Audio Brands - country of origin?

[KEW]

Nowadays, we think of Marantz, Panasonic, Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, etc as being Japanese companies; however, I know some of these started out in other countries.

I watched HH Scott go from quality audio, to POS VCRs, to dead; but I don't know if they stayed in the US through their demise, or if they were bought by someone else.

I'm pretty sure Harman/Kardon has stayed in the US and still has corporate HQ in Connecticut as Harman International.

If you know the history of a company's nationality, please post!

 

[Steve81]

Klipsch is currently based in Indy; was originally in Hope, AR until Fred Klipsch (garage door salesman or something; distant cousin AFAIK) bought the company from Paul W. Klipsch. They're owned by Audiovox now, along with the other holdings of Klipsch Group (Energy, Jamo, Mirage).

PSB, Paradigm, Energy, Axiom, and Mirage are all Canadian to the best of my knowledge.

B&W, KEF, Mordaunt-Short, Tannoy, and Wharfdale immediately pop to mind as being British.

The US has no shortage either: Bose, JBL, Infinity, Polk, Boston Acoustics...

So many makes...

 

[Steve81]

Lest I neglect the ID segment: Hsu, SVS, PSA, Rythmik, Ascend, Salk, Philharmonic are all US based.

 

[3db]

Klipsch is currently based in Indy; was originally in Hope, AR until Fred Klipsch (garage door salesman or something; distant cousin AFAIK) bought the company from Paul W. Klipsch. They're owned by Audiovox now, along with the other holdings of Klipsch Group (Energy, Jamo, Mirage).

PSB, Paradigm, Energy, Axiom, and Mirage are all Canadian to the best of my knowledge.

B&W, KEF, Mordaunt-Short, Tannoy, and Wharfdale immediately pop to mind as being British.

The US has no shortage either: Bose, JBL, Infinity, Polk, Boston Acoustics...

So many makes...

Energy now belongs to the Klipsch group as does it sister company Mirage. Off course Klipsh picked Energy apart and ruined what was once a very solid speaker company.

 

[Steve81]

Energy now belongs to the Klipsch group as does it sister company Mirage. Off course Klipsh picked Energy apart and ruined what was once a very solid speaker company.

I'm unsure what part Klipsch played in managing the company; not much point in buying another speaker company if you don't think they can design a speaker worth spit anyway.

Of course, I've heard it argued that the "Era of Fred Klipsch" brought precious little positive to the company. Paul was the genius behind the company originally. As I understand it, Fred was just a salesman who happened to have the same last name.

PS: NHT is also on the US list.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

TAD - Japan
Dynaudio & DALI - Denmark
Focal - France
Amphion - Finland
Revel, Wilson Audio, Martin Logan, Magnepan, Linkwitz - USA
Funk, Paradigm, PSB - Canada
B&W, KEF, ATC, PMC, Tannoy - England
Sonus Faber - Italy
MBL, Vienna Acoustics - Germany

 

[josko]

What does it even mean for a company (like SVS) to be US-based when they import all of their products from China?

 

[Steve81]

What does it even mean for a company (like SVS) to be US-based when they import all of their products from China?

Politics aside, it means that the actual talent (ie the engineers) behind the company is US based.

 

[KEW]

What does it even mean for a company (like SVS) to be US-based when they import all of their products from China?

It means the product is designed and much of the profits are in the US.

 

[KEW]

While the responses so far are in line, I just wanted to remind that this thread is really more about the history of a company.
Wasn't Marantz originally a US company?
What about Pioneer, etc?

 

[Steve81]

Wasn't Marantz originally a US company?

Yup.

Marantz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first Marantz audio product was designed and built by Saul B. Marantz in his home in Kew Gardens, New York.

 

[zieglj01]

While the responses so far are in line, I just wanted to remind that this thread is really more about the history of a company.
Wasn't Marantz originally a US company?
What about Pioneer, etc?

Pioneer - started in 1938 from Tokyo, Japan
Pioneer Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[davidtwotrees]

James B Lansing is an audio hero. The first audiophile I ever knew owned a pair of Hartsfields- they were fifty years old and still sounded sweet. JBL FTW
JBL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[3db]

From Canada,

Electronics
Bryston, Oracle, Classe, Anthem, Symaudio, NAD

Speakers (lots more too list)
Paradigm, PSB, Totem, Focus Audio, Sinclair, Gershman Acoustics

Subwoofers
Funky Wave, PSB, Paradigm

Turntables
Oracle, Kronos

 

[Steve.]

Not too many US brands still made here... Most of my equipment was made here or Canada:

McCormack, still made here in the Conrad Johnson factory. Audio Design Associates, everything of theirs is made in NY. Channel Islands Audio, California.

Magnum Dynalab Canada, PSB was made in Canada now China, my Platinum speakers are the last models made in Canada.

My SACD player, Sony made in Japan, but not anymore....

Rega UK, REL UK, but many of their smaller subs are now made in China.

I'm from Boston and years ago I remember many audio companies with headquarters in the area... ADS, EPI, Scott, DBX, Boston Acoustics, Snell, APT, Celestion, Allison , KLH , AR, Advent, and many more I'm sure..... it's sad, they're all gone or owned by Chinese companies just for the name

 

[Steve81]

I'm from Boston and years ago I remember many audio companies with headquarters in the area... ADS, EPI, Scott, DBX, Boston Acoustics, Snell, APT, Celestion, Allison , KLH , AR, Advent, and many more I'm sure..... it's sad, they're all gone or owned by Chinese companies just for the name

Indeed. As I noted on the Ported vs Acoustic Suspension thread, Henry Kloss was behind a few of those Boston area companies, being a co founder of AR, KLH, and AFAIK the only guy behind Advent and Cambridge Soundworks. I don't think I'd buy spit from any of those companies now....

 

[woofersus]

I'm from Boston and years ago I remember many audio companies with headquarters in the area... ADS, EPI, Scott, DBX, Boston Acoustics, Snell, APT, Celestion, Allison , KLH , AR, Advent, and many more I'm sure..... it's sad, they're all gone or owned by Chinese companies just for the name

DBX is owned by Harmon (along with JBL, Infinity, Mark Levinson, and a bunch more ) which is based out of Connecticut. They just don't make consumer gear any more.