This article is part of our coverage of the 2025 CE Pro Masters.
A self-proclaimed audiophile since the age of 12, Paul Hales had already designed and built his first pair of loudspeakers in his garage by the time he was 16. Hales graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1988 where he specialized in vibrations material science and earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Less than a year after graduating, Hales formed and started his own company — Hales Design Group — where his loudspeaker designs would go on to garner praise from the audiophile community.
In 2001, Hales joined QSC where he established their Research and Development department for loudspeakers. He led the development of a new corporate logo and loudspeaker industrial design language which are still in use to this day. Throughout the years, Hales has also been a design consultant for Samsung, BMW, and Dolby Laboratories.
In 2004, he founded Professional Home Cinema, LLC (known today as Pro Audio Technology or “PRO”) to develop professional-style loudspeakers for residential installed systems. PRO speakers and DSP amplifiers/processors quickly became and still are the system of choice by many A-list movie stars, producers, directors, and studio executives for their personal residential screening rooms.

2024 Lighting Controls and Fixtures Report
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.Download your copy now!
In 2020, Hales launched Theory Audio Design to the residential market, and in 2023, Theory Professional to the commercial market, addressing the premium audio niche head-on with a small stable of highly refined, yet very high-utility loudspeakers, subwoofers, and amplified loudspeaker controllers that offer class-leading performance in every application, indoors and out.
Stemming from his passion for speaker design and love of anything related to audio, Hales enjoys music, movies, and playing the drums. He stays busy with travel, photography, automobiles, cooking, and riding his Ebike.
To read through the profiles of any previous Master, or to find out the full list of CE Pro Masters for 2025, check out the main article here.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!