Madrigal Retiring Proceed Brand
By Stereophile Staff April 6, 2002 — Madrigal's Proceed line of high-end audio products will be phased out some time later this year, according to an April 3 press release.

The company has decided to combine its top-tier products under the Mark Levinson brand name, with Proceed's best and most successful products—including the AVP2+6, CVP2, HPA2 and HPA3—to be redesigned for a closer cosmetic fit with the Mark Levinson line. "There will be no effort to hide the fact that the new models wore the Proceed badge in their previous lives," the announcement stated. "They have always been Mark Levinson at heart . . . their internal construction quality, performance, and capabilities confirm their heritage."

Conceived as a less-expensive companion brand to Mark Levinson, Proceed products were introduced by Madrigal in 1989, often as a way of testing the market for new technologies and designs. Some of the earliest ultra-high-end digital processors disc transports, and surround-sound decoders were Proceed products. The two brands always had a clear cosmetic distinction, but engineering and production advances inevitably resulted in some convergence of the two, or as Madrigal put it, "the lines between Proceed and Mark Levinson have become blurred." The two brands are often mixed in single systems.

Like an automaker with too much overlap between competing models, Madrigal has decided to focus on the brand with the most recognition. The change will include expanding the Mark Levinson line to include more multichannel and home-theater products—a move described by Madrigal as a response to the evolution of the marketplace.

There are approximately 85 Mark Levinson dealers—all but one also sell Proceed. However, about 50 Proceed dealers do not sell Mark Levinson products. This latter group will be invited to take on the Levinson line, according to Madrigal execs.

The company will continue to support Proceed products "for years to come," the announcement stated. Madrigal also expressed its sincere appreciation for the loyalty shown by Proceed owners during the past 14 years.