Defunct Audio Companies List

[bully]

Soundcraftsmen, a once-proud USA made brand that was sold to MTX's parent and sold for a while as MTX Soundcraftsmen (same good gear), but haven't heard of them for a few odd years.

 

[yrly]

Kraco isn't out of business, www.kraco.com shows otherwise, besides the floor mats I bought for my car were made by Kraco

 

[fritz]

Project One?

Does ProjectOne qualify as a brand? Also, to backup our member Ultra-hog;- Realistic? Come on guys, radioshack did make SOME (wish I knew how to put that in italics) good stuff. I have the old Realistic MACH ONE speakers, (sealed enclosure, 15" woofers, horn drivers) and I have yet to get a "They suck" comment on those babies that's for sure.

 

[Mike Gibson]

Audionics of Oregon,

Phase Linear & Altec Lansing are dead for all intents and purposes. Unless you count car audio & computer speakers.

 

[DKak]

Here are a few more brands that I believe are gone that weren't on the list. Please update/correct if possible:

Amber (amplifiers)

Ariston (turntables, amps)

SWTP (Southwest Technical Products) Maker of Tigersaurus amps and others www.swtpc.com for some info

Forte (less expensive amp line from Nelson Pass)

Loranger (Loran tape. I think Loranger is still around, though)

Soundcraftsmen (amps)

Coral (Japanese cartridges, OEM for many)

Lafayette Radio & Electronics (USA retailer with their own line)

Olson Electronics (USA retailer with their own line)

Sonographe & Motif (other lines from Conrad-Johnson)

Hafler (still has a website, http://www.hafler.com/ but they're done producing product)

Utah (speakers)

Oasis turntable (not sure who made it, but Polk marketed it in the '70s)

Cizek (speakers)

Allison Acoustics (speakers)

3D Acoustics (speakers)

Electro Research (electronics)

Mura (headphones)

Precept (cartridges, by Audio-Technica)

Win Labs (phono cartridges)

Acculab (speaker brand from RTR)

RTR (speakers)

Acoustat (speakers, but maybe this counts? http://www.acoustat.com.cn)

Counterpoint (electronics, www.altavistaaudio.com for upgrades/repairs, and http://www.counterpointaudio.com/ for an unauthorized Chinese knockoff)

Apt (electronics, started by Tom Holman)

This list could go on nearly ad infinitum, sadly. Just open any older annual product directory issue from Audio Magazine (gone, too), High Fidelity or Stereo Review (both morphed) or Stereophile to see more. Sigh...while some went away for good reason, some didn't.

Dave

 

[dloosemo]

audio analyst

well the only brand that i have that i havent seen posted here is audio analyst. to be honest i've never seen them discussed anywhere though. they were a hybrid two way with dual tweeters and a ten in woofer. not a bad sounding speaker with a very well constructed cabinet. anyone else hear of these?

 

[gearhound]

Don't forget DANTE speakers (made in Minn., mid-80's), I certainly have!!

Steve

 

[loomis]

I don't see Olson on this list.

 

[Monteman]

*Setton* See Avatar ^

I didn't see Setton on the list.

 

[alexkerhead]

EPI/Epicure.

KLH.

I've seen KLH speakers at circuit city and best buy lately.:yes:

 

[RaymondLeggs]

Two more that are missing:

Sounddesign
Yorx

Anyone going to shed a tear?

- JP

Actually Both are still around! :yes:

 

[claus]

I miss two legends on the list
Andy Rappaport and his famous Amp-1
and John Iverson's Electro Research and the not less famous A75
Andy went big bizz and John gone gone

Claus

 

[DSChamber]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Sansui..... yes they are "technically" still around... but not making any good gear for 10 years or more...can someone tell me I'm wrong??


As copied from Wiki....

"As the mid 1980s arrived, sales were lost to competitors (Sony, Pioneer, Matsushita's Technics). Sansui began to lose visibility in the United States around 1988, and then focused on manufacturing high-end components in Japan. The company began to manufacture high-end television sets and other video equipment, but ceased exportation. In the late 1990s, the company's brand was used on video equipment manufactured by other companies. The current manufacturer of the rebranded sets is Orion Electric, based in Osaka and Fukui, Japan. Its U.S. subsidiary markets products under the Sansui brand, among others. Sansui is thus a mere umbrella brand at present. This radical change in Sansui's corporate identity has resulted in a notable change in its product quality as consumers now tend to consider Sansui a mass-market brand rather than a maker of high-end electronics."

 

[furious_01]

I'll revive this thread from the dead because I came across a couple of Don J Cochran mono amplifiers and want to know more about them... anyone???

CAL is on there, under C. Tandberg is also on there, too.

Elite Electronics (built a modded Philips CD player in the late 80's/early 90's, and different from the UK company that built cartridges)
Don J Cochran (who built amplifiers, and if anyone comes across any, please let me know!)

 

[Freds.Bands]

I know a little about Rectilinear Research; their product descriptions are quite wrong. But maybe that's not the point.

 

[dogwan]

Maybe these were mentioned ....

PSE (Professional Systems Engineering)
AudioAnalyst
Counterpoint (can't believe this one's not on either list)

Edit: add also Sylvan (small speaker mfg. out of Portland, OR)

 

[llwhtt]

Great American Sound, SUMO, and SAE. SAE is still kinda sorta still around but the original is gone.

Craig