Klipsch says goodbye to Aragon and Acurus amplifiers
Apparently, Klipsch has decided it's had enough of the notched design motif on Acurus and Aragon amplifiers and has decided to break off the two brands and sell them to Indy Audio Labs. We're hoping for a brighter future for the two lines under their new ownership; it certainly can't get a whole lot worse, as Klipsch ceased production of products wearing the Aragon badge 4 years after buying it from Mondial Designs in 2001. Both no-holds-barred Aragon and the more cost-conscious (but not cheap) Acurus names seem to be in capable hands -- Indy Audio Labs has two former Klipsch employees as its founders who plan to deliver products under the same brand names familiar to crusty audio nuts. Press release after the break.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 13, 2009) - Klipsch purchased selected assets of the privately held Mondial Designs Ltd. in 2001, acquiring the Aragon and Acurus brands of high-end amplifiers, preamplifiers and processors. Now, the leading global manufacturer of loudspeakers is selling the rights to these electronics brands to two former Klipsch employees.
According to Mike Klipsch, president of the Klipsch brand, Klipsch purchased the brands because, at the time, it was aggressively seeking new ways to enhance its sound experience and wanted to develop perfectly matched, electronic solutions under the Aragon name.
However, a few years in, the electronics market underwent significant changes and Klipsch decided to cease production of the Aragon line in 2005, while still honoring warranty terms and offering customer support. "From that point on, we decided our product development and engineering teams needed to be completely focused on what we do best and that's building high-performance loudspeakers," he noted.
Today, the discontinuation of Aragon has opened new doors for former Klipsch electronics engineers Rick Santiago and Ted Moore. These two industry veterans, with 36 years of experience combined, have co-founded a new independent startup company called Indy Audio Labs, LLC and plan on developing and marketing new products under the Aragon and Acurus names. Indy Audio Labs will also assume full responsibility for the ongoing service and support of existing Aragon and Acurus products.
According to Santiago, IAL CEO, we are living in a time when traditional home entertainment experiences are being significantly re-defined and enhanced. "In our opinion, few manufacturers have been successful at providing the A/V realism and operational simplicity that consumers want, especially in this new digital media world. Indy Audio Labs is excited about developing future-ready entertainment products that exemplify the high-performance, reliability and ease-of operation of the classic Aragon and Acurus models," he concluded.
Effective May 18, when people call the Aragon tech support line at (866) 781-7284 or the Aragon service line at (914) 693-8008, they will automatically be forwarded to Indy Audio Labs. Additional support information can be found at indyaudiolabs.com.
"Rick and Ted are extremely passionate individuals and have a very forward-looking vision for these two highly regarded electronics brands. I can't wait to see what's next for Aragon and Acurus," concluded Klipsch.
