company purchased--founder-designer leaves--establishes new smaller company


This progression of events seems to be pretty common in the hifi industry.

Mark Levinson would be the paradigmatic example.

Then there's...

Cary--Dennis Had

Krell--Dan D'Agostino

Audio Physic--Joachim Gerhard

Sonus Faber--Franco Serblin

Other examples?

And what were the final results?  Were the original companies diminished by the departure of the original owner/founder/lead designer, or did they go on to greater glories?  Did the new, upstart company outdo the original?

128x128twoleftears
MartinLogan- Ron Logan Sutherland (now Sutherland Engineering) and Gayle Martin Sanders (new startup Eikon Audio).

ML has clearly succeeded without those two at the helm.  Sutherland Engineering has a great reputation, and it remains to be seen how Eikon fares.
Threshold had that guy named Pass or something. Think he still designs amps, can’t remember the name of the new company.

The late Charlie Hansen was a principal in Avalon Acoustics before starting Ayre. 

Touraj Moghaddam has been a serial starter of companies.

Paul McGowan and Stan Warren.

Speaking of Levinson, Tom Colangelo moved on.

Mark Shifter started AV123. And his other partner started Channel Islands Audio. Name escapes me.

Bob Carver and the late Jim Bongiorno. 

There must be a million more.