Audio Research
Audio Research is one of the longest-established and largest audiophile manufacturers in the world. The company was founded in 1970 in Minneapolis, USA with one goal in mind: to advance the state-of-the-art in music reproduction. It manufactures some of the finest amplifiers and CD players avaiable, using valves for maximum musical fidelity.
Today, Audio Research remains a performance-oriented company by philosophy and design. New product introductions are driven only by genuine advances in technology and performance - the high definition that is the hallmark of the company's products.
Audio Research was instrumental in refocusing the audio industry on designing products for musical performance, and not merely for the sake of new technology or mass-market pricing. Audio Research was founded by William Z. Johnson, who began designing custom audio electronics in the early 1950's and who also operated a specialty audio retail store until the mid-1960's. Johnson's efforts almost single-handedly revived vacuum-tube designs at a time when major industry manufacturers had abandoned this technology in favor of low-cost solid-state devices which were markedly inferior in terms of musical accuracy, a fact widely acknowledged today.
Audio Research prides itself on manufacturing only those products which will provide genuine enjoyment for as long as the customer cares to own them. In company practice, this means that Audio Research technicians can still repair, refurbish and restore to original performance standards, any product ever manufactured during the company's quarter-century history. Indeed, 25-year-old Audio Research designs continue to provide exceptional musical enjoyment daily in music systems around the world. These products are workhorses, not museum pieces.
Audio Research products have demonstrated lasting residual value after purchase. More than a few models have acquired legendary "collector" status and continue to resell for as much or close to what they originally cost. The Audio Research customer does not have to fear instant, marked depreciation as is the case with most other audio components. Used Audio Research equipment is quickly absorbed on the open market because savvy enthusiasts know the company is interested in providing service and support for older models on an ongoing basis.
Much more than a mere carriage-trade brand name, the Audio Research marque has come to represent stellar performance and lasting value for music lovers and audio enthusiasts everywhere.