Categories: Press

GoldenEar Technology Announces Addition of Industry Veteran Jack Shafton

Press Contact: Sandy Gross
410-998-9134
sandy@goldenear.com

Owings Mills, MD (July 19, 2010) – GoldenEar Technology, co-founder Sandy Gross’s latest entry into the specialty audio/video speaker marketplace, is pleased to announce the addition of industry veteran Jack Shafton to the GoldenEar team, in the role of VP-Sales and Marketing. “We are thrilled to have Jack joining our team. His industry experience and background are unparalleled, while his career-long dedication to quality products sold through quality specialty dealers is a perfect fit to achieve GoldenEar’s goals,” said Gross. “Jack’s success in establishing trusted and profitable brands will help secure GoldenEar’s position as a highly desirable world-class vendor partner,” he added. For the last 15 years Shafton has been with Paradigm Electronics, the last 5 years in the position of VP-Sales and Marketing for the Paradigm loudspeakers and Anthem electronics brands.

Sandy Gross, co-founder of Polk Audio and Definitive Technology, announced the launch of GoldenEar Technology, a new loudspeaker company based in Owings Mills, Maryland, on June 9th. Sandy’s partner in the new venture is Don Givogue, who was also a founder and principal of Definitive Technology.

“Sandy and Don’s product-focused passion and enthusiasm are perfect examples of why I became a member of this industry almost 35 years ago. Products with real performance and value, and the audio specialty dealers that can sell them, are what brought me in and made me an enthusiast. Passion for incredible sound is what has always driven this business and helped to create all the great audio companies of the past, and it’s what will make GoldenEar one of the great companies of the future,” said Shafton. “Sandy and I have led our respective companies multiple times to being voted the industry’s best loudspeaker company and I look forward to GoldenEar following in this tradition.” He also added, “Recent dramatic developments in the distribution of specialty loudspeaker brands have helped to create a critical need for GoldenEar. We are launching a vital new brand clearly positioned in the specialty arena, which will grow and become a tremendous asset for our dealers. Nobody knows how to do this better than Sandy and I.”

“GoldenEar’s formula is simple: offer the best products, sold through the best dealers, with a real focus on marketing and dealer support, to create a highly profitable line which will draw customers into our GoldenEar dealers’ stores,” said Shafton. “Our initial product offerings embody significant engineering breakthroughs and will adhere to the highest standards of superb sonic performance, elegant, sophisticated styling and exceptional value that the founders have always used as their personal benchmarks,” He added,” the line will debut with a limited number of SKUs in order to make it as easy as possible for dealers to add GoldenEar Technology to their mix and begin what is certain to become a very profitable and enjoyable business relationship. Sandy and I are looking for the best specialty retailers and custom integrators, those who share our enthusiasm for great sound and great business, to come join the fun.”

Shafton continued, “The January 2010 CES sneak preview started the rumble of excitement and the June 9th announcement has already led to many industry-leading dealers jumping on board. The preliminary press comments I’ve read were extremely enthusiastic.” Darryl Wilkinson of Home Theater wrote, “What we saw was elegant, affordable and had all the makings of another blockbuster line.” In Sound & Vision, whose reviewers have often praised the fruits of Sandy’s ‘golden ears’, Al Griffin wrote: “Something big is in the works.”

GoldenEar Technology’s official debut will be in September in Atlanta, at CEDIA Expo 2010. Those interested in becoming charter dealers for the line may contact Sandy Gross now at 410-998-9134, email at sandy@goldenear.com, or Jack Shafton at 630-403-8536, email at jack@goldenear.com, web at www.GoldenEar.com.

Cynthia Johnson

Ms. Cynthia Johnson is responsible for Operations, Marketing and Public Relations. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Visual Design. She is currently based in San Francisco, California where she shares her home with a fat puppy and two well fed cats. Cynthia was introduced to a wide range and ever-changing array of audio and video equipment in her earliest years and has been involved in SECRETS from its inception almost 20 years ago. She enjoys the quiet side of music listening, and her equipment includes Sony CD player, OPPO Blu-ray player, Yamaha receiver, Krix speakers, Velodyne subwoofer, Sharp and Vizio displays, and Denon HTIB. Cynthia devotes much of her available time to animal care and is an avid practitioner of Bikram yoga.