Monsoon (speakers)
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[edit] Origin
The Monsoon brand was originally associated with OEM-sourced automotive audio speaker systems, notably supplied on a number of General Motors products and then later expanded onto other manufacturers such as Volkswagen. The brand was also licensed by a Richmond, B.C., Canada company named Sonigistix and applied to their line of computer multimedia speakers.
[edit] Sonigistix
By 2000, Sonigistix expanded its product line and the Monsoon brand into the then burgeoning consumer computer multimedia market, developing a solid reputation for their flat-panel speaker designs that were popular with computer users keen on obtaining quality high fidelity from their computer hardware. Monsoon's speaker designs were based on planar magnetic technology, licensed from Eminent Technology who developed the original concept. However, despite the brand's popularity among computer users--or perhaps because of it--within the next couple of years the assets of Sonigistix were purchased by Eastech, an Asian technology company that also focuses on providing consumer products in a variety of audio-based markets.
As for Sonigistix, a privately-held company by that name currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A. Although an online company profile on goliath.ecnext.com lists this Little Rock company as being in the home audio/video industry, it's not clear[vague] if this is the same company that originated in western Canada. However, an owner's manual for the MM-700/iM-700 Ice Flat Panel Audio System with a copyright of 2000 lists the Monsoon Multimedia Sales office as being in Little Rock, Arkansas; the Monsoon Multimedia Customer Service address is listed as being in Richmond, BC, Canada.
[edit] Eastech
Monsoon-branded retail audio products continued for a time under Eastech (under the Level 9 name), but by late 2004 the Monsoon brand had more or less disappeared from the U.S. marketplace. By 2005, Eastech no longer sold products under the Monsoon banner (it's assumed that they didn't renew any of the licenses for the planar magnetic technology that made Monsoon speakers what they are, though this information is not confirmed[citation needed]).
[edit] Legacy
Monsoon-branded speakers, whether sold by Sonigistix or Level 9, have developed an almost cult-like following due to their incredible sound and accuracy, particularly uncommon (at the time of their run) for the personal computer marketplace. Dedicated owners of Monsoon flat panel speakers will often go to great lengths to keep their old Monsoons running, primarily because it's commonly held[who?] that available new replacements made and sold by other manufacturers are seen--or more precisely, heard--as inferior-sounding also-rans.
As for the Monsoon brand, little is currently known[vague] about the company who makes it today. According to the GM, Monsoon speakers are a trademark of Delphi. This is smart on GM's part because most Monsoon in-car audio applications occur in GM vehicles anyway. So owning the rights to make them allows for a better relationship between the speaker manufacture and the car manufacture. Currently Monsoon in-car audio is an optional accessory on several GM cars as well as a handful of other cars.
