I find this so strange

I believe you mean World Of McIntosh. Have you seen Audio Research's latest offerings? The meaning of their new name seems quite clear.

I got an email a few days ago announcing that Fine Sounds had changed their name to WOM (World Of McIntosh).

Wonder how the other companies under that umbrella feel about that?

I'm sure Bill is rolling over in his grave.

Good for me that I am not interested in any of those companies. This doesn't seem to be a good sign, and the new name has a mass market sound to it, at least to my ear.

This is the nature of SO many companies in this business. It's my biggest complaint. I follow a company and their products only to see them bought out or the owner dies and the company goes down hill. So sad.

Lostbears,
Your meaning wasn't clear. What does the name change have to do with Audio Research's latest offerings?

It appears 'Fine Sounds Group' was bought out last year by Mauro Grange and Charlie Randall in partnership with LBO France and Yarpa. Charlie Randall may have had a lot to do with changing the name of the now USA New York based company.

Quote from link below:
"After 6 years under the Milan-based investment firm Quadrivio, Fine Sounds Group has been purchased by new network of investors. Mauro Grange, CEO of Fine Sounds SpA, and Charlie Randall, longtime President of McIntosh Laboratory, Inc., lead the Management Buyout of Fine Sounds Group in Partnership with LBO France and Yarpa."

"The acquisition aims to facilitate greater opportunities for global collaborations amongst the product development, marketing, distribution and finance teams of each of the Group’s portfolio of brands, which includes Audio Research Corporation, McIntosh Laboratories, Sonus faber, Wadia Digital, Sumiko and Fine Sounds Asia."

Fine Sound Group

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Quote from link below:

"In a statement, Mauro Grange, CEO of Fine Sounds SpA, and Charlie Randall, president of McIntosh, announced their plans in partnership with LBO France and Yarpa."

"The companies said the deal “will facilitate greater opportunities for global collaborations amongst the product development, marketing, distribution and finance teams of each of the group's portfolio of brands, which includes Sonus Faber, Audio Research Corporation, Wadia Digital, Sumiko and McIntosh.”

"Grange, Randall, LBO France and Yarpa are purchasing Fine Sounds Group from Milan-based investment firm Quadrivio, which has owned the group since 2008. The company headquarters will subsequently relocate to New York City, with Grange serving as group CEO and Randall serving as group COO and president of McIntosh concurrently, the companies said."

Fine-Sounds-parent-mcintosh-be-sold

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

World of McIntosh video
.

Have you seen the website; it's very high-end with a B&M
store in Soho, NYC.
So can somebody explain the new name to me, it sounds like
just the opposite; a Chinese company selling mass market
goods. Their marketing strategy seems paradoxical.

I know Fine Sounds is based in Italy and China. World of
McIntosh...why not call it Super Terrific Audio?

Lostbears,

You are correct. I meant to say World of Mcintosh. Sorry about that.

Jea...just saw your post. Still don't understand the high end
profile with the new mass market name.

Lowrider,

Why not just leave it like it was. When you own several company's and change the name to one of the brands that you carry it makes the other brands you have seem less significant. I think this is a terrible marketing move.

Both the ARC G series and the new Ref 6 look like McIntosh concept pieces from the 1960s. ARC use to have a classic timeless look. Now they have a trendy retro McIntosh look.

Jea...just saw your post. Still don't understand the high end profile with the new mass market name.
11-15-15: Lowrider57

Like I said in my previous post, new owners. And as I said I think Charlie Randall had a lot to do with the name of the new parent company. I personally like the fact the parent company is based in the US.

This is the nature of SO many companies in this business. It's my biggest complaint. I follow a company and their products only to see them bought out or the owner dies and the company goes down hill. So sad.
11-15-15: Jnovak

In this case with the new owners the companies will be better off, imo.

>>>>>>>>>>

Grange and Randall Lead Management Buyout of Fine Sounds Group in Partnership with LBO France and Yarpa
.

Sounds like a good move to me. The company seems to be in the hands of audio people, not investors. The McIntosh brand has the highest public profile in their stable, so why not try to leverage it. I hope they succeed.

@ Taters and Jea48...
I was making a joke, "World of McIntosh" sounds so cheap, so common. Kind of like "Gary's Auto World," a large car dealership.

To Jea48...
As you say, it makes sense that Charlie Randall was involved with the name change. IMO, a bad name and not a good marketing strategy for their other brands, falling to a second tier under their umbrella.
ARC is not a familiar name to the general public like McIntosh, but it is one of the world's elite manufacturers of HiFi gear.

OTOH, great news that they will be based here. I also like the opening of a B&M store in NYC. It has the SoHo address, but away from the fashionistas on a very cool street with cafes and bistros.

There are going to be a lot of shocked visitors when they see a $30K amplifier.
http://www.twice.com/news/audio/world-mcintosh-opens-first-experience-center/59357

I agree with one of the comments- McIntosh is most likely the one brand name within the stable that has the most recognition outside of the sphere of audiophiles. So they now have place in Soho. Call it World of McIntosh and you'll get traffic through the store, more so than call it Wadia World or Fine Sounds.

If is leveraging the most well known brand name and from a marketing point of view, a solid move.

What do the other companies under the umbrella think? If it moves product they should be delighted.

Lostbears, a question for you;
I agree with your observations on the new ARC models, (and notice that the "Audio Research" logo is hidden).

The ARC REF3 is the classic ARC design and the Reference 5SE still says pure ARC, but a more modern design. In your opinion, can the parent company influence ARC's chief designer to make such radical changes to the company's design? It would be changing their brand (or is that the goal?).

ARC isn't going to have their own identity with the logo removed from the faceplate.

I don't know. The logo does seem to be getting smaller. I believe there is a lot of pressure from above. ARC use to have parts for almost everything they ever made. This does not seem to be the case anymore.

The Ref 5se is the last true Audio Research looking Ref preamp. I was never really thrilled with some of the ARC designs. In my opinion the last truly good looking Ref preamp was the Ref 2mk2. I never saw the need for the display and I hated the plastic buttons on the Ref 3 and the Ref 5. But they were all clearly Audio Research. The new Mc-afide ARC pieces remind me of a Japanese imitation Harley. Just a bad copy of Mcintosh's styling. I don't see ARC deciding to do this on their own.

It just bothers me. I am not the Japanese imitation Harley type. I prefer the real thing.

"I don't see ARC deciding to do this on their own."

Agreed. I foresee a backlash from their customer base. But that won't make a difference if their goal is to expand into an untapped market.