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Koss Corporation: Martin Lange, Jr., Partner in Development of First Koss Stereophone, Has Died

  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2009/02/1 .. elopment-of-first-koss-stereophone-has-died.html
  Published in House and Home on Tuesday, February 17th 2009 at 14:50 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-02-17 14:51:07 by Market Wire

MILWAUKEE, WI--(Marketwire - February 17, 2009) - Koss Corporation (NASDAQ: [ KOSS ]) was notified Tuesday morning of the passing of Martin Lange, Jr. Mr. Lange partnered with John C. Koss to develop the first Koss SP/3 Stereophone in 1958.

"Marty Lange was instrumental in the development of the first SP/3 Stereophone," John C. Koss, Chairman and Founder said today. "His creativity and dedication were critical to the business we built together."

In 1957 Mr. Lange joined John Koss and Jerome Kadrich to form the American Development Corporation. The three men manufactured a television tube checking device that Mr. Lange had designed for use in drugstores. In 1958 Koss and Lange developed a portable stereo phonograph player and Koss hit upon the idea of selling a stereo headphone with it for private listening. Mr. Lange produced a prototype from a collection of spare repair parts from television sets in a garage the two men used as an office. The result was the first Koss Stereophone.

In 1973 Mr. Lange purchased the Acoustech Company from Koss. One of the many facets of this new venture was the establishment of Koss' U.S. service network, regarded as one of the most responsive repair facilities in the audio industry.

Mr. Lange stayed actively involved in many aspects of the Koss business for over 50 years.

"Marty Lange was larger than life," John C. Koss recalled. "His spirit was impervious to challenge and his thirst for knowledge was relentless. He was the perfect partner."

A graduate of Rufus King High School where he excelled at sports; Marty Lange served in the Navy, and attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

A long standing resident of River Hills and Glendale, Martin Lange was the father of 10 children and grandfather to 14.