@atlanticstereoYour post indicates an innocent but erroneous opinion of the role that VC/PE firms serve to a business. My reply to your post below is intended only to provide perspective, not to throw shade your way.
Don't shoot the Messanger just stating facts - in my experience over the last 25 years in being in the AV industry every time a Private Equity company purchases a product that has been manufactured with Soul and Passion it ceases to have the build quality. If you know how a PE makes money, it's plan is to recoup its investment in 3 to 5 years from the purchase date. Think....How can they do that ? Find a way to make it cheaper and open up distribution... Shocking ? Who sells your beloved Mac now ? BB ? You can find it all over the net ... Go back in time and research how many great companies ( Fosgate, Levinson, Boston Accoustics, Infinity, Warfdale, Denon, Marantz, Pioneer Elite, Sunfire I can go on and on) that were purchased by PE and where are they now ? Mac has weathered the test of time because it still looks great and it has a loyal following in the Asian market. I'm not saying its a bad product just not the same product that got its reputation when Frank McIntosh started the company in 1948.
PE firms aggregate cash and invest it to make a return on their investment. They don’t make charitable grants. Many of the firms you mention above as having been ruined by PE were actually rescued (or not) from an inevitable extinction by the infusion of cash or more accurately in some cases they were sold a bill of goods by a founder(s) who were looking for an exit strategy to monetize their life’s work.
The high end audio industry is a tough slog from a business standpoint to make a market or better rate of return on their imvestments. So many in our hobby view those engaged in the hifi business, be it in retail or manufacturing, as being in the business to serve the hobby in some monastic and altruistically pure manner. Thats unfair and an unreasonable position to take. Like McIntosh or don’t. Appreciate the role VC/PE plays or don’t but please at least make a cursory attempt to understand what you are talking about before commenting.
Full disclosure: I am not engaged in VC/PE or high end audio although I have investments in VC/PE firms.
