[iVento]

Pioneer's exit marks end of an era
(To Focus On Car Audio)



TOKYO -- Another renowned audio equipment brand will be forever silenced when Pioneer quits the business to focus on automotive gear, a result of waning demand for high-end audio components.

The Japanese company announced Tuesday that its consumer audiovisual equipment business, which includes Blu-ray Disc players, will be spun off and integrated with Onkyo. It will also sell its DJ equipment business to U.S. investment fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

Although Pioneer will hold small stakes in both businesses, it is effectively withdrawing from the audiovisual equipment market. The company also revealed that it plans to eliminate 2,200 jobs, or roughly a tenth of its groupwide workforce.

R.I.P Pioneer

Full Article HERE

Pioneer To Focus On Car Audio: Article HERE

[Jeroen]

Shame, over the years, if not to say decades I've had a lot of Pioneer audio stuff. Mainly for my cars.

On a related topic:

These days nearly all cars have radio equipment fitted, but I must have fitted dozens and dozens of aftermarket radio's/CD players myself in my and friends cars over the years. There used to be specialized shops purely specializing in car audio, with hundreds and hundreds of different models, speakers and all sort of accessories. Used to love going to those shop. The hardly exist. Even a few years ago in the US, shops like BestBuy would have maybe 15-20 models only on offer.

One of the best, or at least coolest, radio I've ever owned was the Kenwood Mask.
Have a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSZ9r7jD1uo

It also had a very elaborate anti theft encryption that needed to be entered by means of special transmitter.

It' display did a full 180 degree rotation when you turned it off. It was a full FM, AM radio, it could play cassette's and it came with an external 6 CD changer.

In those days that was the only way to bring a lot of your music on a road trip. Now I have an iPod and a iPhone and I have thousands of songs with me.

I still have the Kenwood Mask. I fitted it to my Alfa Romeo Spider. Soft tops are prone to break in and with the display turned away it's hardly noticeable it has a high end radio built in.

Well, I guess its all progress as they say.

Jeroen

[glenmz]

I cannot belive they are exiting the DJ equipment business. They are the industry standard with DJ equipments. The CJDs are part of the tech riders with almsot every DJ.