Sony Corp., the troubled Japanese giant consumer electronics company, has launched an internal early retirement program in a bid to cut overhead in its headquarters. The company has already announced major worldwide staff cutbacks, but it hopes this new incentive for headquarters staff will cut administrative costs by about 30%.
Strategy
A Deeper Dive into the World of Dolby Atmos; Is This Audio’s 3D?
GUEST POST
Is Dolby’s new Atmos format the next frontier in surround sound processing? Or will it merit a repeat of Paul Klipsch’s famous line: “Ho, hum, another breakthrough”?
You’d certainly think the former after prowling the aisles at the just-concluded CE Week in NYC. Both Onkyo and Pioneer showed prototype Atmos-enabled A/V receivers (complete with demonstrations under what must be called “challenging” conditions) while Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, and Integra all indicate they’ll be ready with an array of products in late Q3 or early Q4 this year. But will Paul Klipsch be proven prophetic once again, even if posthumously? That remains to be seen.
The Thinking Behind Atmos…
[Read more…] about A Deeper Dive into the World of Dolby Atmos; Is This Audio’s 3D?
Core Brands Awards The Bulk of Its Brands to Atlantic Integrated For NY Metro
Core Brands, LLC, a division of Nortek, Inc., announced Tuesday that Atlantic Integrated, a Rockleigh, NJ-based sales representative company, has been awarded most of its brands for representation in the New York Metropolitan region and Fairfield County, CT. This appointment is effective immediately and represents a realignment of the brands under one rep firm.
See more on this major announcement for the NY metro market… [Read more…] about Core Brands Awards The Bulk of Its Brands to Atlantic Integrated For NY Metro
CE Week 2014 – As Others Talk Atmos, Denon Talks Heos
At times during CE Week 2014 we felt as though we were caught in some kind of a clash of the unknown Greek gods – Atmos vs. Heos. In one corner – Pioneer and Onkyo announced, displayed, and demonstrated the all-new 7+ channel Dolby Atmos surround sound systems…with a fair amount of fanfare. In the other corner, calmly confident Denon executives showed HEOS, the company’s new wireless multi-room Sonos-killing (they hope) system. Who would win the day???
See more on Denon’s HEOS system… [Read more…] about CE Week 2014 – As Others Talk Atmos, Denon Talks Heos
Velodyne President Calls Strata-gee to Set the Record Straight
Regular readers of Strata-gee know that we have recently covered news of layoffs and distribution changes by Velodyne – a long-time specialty industry player. Although we had made many attempts to get the company to comment prior to our posting of these stories, we were told that no company executives were available at that time.
However, the day after our second story appeared, we heard from Velodyne’s press representative who said the company’s President was now available to speak with us about what is going on at Velodyne.
See what Velodyne’s President told us about these recent events… [Read more…] about Velodyne President Calls Strata-gee to Set the Record Straight
Pioneer Sells AV Business to Private Equity Company & Onkyo
BREAKING NEWS
We first told you about Pioneer’s plans to sell off their struggling AV division just last month in a SYNCH Breaking News exclusive. Now word comes out of Japan as to the identity of the buyer for this business – a group that includes a private equity company and Onkyo.
See some very interesting details on this announcement… [Read more…] about Pioneer Sells AV Business to Private Equity Company & Onkyo
Harman Acquires Headphone Maker Yurbuds
Harman International Industries, Inc. announced today that is has acquired St. Louis-based Yurbuds, LLC., a manufacturer of headphones. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition seems surprising, given the fact that Harman already owns brands such as JBL and AKG that already offer headphones.
Why would a company that already offers headphones, acquire a headphone company? See more… [Read more…] about Harman Acquires Headphone Maker Yurbuds
Velodyne Authorizes Powerhouse Alliance as National Distribution Partner for Subwoofers
Just one day after we reported on layoffs at Velodyne’s audio division, we received word from the company that it is authorizing the Powerhouse Alliance, a national group of distributors, for its line of subwoofers. The agreement will make Velodyne subwoofers available to Powerhouse Alliances’ nationwide network of retailers and installers.
See more on this new announcement from Velodyne… [Read more…] about Velodyne Authorizes Powerhouse Alliance as National Distribution Partner for Subwoofers
Layoffs Hit Velodyne’s Audio Division as Company Bets All on LIDAR
BREAKING NEWS
Multiple sources are reporting that Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. – a once high-flying specialty subwoofer manufacturer – has had a significant layoff in its audio division last week as the company seeks to redeploy its resources full-scale behind its LIDAR business. The company, which is driven by its enigmatic founder, David Hall, is betting its future (betting the farm, some would say) on its LIDAR technology which is used in self-driving vehicles (such as Google’s).
See more on this dramatic shift in business by a former audio high-flyer… [Read more…] about Layoffs Hit Velodyne’s Audio Division as Company Bets All on LIDAR
NAD Launches New Masters Series Models Targeted Squarely at ‘Audiophile 2.0’
*See update note below…*
On Wednesday, Lenbrook America, the exclusive distributor of NAD in the U.S., held a press presentation in a suite at the upscale Andaz 5th Avenue Hotel in Manhattan. It was a cool but gray and curiously humid day…still able to create enhanced perspiration for those rushing to the event from assorted train/subway/bus stops. But those members of the press who chose to attend were well rewarded for their efforts, as NAD launched a significant update to their Masters Series line – an update designed to further target a new customer that the company calls “Audiophile 2.0.”
