Cupertino, CA. Audio Highway announced today that it entered into a manufacturing agreement with with KIA of South Korea and Sycom Technologies of Ewing, NJ. KIA will make all hardware components of the Listen Up™ portable web audio system announced last week by Audio Highway. Sycom will assist in the final design and release of the Listen Up Player.

“Given their vast resources, we’re extremely pleased to be working with KIA and Sycom,” said Nathan Schulhof, Audio Highway President and CEO. “Sycom’s strength in the portable audio device market, coupled with KIA’s a vast resources in the consumer related products market, as well as being a major manufacturer of automobiles, makes this an unbeatable relationship.”

Under terms of the agreement, Audio Highway’s Listen Up Players will be available at more than 3,000 locations throughout North America, when the system is released in January 1997. Locations will include consumer electronics stores, computer dealers, office product outlets, specialty retailers and other retail superstores. Audio Highway will also sell the player direct to consumers at a suggested retail price of $299 through a toll free sales line.

Calgary, Canada. QSound Labs and consumer electronics manufacturer Go-Video have signed a licensing deal that will allow Go-Video to incorporate QSound’s simulated-3D audio technology in its home theatre and high-end digital TV products.

“Combining QSound’s patented 3D audio technology with Go-Video’s flair for product development and marketing seemed a perfect match,” said Roger B. Hackett, Chairman and CEO of Go-Video. “Their professional studio experience provides us with an opportunity to enter the audio market with high-performance niche products, which are always very attractive to our retail customers.”

The first product to take advantage of the deal will likely be a new entry in Go-Video’s successful line of Dual-Deck™ videocassette recorders.

Chatsworth, CA. Classical music, audiophile and audio-book software distributor DCC Compact Classics, Inc. has reported its financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal year, ending June 30, 1996. Sales were $1.22 million, as compared to $1.08 million for the quarter ended June 30, 1995. The increase in sales was largely due to broader distribution and a change in the company’s product mix.

Gross profit margins declined to 44% in the quarter, with a net loss of $8,000. DCC attributed the loss to increased work related to product returns and inefficiency caused by changing distributors.

“We believe we are through our transition period in having changed our distribution system from a group of independent distributors to a national distribution company,” said Marshall Blonstein, President and CEO. “We continue to expect 1996 third and fourth quarters to be profitable with increased sales.”

Plymouth, MA. CD and magnetic media manufacturer Kao Infosystems marked the official opening of a new 65,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art compact disc manufacturing plant today with a ribbon-cutting and open house.

The CD facility is now the largest such operation in the U.S. northeast. It employs 150, incorporates the most advanced CD production equipment, provides a full range of CD mastering services, and operates 16 production lines. The building was previously used as Kao’s east coast distribution center, which has now moved to Lakeville, MA.

“With the addition of this new CD plant, we will be able to further reduce our customers’ cycle-time-to-market, consolidate and lower our cost of operations, and strengthen our long-term position in the market place,” commented Peter McGuirk, President and CEO.

Kao now boasts over 336,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space in Plymouth, situated on 86 acres of land. Kao Infosystems also operates CD production facilities in Fremont, CA and Arnprior, Ontario (Canada).