In other news, Arcam have effectively be bought by Samsung

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by scobb, Jul 15, 2017.

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  1. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    This could have had huge potential in that Arcam could get much cheaper licences and hardware etc but..... even though the take over is through the Harman International side of Samsung I can't see anything good coming of this other than cheaper, more disposable and lower quality products. Hope I'm wrong.

    Harman International Acquires Arcam | StereoNET

    Maybe it's inevitable in our throw away society that quality independent brands find it hard to compete?
     
    McLover, Randoms and juno6000 like this.
  2. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Very sad news, as many of the better middle ground makes are getting swallowed up.
     
    ls35a likes this.
  3. Nate

    Nate Forum Resident

    Why is this sad news? Harman is a strong brand, with some top companies. So far Samsung has allowed the hifi companies do its thing. Arcam can only benefit from has a strong financial base with which to continue to do its thing
     
    Rolltide, BayouTiger and Brother_Rael like this.
  4. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Sad news indeed.
     
    scobb likes this.
  5. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Why? Because from being a quality middle-of-the-line independent manufacturer it will now become yet another "brand" in a "stable" of other brands owned by a larger corporation.

    Should I remind you the fate of Fisher and H.H. Scott? What about Sansui, Akai, Nakamichi? Adcom? And countless others?
     
  6. Nate

    Nate Forum Resident

    Time will tell. Fisher was a different time, bought out by a company on a lower rung. I don't think Samsung intends to dilute Mark Levinson or Revel, and I would be surprised in Arcam us diluted
     
    dchang81, Brother_Rael and hi_watt like this.
  7. RiCat

    RiCat Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Perhaps the only way the brand can continue and survive is to get financial support from Samy? Everyone cries boohoo another independent swallowed. From what little is available as to information, the only way their employees were to keep their jobs was if either sales increased (not likely) or the company was bought. If they can not sell enough of their product to stay viable then they should close their doors unless one of you deep pocket audiophiles might want to own them as a personal thing. If they do go out, then they will become another vintage brand for those who live in the past to drool over. And we can never have enough vintage gear.
     
    Shawn and Rolltide like this.
  8. ATSMUSIC

    ATSMUSIC Senior Member

    Location:
    MD, USA

    Because to a lot of people big companies are bad and small are good.
     
  9. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    Who's kidding who?

    At some point, some oily overpaid attorney/accountant/consultant will spell it out for some oily overpaid executive:

    "You want that next vacation home in southern France, so you can have an even dozen, right? Then make those dopey audio gadgets cheaper than the previous no-vacation-home losers did. Hike the prices, spin the marketing, pay off the reviewers. The rubes won't know the difference. It's just music."
     
    Daily Nightly and Gumboo like this.
  10. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense

    Location:
    UK
    Hope this is good news for Arcam, who have been around since 1976.

    In the twelve years I sold the products, A&R Cambridge, then Arcam, produced great sounding products, that proved to be extremely reliable. From a fairly conservative start, their range expanded with some truly innovative products.

    I also worked for them, and in that time, they were very proud of the fact, that they had never made anyone redundant.
     
    4xoddic, Yost, sennj and 4 others like this.
  11. Claude Benshaul

    Claude Benshaul Forum Resident

    It's not easy to differentiate your products and getting headlines requires a marketing budget with deeper pockets than what small to medium companies can afford. I just hope they will fare more like Marantz and less like Denon.
     
  12. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    It's sad because eventually Samsung will most likely cheapen things and not support the older products. Harman's ruined enough stuff without Samsung's help. many a fine make. I don't see this trend reversing itself anytime soon.
     
    Daily Nightly likes this.
  13. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I've admired the brand since they started, and own an Alpha 9 and Alpha 10. Arcam consistently get good reviews and don't make too many missteps. Arcam have been very competitive in the UK, not so competitive in other countries due to import and distributions costs. It's possible the acquisition can improve things; but I doubt it. I think in 5 years the brand will no longer exist. And that is sad.
     
    Yost likes this.
  14. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    Whoops, the main part of my system has just turned vintage. :sigh:
     
    Randoms likes this.
  15. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    I have mixed feelings about this news. I'm a big fan of their stereo products, owning a FMJ CD37, an Alpha 10 and an Alpha 10P. I'm also still using a Delta 60 in my hobby room and have an Alpha 9 CD player boxed in my attic. All great products for their price.

    I hope this helps them to stay alive. I also hope they can continue their own way of designing and building gear.
     
  16. brimuchmuze

    brimuchmuze Forum Resident

    Now maybe we'll get a good DAC with embedded 5G-wireless :)
     
  17. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    Remember that time when you favorite audio company was bought by a Japanese car stereo manufacturer? It's sad we never had a good McIntosh product ever, ever again.
     
    dchang81 likes this.
  18. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    Nobody ever bought a vacation home by buying a brand few people outside of a niche have even heard of and making it worse.
     
  19. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    That's a list of companies that went out of business and had their brand names scavenged after the fact.
     
  20. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho

    Because a lot of big companies ARE BAD and a lot of small companies ARE GOOD.
     
  21. Bubbamike

    Bubbamike Forum Resident

    I thought you were talking about Luxman. Alpine very nearly destroyed them.
     
    Daily Nightly likes this.
  22. Landon Morris

    Landon Morris New Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    I don't quite agree with that. Yes, licences may be cheaper but low grade parts? Arcam is a strong brand and stand behind what they engineer. Harman may be a part of the family now, but Arcam will continue to pull through.
     
  23. soundboy

    soundboy Senior Member

    Still waiting for aftermath of B&W sale to Silicon Valley startup.
     
  24. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    There are executives and everyday employees at all sizes of business who are wonderful people with good intentions. There are also those who lose their way.

    Successful small business sometimes become success medium sized business. A few become large. Others are scooped up by the competition. Most tiny businesses don't last long. For good reason. A few don't last long and it's a shame.
     
    BD2665 likes this.
  25. DRM

    DRM Forum Resident

    Glad the edit function is available...
     
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