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You are here: Home / Archives for Thiel

Thiel

Is the Thiel Audio Website Relaunch Real? Or Is It a Zombie?

November 6, 2020 by Ted 6 Comments

Photo of a zombie

A Real-Life Mystery

Strata-gee reader Jeff (see comments here…) asks, “What’s up with the revival of Thiel Audio’s website thielaudio.com?” That is a good question, as the company has been shut down, and all inventory, factory, and office goods were auctioned off just under three years ago. Shortly after the auction, Thiel Audio’s website went dark and has been that way ever since.

Ever since…that is…until recently…

[Read more…] about Is the Thiel Audio Website Relaunch Real? Or Is It a Zombie?

Filed Under: Manufacturers, Marketing, Media, News, Specialty, Strategy Tagged With: Thiel, Thiel Audio

Reader’s Choice: The Top 10 Strata-gee Stories of 2019

December 30, 2019 by Ted 6 Comments

Grahic of Top Ten

As we hurtle headlong into the a new decade – the 2020s – it’s a good time to pause and take stock of some of the major events of our industry’s recent history by ranking the Top 10 Strata-gee stories of 2019 based on total page views. This ranking shows just what stories drew the most attention of Strata-gee’s eminently intelligent and inquisitive readers.

See which 2019 Strata-gee stories were tops with readers…

[Read more…] about Reader’s Choice: The Top 10 Strata-gee Stories of 2019

Filed Under: Media, News Tagged With: B&W, Bowers & Wilkins, Bravas, Bravas Group, Control4, Crestron, Denon, EVA Automation, Formation, Frank Sterns, Integra, James Loudspeaker, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, SnapAV, Sonance, Sony, Sound United, Strata-gee, Thiel, Top 10

Angling at Auction for a Deal on Thiel? Heed This Warning

June 5, 2019 by Ted 5 Comments

Thiel speaker at a show

Last week’s Strata-gee story on the final liquidation of what remains of Thiel not only drew a huge number of readers, it also sent a big chunk of them on to the auctioneer’s website (McLemore Auctions). Many of those readers who journeyed to the auction were in search of a great deal on a good line of Thiel speakers. But then, in an unexpected twist, a source reached out to Strata-gee to offer a warning to those in search of a great deal on Thiel.

Know this before bidding in the Thiel auction…

[Read more…] about Angling at Auction for a Deal on Thiel? Heed This Warning

Filed Under: Brands, Financial, Management, Manufacturers, News, Pivot Point, Products Tagged With: acquisition, auction, audiophile, liquidation, private equity, specialty, Thiel

Swan Song for Thiel: Total Liquidation Has Begun

May 29, 2019 by Ted 2 Comments

Thiel TM3 in the auction

The long sad saga of Thiel is just about over for good. Having entered bankruptcy in October 2018, an auction house has finally been selected and started the process of liquidating all that remains of the former Nashville, Tenn-based Thiel…including Thiel Loudspeakers, Aurora by Thiel wireless music systems, and detritus from the Aurora Studio live streaming music studio.

Hot deal – cold brand: The Thiel liquidation…

[Read more…] about Swan Song for Thiel: Total Liquidation Has Begun

Filed Under: Brands, Financial, Manufacturers, News, Products, Shows & Events Tagged With: bankruptcy, high-end, Jim Thiel, Kathy Gornik, liquidation, Thiel, Thiel Audio, Tom Thiel

The Forgotten Thiel

February 16, 2018 by Ted 2 Comments

Strata-gee *EXCLUSIVE* Interview with Tom Thiel

Tom Thiel at Northwind TonewoodAlthough Strata-gee has loosely followed Thiel Audio for many years, since 2012, when the company was sold by co-founder Kathy Gornik to a group of Tennessee private equity investors, our coverage intensified. Part of the motivation for devoting more coverage to this stage of Thiel, was a growing interest in the apparent deteriorating state of specialty A/V – but it was also fueled by a wacky, reality-show like, “You’re Fired!” atmosphere as principal owner David B. Griffin routinely dismissed newly constituted management teams. With five different CEOs over a five-year period, some with tenures measured in months, the company’s business suffered from inconsistent fits-and-starts as each team pursued a new direction.

This state of constant turmoil at Thiel caused extreme consternation among – first the Thiel dealer base, and when that disappeared – Thiel end-users, many of whom were huge fans of Jim Thiel. A host of audio forums and bulletin boards had ongoing, passionate postings bemoaning the end of an era: the end of the Kathy Gornik era…and of course, the end of the Jim Thiel era.

Kind of like in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, when Obi-wan says: “That boy is our last hope.” Yoda replies: “No, there is another…” [Read more…] about The Forgotten Thiel

Filed Under: Manufacturers, People Tagged With: Gibson, guitars, Jim Thiel, Kathy Gornik, Martin, Northwind Tonewood, Thiel, Thiel Audio, Tom Thiel

King Thiel is Dead, Long Live Coherent Source Service

February 8, 2018 by Ted

Thiel Owners Celebrate the News of the Rebirth of Thiel Service

New Thiel Audio logoThe rumors have been swirling around various audio blogs and forums for a couple of weeks now and Strata-gee has confirmed that the service department of Thiel Audio, the only part of the Nashville-based company that remains in Lexington, KY, has been split off from the company and purchased by long time head of service, Rob Gillum. The development is incredibly good news for Thiel owners everywhere, many of whom were crushed to hear the brand was closing down.

Rob Gillum talks to Strata-gee… [Read more…] about King Thiel is Dead, Long Live Coherent Source Service

Filed Under: Manufacturers, News, People Tagged With: Coherent Source Service, Jim Thiel, Rob Gillum, service, Thiel, Thiel Audio

Thiel is Toast, Specialty Audio Takes Another Hit

January 17, 2018 by Ted 74 Comments

New Thiel logo black backgroundAfter a tumultuous five-year period, which began in 2012 when Thiel was sold to Tennessee private investor David B. Griffin, we can now confirm that Thiel Audio has been closed for good. Failing some kind of 11th hour rescue, another great American audio brand will be relegated to the dustbin of history.

See what we know of the closing of Thiel Audio… [Read more…] about Thiel is Toast, Specialty Audio Takes Another Hit

Filed Under: Brands, Financial, Management, Manufacturers, News, Pivot Point Tagged With: Bob Brown, James Thiel, Jim Thiel, Kathy Gornik, Stephen DeFuria, Thiel, Thiel Audio, Tom Malatesta, Tom Thiel

More Thiel Turmoil – Is It Closed? Is It Open?

December 7, 2017 by Ted 16 Comments

Significant Staff Terminations Drop Headcount

New Thiel Audio logoWe are hearing from multiple sources both public and private that Thiel Audio has ceased operations, effective November 30, 2017. If true, the news would be a sad punctuation to the end of the story of a once proud  high-end audio brand that since 2012 has endured multiple CEO’s and their changing business plans. Current CEO Elyse McKenna is, by our count, the fifth CEO at Thiel since the end of 2012 – a year which started with co-founder Kathy Gornik as the CEO who then sold the company to David B. Griffin, a wealthy farmer and landowner according to our sources.

But, apparently, the answer to the question posed in our headline is that it depends on who you ask. CEO Elyse McKenna, in a telephone interview this afternoon, denied that Thiel is closed and tells us the company remains open for business.

See more on this confusing news on Thiel… [Read more…] about More Thiel Turmoil – Is It Closed? Is It Open?

Filed Under: Brands, Management, News, People, Pivot Point, Strategy Tagged With: Elyse McKenna, Thiel, Thiel Audio

Management Turnstile Turns Again at Thiel Audio

July 13, 2017 by Ted 1 Comment

BREAKING NEWS

Photo of Thoma Malatesta
Tom Malatesta

We learned this week that Thiel Audio (Thiel) has had another significant round of layoffs, including CEO Tom Malatesta, Chief Revenue Officer Stuart Levine, Director of Music Industry Relations Mark Mason (no relation to engineer Mark Mason who left much earlier), as well as two other lower level staff – who have all been let go within the last six-to-eight weeks. Furthermore, Chief Brand Officer Rebecca Abrahams, who led the launch of their Aurora live music performance and streaming studio, left the company in January of this year. No reason was given for any these separations and, true to form, Thiel has made no official public announcement regarding the dismissals.

See more on this new turn of the turnstile at Thiel… [Read more…] about Management Turnstile Turns Again at Thiel Audio

Filed Under: Brands, Management, Manufacturers, News, Pivot Point, Specialty, Strategy Tagged With: Aurora, Aurora by Thiel, David B. Griffin, Mark Mason, Stuart Levine, Thiel, Thiel Audio, Tom Malatesta

Thiel Launches Multiple New Products at CES

January 5, 2017 by Ted Leave a Comment

thiellogoThiel Audio, in a series of press releases on their website, announced multiple new products to be launched at this week’s CES in Las Vegas. Some of these new products are being launched under the Thiel brand name, while others are being offered under the Aurora brand – a brand that was originally created for a 4K music venue at the company’s headquarters in Nashville, TN.

This launch represents what the company hopes will be the next chapter in the troubled brand’s long-running saga.

See more on Thiel’s new models… [Read more…] about Thiel Launches Multiple New Products at CES

Filed Under: Brands, Industry Trends, Manufacturers, Marketing, News, Pivot Point, Products, Shows & Events, Tech Trends Tagged With: Aurora, LifeStream, Stuart Levine, Thiel

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Ted Green Bio

A former dealer, manufacturer, distributor & more. Focusing on business strategy, my goal is to help you make better decisions for greater success.

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