November 30, 2025 I Appointments
Apogee Names Dirk Ulrich as New Owner
Dirk Ulrich
Apogee has announced Dirk Ulrich as its new owner as of Nov. 14, marking a new era in the company’s 40-year history as a leader in audio technology. The transition sees Betty Bennett and Bob Clearmountain entrust their work to Ulrich, a seasoned industry veteran with a track record in pro-audio development and business leadership.
In an official statement Ulrich said: “I want to take the Apogee team in[to] the future, now that Betty and Bob have entrusted me with their lifetime achievement. I am thankful for that amazing opportunity, and promise you — just as I have promised them — that I am fully committed to Apogee’s legacy and reputation. We will continue to develop and offer the best-sounding audio tools that we can create. And just like in the past, we won’t cut corners in the future, whether that’s hardware or software and plugins. In fact, we have new products and updates coming out starting January 2026.”
Ulrich previously owned Plugin Alliance and Brainworx, both of which he sold in 2021. More recently, he became the new owner of California-based tube-audio specialist Manley. Under Ulrich’s leadership, Apogee and Manley have already begun collaborating on mutual and hybrid products designed to combine the strengths of both brands.
Both companies now operate under Ulrich’s privately funded RCKFRC Group.
