Whither Audio Research

[Elliot G.]

Maybe Harmon Inernational will pick them up
.

Harman was sold to Samsung a few years ago and they could care less about home audio. It’s not significant compared to Harman Automotive and other divisions

 

[Elliot G.]

Probably don’t need Levinson as a stablemate. Harman is big enough though.

Levinson these days is tiny and nothing like the company that was dominant many years ago.

 

[Another Johnson]

Levinson these days is tiny and nothing like the company that was dominant many years ago.

I’ve noticed that the are diminished.

More than one interested party is good for ARC. And for the industry.

My personal evaluation is that the ARC name by itself is worth the amount in default … but I know that’s just me. I’m not owed the overdue balance.

My heart goes out to Trent. He is a genuinely good guy.

 

[Elliot G.]

I can’t speculate as to the future of ARC since i don’t have actual numbers to understand the whole situation however IMO it will get sold and we shall see what happens after that occurs. It’s a 50plus year old company with an iconic name it would a shame to see it go away.
my concern is genuinely for the employees and their families that relies on ARC to put food on the table and my friends Dave , Alan and Trent among others.

 

[Another Johnson]

I can’t speculate as to the future of ARC since i don’t have actual numbers to understand the whole situation however IMO it will get sold and we shall see what happens after that occurs. It’s a 50plus year old company with an iconic name it would a shame to see it go away.
my concern is genuinely for the employees and their families that relies on ARC to put food on the table and my friends Dave , Alan and Trent among others.

Amen.

The filing says there are about 50 on the staff. That’s a lot of Maple Grove payroll.

I think there is cause for optimism. Obviously Commish thinks so too.

 

[Elliot G.]

I’ve noticed that the are diminished.

That’s a huge understatement lol

 

[Another Johnson]

Harman was sold to Samsung a few years ago and they could care less about home audio. It’s not significant compared to Harman Automotive and other divisions

Yes, without a doubt Harman is not thinking about audiophiles. I’ve enjoyed both Revel and Levinson products in my system, but there is less to be excited about now than there once was.

 

[Elliot G.]

Amen.

The filing says there are about 50 on the staff. That’s a lot of Maple Grove payroll.

I think there is cause for optimism. Obviously Commish thinks so too.

I believe this as well and i don’t care for those taking cheap shots when they are hurting especially when their lives are not affected by this at sll

 

[Elliot G.]

Yes, without a doubt Harman is not thinking about audiophiles. I’ve enjoyed both Revel and Levinson products in my system, but there is less to be excited about now than there once was.

I was seriously involved with all those companies and my boss owned a piece of Madrigal. I was at that factory every month for years and we sold and installed hundreds of systems and units.
IMO Levinson would be gone if it wasn’t for the Lexus contract

 

[Another Johnson]

I believe this as well and i don’t care for those taking cheap shots when they are hurting especially when their lives are not affected by this at sll

The off the cuff comments suggesting ARC is nothing anyway are from folks who neither understand nor value high end history.

McIntosh created high fidelity. ARC created the high end industry.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

There have been two buyers visiting ARC this week.

That is good to hear, hate to see a quality brand circling the drain (metaphorically speaking)

 

[picears]

I suspect that the receiver is working cooperatively with the secured creditor, Minnesota Bank & Trust, to identify and find the right buyer.

Ok, I'm a bit slow on these things.... but why would someone want to buy a company that owed $2.6M unless said buyer already *knows* that they can expand 1) total sales, and/or 2) profitability of the current products?

ARC is a small company that operates in a niche (high-end tubes) of a niche (high-end audio). Anybody who has been interested in high-end audio knows of ARC. I lusted after their products 40 years ago when I saw them in a dealer's showroom.

I'm finding it a puzzle to understand how any prospective buyer can make ARC a much bigger player.

 

[Another Johnson]

Ok, I'm a bit slow on these things.... I'm finding it a puzzle to understand how any prospective buyer can make ARC a much bigger player.

While there are a lot of uncertainties, $2.5M looks like chump change when compared to ARC’s assets. Due to inflation, it would have been a measley $800k forty years ago when you were introduced to ARC.

We’ll have to wait and see if anyone steps forward, but it is a much loved brand over the whole world. As pointed out in earlier posts, there are plenty of entities who have both means and interest.

 

[picears]

As pointed out in earlier posts, there are plenty of entities who have both means and interest.

IMO it would be a tragedy if some ultra wealthy audiophile buys ARC as a plaything. Those type of things don't often go well (see Musk buying Twitter for a recent example.)

Sure, $2.6M won't even buy a house on the west side of I-5 here in Southern California. It's not a great amount of money for a business with global recognition (within its stovepipe.)

But my experience is that those who are successful in business got that way by not throwing money away.

 

[tima]

IMO it would be a tragedy if some ultra wealthy audiophile buys ARC as a plaything. Those type of things don't often go well (see Musk buying Twitter for a recent example.)
...
But my experience is that those who are successful in business got that way by not throwing money away.

... successful like Musk?

 

[Gregadd]

I think Musk threw away about $22 billion and counting away. Moreover, his primary reason for buying didn't come to fruition.
A wealthy patron who kept his hands off would be great. The way that goes is people with that kind of money usually have huge egos. It's their toy and eventually they want to play with it.

Harman was sold to Samsung a few years ago and they could care less about home audio. It’s not significant compared to Harman Automotive and other divisions

I see some Samsung home audio products. I think you are right about them not being interested in the high end. You never know.

 

[Ron Resnick]

That's a joke. Elon Musk not about a quick profit? He is certainly not turning a profit from Twitter Turning around Twitter?

You wrote earlier: ". . . his primary reason for buying didn't come to fruition."

If you think Musk's primary reason for buying Twitter is to turn a quick profit you simply do not understand why he bought the company. Why not believe what Musk himself says about the reason for his purchase, and his apparent satisfaction with the purchase, instead of accepting the views of people who, for both business reasons and for personal reasons, want to see him fail in his reason for buying Twitter?

 

[shawnw]

Ok, I'm a bit slow on these things.... but why would someone want to buy a company that owed $2.6M unless said buyer already *knows* that they can expand 1) total sales, and/or 2) profitability of the current products?

ARC is a small company that operates in a niche (high-end tubes) of a niche (high-end audio). Anybody who has been interested in high-end audio knows of ARC. I lusted after their products 40 years ago when I saw them in a dealer's showroom.

I'm finding it a puzzle to understand how any prospective buyer can make ARC a much bigger player.

Vision and pockets deep enough to see it through. They'll need both.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I am very puzzled by the animosity of picears and of Gregadd to ARC being purchased by an audiophile who can afford to purchase it. I don't understand the snarky comments about someone who could afford to buy ARC probably would have an "ego" problem who would treat ARC like a "plaything." How many private equity transactions are in your database of personal experience where you are in a position to evaluate accurately the psychology of the purchasers and arrive at the correlations you assert?

I think it would be great if ARC were in the hands of a passionate audiophile rather than a consumer electronics conglomerate. ARC would be safe, for now, as a going concern, the value of ARC components in the field would be saved, and current owners would be able to continue to have their components repaired by ARC. I think that would be a great outcome.

 

[Bobvin]

Can we cut the politics please?