Thiel Customer Service - New ownership is terrible!!! - WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS COMPANY ?

I sold my Thiels a couple of years back because of a fear that this would happen (paired with a tendency to overplay them and need repairs).  Unfortunately it looks like support for the legacy products is indeed disappearing.  Not a disaster, but certainly a very disappointing turn of events.  

From the Strata-gee interview and embedded photos, the "Legacy" models available on a special-order basis appear to be limited to those introduced after the sale of the company. That’s a rather fast descent! There is no mention of the Jim Thiel designs or of any commitment to the significant customer base thereof. Otherwise it's mostly market-speak and abandonment of the dealer network for direct-to-consumer sales and on-line distribution through Amazon or similar channels into the mass market. Thiel who?

Not to defend PE's typical method of extracting revenue, but as the old punchline goes, "You knew I was a snake when you brought me home." The founder (heirs, in this case) take plenty of dough off the table from the PE firm and it should surprise no one that things will change, often radically.  If the founder's legacy suffers, they themselves have bailed out with the cash and therefore contribute to the demise.  Who's really the "bad guy?"

Of course, not the same if the takeover is hostile and the founder is forced out.

What's puzzling to me is why a PE firm would acquire a company that clearly had an extremely small and narrowly defined brand equity position (audiophile speakers) and then try to convert it to a lifestyle brand with broad appeal.  .  .huh?  It's not like the name Thiel was remotely well-known outside our little circle and therefore would have null equity beyond us.  Couldn't have been for market penetration--infinitesimally small.  Manufacturing capacity?  Don't think so.  Innovation and engineering?  Maybe, but tangential to their current direction at best.  PEs love acquisition for phantom synergies that look good on paper.  They don't know sh** about operating what they've bought but they're arrogant in their belief that they do--it's the high finance equivalent of "Hey y'all, watch this," (or "Hold my beer!").

As for customer service, it's not dead everywhere. I have personally spoken or corresponded with Richard Vandersteen, Viktor Khomenko and Conrad Mas (Vandersteen, Balanced Audio Technology and Avid).  It's what I own and would be hard pressed to switch to another brand--this is based as much on their commitment and service as the gear itself. 

In the past, the service was a proverbial boulder, it must now earn money, so it is in all industries.

As previously stated, Thiel service has been a separate P&L center for several years now. Hopefully more a "P" than an "L". Those that have complained (or will complain) about the cost of their service will now better understand the realities of survival outside of our little nirvana.

Even those as misguided as the "new" leadership prioritize "P" so let’s see what happens...

Dave