Sound United has been sold....

[mtrot]

40 years ?? !! LOL, you'll be lucky if it last 20 !!

Lol, at my age, I'll be ecstatic if I last 20!

 

[Replicant 7]

@BoredSysAdmin butt buddy's get butthurt, that happens ya know with buttbuddys.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

where have you been ? It already has ...........

Home - Shunyata Research

Shunyata Factory Tour with Robert Harley and The Absolute Sound! ALTAIRA Receives Product of The Year from Robert Harley, Editor-in-Chief of The Absolute Sound “Shunyata’s ALTAIRA System is a revelation, not only taking my system’s performance to the next level of sound quality, but also in...

shunyata.com

Do they (Shunyata) make any AVR, AVP, Amps or Speakers?

 

[Eppie]

I miss Sears and the Kenmore brand. When we got our first house we hauled an old Kenmore dryer from my father-in-law's barn and still use it today. Replaced the idler wheel once and bought the part from the Sears parts store in town. Full exploded view of the parts still on microfiche and I just had to point it out. The Kenmore dishwasher we purchased new lasted a good 20 years. The racks inside rusted out before the mechanics started to go. Thought that I had bought a decent Bosch unit to replace it but after 5 years it's already starting to make noises that it shouldn't.

I've mentioned this before but LG made some refrigerators and when customers needed to replace the compressor still under warranty, they could not get them fixed because there were no compatible compressors in stock any more. Totally inexcusable. People really need to push for right to repair legislation as the big manufacturers sure don't give a damn.

Hopefully Ryanosaur is right and Denon/Marantz can continue as usual.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Good point, the new CEO (if I got that right) said "“I have long been a fan (and proud owner) of Sound United’s iconic brands and am honored to steward them through the next generation of technological evolution”

I think we may be surprised, just wait and see. If not, I can always hold my nose and switch to Yamaha, may be even Anthem (only because it is Canadian).

Well, imagine guys like you and me running Sound United. How bad can we be?

For one thing, those B&W 800's will have a FR of +/-1dB, not +/-6dB.

No doubt, keep up the THD+N of 0.0007% of the X8500.

And then I would replace those pathetic PANURGY repair people in NJ with people who can actually repair.

 

[Mikado463]

Do they (Shunyata) make any AVR, AVP, Amps or Speakers?

do you really need to ask ?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

do you really need to ask ?

I've never heard of them. Do you own something from them?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah, poor Denon,Onkyo, Marantz getting past around like a Redheaded step child in foster care. Lolo. Just buy Yamaha.

Mike, are you trying to stir up the pot again?

Those DM boys will be on you now! Start running.

 

[M Code]

One of the main guys at Sound United quit last summer and it was a shock to me. #concerned

Sound United faces many challenges...

• Too many brands
• Originally loudspeaker brands had higher profit margins than electronics
• Their HEOS royalty settlement with Sonos was expensive
• They didn't have their own factories for electronics, as Sherwood/Inkel builds 85% of Denon/Marantz
• SoundBar market is significant but here the Sound United brands are weak and uncompetitive

Bottom line...
Charlesbank Capital Partners that funded and controlled Sound United was not satisfied with their return on investment, as many of the other Charlesbanks holdings in consumer and business services were significantly higher. They had funded Sound United(and DEI) for over 10 years, had (3) members on their board and decided it was time to cash out..

Just my $0.02...

 

[Movie2099]

Wow. (Again.)

Y'all are some reactionary @$$ MoFos.

Don't get me wrong, it's surprising... and I completely get the potential of problems.

At the same time... How many times have some of these brands changed Ownership? And survived.

Let's not lose sight of the fact Denon has achieved some of the most consistently high measurements from ASR for AVRs while going from owner to owner.

The proof will be in the pudding.

This years gear should be announced soon (*fingers crossed), and since taking last year off D&M have had 2 years to work the kinks out of their new models.
The new Polk and DefTech Speakers have all looked pretty good and measure well. B&W is B&W (*siezure inducing eye roll).

We can be afraid, or we can see what comes of this.

I think more importantly this wasn't taken over by a capital acquisitions company that specialize in dismantling and selling off corporate pieces.

I'm going to take the wait and see approach. The sky isn't falling until it's actually falling.

Good sir, this is the Audioholics forum, the damn sky is falling!!!

 

[Movie2099]

Unfortunately I don't think this is likely due to HDCP protocols. This really puts smaller manufacturers out of the picture. As picture resolution increases the HDCP protocols become increasingly draconian.

Each device requires its own secret keys, which if released will cause a manufacturer to loose their HDCP license. I believe there are around 40 Keys to each device and program source. These now have to be passed between end and repeater devices, and between repeater devices on a frame by frame basis.

This should never have been allowed to occur, even if meant every Hollywood studio closed up shop.

The point is that this really rules out small manufacturers, and really some large ones as well. I think it really hurts to profitability of manufacturing AV gear.

In my view this is a root cause of the quality of gear going into exponential decline, especially in these latter years since the analog sunset. Although I have to say that basic engineering quality has been in decline for half a century now. It seems to take a notch down with every merger and acquisition.

My advice to you all, is to choose your equipment with the greatest care. Go for quality now, more than ever. Look after your gear very carefully and avoid abuse, and this includes maximum protections ahead of the mains plug to the device. No a surge protector is not going to cut it.

Exactly! That's why I'm buying Trinnov for my processor. 10 year warranty! Top company for real processors, not that sellout junk Sound United puts out. For my amps I'm going with Bryston amps. 20 year Warranty! For projector I'm going with Christie Eclipse. And no worries, all of my cables will be made here in America by the one and only AudioQuest. I'm going all quality in my next build. Will not give a dime to those sellouts Sound United. No Sir!

 

[Replicant 7]

Mike, are you trying to stir up the pot again?

Those DM boys will be on you now! Start running.

Lol, man! Can't even have a lil fun. Already got one dumb hit.. lol. on a more serious note, what I didn't know was Sherwood/Inkel builds 85% of Denon/Marantz. Umm didn't Emotiva back in the day have Sherwood build most of their gear, amps, AVR's? Anyways Andrew, it's messed up about SU no matter how one looks at the sell off.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Lol, man! Can't even have a lil fun. Already got one dumb hit.. lol. on a more serious note, what I didn't know was Sherwood/Inkel builds 85% of Denon/Marantz. Umm didn't Emotiva back in the day have Sherwood build most of their gear, amps, AVR's? Anyways Andrew, it's messed up about SU no matter how one looks at the sell off.

Oh no. Don't put Emotiva in the same sentence or even the same PAGE or BOOK as Denon/Marantz! You just can't win, Mike. Oh, da bad luck.

Men at Work: "You better run, you better take cover."

 

[M Code]

Lol, man! Can't even have a lil fun. Already got one dumb hit.. lol. on a more serious note, what I didn't know was Sherwood/Inkel builds 85% of Denon/Marantz. Umm didn't Emotiva back in the day have Sherwood build most of their gear, amps, AVR's? Anyways Andrew, it's messed up about SU no matter how one looks at the sell off.

Hmmm...
Many, many years ago...
Sherwood/Inkel built 75% of all Dolby surround receivers sold in the global market for multiple brands....
Sherwood even designed/built the 1st AVR with DTS... Originally Sherwood/Inkel Korea hired a leading CE consultant based in the USA, and he authored a ultra-strong AVR product plan using some of the later DSP processors. The word I heard was, in the 1st year Sherwood would use the basic design for their branded AVR products and then for the 2nd year allow other brands such as Harman/Kardon, Marantz, Denon, NAD, Kenwood, Teac to use the inside PCBs but retool the front panel/knobs so each would have their own ID.

Sherwood USA was the 1st brand to mass-market home theater in the box, including AVR, loudspeakers and powered-subwoofer even the connecting wires supported by a VHS install video. I recall 1 HTIB sold >250K system sold in 1 year....

Just my $0.02....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Sound United faces many challenges...

• Too many brands
• Originally loudspeaker brands had higher profit margins than electronics
• Their HEOS royalty settlement with Sonos was expensive
• They didn't have their own factories for electronics, as Sherwood/Inkel builds 85% of Denon/Marantz
• SoundBar market is significant but here the Sound United brands are weak and uncompetitive

Bottom line...
Charlesbank Capital Partners that funded and controlled Sound United was not satisfied with their return on investment, as many of the other Charlesbanks holdings in consumer and business services were significantly higher. They had funded Sound United(and DEI) for over 10 years, had (3) members on their board and decided it was time to cash out..

Just my $0.02...

You think they eventually lost more money from B&W than from DM?

 

[Danzilla31]

You think they eventually lost more money from B&W than from DM?

Heck probably both

 

[Movie2099]

Heck probably both

phfff, Bowers and Wilkins is a cash cow. No way they lost money on that deal. Owning the top speaker maker in the world there is no way they could lose money on that deal. Those 800D4's alone turn profits!

 

[Replicant 7]

Oh no. Don't put Emotiva in the same sentence or even the same PAGE or BOOK as Denon/Marantz! You just can't win, Mike. Oh, da bad luck.

Men at Work: "You better run, you better take cover."

Well than, it is true, glad Yamaha and Sherwood doesn't have any ties or past ties. You know what they say birds of a feather flock together, like ole Sleepy Joe and that China dude Xi Jumping.Yep good ole buttbuddys I tell ya. Sherwood, Emotiva, Denon, Marantz, wow. Oh poor Onkyo to huh.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well than, it is true, glad Yamaha and Sherwood doesn't have any ties or past ties. You know what they say birds of a feather flock together, like ole Sleepy Joe and that China dude Xi Jumping.Yep good ole buttbuddys I tell ya. Sherwood, Emotiva, Denon, Marantz, wow. Oh poor Onkyo to huh.

Yamaha's annual NET REVENUE is about $4 Billion. So I bet they can afford their own factory in Malaysia.

But smaller companies have to outsource production.

 

[Replicant 7]

Yamaha's annual NET REVENUE is about $4 Billion. So I bet they can afford their own factory in Malaysia.

But smaller companies have to outsource production.

So let me get this straight, Sherwood makes 85% of Denon, Marantz,Onkyo. Sherwood use to build Emotiva gear in the past. So umm than that'll make Emotiva, Denon, Onkyo and Marantz, cousins?