More Bad News AT Thiel

Sad news .... they had some great products back in their heyday

As a Thiel and ATC owner I too am ;hoping this doesn't happen at ATC.  I do think that it has become clear that the people who bought Thiel were very inept.  They didn't continue making real Thiel products and run the company similar to how Jim did.  Nor did they transform it into something more mainstream that could compete by selling lifestyle products.  Rather, they made some me too products that have no reason to exist.  First they made the over-priced psb line designed by Mark Mason and then they made over-priced mini wireless speakers.  What a bunch of dopes. 

What do these executives think is going to happen?  They're trying to make the exact same crap as Bose and Harman.  They'd have to be able to compete on price but of course they won't be able to because they're much smaller operations.  They need to have something that occupies a niche that the large companies can't or don't want.  Is this not obvious?

I wish some of these smaller companies could merge and keep the ideas of the founders alive longer.  Say Thiel sold everything relating to the Jim Thiel designs to Vandersteen or another smallish manufacturer so Vandersteen could build and sell real Thiels.  Both companies have a significant following and different house sounds.  I'd think they could be more complementary than direct competitors.  I would think that modern manufacturing techniques could facilitate manufacturing a wider variety of products in smaller numbers. 

I'm probably just dreaming.  I do think ATC has a better chance of surviving the eventual retirement of Billy Woodman.  They will have to adapt to the changing market but they have a more traditional engineering approach and sell to a more diverse market since they're so big in pro audio as well as domestic.  I hope they can continue on.  If they do end  up selling I think it's unlikely they'll find investors as dim as the ones that bought Thiel. 

Bill and Lew at CJ did it right. Sold the operation to Jeff Fischel who is w/the company for 30 years. Now plenty of new products are coming out consistent w/the CJ brand. On the Thiel article Dennis Crosson the Chief engineer at Thiel stated on his Facebook page that Thiel has ceased operation. The CEO has denied this. Wonder what is true. 

Next phase generally means "selling brand". Optima purchased NuForce. Maybe Optima wants to get into the speaker business

Thiel traditionally shuts down for a few weeks this time of year so it's possible they are planning to open back up but it does seem that they let their chief engineer go.  He was only with the company since 2014, though, so he's not really a Thiel guy. 

The CEO is a joke.  Judging by the facebook page she's trying to sell $700 mini speakers to trendy women.  We all know how chicks love gadgets.