I wouldn't say that an acquisition, marketing campaign, expanded product lineup, etc... preclude the possibility of making a good product.
However, these are all signs that a company is moving in a particular direction.
As small AV companies grow they have the opportunity to expand into new markets and increase revenue. There’s nothing wrong with that, but often times the business strategy behind the new product lines isn’t, “Make the best product we can.” it’s, “Make the most money we can.”
You can’t really blame them either. Once the company is large enough to expand (has the capital, brand recognition, brand equity, etc…) it’s probably being ran by professional business people. It’s the goal of these individuals to maximize profit, and creating new products with higher margin is a great way to do that.
I think Emotiva is a company that, so far, has avoided a shift from quality to quantity. Sure, they have expanded their lineup and are continuing to do so, but they still make great products. My theory as to why they are still making great gear is because Dan is still in charge. Whenever these companies get bought out and the original members leave, there tends to be a paradigmatic shift to a focus on NOP (net operating profit) instead of quality engineering.
Again, expanding into new areas, making less expensive gear, or going through a rebranding doesn’t mean the company is “selling out”. Actually, I don’t have any issue with high-end companies making affordable products. But I do have an issue with companies that start using cheaper parts in their equipment but keep the price the same.
