TC Sounds Patents Up For Auction

April 8, 2008 by Lukas Gilkey
Filed under: Home Audio > Subwoofers



I hate writing about stuff like this, but it has been confirmed that TC Sounds is bankrupt and the patents owned by the company will be going to auction. I have been in contact with the auction agency and the patents that will be auctioned off are listed below.

The brief description from the auction agency states, "Four of the patents are design patents for the ornamental appearance of the baskets of the speakers. The two utility patents are for a surround shape and a basket attachment method."

No word on the LMT patent that has been filed for. Last I heard it had still not been approved.

United States Patent 7218748
A speaker driver surround has tapered thickness to provide improved linearity of the force versus displacement response. The tapered thickness surround provides for a larger emissive piston area, thus increasing the acoustic efficiency of the transducer. The surround has an integral gasket with a groove to accept grill to cover the speaker cone.

United States Patent 7164777
A speaker driver has a detachable motor and basket to allow attachment or separation of the motor assembly from the basket assembly. Two embodiments are disclosed, a thread-on detachable motor and a bolt-on detachable motor.

United States Patent 7031490
A speaker driver has a detachable motor and basket to allow attachment or separation of the motor assembly from the basket assembly. Two embodiments are disclosed, a thread-on detachable motor and a bolt-on detachable motor.

United States Patent D472232
Speaker driver frame.

United States Patent D455733
Speaker driver frame.

United States Patent D451499
Speaker driver frame.

Source: Bankruptcy Sales
Source: Mccormack Auction Company
Comments (15)
neptyr 4 months and 2 weeks ago

So what about Audiopulse?
lukas 4 months and 2 weeks ago

From what I understand Audiopulse isn't going away. Hang tight and I guess we'll see what happens in the near future. I can't elaborate anymore than that.
mjf595 4 months and 2 weeks ago

sort of a waste considering its just a name change.

i really hope they go down the tubes, horrible CS and many problems with the drivers.

DD seems to be going this way as well in terms of CS.
Doodaddy 4 months and 2 weeks ago

DD seems to be going this way as well in terms of CS.


Care to elaborate?
woofy 4 months and 2 weeks ago

It isint shocking to see this. Woofer manufactureres in the USA have been takeing a beating .The chinese build houses are really coming out with great products and also at a very great price.If your not coming out with new and innovative-quality built products at reasonable prices-Then all of your marbles in 1 baskit and that is not very good thing!

Many people seemed to be ignorant of the Bankrupsy because of the widespread LACK OF CLEAR INFORMATION! You can only keep a blanket on it for so long! You all heard the rumors that they couldnt get a working business phone number or that they just moved to a new location or that the owner was so busy that he couldnt respond to questions or letters from suppliers asking for payments.Why? Although many believed it was just lies or rumors or a crazy man posting some ridiculas responces . The answer was obvious the whole way!

I just hope audiopulse can be competitive in this business because its going to get a whole lot harder to compete-especially in price and this current economy.I also hope that Soundsplinter hangs in there too because what happens to one will effect the other.

Thank you Lukas for this information !
mjf595 4 months and 2 weeks ago

@doodaddy

my mistake to an extent, as ive just heard some shitty stories lately about the service, however, after reading a post about why they're changing some policies its a bit more reasonable, but not everyone was made aware so i feel that was the problem.
todd.brust 4 months and 2 weeks ago

well what happens to companies like soundsplinter who use TC as a supplier and or build house?
lukas 4 months and 2 weeks ago

Companies can change build houses very easily these days. I am guessing that SoundSplinter's subs will be made by AudioPulse now though, so it shouldn't affect them.
Mike Edgar 4 months and 1 week ago

This really bums me out. We lost two real innovators the last few years, Adire and TC.... I was buying TC drivers in the mid 90s.... Oh well, Partsexpress it is now....
Slusbe 4 months and 1 week ago

wow that REALLY sucks... and here i thought TC was doing so well? Its odd seeing them going the route of Adire. TC's build quality was impeccable though, unlike Adire's shoddy Chilean build house. I wonder if it was the move to retail that did it? Or perhaps that was an unsuccessful move to counter it? Maybe the initial cost wasn't offset by the higher profit margins?... or have they completely differentiated TC Sounds from Audiopulse? AFAIK it was just a sub-brand... if one is bankrupt so is the other. I hope you're right Lukas, and Audiopulse is sticking around
mjf595 4 months and 1 week ago

i hope they are both gone.
ccdoggy 4 months and 1 week ago

TC drivers are and always will be amazing for the price. AP not so much as thats just way too much for drivers. they got in with cheap drivers and excellent quality and went to the same product 4X as expencive. the market dident like it and thus they are dead in the water.

I would assume that because TC is down the tubes AP is too as they are one in the same.
woofy 4 months and 1 week ago

Audiopulse has shut down there website forums today.
Electrodynamic 4 months and 1 week ago

FYI: Adire didn't go under due to shady dealings and/or bankrupsty, it was a decision to close it down.
Slusbe 4 months and 1 week ago

I wonder if the loss of SVS had a hand in it?
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