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CEPro Q&A: Sandy Gross, President, GoldenEar Technology

Why did you form GoldenEar and how is it different from what you’ve done in the past?
When I left Definitive, my wife was hoping I was going to retire and just have fun, but I guess I am just a little more driven than that. I love our business and I love creating products. So after six months of having fun not doing anything, I decided I wanted to form another company because it is my sandbox, so to speak. I convinced Don Givogue, who was one of my partners at Definitive, to come out of retirement.

Everything that I have done in this industry in terms of products since we started Polk Audio in 1972 has been an evolution. Making products is an evolutionary process. The products we have launched at GoldenEar and the new ones we have in mind are again an evolution. I am a crazed audiophile that actually succeeded because I have a good feel for the business and what consumers want.

What are some of the successes you’ve had in the past that you have tried to bring to GoldenEar?
In terms of positioning the product, we have two slogans: “A passion for sonic perfection” and “We make high end affordable.” And those slogans are really what I have done all along at all the companies. So even though I am a crazed audiophile and I listen to $10,000 single-ended triode amps, the products I have produced try to bring that type of high-end quality into speakers that make sense for real people, real consumers, real listeners.

What types of products does GoldenEar have now?
We entered the market with a signature type of product … the Triton 2 tower, which has built-in powered subwoofers. That is a concept Don and I introduced to the market in the mid-1990s. We are using a high-velocity folded ribbon, which is an extraordinary tweeter. We also have little satellites that do double duty as the rear speakers for the Tritons as a subset system with a powered subwoofer. We have two powered subwoofers that we introduced initially and a third one coming.

We are selling 100 percent through specialty distribution. We are not available online or through electronics chain stores. We introduced two bookshelf speakers, a second smaller version of the Triton and are in the midst of introducing a high-quality architectural product.

We have a soundbar that is pretty unusual. I felt we could do a true high-performance product in a soundbar form factor that is designed to emulate the performance of our Tritons. So we came out with the 3D array.

Have you fully rounded out GoldenEar’s product offerings?
I have some new ideas we are working on. If you were to ask me what new products do you plan to introduce over the next three years, my answer would be, “I have no idea.”

What are the big audio trends?
Obviously, the evolution of the soundbar is one big thing, but high-performance audio is also big. We are seeing more people become interested in high-quality music listening again, which is a very important trend. Hopefully specialty dealers are reinvigorating themselves by focusing on high-performance gear and attracting more customers.

What’s the biggest challenge facing integrators in the audio market?
Their biggest challenge is the ability to attract new clients and bring people into their showrooms and stores. We are trying to do our part with consumer advertising. Dealers love getting consumers asking for GoldenEar product. When you consider that we have only been in the market for two years, that’s quite amazing. We know how to do this. That’s why when we launched the brand we had over 100 dealers. Now we have over 150.

HOMEDEC 2013

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Acurus A2005 in March 2013 CE Pro Buyers Guide

Acurus A2005 Amp

The Acurus 200Wx2 A2002 through the 200Wx7 A2007 amplifers, along with the companion ACT 4 pre-amp processor, include a built-in web server and proprietary E2C technology. ETC enables control and monitoring of a high-performance system of a high-performance system via smartphone, third-party automation or a remote server. The units also include standard RS-232, 12V trigger and Ethernet control.

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New Showroom Opening

Good news to everyone! A & L Audio Station Sdn Bhd just open a new showroom in Plaza Shah Alam. Everyone is welcomed to drop-by at our showroom for audition and we are looking forward to serve you better as always.

dCS Puccini is in The Best of 2012

dCS Puccini is honored as one of the best of 2012 in HiFi Unlimited. For more details, read more in Best Of 2012!

The dCS Puccini charmed it's way in to our hearts and mind, not quite the way we remembered it to be. I always thought dCS had a house sound that is full of details and resolution, but can be musically underwhelming. That is until the kind folks at A&L Audio Station had us putting the Puccini thru it's paces right in the comfort of our own homes.