I think B&H tried to move from a film studio equipment company to educational products, and ultimately simply slapping their name on cheap Asian-made binoculars, pest repellers, personal slide projectors, audio equipment, walkie-talkies, and other gadgets and selling them as mail-order through late night infomercials that drove them into financial ruins. Some investment company bought the name and relaunched recently. Same business strategy - put B&H name on white-labelled crap.The name Bell&Howell may not be familiar to people outside North America, but here was a very respectable brand.
My father had a B&H 8 mm film projector, that lasted until bulbs were no longer available.
Nowadays? Cheap pest repelents, made you know where. View attachment 114863
HK was Harmon Kardon, the American audio systems company starting in 1953. When Kardon retired, Harman bought the JBL speaker company and marketed the first stereo cassette recorder/player that had the Dolby noise reduction system. Harmon was appointed into the American government then had to sell Harmon International, to Beatrice Foods who knew nothing about audio systems or how to sell them and lost a lot of profits. When Harmon left the government he re-bought his company back from Beatrice Foods for almost half the price he sold it for. When Harmon retired recently, the Harmon International company was sold to Samsung for 8 billion USD. The list of excellent audio companies owned today by Harmon International is too long to list here.
You're doing the 'American' thing of assuming nothing exists outside of the USA (even though you're Canadian), Hughes & Kettner is a German company who makes PA and guitar amps etc.HK was Harmon Kardon, the American audio systems company starting in 1953.
That is such a pity. As you correctly said, Bose has traditionally been an innovative company. Its products commanded a premium price, but were well worth it.. Whoever runs Bose managed to turn an innovative audio research company into a cost minimizing, technology minimizing marketing company.
Not in the HiFi world, it's always been considered (VERY) over priced and of relatively poor performance and quality, it's no coincidence that Bose advertise in 'Life Style' magazines and not HiFi magazines, nor do they ever have reviews done in the HiFi magazines (as poor as they are for reviews anyway).That is such a pity. As you correctly said, Bose has traditionally been an innovative company. Its products commanded a premium price, but were well worth it.
Well at least the names are back in business, I've no idea if they have anything to do with the original companies.Anyone remember orange amps, I believe they are back in business, I think Hi Watt are too.