audio research sells out good or bad ?

Who knows if they will still be producing the same quality components? From what I have read, William Z. Johnson was not sitting in an armchair directing the company. He was still designing many of those great reference pieces.

I guess the one yardstick that should be used here to measure the future of ARC is: What has happened at Sonus Faber since they were bought out. Are they now produced in China? I really don't think that the new owners won't try to fix what isn't broken. Remember years ago what happen with Nakamichi? Where is that name plate now? I doubt that investors would risk a few short years of spurt sales hanging on the reputation of a brand like ARC or Sonus Faber. As mentioned McIntosh has actually improved with the influx of money for R&D. They have a broader product catalog than ever before, and still mostly build or finished in Binghamton NY. Hey maybe we will see a ARC Turntable again? I have plans to buy ARC preamp later this years and this doesn't change my plans. I think that they will be around for the forseeable future and continue to held on a High End platform in the audiophile world.
All just one man's opinion of course.

I can say one thing from my job perspective.
I have worked at the job I am at now for 18 years.
When I started here, the company was headed up and run by 2 brothers and they traveled from state to state and country to country to keep there FAMILY buisness thriving.
They took risks and invested in People, the bottom line was impoertant< but the people who worked for them were just as important, over the last 7 yearsmy place of imployment has changed, 7 years ago the brothers retired, they gave the reins to the Family, and in turn the family brought in people who's only interest was $$$$$$.
Our quality has gone down as has the pride and worth of the Associates. so from what I have sen the PASSION of the brother sis GONE, and the only thing now is the $$$$$$.

let's see if the new company can retain and/or attract qualified designer/technicians who can sustain product quality.

all of the comments so far are conjectural. within some reasonable period of time, the viability of the company will be apparent. give the new company a chance to show its true colors.

Very sad indeed. Look what happened to Aragon when Klipsch bought them out. Same deal when Saul sold Marantz and Fisher sold out to Sanyo. Anyway I'm not suggesting that Klipsch is a bad company but buy-outs in audio don't usually result in better new products for the consumer especially since their original designers are not included in the sale. One exception comes to mind where McCormack audio was bought out by Conrad Johnson and CJ kept on Steve McCormack as the principle designer of McCormack audio products, a very excellent marriage of two well respected companies and the results speak for themselves!