PML Sound International, which owns Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan, has announced that it has acquired loudspeaker maker GoldenEar from Audioquest. Beginning January 1, 2025, GoldenEar will operate under its new identity as GoldenEar Studio Inc. under PML’s umbrella and continue to make loudspeakers.
Since Paradigm operates one of the most impressive factories in the industry inside the Greater Toronto Area, it would be interesting to see if GoldenEar joins them on the western edge of Toronto.
However, with the possibility of 25% tariffs on Canadian products after January 20th, the declining Canadian dollar, and the ongoing political turmoil in Ottawa surrounding Canadian PM Justin Trudeau whose policies have driven the country to the precipice of a nasty trade fight with the incoming American administration — this acquisition takes on some genuine significance for the industry as well.
Tip: PML acquired GoldenEar from Audioquest which had purchased the company in 2020.
The acquisition leverages PML’s engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities to enhance GoldenEar’s product offerings and market presence.
A sampling of GoldenEar’s, award-winning speakers includes the T66, Triton Reference, Triton One, and SuperSub. X and XXL.
To provide smooth integration into PML, operations will pause on January 1–31, 2025, with plans to resume business on February 3, 2025.
To continue in that tradition, PML will contribute engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities to enhance GoldenEar’s product offerings and market presence.
While operations will temporarily pause during the integration, customers can rest assured that their existing warranties and service support will be honored, and they will continue to receive the same level of product quality and customer service when business resumes on February 3, 2025.
From Badar Qureshi, President of PML Sound International: “Acquiring GoldenEar Studio Inc. is an important step for PML as we continue to build our portfolio of premium audio brands,…This acquisition helps us strengthen our commitment to quality audio experiences and offers an opportunity to expand our global reach. We’re looking forward to welcoming GoldenEar’s talented team and loyal customers, and we remain dedicated to maintaining the high standards and innovative spirit that define the GoldenEar brand.”
All customers, dealers, and distributors that depend on PML Sound International’s operations will remain unaffected by the acquisition of GoldenEar.
The Bottom Line
There seems to be some significant shuffling around with several audio companies changing ownership. Just this month (December 2024), Bose purchased McIntosh Group, and Gentex purchased VOXX International, which includes Klipsch, Onkyo, and several other audio brands.
The McIntosh Group acquisition was a huge surprise, but we doubt that Bose and M.I.T. (who are a significant shareholder in Bose) are going to do anything that would upset the apple cart in this particular scenario. Bose wants to expand its presence in the luxury car audio market and they get that almost immediately with the two brands featured in 5 premium car brands including Maserati and Jeep.
The sale of VOXX International was not a surprise if one has been paying attention to its financial statements over the past 12 months. Klipsch and Onkyo were the two bright spots in the lineup and it would be a shocking end to see one of the most iconic loudspeaker brands in history disappear. We doubt that is going to happen but we don’t see how the other audio brands under the VOXX International umbrella survive.
That being said, PML seems like a better fit for GoldenEar than Audioquest, which is primarily a cable and accessory maker. However, under Audioquest, GoldenEar did expand its speaker offerings and market reach.
GoldenEar will now have access to a state-of-the-art engineering and test facility and factory that makes some of the best loudspeakers in the world. Paradigm and MartinLogan make a majority of their components internally and there is no question that their quality control is beyond reproach.
Another benefit will be the marketing team at PML Sound that has proven to be rather effective over the years and operates with a much larger budget than GoldenEar is accustomed to.
Assuming the worst does not transpire between Canada and Trump Administration in less than 30 days, and Canada actually gets a new PM in 2025 who is focused on fixing the country’s runway taxation and reversing its green regulations that have made it very expensive to manufacture in places like Ontario and Quebec — this acquisition might be a huge shot in the arm for GoldenEar.
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