging out mono speakers to promulgate the audio mess that is mp3.

Wasn't Henry involved with Tivoli when he died?
Bunging out mono (and stereo) speakers for personal audio players IIRC.

Looks like Henry could see the way things were going...

[The Grand Wazoo]

Nothing wrong with mono, I'm listening to a mono album now, but it's not mp3

[Stratmangler]

Nothing wrong with mono, I'm listening to a mono album now, but it's not mp3

I didn't say there's anything wrong with mono either.
You said...

I'd suggest that, were they still active in the audio business now, they certainly wouldn't be bunging out mono speakers to promulgate the audio mess that is mp3.

...and this is far from the truth.
Just look at the Tivoli Audio portfolio


Back to the OP.
Henry Kloss would more than likely have raised a glass and wished the current owners of the AR name the very best of luck in the marketplace.

[Barry]

It's always sad to see respected and venerable audio companies struggling to survive in the MP3 and ICE world of today. Just look at the likes of Goodman, B&W and Tannoy (and even Mark Levinson!). And now it seems A&R.

To say the companies who bought up these smaller audio firms don't gain anything by their legeacy is utter nonsense. They wouldn't have been bought in the first place were it not for their good reputation.

And to say it's good business practice - well look at Bose!

China would have had no interest in Quad, Leak or Wharfdale, had it not been for their good name. Unfortunately the good name is being squandered by poor manufacture, value engineering, reduced reliability and the lack of R&D.

Now that Bill Johnson of Audio Research has died, one wonders how that esteemed company will fare.