BIO

One of the first graduate student pioneers to emerge from MIT\'s Art and Media Technology program in 1981, Ken Kantor has enjoyed a celebrated career as a technologist, product designer and entrepreneur in the consumer electronics industry.

Widely published and interviewed, he holds patents in acoustics, DSP and audio electronics, and has been elected to Administrative Committees of the IEEE and the Audio Engineering Society. His clients and customers have included Hewlett-Packard, NBC, Ford, ATT, Altec, LG, Microsoft and many others.

Ken is a classically trained engineer with unique insights into the worlds of business and marketing. He has been thrice profiled in the NY Times, been a guest on radio and TV, and has appeared in dozens of interviews and articles, from Forbes to Rolling Stone to Stereophile.  He is the subject of an entry in the Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. 

With a demonstrated knack for perceiving technology and marketplace trends, Kantor began his management career as Director of R&D at Teledyne Acoustic Research. In 1987, he co-founded, funded and built NHT, eventually selling it to International Jensen as part of a successful roll-up IPO. He then assumed the position of Corporate VP Technology at Jensen, overseeing R&D and technology acquisitions.  Next he co-founded pro audio innovator Vergence Technology in 1997.

Ken left Vergence in the Fall of 2000 to help launch IAS Technology with a small group of audio luminaries. He is presently CTO at Tymphany Corporation in Cupertino, a venture-funded, multinational audio firm developing advanced audio transducers.  Ken also does patent and IP consulting for audio-related technology companies.

WORK HISTORY

2003 - Present

Tymphany Corporation

Founder, CTO, Fellow

Planning, invention and implementation of new loudspeaker transducers which provide higher space and form-factor efficiency than previous designs.  Strategic technical management; acquisition, investment and growth programs.  General business development.  Concept evangelism.  Acquired DST Corporation (Denmark and China) in 2005. 

2001 - 2003

Intelligent Audio Systems, Inc.

Co-Founder, CTO

R&D programs and IP to substantially improve the listening experience through signal processing techniques which allow the design of a new generation of easy-to-use, self-installing subwoofer and loudspeaker products.

1997 - 2000

Vergence Technology, Inc.

Managing Director, CTO

Co-Founder, Board of Directors. Involved in all significant financial, operational and strategic initiatives of the company. Responsible for research, concept and product development, manufacturing, press and public relations, fundraising. Engineered innovative and highly regarded broadcast audio products, including mixed signal circuit design, imbedded software, mechanical and acoustical development.  Company sold to Rockford Corp. (ROFO)

1990 - 1997

International Jensen, Inc.

VP Technology

Founding shareholder and Corporate Officer, reporting to Chairman of the Board. Supervised R&D activities throughout the organization; assured product innovation and technological competitiveness. Patents in DSP, acoustics. Planning and management of technical activities. Authored corporate strategic diversification and growth plan. Advised BOD regarding investment and resource allocation. Liaison with industry, academia, key OEM customers. Negotiations, technology valuation and due diligence for strategic acquisitions. Planning and implementation of NASDAQ IPO strategy, road show.

1987 - 1990

NHT, Inc.

Executive VP

Co-founder of successful audio manufacturer. Key in the formulation of all business and financial plans, marketing and product development strategies, fundraising and PR activities. First high-end minispeaker.  Industry-first Home Theater tower, compact powered sub. Bench engineering of establishing products, including mixed signal analog and acoustics, related patents. Sold to Intl. Jensen. (IJIN)

1986 - 1987

MultiVision Products

VP Engineering

Venture funded start-up developing custom IC\'s for digital video signal processing. Hired by investors to reorganize Engineering Dept., reduce product cost and improve reliability.

1986 - 1990

PDES

Owner

Consulting firm with a broad base of technology clients in the U.S. and Asia. Specialized in technology planning and product introduction. Also served as Contributing Editor to Audio and High Fidelity magazines.  Improved methods of acoustic modeling.  First angled baffle speakers. 

1983 - 1986

Teledyne Acoustic Research

Director, R&D

Managed R&D for what was at the time, the world\'s largest manufacturer of loudspeakers and related audio products. Introduced a number of innovative products, including the first adaptive DSP audio product and the first psychoacoustically enhanced loudspeaker system. Also responsible for setting long-range technical goals, press liaison. Substantial bench engineering, analog and digital circuit design.

1981 - 1982

NAD

Design Engineer

Designed high-performance audio electronics, including amplifiers, preamplifiers and turntables.  Designed and built custom analog and digital test equipment to improve the speed and accuracy of data collection.  Evaluation and testing of loudspeaker and tuner products.

EDUCATION

1984

Teledyne, Inc.

Certification

Accounting For Non-Financial Managers. Intensive seminar for executives nominated by local management.

1983

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Fellowship

Post Graduate Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies. Graduate-level teaching and research in art and media technology.

1981

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute of Technology

Master\'s Degree

Center for Advanced Visual Studies, Arts and Media Technology Program. Interdisciplinary activities with media artists and scientists developing paradigms, methods and creative content for new information storage and distribution technologies. Data compression, laser and holographic displays, video signal processing, digital photography, etc. Private industry, government and Institute support. Thesis: "Radio Frequency Performance." Presentation and exhibitions at the Smithsonian, Paris Museum of Modern Art, elsewhere.

1979

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute of Technology

Bachelor\'s Degree

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Mixed signal circuit design, data acquisition, acoustics and  communications biophysics. Minor in Music. UROP Grant for interactive multimedia research. MIT Seed Fund Grant for small-computer-based digital video processor. Undergraduate thesis advisor was Department Chair Emeritus and Director of the Research Laboratory of Electronics.

OTHER

2000 - Present

Various

Patent & IP consulting, expert testimony

1985 - 1996

Audio Video International

3x Award Recipient

“Product of the Year”

1995 - 1998

Etown.com

Tech Columnist

1990 - 1994

IEEE

Administrative Committee, Consumer Electronics Society

1986 - 1988

Audio Video Interiors Magazine

Technical Editor, Columnist

1984 - 2004

EIA CEG

12x Award Recipient, Panelist

1984 - 1988

Audio Engineering Society

Committee Member