Legend Line being discontinued.......?

heiney9
heiney9 Posts: 25,165
in The Clubhouse
This is a continuation of this thread that was going off topic.

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/200086/assembling-a-pair-of-legends#latest

H9

Please continue to discuss

H9
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,989
    You should start a news media outlet. This could be your first sensational headline. It'd push Superman Dead.....? to page 2.
    I disabled signatures.
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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,174
    edited April 6
    I’ve read this elsewhere.

    On a side note, AFAIK Masimo did not announce that they were selling the consumer business (Sound United, wearables and Stork baby monitors…), just that the board approved “separating” the business from the healthcare business. Possibly in an effort to protect the share price, which has been struggling for years.

    This WSJ story should be available in Apple News, but see the hidden text below.


    Masimo will look to separate its baby monitor and smart watch businesses, months after the company won its years-long expensive legal battle against Apple over certain features in its watches.

    The Irvine, Calif.-based medical technology company said Friday that its board had authorized management to evaluate a proposed separation of its consumer business. Masimo expects the separation to include its consumer audio and consumer health products.

    Masimo’s consumer business has lagged behind its healthcare offerings recently. In the latest quarterly report, revenue from healthcare products was down 3.4% from a year earlier, while non-healthcare sales fell 21%.
    Masimo will keep its professional healthcare and telehealth products after the separation. The company said it expects the split to help profits in its healthcare business.

    The company is fresh off a long-fought victory in court against Apple, where Masimo alleged Apple stole technology related to a blood-oxygen sensor in certain watches. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled Apple had violated Masimo’s patent last year.

    Apple watches with the blood-oxygen sensor technology in question are now banned in the U.S. Apple is appealing the decision and has started selling versions of its watches without the tech.

    Joe Kiani is expected to continue as chairman and chief executive officer of the remaining Masimo and to be named chair of the new company. Kiani founded the company more than three decades ago.
    Masimo said it would look to complete the separation as soon as possible, pending certain approvals and agreements.

    Kiani said in a statement that he proposed the separation of the consumer segment in January.
    The company’s board and management will consider the proposed structure of the split, Masimo said.
    Masimo shares were up 11% to $150.41 in after-hours trading following the news.
    Alea jacta est!
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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,174
    An update, a few days later, suggested that a joint venture might be the chosen vehicle, but with the financials disclosed recently, it’s not obvious who would jump in as the knight in shining armor to facilitate such a move.
    Medical-device maker Masimo may opt for a joint venture as it looks to split off its consumer business.
    The company, which said Friday it would separate its smart-watch and baby-monitor business, has been approached by a potential partner, Chief Executive Joe Kiani said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday.

    Kiani said the company is considering what the potential partner is offering, but cannot disclose what the entity is.
    Masimo may decide to separate its consumer business with a traditional spinoff, which involves distributing shares of the new company to existing shareholders. Kiani says that process could take about a year. A joint venture would likely be much faster, he says.

    The Irvine, Calif.-based expects the impending move to boost profits from its healthcare business, which in the past has had higher gross margins. The new company is expected to include consumer audio and consumer-health products.

    The split is expected to cut the cash needs of the remaining Masimo, which would be squarely focused on professional healthcare and telehealth products, according to Kiani. The consumer business tends to have higher research-and-development spending, and has invested more to reach customers and on its costly Apple litigation over blood-oxygen technology in watches.

    Kiani proposed the separation in January after discussions with shareholders, shortly after the company secured a victory in its long legal fight against Apple.

    The decision to separate Masimo’s consumer segments was largely prompted by the desires of investors. Kiani said large funds tend to focus on investing in healthcare or in consumer products, and the company’s mixed focus made gaining investors more challenging.

    Masimo shares dove in 2022 after it agreed to acquire audio-equipment maker Sound United for about $1 billion. The company said at the time that the deal would give additional access to retail channels.
    “Shareholders are not all long-term minded like me,” Kiani told the Journal.

    Masimo is facing fresh pressure from activist investor Politan Capital Management, which holds about a 9% stake in the company. The Journal reported Sunday that Politan, which was founded by Quentin Koffey, is looking for two additional board seats after securing a pair of director appointments at the company’s last annual meeting.

    Kiani, who founded Masimo, is expected to continue as chief executive and chair of the remaining company, as well as chair of the new consumer business. He said he expects Masimo operating chief Bilal Muhsin to be CEO of the new company.

    Alea jacta est!
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  • lilwolf555
    lilwolf555 Posts: 14
    AVS post brought me here.. I hope this isn't true and would find it extremely odd if they did. The part thing is worrying too. I am looking to get a dediicated room and wanted L600s or, be a crazy man and L800s for rears and have 4 L800s in a setup.

    IQHomeEntertainment told me they haven't heard anything yet and can still order whatever Legend model.

    It's making me wonder if I should sell off my Legend/Reserve mix and just get a different brand so I don't need to worry down the line :/
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,492
    Every speaker model from every manufacturer gets discontinued at some point.
    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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  • lilwolf555
    lilwolf555 Posts: 14
    I confirmed with support Legend line is done. Whats out there is whats left it sounds like. Polk themselves won't restock again.

    Out of curiosity, I asked about the Reserve line and said they expect more inventory by May 10th and they are still in production for the foreseeable future.

    My personal thoughts are since the majority of the R line performs as well or nearly as well as the L line they just want to sell the line that moves faster.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,475
    edited May 2
    Turns out they have been doing a "stealth" closeout for the last year. :#

    It's possible that Polk could decide to have the production company put a better finish on the Reserve speakers for an upcharge without changing anything else.
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  • smglbrth
    smglbrth Posts: 1,468
    How long has it been since the Legend line came out, 6/7 years or so? Doesn't seem to me to be very long but maybe they didn't sell enough of them. Makes me wonder how long they will stick with the Reserve line. If anyone has Legends, and plans to keep them for a long while, they might want to stock some parts...
    Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,608
    They were released 2019
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,409
    Personally I think the only reason they ever gave any thought to the legend line was because of Stu aka "the Legend" and his intended retirement. He worked on the original SDA series and this was his swan song..
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,389
    smglbrth wrote: »
    How long has it been since the Legend line came out, 6/7 years or so? Doesn't seem to me to be very long but maybe they didn't sell enough of them. Makes me wonder how long they will stick with the Reserve line. If anyone has Legends, and plans to keep them for a long while, they might want to stock some parts...

    Bingo…
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,989
    Saying the Legend and Reserve sound close enough is a gross mischaracterization, at least where the L200 and R200 are concerned,and possibly others. Those two hace completely different presentation. You can't even set them up similarly.

    Maybe it was a swan song for Stu, but that's not to say they just slapped a Legend emblem on Reserve speakers.
    I disabled signatures.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,608
    Agreed they truly sound nothing alike
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,389
    edited May 2
    msg wrote: »
    Saying the Legend and Reserve sound close enough is a gross mischaracterization, at least where the L200 and R200 are concerned,and possibly others. Those two hace completely different presentation. You can't even set them up similarly.

    Maybe it was a swan song for Stu, but that's not to say they just slapped a Legend emblem on Reserve speakers.

    Agreed, and to say they built this speaker line as a send-off for Stu is to not understand how a company works. I truly believe Polk Audio was trying to reclaim some of the prestige that they carried back in the late 80s all through the 90s with their SDA lines and the RTA speakers. Each of those lines, were excellent speakers in their own regard. Unfortunately, the Legends ran up against launching in the middle of a pandemic, where not many people were able to go to shows or other places to listen to them. In my estimation, they sold largely on word-of-mouth from people who are happy with their purchases, even though they bought without hearing them first.

    I remember shortly after the legends launched, Polk Audio was doing everything they could to get word-of-mouth out about the speakers. That’s why they offered the 50% off in exchange for a review to Polk Forum members back in the day. Now that the line is coming to a close, perhaps we will see some form of discounting in the future on the product line. Given the state of the economy, interest rates, and other factors, I can see why the Legends did not really have much of a chance coming out of the gate. Five years was a good run , but I bet they did not have another production run made after 2022. Every box I receive from Polk containing a Legend product was covered in so much dust. I swear they got them out of king Tutts tomb.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,492
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    Personally I think the only reason they ever gave any thought to the legend line was because of Stu aka "the Legend" and his intended retirement. He worked on the original SDA series and this was his swan song..

    Bingo!!!
    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: 33,752
    edited May 3
    F1nut wrote: »
    Every speaker model from every manufacturer gets discontinued at some point.

    Except the Klipschorn.
    The Thing that Wouldn't Die!
    ;)

    lvxr7qtlnn0z.jpg
    https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/91045-1940s-klipschhorns/
    Post edited by mhardy6647 on
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,549
    That’s sad
    I wonder if they will replace with a new line
    Magico, JL, Emm, ARC Ref 10 line, ARC Ref 10 phono, VPI, Lyra, Boulder, AQ Wel, SRA Scuttle Rack, Bluesound
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,004
    Genuine question here...

    Has anyone heard of a new line from Polk, period?

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,409
    No
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,608
    Last release was the signature elite in September 2023
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,004
    Okay, once again.....if the powers that be decide to cancel this forum and dissolve the company?

    TTM before everything is erased. We have a family here that should not be dissolved over corporate profits or mudslinging.

    If you close up shop?

    Just let me know. The legacy will continue. FWIW.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,492
    The sky is falling, the sky is falling...
    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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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,004
    Please enlighten us on the latest and greatest of Polk offerings....

    Until then?








    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,004
    Of all of the folks on this board? You don't see the light?

    Please tell me this is a daydream and that I am in Kansas...

    3 years from now? If this post wears badly for Polk? I'll be happy. Otherwise?

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,389
    I don’t think the brand necessarily goes away, but it won’t look anything like it has in the past. Good, better, best will reach no higher than the entry level stuff and of course sound bars and ear buds… Def-Tech will be the middle ground and Bowers the high end, Polk good/Deftech better/Bowers best. That assumes Masimo holds and does nat start parting out things as they have indicated they are considering.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,989
    Who's Masimo? Isn't that a surf brand?
    I disabled signatures.
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  • lilwolf555
    lilwolf555 Posts: 14
    The people who own Sound United currently. Medical company. It's a long, weird story.
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,739
    edited May 3
    Tom's got me a bit paranoid here. One of you IT folks needs to figure out how to clone this forum just case?
    If things go dark, we crowdfund the cost of cloud hosting the post-Polk resurrection!
    We have too much history to let it slip away.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,739
    edited May 3
    msg wrote: »
    Who's Masimo? Isn't that a surf brand?
    Think medical monitoring company that has its sights set higher than their talent pool can achieve. I have 1st hand knowledge of their incompetence outside of this forum in a totally non-audio related connection I made with the company, by accident...
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,492
    treitz3 wrote: »
    Please enlighten us on the latest and greatest of Polk offerings....

    Until then?








    Tom

    6 months without a new speaker model and you think there's something odd about that...really!?!
    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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