Jim Murray, the inventor of Sonic Vortex loudspeaker technology and former partner in Beale Street Audio, has struck out on his own with a line of premium audio products.
Launched last month on the crowd-funding platform, Kickstarter, K.I.S.S. AV’s line of immersive 2.1-channel audio products feature Sonic Vortex, which Murray brought with him after plans to buy Beale Street Audio from brand owner Fulmerco, fell through earlier this year.
“The leadership at Fulmerco reneged and decided to retain ownership,” Murray says, after that, I decided it was time to move on and take Sonic Vortex to even greater heights.”
Murray’s decision to launch K.I.S.S. AV on Kickstarter is an interesting one—fuelled by a desire to introduce Sonic Vortex technology to a wider audience drawn to loudspeakers with a smaller form factor.
“After witnessing the success of several Kickstarter campaigns, it seemed to be the most powerful way to bring our products to the masses,” Murray explains. “And the social push and backing capabilities offered by Kickstarter will allow us to gain the funding necessary, to bring the K.I.S.S. AV products to market faster than if we were to launch the brand in a more traditional way.
“Being a custom installer for over 30 years, I spent a lot of time combining all kinds of products from different brands, in an attempt to build the best system for the customer,” Murray adds. “K.I.S.S. AV is all about keeping it super simple while offering good sound without the hassle of a complicated install. Sonic Vortex is a patented technology that offers outstanding performance, and with a price point of under $300, we are able to bring that technology to more people.”
K.I.S.S. AV’s range of speakers utilize Sonic Vortex technology to fill any room with 3D-style sound, from any audio source, with no special electronics or multi-channel audio content required. In a crowded field of pro-standard home audio speakers, Murray is confident that his brand will stand out.
K.I.S.S. AV is all about keeping it super simple while offering good sound without the hassle of a complicated install.
“The ease of installation and small footprint of the system, all contribute to differentiating the K.I.S.S. AV X4 speaker system from other speakers on the market,” Murray says. “The biggest advantage of the K.I.S.S. AV X4 speaker system over a soundbar is the separation of left and right speaker. Combine that with the Sonic Vortex technology and you get true room filling sound with serious bass.
“Also, the Command Strips — heavy-duty, removable, double-sided adhesive strips included — combined with X4 wire management feature, result in a clean installation with no holes being cut in the walls and no visible wires.
“Lastly, the K.I.S.S. AV X4 speaker system is not locked in to any one streaming technology. It works with Sonos, Apple Airport, Apple TV, Heos and Google ChromeCast. The customer has choice.”
Is there a brick and mortar store in the works? Murray is taking one step at a time, noting that K.I.S.S. AV’s kickstarter campaign has opened up several opportunities all of which he is exploring.
“We are starting with Kickstarter, but are open to exploring other means of distribution in the future.”
K.I.S.S. AV