Last week I received the very sad news about the passing of Peter Janis, the founder of Radial Engineering.
I always admired Radial Engineering and how the company always surprised and delighted with inventive and practical solutions that solved real issues for musicians and audio engineers, in many fields of application. Products that were needed and desirable first, even before we could ask the price. I always remember going through the specifications of new intriguing products and thinking how much I wanted to try them out for myself. And every time I had the chance to meet Peter Janis at any trade show around the world, I would find that someone else shared the same excitement, and that was the company's founder and the person who was responsible for selling those products!
It has been a while since we last communicated by email, and even more time since we last met in person. In fact, I was very surprised the day I got to the NAMM Show in 2018 to find a different type of booth and received the announcement that Radial had been acquired by Mike Belitz, of Ultimate Support Systems. As I reported from the show that same day about the acquisition, I couldn't help feeling sad about not being able to meet Peter Janis at the show, as I always did.
But the strongest feeling was the absolute surprise about his exit strategy, coming from a person who I had been in touch for a long time and that I will always remember as someone who had a unique joy in doing what he did, and was able to transmit that happiness every time he would show some new products. Janis started Radial Engineering, Ltd. in 1992, and since then I always admired his trajectory.
When he announced that he had sold his company to Mike Belitz, Janis sent a message saying: "After almost 42 years in the business and my turning 60 this year, I have finally made the decision to retire!" That was not something I saw coming, I confess (maybe because I have no such notions about retirement myself?).
Peter Janis' acquisition of the Hafler and Dynaco brands was confirmed shortly after I joined audioXpress. We talked about it earlier at one of the many trade shows where I would meet Janis, and audioXpress had the opportunity to extensively cover all the activities, including the fantastic design of the Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 Tube Amplifier and the multiple Hafler products released, including a range of amplifiers, phono preamps, headphone amplifiers, and more.
Peter Janis left his mark on the audio industry because he understood very well the musicians and pro audio markets. Unfortunately, he was too optimistic about the potential for new Dynaco and Hafler designs, targeted at market segments that he was passionate about but were less familiar. When the products were previewed at the NAMM Show, Musikmesse, or AES conventions - where Radial typically would exhibit - very few potential dealers and buyers for those markets attended.
In fact, the last quality time I spent with Janis was at the High End show in Munich, where in May 2016 and 2017 he made the decisive push to present the new Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 Tube Amplifier to the hifi market, together with a selection of Hafler products. It was a new experience for him, and although many potential distributors signed up to carry the brands, the orders did not materialize. The Dynaco ST-70 amplifier was an interesting idea, but the end result didn't "wow" the tube experts in Munich, which seemed to admire the brand founded by David Hafler more for its affordable original Dynakits, than for its audio and hifi credentials.
Peter Janis himself confessed to me how he was struggling with the pricing for such products and how he had more questions about the return of the kits than visitors interested in listening to a "ready-to-enjoy" Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 amplifier playing at the show. And obviously there were production challenges, including selecting tube suppliers for the planned volume production, and updating the design to meet today's consumer standards and regulations (not tube friendly!). Something I was well aware of from what I had been told by our own editorial team, and which I obviously shared in my conversations with Janis.
And finally, no matter how hard Dan Fraser tried to create a "new generation Dynaco ST-70," no comparison seemed to favor any of the options required to create a product that could be manufactured consistently in quantities and shipped worldwide. As Radial Engineering's Senior Design Engineer responsible for the project noted then, "Tens of thousands of original Dynaco tube amplifiers are still in use around the world. In fact, more quality music systems have included Dynaco tube preamps and power amplifiers than any other combination. The original Dynaco Stereo 70 is a true classic still regarded with awe by audio enthusiasts worldwide."
Anyway, I'm sure this will not be the last attempt to bring back those Hafler and Dynaco products.
As Radial's recent notice states, "Peter’s legacy will live on in every product, every note, and every connection we make."
Just a few days ago I was writing about a new product from Radial Engineering and I stated, "Radial Engineering continues to create products that are unique problem solvers for musicians and studio owners." In that story about a new interesting product, I also reinforced how Radial Engineering remains "a company that normally understands well the market needs." No doubt, Peter Janis inspired that spirit in the excellent team that made Radial what it still is today.
"I started working on my exit plan in 2015 and I finally sold the company 3 years later (...) During this time, I learned so much and have started to share this by consulting for business owners (...) This venture, along with giving back by doing talks to business students at Universities is keeping me busy!"
Of course, I invited him to share his experience in a series of articles, which I thought would be of great value for the audioXpress audience - and potentially also for the broader and more diverse audience that receives The Audio Voice newsletter every week. That was not to happen, but he did send me a series of ideas by email.
"Selling a company at the right time is critical. I experienced first-hand the demise of Rane (ed: acquired by InMusic Brands in 2016). They had sales of $30 million, and by the time they were selling it, there was nothing left. This really helped me understand the process and time it takes to put a plan together. In my case, 3 years."
"One of the biggest gifts I have is understanding that I am not good at everything. You have to delegate. This requires trust, not easy for someone like me!!! But I surrounded myself with good people and this made it all possible." aX
This article was originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter, (#480), August 15, 2024.
