audio research sells out good or bad ?

All the key ppl are staying with the company. Mr. Johnson was not a chef designer anymore anyway - he moved to sunny California several years ago.

One can look at these change of ownerships different ways. An investment firm buying a private company doesn't necessarily mean the end of what made that company great. Smart management will see the value of preserving the core principles of the company because this is what their reputation (brand) is built on. Often new ownership means cash infusion for R&D, modernization, quality control--and new energy. Companies can get complacent, lazy, smug, or simply lose their way. With sharp new management, a company be revitalized, build upon old successes and go in new directions. High-end audio is a precious, niche market generating comparatively small profits. No investment firm is going to buy a company like ARC with expectations of selling product into Best Buy and Circuit City. More likely, they'll help the company expand its product line and distribution channels a bit, and operate more efficiently. So how is that bad?

Output555 is right on the money........cash infusion for R&D might give us better and most likely more affordable products in the future.

Tiger,you are way off base. Jaybo, you and Weiserb are right on target. I have been an audiophile for 50 years. Have spent far too much money over the years. I left McIntosh in the early 60's. Tried just about all the top amps (Audio Research, Spectral, NRG, Krell, Levinson, Marantz). I probably have forgotten a couple. About 12 or 14 months ago I purchased a McIntosh MC-402 and I have never been happier with any amp than I am with the Mac 402. The most satisfying and musical amp that IMHO I have heard. Associated equipment: H-Cat PR7 preamp, Duntech Sovereign speakers, VPI Aries Extended TT with 12.6 arm, running CD's from computer hardrive through a Bel Canto DAC 3. In all the years that I been in this wonderful hobby, I have the most musical, realistic and satifying sound that I ever experienced. It's a great feeling to be a satisfied audiophile. For once, even my dear wife of 54 years agrees. That's truly Nirvana. Enjoy the music.

Well I hope they dont cheapen up quality and performance, guess its a good thing my dad bought his Ref3 last month.