RIP Roger B. Hassing of RBH Sound 1946-2023

Roger B. Hassing 1946-2023

Roger Hassing, founder and
original owner of RBH Sound, passed away peacefully Sunday, January 22 in
Layton Utah with his sister Jacque at his side. Roger began his venture in
loudspeaker manufacturing in the early 1970’s in the Los Angeles area by
supplying loudspeaker components and enclosures to other loudspeaker
manufacturers in the area. In 1976, he founded RBH Sound Laboratories and
started manufacturing speakers which were sold through local retail stereo
stores in California. In the early 1980’s the company moved to Salt Lake city,
Utah where RBH speakers became the best selling loudspeaker brand for Inkley’s
Electronics, a retailer with multiple locations throughout Utah . By the early
1990’s, Roger had grown the company to the point he was doing business internationally.
In the early 2000’s, the success of the business required a new 45,000 square
foot facility he built in Layton Utah, where the company continues operations
under the direction of owner Todd Stewart. Throughout the years of doing
business, Roger considered RBH Sound a family operated business, though he
never married or had children of his own. He considered his employees his
family, and encouraged regular round table discussions, giving ample
opportunity for input from employee’s as to how the business was to be
operated. Roger had an incredible passion for making great performing
loudspeaker products that could be sold successfully by his dealer and
distributor network throughout the world, and considered anyone who was an RBH
customer, part of his extended family. Roger B. Hassing (RBH) possessed a
contagious enthusiasm for sharing the joy great sounding speakers could bring
into peoples lives and will be forever remembered by those whose lives were
touched by his passion for excellence.

Remembering Roger

I will always remember something Roger said to me one night at dinner while attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

 “truth has become a marketable commodity”

– Roger B. Hassing

 And, this truth was why he was so fond of the editorial coverage Audioholics.com has provided in our industry. Truth is how Roger operated his business of designing and specing loudspeakers.

I was always impressed in how RBH Sound, under Roger’s leadership, pushed audio quality above all else when designing their products. They were big fans of no-compromise designed large monolithic speakers that may not have always had mass market appeal but where fan favorites among passionate audiophiles with understanding wives.  I’m happy to see Todd Stewart continue this tradition as evident by their current UNRIVALED series of products like the SVTRS Active Loudspeaker System.