What the hell happened to Sound Dynamics? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Farley]

Ok, so I slept for 6 months and Sound Dynamics, one of the best loved inexpensive high-end audio and HT speaker manufacturers just vanishes. No website, they're owned by API, which has Mirage and Energy in their lines. According to some Joe at their site, Athena is technically the same. I'm not sure; the marketing push for Athena seems to be the Best buy level; sounds like a cheapening of the brand (which wiped the floor with their other brands at lower prices, confusing the consumer. Heh heh...)

So what the hell? I was looking into them, but what the?

Not to mention that their L*-300 was one of the most beloved high end bargains loved by The Absolute Sound, bitchiest of all the rags...

 

[Danny Tse]

Yes, Sound Dynamics has been replaced by Athena in API's stable of loudspeaker brands. Athena has been doing good, placing several speakers on Stereophile's Recommended Components lists. So basically, Athena is continuing the tradition of Sound Dynamics. Do a search here and you will see Athena is well-regarded.

Joe? I believe he's the Brand Manager at API.

 

[Kevin Farley]

No, that wasn't the guy's name, I was using a non-specific name, like Joe Six Pack or something. Hm.. Ok, I'm cool with the Athena thing, but I wonder if they've been compared back to back for quality... I'm still suspicious; if a brand was really highly regarded, why change?

Oh! Sorry, I guess it was Joe. Joe Fraser from Technical Support. He said they hadn't been in production for 4 years.

 

[Kevin Farley]

Sort of got my answer from a review in Stereophile: I get it now, but I still wonder.

"Athena's Audition speakers are the brainchildren of designers Gord Van Kessel and Carmine Gitto, the team responsible for the highly popular Energy Take 5.2 home-theater system and the Sound Dynamics RTS bookshelf line. "

 

[Danny Tse]

Sound Dynamics was always aimed at the lower end of the market, in terms of price. While Athena are being sold at Best Buy, it's also being carried by Audio Advisor.

Check out the Athena Technologies AS-B1. Soundstage.com Reviewers' Choice component for 2002. Compared to the highly-regarded Axiom M3Ti SE.

And most people, even current owners of Athena speakers, have yet to check out their S/P series speakers, which were their first products.

Who knows why API decided to end Sound Dynamics. Regardless of the name, API is producing some of the best affordable speakers around with its Athena, Energy, and Mirage lines.

I believe Gord Van Kessel also designed the Energy Connoisseur line. I have the Energy Connoisseur C-1 bookshelf speakers and it's amazing.

 

[Kevin Farley]

Cool. Thanks, man! I just felt bad for them; my first thought was that they got killed by the economy.

Hey, the Athenas look great! Good for them, (and you )

The best buy thing was something on Athena Technologies home page; a marketing blurb. Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers! Doing more research now, looking at the s3/p3 combo, they look fantastic. And the audition series looks really close to the RTS line of SD's. Party on Wayne!

 

[Danny Tse]

Kevin,

Here's a review of the Athena AS-F2, the top-of-the-line floorstanding speaker in the Audition line, from Stereophile.

And here's a review for Athena's S/P Series.

Didn't ruffle any feathers. The most important thing about the speakers is that they sound good to YOU. How much it cost and where were they puchased are really secondary. I mean, my Energy C-1s were purchased at a mass merchant that also sells the Energy Veritas series.

Oh, having seen and heard the Sound Dynamics RTS series, the Athena Audition series is a step-up, in my opinion.

 

[Chris Quinn]

Maybe the Sound Dynamics name sounded a little too much like a white van speaker type monkier.

 

[Dean-P]

I just aquired a set of Sound Dynamics 100s(10" woofer & tweeter), they sound great but need refoaming. I'm changing the boxes for them to match my Athenas. I'm making them tall slender towers with silver fronts and black painted oak veneer sides.

BTW I love my Athenas and recommend them to anyone in a budget ht.