Harman Performance AV Sells Audio Access to ATI
Harman America's Performance AV group, home to Revel, Mark Levinson, JBL Synthesis, and Lexicon, is now a brand short, having sold long time custom distributed audio/video manufacturer AudioAccess to California CE manufacturer Amplifier Technologies Inc. It's not the first acquisition for ATI, who has picked up Theta Digital and BGW in the last few years.
ATI, who designs and manufacturers surround processors under it's own name, and OEMs them for other companies, including leading control systems manufacturer Crestron. Audioaccess has been one of the oldest pure custom oriented brands, having been founded by industry pioneer Chris Stevens way back in 1987 (hey, that's a heck of a long time ago in the custom installation industry).
AudioAccess was sold by Stevens to Harman in 1993. After being acquired by Harman, Stevens was made president of Harman America. In 2003 Harman transferred design, engineering, and product management of AudioAccess to JBL.
AudioAccess was an early leader in easy to use, keypad controlled multi-room, multi-zone distributed audio systems for the custom installation industry, with (for the time) cutting edge products, such as the PX-4, PX-6, MRX, and PX-600. The hallmark of their system was a very easy to use, 8 button keypads, that any homeowner could master with ease. They became known by custom installers as a system that would make customers happy and perhaps more important, not break.
After leading the industry for years, AudioAccess didn't change to accommodate new sources such as hard drive based music servers. This, and increasing competition in the multi-zone audio space from companies such as Crestron, Russound, Xantech, and Elan caused their fall from the top of the heap. In recent years, AudioAccess has tried to climb back to the top, releasing more advanced control interfaces, such as touch screens, more advanced controllers, and even an iPOD dock (a must have in the industry today, as consumers can't seem to get enough of trading sound quality for convenience)
ATI will keep AudioAccess as an entirely separate division, as it has with Theta. They did not release any information on their future plans for the AudioAccess line. The new addition is highly complementary to ATI's existing products, however.
