Audio Research is launching new products, "The Foundation Series"


I went to my local dealer today and found out that Audio Research will be launching new products, the LS28 preamp, the DAC 9, and the PH9. My dealer stated he believes the prices will be $7,500 a piece, but he stated don’t quote him on that. This stuff will be the replacement for my stuff, which is the Dac 8, and PH8. If this is so I will be getting the LS27 for as cheap as I can, I have the LS17se. I did some research on the internet and found the following : https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audio-research-introduces-foundation-series/
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/audio-research-announces-foundation-series#tSjeTU0bDcd4p4pu.97

Maybe they aren’t leaving us high and dry as I first thought and was led to believe, but if $7,500 will be the price it will still price some out, but it won’t be horrible as I was first led to believe, stay tuned on this one. This stuff looks like the Ref 6 stuff, but isn’t and I was told Audio Research is looking to do everything in this new look to stay uniform. The dealer stated he couldn’t tell me if and when the LS27 would be discontinued, but my guess and it’s only my guess is it probably will be.
sid1

Showing 1 response by ggc

Tubes 444 is right. ARC was once great. Now owned and distributed in conjunction by Fine Sounds and Sumiko. Other brands owned by Fine Sounds include - McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Pro Ject, and Wadia.  

Fine Sounds was owned by Quadrivio an Italian Private Equity Fund who's major portfolio at the time was quick serve restaurant chains in Europe. In turn McIntosh facilitated the buy out of Fine Sounds by Yarpa, an investment bank in Italy, and LBO France, a Leveraged By Out company.

Having sold off Fine Sounds, Quadrivio is now investing in Bio Tech with another entity from Yarpa.  It seems like the debt was redistributed between all of these companies, who have little to no interest in the audio industry, except for perhaps McIntosh who secured themselves a management bond.

The result  of this is that companies who at one time produced Exceptional Products have been homogenized and eviscerated. They are forced to produce sub par products that are repackaged and hyped up to sell to the uninformed consumer, the majority who ultimately suffers.

The best audio systems I have seen have all taken time to put together with older components. The newest is not always the best. It is the harmonious combination of products that you amass.  If you get a great product it should last a life time.  My $.02, for what its worth.