PML Sound International, a global leader in premium audio manufacturing, is excited to announce the acquisition of GoldenEar, a renowned name in high-performance audio, from The Quest Group. Effective January 1, 2025, GoldenEar will join Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan and operate under its new identity as GoldenEar Studio Inc., continuing its legacy of delivering premium audio experiences while benefiting from PML Sound.
International’s expertise in innovation, engineering, and manufacturing. This acquisition marks a
significant step in enhancing the brand’s reach and capabilities within the global audio market.
GoldenEar, known for its award-winning products such as the T66, Triton Reference, Triton One,
SuperSub, and other high-performance audio solutions, will become part of PML Sound International’s
portfolio of premium audio brands. The acquisition leverages PML’s engineering expertise and
manufacturing capabilities to enhance GoldenEar’s product offerings and market presence. PML aims to
preserve and build upon GoldenEar’s legacy of delivering exceptional audio experiences, ensuring
continuity in product quality and innovation.
To ensure a smooth transition, GoldenEar will temporarily pause business operations from January 1,
2025, to January 31, 2025. During this period, GoldenEar orders will not be processed or fulfilled. PML’s
business operations will remain unaffected, and it will continue to deliver high-quality audio products and
customer service.
While operations will temporarily pause during the integration, customers can rest assured that their
existing warranties and service support will be honored, and they will continue to receive the same level of product quality and customer service when business resumes on February 3, 2025.
“Acquiring GoldenEar Studio Inc. is an important step for PML as we continue to build our portfolio of
premium audio brands,” said Badar Qureshi, President of PML Sound International. “This acquisition helps us strengthen our commitment to quality audio experiences and offers an opportunity to expand our global reach. We’re looking forward to welcoming GoldenEar’s talented team and loyal customers, and we remain dedicated to maintaining the high standards and innovative spirit that define the GoldenEar brand.”
We want to reassure all customers, dealers, and distributors that PML Sound International’s operations will remain unaffected by the acquisition of GoldenEar. Our commitment to delivering high-quality audio
products and exceptional customer service will continue without interruption. This acquisition is focused
specifically on enhancing GoldenEar’s brand and expanding its market presence. PML Sound International will continue to operate as usual, delivering the same innovative solutions that our customers expect.
We thank our customers, dealers, distributors, and employees for their continued support and patience
during this transition. We are excited about GoldenEar’s future under PML Sound International’s leadership and look forward to delivering even more exceptional audio experiences. Stay tuned for updates as we move forward, and thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
About Paradigm Loudspeakers
Paradigm is a Canadian loudspeaker manufacturer known for its long-standing commitment to in-house engineering, accessible pricing, and performance-focused design. Founded in 1982 and based in Mississauga, Ontario, Paradigm has grown into one of North America’s most well-known speaker brands. It’s especially recognized for combining high-end acoustic research with manufacturing efficiencies that allow its products to hit competitive price points without sacrificing quality.
From the beginning, Paradigm’s focus has been on controlling as much of the production process as possible. Unlike many speaker companies that outsource driver production, cabinet manufacturing, or crossover design, Paradigm has maintained a strong emphasis on in-house development. Their design and testing facilities include an anechoic chamber, advanced measurement systems, and research partnerships, including work with Canada’s National Research Council. This commitment to R&D has shaped the company’s reputation for designing speakers with smooth, well-balanced frequency response and consistent off-axis performance.
Paradigm’s speaker lineup spans from entry-level models to premium audiophile towers. The product families include:
- Monitor SE Series – Entry-level floorstanding and bookshelf speakers designed for home theater and music playback. These models focus on affordability while incorporating design elements from higher-end Paradigm lines.
- Premier Series – Mid-tier models aimed at serious listeners who want better performance but are still budget-conscious. These speakers include upgraded drivers and more refined cabinet construction.
- Founder Series – Introduced as a redesign of Paradigm’s higher-end offerings, the Founder Series represents a significant leap in design, materials, and performance. It includes innovations in cabinet bracing, aluminum-magnesium drivers, and advanced crossover networks.
- Persona Series – Paradigm’s flagship line. These speakers use beryllium drivers for both the tweeter and midrange, materials typically found in much more expensive speakers. The Persona series competes in the high-end audiophile market and showcases what Paradigm is capable of when cost is less of a constraint.
In addition to traditional passive loudspeakers, Paradigm also offers subwoofers, architectural speakers, and wireless multi-room audio solutions under the Paradigm PW (Power Wireless) label, using DTS Play-Fi streaming technology.
Paradigm is part of a larger corporate structure known as the Paradigm Electronics Group, which also includes the Anthem brand, known for high-performance AV receivers, processors, and amplifiers. The shared engineering resources between Paradigm and Anthem allow both brands to develop complementary products that work well together in home theater and two-channel systems.
Paradigm’s Acquisition of GoldenEar
In December 2020, Paradigm Electronics Group made a major move by acquiring GoldenEar Technology from AudioQuest, marking a significant expansion of Paradigm’s portfolio. GoldenEar was originally founded in 2010 by Sandy Gross, one of the most well-known figures in the loudspeaker industry. Gross had previously co-founded Polk Audio and Definitive Technology—two highly successful speaker brands—before launching GoldenEar.
GoldenEar quickly developed a strong following for its innovative speaker designs, including models like the Triton Series—slim, tower speakers with built-in powered subwoofers and passive radiators. These speakers became known for delivering strong bass response, wide dispersion, and a surprisingly full soundstage for their price and footprint. GoldenEar also built a reputation for value, often offering performance that rivaled more expensive audiophile speakers.
The company operated independently until 2020, when it was acquired by AudioQuest, a company primarily known for high-end audio cables, power conditioning, and accessories. However, AudioQuest is not a speaker manufacturer by trade, and within two years, GoldenEar was sold to Paradigm/Anthem. The move made strategic sense for both sides. Paradigm had the infrastructure, engineering, and manufacturing expertise to continue GoldenEar’s development, while GoldenEar gave Paradigm immediate access to a loyal customer base and a lineup of speakers with a distinct sound and design philosophy.
Since the acquisition, GoldenEar has continued to release new models under Paradigm’s ownership, including updates to the Triton line and new architectural speaker designs. Paradigm has maintained the GoldenEar branding and has signaled its intention to keep the design direction intact while applying its manufacturing resources to improve scalability and quality control.
This acquisition also gives Paradigm a stronger presence in the U.S. market, where GoldenEar has traditionally had a solid dealer network and customer base. It diversifies Paradigm’s speaker offerings by adding models that emphasize built-in powered subwoofers, folded ribbon tweeters, and slim-form cabinet designs—areas where Paradigm historically hasn’t focused as heavily.
The ironic thing about this deal is that it comes EXACTLY FIVE YEARS after Sandy and Don sold to Bill Low at AudioQuest.
Here’s hoping that Paradigm brings back Sandy at some level of advisory role. He is everybody’s favorite audio person. I JUST had dinner with him and Anne at Capital Audiofest. He’s still WAY WAY WAY into audio and NOBODY markets speakers better than Sandy.
You suggested insights as why AudioQuest failed at this purchase in the past, but never gave any. I’ll assume you want to avoid backlash from whomever. AudioQuest is still the best cable company extant and its a shame they couldn’t make it work. They did develop the T66 to good effect. But I’m glad they were burned in this a bit, as I wish they would focus on cabling only, their core competency. It would appear they didn’t have the talent in-house to handle the transition.