The Harman Performance AV group sold off its Audioaccess brand to Amplifier Technologies Inc. (ATI), HPAV said in a February 8 letter to Audioaccess reps.
The sale “will allow HPAV to focus on our core brands of Mark Levinson, Revel, JBL Synthesis, and Lexicon,” HPAV’s letter stated.
For Montebello, California-based ATI, the sale adds another brand to its portfolio. About two years ago, ATI purchased high-end audio supplier Theta Digital, and before that, it bought pro-audio amp maker BGW.
The sale also brings a complementary product portfolio to the ATI stable. Audioaccess markets multiroom-audio and multiroom-AV systems, in-wall keypad and touchscreen controllers, and in-wall, in-ceiling, and outdoor speakers.
ATI markets AV processors, two- and multichannel amplifiers, and multiroom-distribution amplifiers. It is also an OEM supplier of home and pro-audio amps.
For its part, Theta offers a high-end audio selection compared to ATI. Theta’s selection includes a $10,625 preamp processor, monoblock amps up to $12,500, DAC/preamps, and a Blu-ray/SACD/DVD-Audio transport.
As with the Theta Digital acquisition, Audioaccess will be run as a separate division, said Mark Cohen, who is in charge of Audioaccess operations for ATI. He said Audioaccess shipments would resume in about 10 days.
ATI purchased the Audioaccess brand, intellectual property, and inventory, he noted.
Audioaccess was founded in 1987 and purchased in 1993 by HPAV parent Harman International. In 2003, Audioaccess’s product-design and management functions were assumed by Harman’s JBL brand.
The HPAV group was formed more than a year ago to consolidate sales and marketing of high-end audio brands Lexicon, Revel, and Mark Levinson. HPAV also took over responsibility for the high-end JBL Synthesis brand and for JBL speakers priced at about more than $3,000/pair.
HPAV then launched a new distribution strategy to incentivize dealers of one brand to carry all HPAV brands.
