Sonic Impact

Company Profile: Sonic Impact Technologies

Sonic Impact Technologies established itself more than five years ago with a mission to apply innovative audio technologies to serve the consumer in ways that had not been done before.  Anticipating the explosion in the use of portable audio devices, Sonic Impact focused its efforts there.  The results of those efforts have been exciting.  Though not yet a household name, in a very short time Sonic Impact has expanded its channels of distribution from a small presence on a few well recognized e-commerce sites, to a national presence in a wide variety of traditional retail venues.  Sonic's products are currently sold in almost 5,000 stores nationwide, and plans are to double that in 2005.

Sonic Impact introduced itself to the consumer market with its SI-5 Portable Speaker System.  Designed for use with all portable audio devices, the SI-5 was the first fully portable speaker solution to provide quality sound in an extremely portable design, and at a very attractive price.  Sonic utilized NXT's flat panel technology to create a system weighing less than a pound and only the size of two CD jewel cases.  The SI-5 System established a new standard in portable speakers, establishing a category in its own right.  The SI-5s continue to enjoy positive reviews in national magazines and solid sell-through in stores, even as new generations have been developed and distributed.  The Gen 2s were the first consumer product to incorporate MaxxBass, a virtual bass enhancing technology that was already being used by recording studios.  The Gen 3s and the "Cube" will be introduced at the 2005 CES, each featuring its own surprises.

Taking a very fresh approach to consumer electronics applications, Sonic Impact has "crossed over" into areas not typically thought of as such.  By embedding its applications in everyday products such as backpacks (Sonic's BoomBag) and CD cases (the BoomCase), Sonic Impact has expanded into new markets for consumer electronics.  The innovative SoundPads apply the NXT flat panel technology in such a way that virtually any thin, flat surface, such as a hard-mounted poster, can be turned into a speaker with a "peel and stick" corrugated disk.  Enhancements of this technology will soon allow quality audio to be produced through a variety of "non-audio" products, giving the consumer the option to enjoy his or her portable music wherever or whenever they choose.

Some of  Sonic Impact's other products include the SoundPax Portable System, which offers big, booming sound through two folding pyramid shaped speakers powered by Sonic's digital 15w T-Amp.  The T-Amp, on its own, has created quite a stir in the audiophile world as an in-line amplifier for loudspeakers costing thousands of dollars.  It has been favorably compared with amplifiers costing almost 100x its suggested retail price of $39.00.  And the SI-Link Wireless FM Transmitter is the most reliable and most affordable such product on the market.

Capitalizing on the ability of its technology to turn virtually any flat surface into a speaker, Sonic Impact has created applications suitable for the gifts and promotions and POP markets.  In these areas, the only limits are one's imagination, as incredible results can be achieved, even at very low cost.  Sonic Impact has provided promotional or POP audio products for clients as diverse as Microsoft, the X-Games, MTV, and American Eagle Outfitters, and is currently working on many more.

Sonic Impact's principals, Robert Cotton, Mark Zickel, and Richard Bracke, founded the company with a proven track record in marketing and merchandising a rich mix of unrelated products.  It may be this "open minded" marketing style that has worked to Sonic Impact's advantage, in that they are free to see beyond the traditional boundaries of consumer electronic products.  Yet their diverse backgrounds have prepared them well for the tasks at hand.  Cotton and Zickel partnered for over 20 years in a chain of retail specialty stores and built a wholesale business servicing major US accounts with products produced in China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Latin America.  Unlike most manufacturers, Sonic's partners have an extensive background in retail marketing and merchandising.  With degrees in advertising and design, partner "Big Rich" Bracke developed relationships with many top music, sports/lifestyle, and entertainment companies and has been successfully involved in product brokering, branding, and endorsements.

Today, Sonic Impact has established itself as a vigorous company with a firm foundation upon which to build future growth.  Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sonic has put together a dedicated R & D, ID, and manufacturing team in China.  Sonic Impact welcomes all inquiries, whether for traditional retail, OEM/ODM, gifts and promotions, or POP.

Sonic Impact

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