Police Raid TARA Labs
Ashland, OR cable maker, TARA Labs, was raided by a combined force of federal agents and local police, acting on a warrant issued after investigators found sufficient evidence that the company may have mislabeled some of its products as "Made in USA."
Polk acquires financial stake in Genesis Technologies
Loudspeaker manufacturer Polk Audio announced on December 31 that it had acquired an interest in Genesis">http://www.gen-tech.com">Genesis Technologies, manufacturer of both loudspeakers and digital products. Not only did Polk invest $500,000 in Genesis convertible preferred securities, it also obtained a three-year option to purchase the Colorado-based high-end audio company, which is led by three industry veterans: Arnie Nudell (co-founder of Infinity), Paul McGowan (co-founder of PS Audio), and Mark S. Schifter (co-founder of Audio Alchemy).
Polk Announces Disposition of Eosone and Genesis Interests
Back in January of this year, we reportedhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10073/">reported; that loudspeaker manufacturer Polk">http://www.polkaudio.com">Polk Audio had purchased an interest in Genesis">http://www.gen-tech.com">Genesis Technologies, a loudspeaker and digital electronics manufacturer, with an option to buy the company in three years. Last week, however, Polk announced that it has decided to pass the company on to new investors.
Polk Audio Acquired by Directed Electronics
On August 21, Directed Electronics, Inc. announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Polk Audio for $136 million in cash, with the deal to close in Q3 of 2006. Current Polk management will join Directed, and company founder Matthew Polk and Polk president Jim Herd will sit on Directed's home audio advisory board. File this one under the you can't make this stuff up department: Sandy Gross, founder of Directed's other loudspeaker company, Definitive Technology, already sits on the board, which makes Polk's presence there a homecoming of sorts, since Gross was a founding partner at Polk.
Polk Enters the Apple Stores
On February 5, This Week in Consumer Electronics announced that Polk Audio had announced plans to sell its I-Sonic ES2 iPod docking tabletop hi-fi ($499) and miDock Studio portable iPod speaker through the Apple website and freestanding store network. This came less than a week after Polk announced that Best Buy would carry its TSi loudspeakers, PSW powered subwoofers, select RM series drive-units and, of course, the SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater (all of which are currently available from the rival Circuit City chain).
Post HE 2001 Wrap-Up
The Home Entertainment 2001 show, held in New York City May 11–13, 2001, received high marks and a standing ovation from show attendees, who came to experience some of the most innovative and exciting consumer electronics products in decades.
Post-Fire Future Unclear for Apollo Masters
On February 6, our sister site AnalogPlanet.com reported the news of a three-alarm fire at the Banning, CA headquarters of Apollo Masters, a renowned manufacturer of ready-to-cut lacquers for use in the LP-mastering industry. The blaze reportedly burned for approximately three hours before being brought under control, during which time an adjacent highway was shut down.
Powerful Surround-Sound Wiring Solution?
Last week, the Consumer">http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced that it is working to establish a single standard for high-data-rate home networking using the powerlines already installed in consumers' homes. Stating that it is "recognizing the need for a baseline technology standard," the CEA says it has invited integrated-home-systems industry stakeholders to participate in the creation of a standard for residential powerline networks, to be completed by year's end.
PranaFidelity's purna/ma amp and Dhara loudspeakers team up with E.A.R. USA's Acute Classic CD player and Townshend Allegri Reference Mk.II preamp
Together in one room, PranaFidelity's Steven Norber and E.A.R. USA's Dan Meinwald guaranteed fine sound from great and unusual music. "The Dhara speakers are finally finished," said Norber of a 40lb standmount ($7950/pair with stands), which includes dual 6" woofers and a 30mm tweeter, and boasts a frequency range of 38Hz23kHz, a sensitivity of 88.5dB, and an 8 ohm nominal impedance.
