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Yet Again, Guitar Center, Owner of AVDG, Sees Moody’s Downgrade Its Credit Rating

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Guitar Center store in Florida

Moody’s on GC: ‘Outlook Remains Negative’

This week, Moody’s Ratings, part of Moody’s Investors Services, announced that it was cutting Guitar Center’s credit rating to Caa3, down from Caa2. Guitar Center came on Strata-gee’s radar screen back in 2017 when it acquired AudioVisual Design Group (AVDG), a multi-regional integration group that to me seemed an odd fit with the mission of a struggling mass market musical instrument dealer. In 2020, Guitar Center filed for bankruptcy but has since exited on court approval of a new operating plan.

See more on the struggles of Guitar Center causing this downgrade

[Read more…] about Yet Again, Guitar Center, Owner of AVDG, Sees Moody’s Downgrade Its Credit Rating

Nationwide MG Appoints a New(ish) Executive Director for Azione Unlimited

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Azione Unlimited's new Executive Director Patrick McCarthy

Nationwide Marketing Group, owner of a stable of high-performance dealer buying groups like Oasys, Ellipsys, and Azione Unlimited, announced this week that it has appointed Patrick McCarthy as the new Executive Director of Azione Unlimited. As you most likely know, McCarthy has been a long-time member of the group’s management since 2019 and has served as the Interim Director since June in the wake of Richard Glikes departing the group back in February.

Patrick’s new appointment is effective immediately, which is a good thing as the group is about to launch its Fall Conference, taking place this year in San Diego, CA from October 21st – 23rd.

See more on the appointment of Patrick McCarthy at Azione Unlimited

[Read more…] about Nationwide MG Appoints a New(ish) Executive Director for Azione Unlimited

Crestron Opens Impressive NYC Experience Center Showcasing Resi & Commercial Tech

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Crestron executives John Clancy, Dan Feldstein, and Brad Hintze toast the new Experience Center in NYC
John Clancy, Dan Feldstein, and Brad Hintze (who appears to be toasting Strata-gee readers) raise a glass of champagne to toast the launch of Crestron’s remarkable Flagship NYC Experience Center [Click to enlarge]

Crestron Electronics, a worldwide industry leader in both the commercial and residential smart technology space, has opened a dramatic and dynamic new Crestron Experience Center (CEC) in the heart of Manhattan at 200 Lexington Avenue in the renowned New York Design Center. A grand opening ceremony was held with the media, customers, integrators and other special guests on Tuesday, October 15th, previewing the space which offers visitors an expansive roster of “hands-on” experiences and even includes a “workshop” for true first-person experiences where visitors can – among other things – discover new possibilities they didn’t know existed.

See more on this all-new flagship Crestron Experience Center in Manhattan

[Read more…] about Crestron Opens Impressive NYC Experience Center Showcasing Resi & Commercial Tech

Voxx Drops Another 18.6% in Sales; Smaller Company Seeks More Profits & Less Debt

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Voxx reports Fiscal 2025 Q2 results

Onkyo, Integra, and Klipsch Owner Stops Bleeding in Profits But Not Sales

Voxx International Corporation (Nasdaq: VOXX) announced the financial results for its second quarter and first half of Fiscal 2025 on Thursday after the close of markets. The company, which is in the middle of a major transformation of its business, hailed the results in which it has dramatically cut the level of its total and net debt, and finished with a small net income after several quarters of net losses.

But these positive results were generated at the expense of net sales which continue to decline.

See more on the results of the second quarter for Voxx

[Read more…] about Voxx Drops Another 18.6% in Sales; Smaller Company Seeks More Profits & Less Debt

AVPro Global Announces Appointments in MXnet Systems Group & Commercial

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AVPro Global logo

AVPro Global continues its rapid expansion with two major announcements this week, one in its MXnet Systems Group and another in Commercial Sales. Yet another sign of the company’s continued growth, AVPro Global continues to build out its infrastructure to better take advantage of market opportunities the company has identified.

The company has appointed Andy Herron and Deby Jimenez to its MXnet Systems Group and Jerrie Anderson to oversee the company’s commercial business development.

Learn more on these new additions at AVPro Global…

[Read more…] about AVPro Global Announces Appointments in MXnet Systems Group & Commercial

Emerald Expo Releases Registration Data for CEDIA Expo & CIX 2024

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The Crestron booth at CEDIA Expo 2023 which is put on by Emerald Expo
CEDIA Expo 2023

Emerald Will No Longer Report Event Attendance Numbers

Once again, the industry gathered to celebrate the world of custom integration last month at the CEDIA Expo 2024 in Denver, Colorado. An annual event that is part business conference, part education/training confab, and part social get-together & party, many in the industry look forward to this one-time seminal event in anticipation of finding the seeds of future business growth in the innovation shown there.

This week, Emerald Expositions released the registration numbers for CEDIA Expo & Commercial Integrator Expo 2024 (CIX), but did not disclose the verified attendance number. At first, I thought this was an oversight…

See more on data from CEDIA Expo 2024…

[Read more…] about Emerald Expo Releases Registration Data for CEDIA Expo & CIX 2024

Split Decision: A Masimo Win and an Apple Win in High Stakes Legal War

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An annotated illustration from a 2005 smartwatch patent discovered by Masimo containing technology like an Apple patent in 2021
An annotated copy of an illustration from a 2005 patent for a smartwatch (Kotanagi) containing the same or substantially similar technology that Apple was granted a patent for in 2021

While many things have changed in the wake of Joe Kiani’s exit from Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) – and many more changes are likely still to come – one thing continues on, the many lawsuits existing between Masimo and Apple Inc (Nasdaq: AAPL). And in the last few days, we have learned of two significant developments in that regard. One is a significant win for Masimo…and the other a significant win for Apple.

However, the war between these combatants continues…

[Read more…] about Split Decision: A Masimo Win and an Apple Win in High Stakes Legal War

Coastal Source to Move President Jeff Poggi to Consulting Role at Year End

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Coastal Source logo

Coastal Source, one of the industry’s leading providers of outdoor audio and lighting solutions announced this week that current President Jeff Poggi will be moving outside the company to take a new role as a consultant. The move will take place at the end of this current calendar year.

See more on Poggi moving to a consulting role

[Read more…] about Coastal Source to Move President Jeff Poggi to Consulting Role at Year End

SVS Sets a New Reference Standard with All-New 17-Ultra R|Evolution Subwoofers

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SVS PB17-Ultra R|Evolution subwoofer

SVS, an independent manufacturer of subwoofers, speakers, wireless audio, cables, and accessories announced this week that it has outdone itself – launching a beast of a subwoofer design that raises the bar in low-frequency performance. The company tells me that the launch of this new design is “a momentous day for SVS.”

Learn about the 17-Ultra R|Evolution flagship subwoofers

[Read more…] about SVS Sets a New Reference Standard with All-New 17-Ultra R|Evolution Subwoofers

Sonos Announces ‘New Commitments’ to Consumers; Analyst Issues Double Downgrade

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Sonos Ace headphones
Is she winking at me? Or wincing in the pain of Sonos’ problems?

Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) announced this week that it was issuing new quality and customer experience “commitments,” as it seeks to rebuild its deteriorating reputation in the wake of a disastrous app launch earlier this year that has caused many, if not most, Sonos systems to stop operating properly – if they operate at all. There has been tremendous upheaval among Sonos customers who have reacted angrily and negatively on Sonos-related message boards and other social media sites.

And now, just last week, Morgan Stanley analysts issued a rare “double downgrade” on Sonos shares – a significant ratings drop indicating that it expects the value of Sonos stock to underperform the market in the near- and mid-term future. Morgan Stanley’s analysis of why this double downgrade was necessary is pretty devastating.

See more on the Sonos slide and its attempts to turn things around

[Read more…] about Sonos Announces ‘New Commitments’ to Consumers; Analyst Issues Double Downgrade