Jade Design has acquired Bob Carver, LLC. Bob Carver is one of the legends of the audio industry with his products and heralded work going back into the 1970s. Over the decades, Bob Carver has been best known for his amplifier designs which most recently culminated in a line of tube amplifiers under the monicker of the company that bears his name.
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| Bob Carver LLC’s Cherry 180watt monoblock amplifier |
Jade Design, meanwhile, is the parent company behind Emotiva and (most recently) Sherborne. In the past several years, Emotiva has built itself a solid reputation of high-value, high end audio components–in particular solid state amplifiers. The move is being regarded by some as a foreshadowing of forthcoming Emotiva-branded tube amps.
No matter what happens, it appears from the formal news release below that Bob Carver is going to have a big influence in the future products and direction of Emotiva. Hopefully for us audiophiles it means better and better products at even better prices and value. The full news release from Bob Carver’s web site follows:
Jade Design Acquires Bob Carver, LLC
Continues and Grows Production of Bob Carver Tube Amps in the USA
Expands the Emotiva PureDirect™ Model Into Ultra-High-End Audio
FRANKLIN, TN, Friday, June 19, 2013 – Jade Design, Inc., a leading global consumer electronics company most known for Emotiva products and unique PureDirect sales model, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Bob Carver, LLC, a vacuum tube amplifier company that designs and builds industry leading products in its Nicholasville, KY facility, including a long-term intellectual property agreement that makes Bob Carver’s innovation an integral part of future Jade products.
“This is a milestone in audio,” said Dan Laufman, President of Jade Design. “Bob Carver is a legendary name. It’s no exaggeration to call him one of the most brilliant, creative, and innovative designers in high-end audio, and I am thrilled to now call him my colleague.”
“Watching Dan and his team create the first truly successful direct-to-consumer high-end audio brand [Emotiva] has brought me great pleasure, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather partner with than Dan Laufman,” said Bob Carver, Chief Engineer, Bob Carver, LLC. “Jade Design continues to prove that true high-end audio can and should be accessible to a wide consumer audience, not just a few with big budgets. It’s the perfect home for my vacuum tube amps.”
In addition, this acquisition is a milestone for the Jade family of brands and Emotiva’s PureDirect™ sales model. Emotiva was one of the first audio manufacturers to popularize direct sale, offering unsurpassed value to customers.
“Direct sale isn’t just about price—it’s the best overall experience,” said Dan Laufman. “When you call us with a question, you’re talking to enthusiasts like yourself, not a dealer juggling two dozen brands or an impersonal call center. We’re proud of this direct connection, and we celebrate it in many ways, from Direct Dollars rewards to our annual EmoFest, where people come from around the world to visit our headquarters.”
Under the terms of the acquisition, Bob Carver becomes an integral part of the Jade Design engineering team, and all of Bob Carver, LLC’s operations move to Jade Design’s headquarters in Franklin, TN. Looking ahead, the company plans to design and market new high performance subwoofers, speakers and other products as part of the overall line.
Bob Farinelli, Bob Carver’s partner, is moving on to Smart Farm LLC, using automation, RF remote control, and monitoring techniques to control well pumps and reduce energy and water consumption for farms.
For current and prospective Carver dealers, Jade will continue to sell through them with its PureDirect Partner program, a streamlined, territory-protected model.
For current owners who bought through dealers, Jade Design will offer them a 50% discount on the direct price for an upcoming Carver preamp—a stunning value when the new direct price is factored in.
ABOUT JADE DESIGN, INC.
Jade Design, Inc. has more than 30 years experience in OEM/ODM electronic system design and development. Decades of cumulative knowledge and skill reside in the staff of engineers, designers, factory, and project management teams. Jade specializes in turn key product manufacturing, sourcing and brand support.
The company invests extensive resources into engineering, development, and quality, the sum of which is reflected in every amplifier, pre-amplifier, processor/controller, audio source, and loudspeaker system bearing their client’s name.
ABOUT BOB CARVER LLC
Bob Carver LLC is a vacuum tube amplifier and high power speaker manufacturer. The company designs and builds reliable, great sounding audiophile products the old fashioned way, with their bare hands, using the highest quality components available with point-to-point wiring, no circuit board traces, no surface mount components nor depluggable connectors. Bob Carver LLC products are made in the USA, to last for generations and remain serviceable for 50 years or more because they are built one at a time. Complete information on Bob Carver LLC products is available at www.bobcarver.com.
