Published On: April 14, 2011

An Industry Icon Gone: Sidney Harman Passes Away at 92

Published On: April 14, 2011
Last Updated on: October 31, 2020
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An Industry Icon Gone: Sidney Harman Passes Away at 92

The firm of Harman-Kardon was formed in 1953, when Sidney Harman and designer Bernard Kardon joined forces in a company that has become one of the top names in the audiophile world. Harman passed away at the age of 92 on April 13, 2011, after a struggle with leukemia.

An Industry Icon Gone: Sidney Harman Passes Away at 92

By Author: Home Theater Review
The staff at HomeTheaterReview.com is comprised of experts who are dedicated to helping you make better informed buying decisions.

Sidney_Harman.gifOn April 13, 2011, Sidney Harman passed away from complications with leukemia at the age of 92. He was an innovator in consumer electronics, amongst many other things, since the 1950s. In 1953, Harman joined together with designer Bernard Kardon to found Harman Kardon, a company that has become very highly esteemed in the audiophile world.

Additional Resources
• Read more industry trade news from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• See what Steven Stone had to say about Sidney Harman at AudiophileReview.com.

In 1956, Kardon retired and Harman took complete control of the company. He turned that company into Harman International Industries, which is the current parent company of brands like Mark Levinson, Revel, and, of course, the Harman Kardon components. The company has become a powerful corporation in the world, partnering with Lexus for promotions, turning Harman into a millionaire several times over.

Harman extended his reach beyond the consumer electronics world as he founded the Academy of Polymathic Studies at USC as well as the Sidney Harman Hall in Washington, D.C., which became a popular performance space. He also attempted to resuscitate the Newsweek publication by acquiring it and merging with the website The Daily Beast, even though he faced a great deal of criticism for it.

Harman was an incredibly important figure in the hi-fi world, as well as a great man. Much of the way that the industry operates now is because of him, and for that we are all in his debt.

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