William Zane Johnson died on December 10, 2011, at the age of 85. In 2008, ARC was purchased by Quadrivio SGR, an Italian private-equity firm that in 2009 became the Fine Sounds Group, and in 2016 was renamed the McIntosh Group, comprising ARC, McIntosh Laboratory, Pryma, Sumiko, and Wadia. Since then, ARC has continued to grow in size and in reputation, and is now one of the cornerstones of high-end audio. Peploe retained Johnson as an employee, but two years later he quit, bought back his patents, moved operations to a much larger facility, and founded Audio Research Corporation. Johnson bought the retail space in the early 1960s to market his products, and continued to build a formidable customer base until 1968, when Peploe Inc., a large marketing company, bought Electronic Industries, Johnson’s patent applications, and his technical files. In 1951, Johnson started his first company, Electronic Industries, located in the rear half of a retail space that served as both factory and test lab. His first commercial amplifier, released in 1949, was an all-triode, transformer-coupled, three-box design that included a standalone power supply. Johnson had begun building amplifiers in the late 1940s.

On the other hand, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was put into effect, Boeing had just introduced the world to the 747 Jumbo Jet, and William Zane Johnson founded Audio Research Corporation (ARC) - the same month Aerosmith was born. It could be said that 1970 was a tumultuous year: the Apollo 13 accident, President Richard Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia, and Paul McCartney’s announcement that the Beatles had officially disbanded.

Audio research classic 150 monoblocks