Company Profile

The Inner Ear Report - January 98

If you are familiar with this company or have seen its ads or brochures, you may notice their catch phrase, "It's About Music". Nothing could be closer to the truth, based on Polyfusion's pedigree.

Alan Pearce and Ron Folkman met in the early seventies while both were employed by Moog Music, a company most of us (in a certain age group) associate with electronic music instruments. Alan had been drawn to the company for his musical expertise, holding degrees in composition. Ron's background is in mechanical engineering and electronics. Winds of change at Moog sent the duo out on their own in 1975 to form Polyfusion for the purpose of design and manufacturing their own synthesizers for the professional musician. Delivering their first unit in 1976, this became the mainstay for the company into the early eighties. Polyfusion synthesizers were the choice of professional musicians for touring and recording (there is apparently still quite a following for the company in this area with web sites devoted to the marque). Around 1982, with competition from smaller, more portable products from Japanese manufacturers, this market "ceased to be economical" for the company. Alan and Ron took their design and manufacturing expertise to the next level and, under the name Polyfusion Electronics, concentrated on contract designing and manufacturing for companies in the industrial control industry. This was a lucrative venture for the pair who, through a series of moves, went from the proverbial "basement" operation to the current, well-equipped facility located just outside Buffalo, New York.

Built in 1988 at a cost of one million dollars, the 20,000 square-foot facility is an open, bright and well designed work place. In designing the building and its attendant features, Ron remembered all the dingy little places he had worked in the past and determined not to subject Polyfusion's employees to those sorts of conditions. The manufacturing area is well-lit and very open. Testing and design areas are separated from the fray of production and there is a well equipped lunch room/lounge area. The main office area is quiet, open, well-appointed and inviting. An additional half a million dollars was spent equipping the plant with the tools necessary to do a first-class job for their clients, who, at this time, consisted of companies producing very hightech products. Polyfusion's mandate at the time was to produce a low to moderate volume of complex designs. So, we ask, how did they become interested in audio?

In the late eighties, they were approached by a high-end audio company to produce amplifiers and other components. The arrangement lasted only a couple of years but, by this time, Alan and Ron—both music lovers—had caught the audio bug. As the OEM side of the business was very stable (and profitable) at this point, the decision was made to look at designing and manufacturing audio products under the Polyfusion banner. Being financially sound, it was felt that the company could survive the necessary "introduction period" for their new products to establish a name and reputation in the high performance audio market. With a well-trained, competent production staff to build the products and an innate love for sound reproduction, the stage was set for the introduction of the first Polyfusion Audio components in 1992. Working on the premise of "how good can we make it", as opposed to hitting a price point, both Alan and Ron admit that it was a tough go at first, especially gaining recognition in the North American market. This was accepted as part of that "introduction" phase which they had been warned could last up to five years. (Editor's note: we admit to being part of this process ourselves insofar as we will usually wait to see if a new product introduced at CES or similar shows, is still around in six months to a year). They have stayed the course and, through effective advertising and trade show presence, are establishing the Polyfusion name in the audio arena.

In developing their custom manufacturing business, Alan and Ron concentrated on the quality of both the process and the staff. Polyfusion Electronics manufactures circuit boards at the rate of thousands per week under ISO 9000 standards. The quality of these specialized products is measured in reject rate. Polyfusion's reject rate is on a parts-per-million basis, far beyond the standards of many companies. This same quality goes into their own products which are designed and manufactured inhouse. Any products coming in the door (i.e. bare circuit boards, electrical components) must meet the same exacting standards Alan and Ron have set for products going out the door. They have invested in a high tech wave soldering machine to ensure the consistency of board production and there is even a device which trims all the lead from the back side of the boards. This results in consistent production and, in the opinion of this writer, makes the product look like considerable care and attention went into it. Both Alan and Ron note that their intention is not to be perceived as part of the so called "cottage industry" of high-end manufacturers where consistency in manufacture and attention to detail can often take a back seat. At Polyfusion, attention to detail continues even after the product is finished. All products are burned in for a period of at least 120 hours. In the case of amplifiers, each channel assembly of the modular design is powered up for at least 48 hours to age the electrical components before they become part of a completed product. Once completed, all equipment receives listening tests. Although checked with test equipment along the way during production, each component goes through a listening test performed by either or both Alan and Ron. The philosophy, to which we at TIER also subscribe, is that any component can measure well but it still might not sound right. Consequently, nearly one hundred percent of the products carrying the Polyfusion Audio name are set up in a system and auditioned. This brings us back to the office facilities, especially the main reception area. A large space, originally designed for support and clerical staff, it has become a listening area equipped with a wide variety of speakers and source components. We counted over fifteen different pair of speakers in a wide range of prices and with varying performance characteristics. Each and every one is used in the development and evaluation of Polyfusion components. For those who might question auditioning in an open office space—this one was designed for dual-purpose. There are low ceilings and outside walls which carry no right angles. The area is a little large but equipment and furniture is placed appropriately to approximate living room conditions. Sources include both CD and vinyl with a wide range of music to choose from.

Little is left to chance as far as Ron and Alan are concerned and the results of their commitment to quality is starting to show in the acceptance of Polyfusion products. They are experiencing growth in overseas markets and starting to build a following here in North America. Having seen the first class facilities and the passion of the people behind the business, it is easy to understand how companies such as Polyfusion Audio could lead the way for a new generation of high-performance audio manufacturers.

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