The industry is reeling with the news of the death of industry veteran Ken Furst, 66, who led an over four decade career in consumer electronics.

Furst started his career in retail sales and management for Arrow Electronics, Route Electronics and Tech Hi-Fi. He later went on to a long career in product development, management and marketing for major brands including 10 years as vice president of marketing at Denon, along with stints at Adcom, Onkyo, Denon, Philips.

Furst had a special connection with the industry media because he spent part of his career at Home Theater Magazine in the mid-1990s, and the past eight years running Furst Marketing, where he worked with Proficient Audio, among others.

He also spent two years at the executive director of the Home Theater Industry Association.

His career included major contributions to the launch of Compact Disc and digital audio, and the development of home theater systems. Ken was a mentor and advisor to many and had a well deserved reputation for applying his deep knowledge of the industry to helping companies and individuals flourish.

Many of Ken's projects won industry acclaim and awards, such as the prestigious Design and Innovation Awards given at CES.

Furst was truly a dedicated audiophile, whose passion enabled him to converse about components, instruments (especially keyboards), and music in general. Tributes are pouring in across social media, with those from the industry noting his great life, lust for life, and “irreplaceable” body of work. 

He is survived by his daughter Alexandra and legions of friends and fans who will miss his honest, informed and heartfelt conversations. Rest in peace.

His service will take place Wednesday, December 21, at 6 p.m. at:

Bradley Funeral Home
601 Route 73 South
Marlton, NJ 08053

To leave a tribute for the family, click here.