Polk is closing the Baltimore facility

JohnDorsey
JohnDorsey Posts: 7
in Gatherings & Special Events
The other shoe is dropping. Directed Electronics/Sound United, the owner of Polk Audio, has announced, quietly, that they will be closing the Baltimore facility in the near future. Closing, as in gone.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    :'(
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    Sad.
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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  • vmaxer
    vmaxer Posts: 5,117
    Wow, I hate to hear this.
    Pio Elete Pro 520
    Panamax 5400-EX
    Sunfire TGP 5
    Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
    PS Audio GCPH phono pre
    Sunfire CG 200 X 5
    Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
    OPPO BDP-83 SE
    SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
    Ctr CS1000p
    Sur - FX1000 x 4
    SUB - SVS PB2-Plus

    Workkout room:
    Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
    Onkyo TX-DS898
    GFA 555
    Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
    Ft - SDA 1C

    Not being used:
    RTi 38's -4
    RT55i's - 2
    RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
    LSI 15's
    CSi40
    PSW 404
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,553
    Makes that last Polk fest all that more impressive then. Wished I could of gone :'(
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    Where is this forum hosted?
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    That sucks... My heart goes out to those who are affected...
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,523
    There was a public story a few days ago that Sound United decided to move around half the Baltimore staff positions to California headquarters for efficiency. Mostly admin and sales. But, the engineering staff were supposed to stay in Baltimore.
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  • JohnDorsey
    JohnDorsey Posts: 7
    Emlyn: Two engineers to remain in Baltimore, as I understand it.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,644
    Today is April 1st.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • vmaxer
    vmaxer Posts: 5,117
    F1nut wrote: »
    Today is April 1st.

    Well I hope this is a April fools joke.
    Pio Elete Pro 520
    Panamax 5400-EX
    Sunfire TGP 5
    Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
    PS Audio GCPH phono pre
    Sunfire CG 200 X 5
    Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
    OPPO BDP-83 SE
    SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
    Ctr CS1000p
    Sur - FX1000 x 4
    SUB - SVS PB2-Plus

    Workkout room:
    Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
    Onkyo TX-DS898
    GFA 555
    Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
    Ft - SDA 1C

    Not being used:
    RTi 38's -4
    RT55i's - 2
    RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
    LSI 15's
    CSi40
    PSW 404
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,893
    JohnDorsey wrote: »
    The other shoe is dropping. Directed Electronics/Sound United, the owner of Polk Audio, has announced, quietly, that they will be closing the Baltimore facility in the near future. Closing, as in gone.

    Hey... I know you!
    Hope all is well, John.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    Sacre Bleu Blackhawk!
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    Good work here, @JohnDorsey I approve.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    I remember discussing audio with you at KAB's house during the 2008 Polkfest. Thanks for the heads-up sir.
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  • JohnDorsey
    JohnDorsey Posts: 7
    Polk is not all going away. Some imprecision occurred in my news gathering process. The sales and other business people are going. Good news is that the engineers and product development team will remaining in Baltimore rather than be moved to California. These seasoned veterans will continue without an apparent change. In truth these are the folks who make the products happen.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    Hello,
    Here is the official statement from Josh Talge, Sound United's Chief Marketing Officer:
    “We are excited to consolidate a portion of our operations in Southern California while at the same time still having our world class engineer and technical team headquartered in Baltimore alongside our industry leading consumer technical support team.”
    Regards, Ken





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  • JohnDorsey
    JohnDorsey Posts: 7
    Ken: Thanks for the clarification. I jumped the gun after I spoke to a formerly highly placed Polk executive from whom I must have gathered imprecise information.
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  • JohnDorsey
    JohnDorsey Posts: 7
    Perhaps my source was influenced by the date being April 1st.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,893
    You mean like this?
    http://www.npr.org/2015/04/01/396871412/pure-sonic-texture-the-rise-not-really-of-backwards-turntables

    "The rise of backwards turntables"...
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  • JohnDorsey
    JohnDorsey Posts: 7
    Probably a perfectly understandable pasttime especially in those states where marijuana is legal.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    Be nice if you stuck around and participated a little bit more in the future Johnny D. The wealth of knowledge, and past history that someone with your length of service in the industry could bring to the table would be priceless here.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,893
    I am in alignment and agreement with the Senator from New Jersey.
    Plus, John's got a bitchen avatar -- he looks younger than he did in the '70s; must be the lack of the beard...

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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited April 2015
    Wheww! I waited till we got past April 1st so I could tell what was going on here, not Polk enough to know John, like Mark, who, after all, schooled himself in Baltimore in the late seventies to early eighties, I imagine, since he is really not quite my generation but not outside it either, I am a few years older. As I remember it it took only TWO years to go from hippie to the beginning of Yuppie (that would have been 1974-75-this was the year the NEW STUDENTs appeared; I remember their arrival on campus-much attention was given to career and income then)? Old enough to remember some of that sixties and early seventies stuff. Heck, I bet George only has three of four years on me-but I'm guessing here? lol

    Looked a lot more like the Dude back then, hey who am I kidding. I get two haircuts a year even though I have a balding patch in the back, look like a madman in the morning but I've shifted to a goatee. Thinking of going back to FULL BEARD soon! Why pretend!

    In any case. Things sound more reasonable than they first did!

    I'm just here for the soup!
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    Tough post to crack without a decoder ring. Man, you are out there.
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited April 2015
    Late night, light-headed nostalgia? You're right. To much code, time for a Turing prototype!

    Too bad Ted doesn't post more often, because he's really the master at this! I'm playing a bad second fiddle and it's NOT a Stradivarius!

    Too add some clarity to the last part. Are you 64 or younger Mr. Grand? Because that's my guess, and I could be wrong! I know mhardy is approaching 56 if he is not there already (he could be 57 if he's had a B-day since Jan, 1, 2015) still a bit of a youngster even if he is a retired one? lol
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,893
    edited April 2015
    John's (& his family's) fine establishment, located just a wee bit north of Matthew Polk's alma mater (and mine), was, to the best of my knowledge, Polk's first dealership.
    I think he's fairly well-schooled on the brand ;- )
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,644
    A shameless plug for the fine establishment, http://www.soundscapemd.com/
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,893
    Fine indeed -- they were my gateway drug to this ferschlugginer hobby.
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  • Vette C6.r
    Vette C6.r Posts: 1,560
    F1nut wrote: »
    A shameless plug for the fine establishment, http://www.soundscapemd.com/

    Could not agree more. Great people to buy audio from.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,893
    edited April 2015
    d'oh-- oops.
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