MONTEBELLO, CALIF. –
Audio-component
supplier Amplifier Technology (ATI) has added
B&K Components to its house of audio brands,
which includes ATI, AudioAccess, BGW and
Theta Digital.
ATI said it purchased the B&K brand name and
other assets in mid-October after Buffalo, N.Y.-
based B&K shut down operation. ATI plans to
move B&K production to its Los Angeles factory
and will begin production of the brand’s most
popular products by the first quarter of 2011. ATI
will exhibit B&K products at January’s International
CES.
“ATI’s mission is to build the B&K Components
brand not just to its former glory but take
it further,” the company said on its website. “But
it’s going to take some time to get it going again.
The first three to four months will be chaotic, but
by March, we expect production to be on track,
and new products will follow later in 2011.”
As for B&K’s current lineup, ATI said, “We
are going to continue the brand and most of the
products. Next, we will develop new products
such a stereo preamp, Blu-ray player, new higherend
power amps, etc.”
To sell the products, “our plan is to continue
using the great B&K dealers,” the company said.
For servicing existing products, ATI said it
tapped Eastern Elite Audio Video as the exclusive
service center for all out-of-warranty repairs.
ATI also said it plans to honor outstanding B&K
warranties “where possible” and that it expects
to begin handling warranty repairs starting Jan
1. Potential problems that could preclude repairs
of some items, the company said, include a lack
of technical information needed for a repair, unavailability
of particular parts, or lack of access
to source code to make a software-related repair.
ATI purchased the AudioAccess brand from
Harman earlier this year, and about two years
ago purchased high-end audio supplier Theta
Digital. Before that, it bought BGW, the pro-audio
amp maker.
