What happened to av123??

EDUBAG
EDUBAG Posts: 403
edited May 2011 in Speakers
Hello guys,

i am fairly new to the hobbie and have come across some comments regarding av123 speakers, i guess they are / were good but something happened to the company or owner and now they do not exist.

I am curious to know what happened? Just for my general knowledge, those that know please share.

Regards,

eduardo
HT:
POLK AUDIO RTI4 FRONTS
CSI3 CENTER
DEF TECH PROMONITOR800 SURROUNDS
PSW 125 SUB
PIONEER ELITE AVR23TXH AVR
APPLE TV 160GB
PANASONIC BLURAY PLAYER
50" PANASONIC PLASMA TCP50C2

2 CHANNEL:
KEF R300 THREE WAY BOOKSHELF GLOSS PIANO BLACK
ROTEL RC 990BX PRE
ROTEL RB 990BX AMP
OPPO DV980 (AS CD PLAYER)
PIONEER PL100 TURNTABLE WITH SHURE MX97E CART
MIT EXP2 SPEAKER CABLES
Post edited by EDUBAG on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Sherardp
    Sherardp Posts: 8,038
    edited February 2011
    Short answer = They went out of business.

    Long answer = Search AVSforums and enjoy the read. The story is a very good one that will keep you on your toes and eyes glued to the screen until the very death of the company. It's almost and could be movie material.
    Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!

    Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited February 2011
    They went out of business. Google for the story, really.
    Main Surround -
    Epson 8350 Projector/ Elite Screens 120" / Pioneer Elite SC-35 / Sunfire Signature / Focal Chorus 716s / Focal Chorus CC / Polk MC80 / Polk PSW150 sub

    Bedroom - Sharp Aquos 70" 650 / Pioneer SC-1222k / Polk RT-55 / Polk CS-250

    Den - Rotel RSP-1068 / Threshold CAS-2 / Boston VR-M60 / BDP-05FD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • markmarc
    markmarc Posts: 2,309
    edited February 2011
    Some of their speakers were designed by Danny Ritchie, you can buy replacement parts or the entire speaker either as DIY or finished thru his company GR Research.
    Review Site_ (((AudioPursuit)))
    Founder/Publisher Affordable$$Audio 2006-13.
    Former Staff Member TONEAudio
    2 Ch. System
    Amplifiers: Parasound Halo P6 pre, Vista Audio i34, Peachtree amp500, Adcom GFP-565 GFA-535ii, 545ii, 555ii
    Digital: SimAudio HAD230 DAC, iMac 20in/Amarra,
    Speakers: Paradigm Performa F75, Magnepan .7, Totem Model 1's, ACI Emerald XL, Celestion Si Stands. Totem Dreamcatcher sub
    Analog: Technics SL-J2 w/Pickering 3000D, SimAudio LP5.3 phono pre
    Cable/Wires: Cardas, AudioArt, Shunyata Venom 3
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited February 2011
    Google is your friend, try it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • blueboxer
    blueboxer Posts: 621
    edited February 2011
    Short version from what I recall is that they were producing some excellent speakers for the money and started off with excellent customer service, the customer service started going downhill with out of stock, charging cards and not shipping the product for weeks, etc... internal turmoil etc... and then *poof* no more.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited February 2011
    *internal turmoil, owner goes to jail* is the real juicy part. oh well.
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited February 2011
    The owner set up a fake charity and then stole all the cash and he got sued and went outa buisiness

    Thats the main reason

    People gave money to charity through him and found out the money went in the fat asses pocket
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EDUBAG
    EDUBAG Posts: 403
    edited February 2011
    thanks for the info, now i know.

    good thing to know.
    HT:
    POLK AUDIO RTI4 FRONTS
    CSI3 CENTER
    DEF TECH PROMONITOR800 SURROUNDS
    PSW 125 SUB
    PIONEER ELITE AVR23TXH AVR
    APPLE TV 160GB
    PANASONIC BLURAY PLAYER
    50" PANASONIC PLASMA TCP50C2

    2 CHANNEL:
    KEF R300 THREE WAY BOOKSHELF GLOSS PIANO BLACK
    ROTEL RC 990BX PRE
    ROTEL RB 990BX AMP
    OPPO DV980 (AS CD PLAYER)
    PIONEER PL100 TURNTABLE WITH SHURE MX97E CART
    MIT EXP2 SPEAKER CABLES
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stuwee
    stuwee Posts: 1,508
    edited May 2011
    Posts #7 abd #8 are incorrect, not nice to tell erroneous info about things. Mark can stand on his own, great product I just tested the AV123 X-amp with Martin Logans and I really like it.

    Mark has been bashed more than Andy Singer, a true A -**le if I ever met one, I really don't understand this witch hunt (yes, I've read all the online stuff) Seems to me, folks take a story and run with it, it becomes an urban ledgend, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman. I like Marks product, it is an amazing piece of gear at a good price, he has beeen a gentleman with me on numerous emails etc....

    Rant over!
    Thorens TD125MKII, SME3009,Shure V15/ Teac V-8000S, Denon DN-790R cass, Teac 3340 RtR decks, Onix CD2...Sumo Electra Plus pre>SAE A1001 amp>Martin Logan Summit's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sm88
    sm88 Posts: 353
    edited May 2011
    stuwee wrote: »
    Posts #7 abd #8 are incorrect, not nice to tell erroneous info about things. Mark can stand on his own, great product I just tested the AV123 X-amp with Martin Logans and I really like it.

    Mark has been bashed more than Andy Singer, a true A -**le if I ever met one, I really don't understand this witch hunt (yes, I've read all the online stuff) Seems to me, folks take a story and run with it, it becomes an urban ledgend, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman. I like Marks product, it is an amazing piece of gear at a good price, he has beeen a gentleman with me on numerous emails etc....

    Rant over!

    Or you can just read the court documents, which are also available online and verify that the statements above were quite true. There are published news articles about it as well if I remember correctly.
    Current System:
    Paradigm Signature S2 v2
    Conrad Johnson MF2500
    Wyred4Sound DAC2
    Audioquest Black Mamba II

    For Sale:
    3x Wilson Cub's
    Conrad Johnson MF2500
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited May 2011
    stuwee wrote: »
    Posts #7 abd #8 are incorrect, not nice to tell erroneous info about things. Mark can stand on his own, great product I just tested the AV123 X-amp with Martin Logans and I really like it.

    Mark has been bashed more than Andy Singer, a true A -**le if I ever met one, I really don't understand this witch hunt (yes, I've read all the online stuff) Seems to me, folks take a story and run with it, it becomes an urban ledgend, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman. I like Marks product, it is an amazing piece of gear at a good price, he has beeen a gentleman with me on numerous emails etc....

    Rant over!
    Really? So, I no longer need to feel ashamed that I did business with the guy? Yes, he took care of a lot of folks, including me when I had a problem, but pretty soon the problems started to snowball, and some customers were screwed over royally. It wasn't a witch hunt. There was a preponderance of evidence. Read it all again.

    Oh, and btw, the particular product I ended up with is wonderful. However, FAR too many folks ended up with a product that was FAR from satisfactory, while others ended up with no product at all. That's all I'm saying here about this.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited May 2011
    stuwee wrote: »
    Posts #7 abd #8 are incorrect, not nice to tell erroneous info about things. Mark can stand on his own, great product I just tested the AV123 X-amp with Martin Logans and I really like it.

    Mark has been bashed more than Andy Singer, a true A -**le if I ever met one, I really don't understand this witch hunt (yes, I've read all the online stuff) Seems to me, folks take a story and run with it, it becomes an urban ledgend, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman. I like Marks product, it is an amazing piece of gear at a good price, he has beeen a gentleman with me on numerous emails etc....

    Rant over!

    What is there to rant about? It's all true.

    Mark Schifter indeed went to jail over his exploits. Fake charity raffles and vaporware products like the line arrays (that people paid upfront for but never received) were his forte'. Chu Gai over at AVSForum cracked the story on this and I believe he is actually that one that exposed the schifty raffles.

    He plead guilty to charity fraud.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stuwee
    stuwee Posts: 1,508
    edited May 2011
    I've never flat out asked him if he went to jail for his scams. I was told my quite a few people that he did not serve (that's not the point) He admits to wrong doings and has more than paid the price in the media and on forums posted around the globe. Lot's of folks have F'd up and gotten away with it.

    I judge a man by his character and he is a great designer with lot's of great products to back that up.

    What chaps my a$$ is that there is so much hate for him, when others have done far worse in the audio community. Don't do business with him or enjoy his products (he's got some great stuff ready to launch). What if James Bonginorno had be put thru the ringer for all the house fires started by his Tiger amp, no Marantz 18 (or was it the 19?) no SAE, no GAS.

    Glass houses.
    Thorens TD125MKII, SME3009,Shure V15/ Teac V-8000S, Denon DN-790R cass, Teac 3340 RtR decks, Onix CD2...Sumo Electra Plus pre>SAE A1001 amp>Martin Logan Summit's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stuwee
    stuwee Posts: 1,508
    edited May 2011
    I used to live in NYC and Sound by Singer royaly screwed me several times on bad product, my bad for going back there, but it was The place to buy high-end in the 80's and early 90's. There is no diff in **** 100 people or just 1 in my book, bad business is bad business, at least Mark owns up and keeps plucking away. Andy just keeps plucking, schmuck!
    Thorens TD125MKII, SME3009,Shure V15/ Teac V-8000S, Denon DN-790R cass, Teac 3340 RtR decks, Onix CD2...Sumo Electra Plus pre>SAE A1001 amp>Martin Logan Summit's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2011
    stuwee wrote: »
    I've never flat out asked him if he went to jail for his scams. I was told my quite a few people that he did not serve (that's not the point) He admits to wrong doings and has more than paid the price in the media and on forums posted around the globe. Lot's of folks have F'd up and gotten away with it.

    I judge a man by his character and he is a great designer with lot's of great products to back that up.

    What chaps my a$$ is that there is so much hate for him, when others have done far worse in the audio community. Don't do business with him or enjoy his products (he's got some great stuff ready to launch). What if James Bonginorno had be put thru the ringer for all the house fires started by his Tiger amp, no Marantz 18 (or was it the 19?) no SAE, no GAS.

    Glass houses.

    The guys a douchebag and what's great about the free market is that you can hate on someone and bag on their products as much as you want. AV123 wasn't all that great anyways and there is far more other fish to choose from when it comes to audio, gimme a break.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,015
    edited May 2011
    No big loss in my book. As Mark said, lots of other places, better places, to throw your audio coin.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stuwee
    stuwee Posts: 1,508
    edited May 2011
    dorokusai wrote: »
    The guys a douchebag and what's great about the free market is that you can hate on someone and bag on their products as much as you want. AV123 wasn't all that great anyways and there is far more other fish to choose from when it comes to audio, gimme a break.

    doro, instead of a break, I'll agree, I still buy Martha Stewart bedsheets, and stay at Helmsley hotels, as mentioned, I can spend where I like, and I like Mark's stuff. Not a prob, thanks for your opinion.
    Thorens TD125MKII, SME3009,Shure V15/ Teac V-8000S, Denon DN-790R cass, Teac 3340 RtR decks, Onix CD2...Sumo Electra Plus pre>SAE A1001 amp>Martin Logan Summit's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stuwee
    stuwee Posts: 1,508
    edited May 2011
    shaboocoo wrote: »
    Did you know that finlay and dave taylor trained cm punk. Also what happened with kelly kellys crush on cm punk

    No, but if you hum a few bars :tongue:
    Thorens TD125MKII, SME3009,Shure V15/ Teac V-8000S, Denon DN-790R cass, Teac 3340 RtR decks, Onix CD2...Sumo Electra Plus pre>SAE A1001 amp>Martin Logan Summit's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2011
    stuwee wrote: »
    doro, instead of a break, I'll agree, I still buy Martha Stewart bedsheets, and stay at Helmsley hotels, as mentioned, I can spend where I like, and I like Mark's stuff. Not a prob, thanks for your opinion.

    It's just a shame Stuwee as he was and is certainly talented but just threw it all away. He's sorta like a rock star of audio for that fact.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited May 2011
    stuwee wrote: »
    I've never flat out asked him if he went to jail for his scams. I was told my quite a few people that he did not serve

    What reality distortion engine are you using? Mark was in a work release program. When he wasn't working, he was incarcerated.

    He did something initially (fake raffle) got away with it, and thought he could keep running them. He had peoples money for years for products he never delivered.

    I'm surprised his sentencing didn't include a timeout period for him participating in the industry.

    Now if you want to deal with him after all this then that is your prerogative. But don't tell other, potentially unaware, people out there that he didn't do A LOT of bad things.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter