What's going on at Krell

This info was posted on FACEBOOK:

For those who are not able to see the original Krell Owners & Enthusiasts Group, here is the full scoop given by Wil Buhler.
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JF Bicking & Co

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Before diving into the questions, here’s some background on JF Bicking & Co. and myself. JF Bicking is the advisory arm of our family holdings company, a little over a decade ago we began offering the same services to other businesses and organizations, entrepreneurs and families. If anyone would like to know more about our firm visit our site https://www.jfb.fyi/who-we-are. We don’t deal with a specific industry or type/size of business; our only criteria is family owned businesses and no public companies. That leads us to myself and Krell.

I will be the first to say when we first engaged Krell as a client I was by no means an audiophile. For those of you who have found a reason to hate me yet, here’s one; before working with Krell I thought Bose was definitely in the top 3 Hifi companies. Frankly the first time I heard the phrase was when one of our Analysts who introduced Krell called himself one. I still don’t quite consider myself an audiophile today but I’m getting there, I feel like it would be like someone who had been to a car show once joining the Porsche Club of America. Since first hearing in the arms of the angels on a Krell system I was hooked. I played classical cello when i was younger and all of a sudden i could hear cello throughout the whole song that I never could before. Since then every Krell listening experience has been a unique one. Quite fittingly; one of the last in person experiences I was able to share with Rondi was listening to Ella Fitzgerald in her family room with her and her husband who was also a huge audiophile as well, it was part of every aspect of Rondi’s life.

Q -What is your position within Krell? Are you full owner, Minority stake holder, Majority stake holder, Managing partner, Etc.? And when did that position come about? There are many rumors that lead back to the late Rondi D’Agostino not having a succession plan so, to many, it was unexpected that an investment firm claimed ownership instead of a family member, for example.

A - I’m bound by several confidentiality agreements that bar me from even discussing most of the question, being completely honest even if I could I would not disclose that information, no company in my position would, not for nefarious purposes but simply because it’s literally none of your business. Please tell anyone who feels they have an ownership claim to contact us or our attorneys rccblaw.com. A family member is still involved in ownership along with ourselves. Growing up I was taught to not look at things like I own them but rather that I’m a steward for the next generation; I apply that same philosophy to our position at Krell. Hopefully this answers your question.

Q -When can we expect Krell to reopen? And upon reopening, when can staff be expected to return to the factory to resume work?

We technically never closed just our facility, we’ve tried as best as possible to make ourselves available via our firm and email. 610 894 0692 or Service@krell.industries. Here’s the less annoying part of my answer. As an attempt at full transparency after much delay due to the courts insistence on a particular family member’s involvement in the matter, approximately 3 weeks ago the courts gave us permission to proceed ahead with the probate process without the individual. Since that point we have been working with all parties involved to move forward. Unfortunately death is a fickle bitch and our Firm experienced a profound loss the weekend we received the courts notification so that delayed our forward progression just a few more days. That brings us to now, we are hoping in a perfect world we will have received court approval to proceed with opening before the holiday weekend or immediately after. Once received we intend to have our Repair manager start on that same day to begin to address all of your issues immediately. We hope to be back to 85% operations within the first week and back to 100% by the end of the month.

Q -What will take priority? Service, warranty, new order fulfillment, etc.?

Service and Warranty will be concurrent and new order fulfillment will be only when we can guarantee the quality control is 100%

Q -Will your team be reaching out to all of us that have units in service, and if so, what is that time frame to do so?

Yes, within the first several days of opening, it would be incredibly helpful if anyone who has something in for service could send an email to the Service@krell.industries. Please provide your information, ie: contact, name, etc./ the unit in for repair/ what the issue is/ and whether you still want it repaired or just returned. We will not take it personally, and can recommend an alternative temporary repair facility until we are back to 100%

Q -Has a plan been put together for any of us in service that may wish to have their equipment either shipped back or picked up at the factory without repair? What is the timing for that looking like?

Refer to the answer above.

Q -Can you discuss what happened with Krellhifi.com and how another website was developed and launched during a time when the company was thought to not have ownership?

We had been working on developing a new website with a more modern look and user-friendly functionality and design which is the krell.industries that exists now. That was also the point of the store was to test and see if there was any demand for merchandise and DTC access for certain products. Rondi, much like myself, wasn’t the biggest fan of change and was quite reluctant to take down the old site so the new site’s 100% completion wasn’t an absolute priority at the moment. Due to the unauthorized lockout severely hindering our ability to access key information such as email along with trying to help confusion we shut down the old site. Unfortunately certain features still need to be completed on the new site and will as soon as we are finished with probate.

Wil Buhler, Managing Partner, JF Bicking & Co. from Krell Industries emailed me the following message:

“I wanted to clarify that the sale of the building was unrelated to Rondi’s passing. The transaction had already been in progress prior to her passing and coincidentally finalized afterward. Additionally, everyone's equipment remains intact, and the building sale had no impact on the lockout issue.

The lockout was strictly a matter tied to probate proceedings and obtaining the necessary legal permissions to reenter the premises. That process is nearing completion, and we anticipate resolving this matter very soon.

We are fully committed to returning everyone's equipment as quickly as possible and deeply appreciate your continued patience during this time.   Thank you for your understanding”.  

He also said “We will be putting out a more official press release at some point next week”.  

The official press release should provide us with more details.   thanks..

How does migrating their digital infrastructure to a cloud-based platform and setting up a dealer portal affect repairs and warranty work?  
 

I wish them luck, but I will never buy Krell, new or used, after this event 

https://www.krell.industries/press/krell-industries-preparations-amp-timeline-for-reopening

McIntosh will be around a long time...they will be one the last, if not THE last high end manufacturer around.  

Th Krell Industries web site is not gone. please see their link below:

Please see Krell Industries web site below:

Unfortunately, I have no additional information on the status of Krell Industries. However, if I had equipment at Krell Industries for repairs, I would be VERY concerned. I also agree with the above post, @nmolnar, that you need to check and/or file a claim with the CT. Probate Court ASAP.

I also suggest you not delay your claim, etc. any longer.

RIP Krell- Their former headquarters is up for lease as offices per an Orange, Ct. commercial real estate broker. website. The Buildng's interior photos show an empty office and various For Lease signs outside the building. The Krell website is also gone. Based on these observations I doubt they will be making a comeback anytime soon. Are there any conclusive facts which show they are still in business? If so, please elaborate.  If you have any equipment that was with Krell or owed money, you may need to check and/or file a claim with the Ct. Probate court against the estate for whatever it is that you are owed. RIP Krell.

McIntosh gear has always been excellent.  I still have my MR65B, the first stereo tube FM tuner that the company ever manufactured, and it sounds great.  I even have a second MR65B for spare parts.   The only Krell gear I ever owned was a first generation KSA 50.  I still marvel at that 50 wpc pure Class A gem.  Its dual mono construction was a work of art. 

Have a look at the McIntosh Group on Wikipedia!  Mergers, splits, management buyouts, asset managers, switch from US to Italian head Office then back to US.  Just like most of the rest of the HiFi industry really ...

So true about McIntosh. My Dad has kind of a dark sense of humor. He said he bought a McIntosh because he " didn’t want to leave you a piece of $#/T when I die"

Thanks to all who have responded but the net of all this is remarkable uncertainty. We don’t mourn US Presidents for 5 months with flags at half mast. There should be some sort of minimal life support at Krell even if for  poor planning purposes the company went into probate. The total lack of any customer or dealer support will ultimately crush this company. I have been a long term Krell user with a series of amps and preamps I have changed and upgraded through the years. I have a set of 575 mono amps in Krell for upgrade since March of 2024. A total inability to make any inquiry as to the status of these $20k amps is unacceptable and as a result they will lose a lifetime customer. They have been able to post some non specific and vague “updates” on their website but their voice mail remains inoperative and the one VM message with Rondi’s voice is both eerie and disrespectful. I really hope they do resurrect because it is a brand with a legendary heritage. While it is a niche player it was once a rather large one. Frankly, most high end and esoteric audio equipment is made by niche players. If anyone does hear anything about Krell and their continuation as a going concern, I’d certainly appreciate hearing it. 

@audition__audio   well, we all have our own opinions.  The resale value of McIntosh is one of the best in the business.  Service is always available as well.  You don’t have to worry about someone dying and not getting your equipment back. 

I can attest to the increased times that many  probates have taken (still waiting on a Family member's for nearly two years).  The Covid 19 debacle and the myriad of deaths that it caused so suddenly have completely backed up the probate courts in the United States.  This is likely the problem with KRELL given that its CEO, Rhondi D'agostino, died fairly recently.  

The main issue is one of leadership. The survival of Krell Industries without Rondi D’Agostino is uncertain, given her pivotal role in the company. Her leadership and vision were integral to Krell’s success, and her passing has left a significant void. The company is currently closed temporarily to allow time for grieving, which may affect operations and customer confidence.

While Krell has a strong legacy in high-end audio, the transition period could pose challenges, especially if new leadership does not emerge quickly to stabilize operations, reassure stakeholders and ITS CUSTOMERS. What a mess!

I think you are right stereo5...   another iconic brand gone most likely 

I think it is silly to buy any component for any reason other than sound. I dont buy Mac gear because I think better exists elsewhere. I am ever so slightly mindful of resale value. 

@stereo5, +1, I agree the extended duration of the Krell Industries closure has led to speculation about the company’s future and its ability to reopen fully.  

So they have been closed for. 4+ months in mourning?  Sounds to me like they will not reopen. I mean it’s 4 months, not four weeks or four days.  

There is very little info available about what is going on at Krell Industries. I found the info below but do not know if this is accurate or not.

“Krell Industries is currently experiencing a period of mourning following the death of its co-founder and CEO, Rondi D’Agostino, on June 18, 2024. As a result, the company has temporarily closed its operations to allow time for grieving, with plans to resume normal business activities shortly. During this closure, existing orders and repair requests will be honored, though new orders may face delays.

Krell Industries has not yet announced who will take over as CEO following the passing of Rondi D’Agostino. The company is currently closed to allow time for mourning and has not provided details about future leadership plans”.

Please also see link below for more info

See another link for more Krell ibfo

All of these companies are niche companies.  McIntosh will be around a long time, they are different than any other manufacturer in this space.   You buy a McIntosh because of their reliability and ability to be serviced decades after you buy it.  

Too bad about Krell.   

…..Krell is a “ niche “ company ? Okay …..

Sorry to say but that is what happens with niche companies when an owner or investor dies. With McIntosh you will never have that problem.  You are probably in for a long wait for your mono amps.  Good luck

I have also been trying to contact them to no avail. However, I did get a hold of someone yesterday who is a Krell Dealer who indicated that the last communication was that ownership is in probate and it wasn’t expected to last as long as it has in resolving.  The individual met with Rondi a week before her passing and thought she was working on a successor.  Only speculation; it is taking time to resolve who has ownership and/or the owner wants to find an operator, partner, or buyer.  From what I understand any official communication has been somewhat muted. Possibly someone who is in the know can communicate the latest.