THE PRO STORY
In 2004 Professional Home Cinema, LLC revolutionized residential surround sound by introducing a range of genuinely professional-grade audio loudspeakers and DSP amplifiers.
In 2010, Professional Home Cinema changed it’s brand name (but not business name) to Pro Audio Technology, “PRO”, to better fit company strategic direction.
To this day, PRO systems remain the go-to choice of movie and music industry A-listers, sports stars, and business and world leaders.
In 2018 Pro Audio Technology owner, Paul Hales, founded sister-company Theory Audio Design (Theory) to bring PRO’s technology to residential installed audio at more attainable prices.
In 2023 Theory Professional was introduced at InfoComm bringing a new level of performance, quality, and simplicity to the commercial audio market.
The Team
L. PAUL HALES
CEO / Product Designer
Hales graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1988 where he specialized in vibrations material science and earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering. At 22 years old, for his senior project Hales designed what would become his first commercial loudspeaker product of many, the Hales System Two.
Less than a year after graduating, Hales formed and started his own company – Hales Design Group – where his loudspeaker designs, the Hales System Two, the subsequent Signature, Revelation and Transcendence series models would go on to garner praise from the audiophile community and be officially recommended by Stereophile Magazine in their annual ‘Recommended Components’ listing.
As word of Hales’ loudspeaker designs continued to grow, Hales was hired as a designer consultant for high-end loudspeakers by Samsung in 1995 and two years later, went on to consult BMW on automotive loudspeaker systems.
At the start of the new millennium, Hales joined QSC Audio, the leading manufacturer of professional audio power amplifiers where he established their Research and Development department for loudspeakers and served as Director of R&D. In this role, Hales continued to explore his passion for loudspeakers, especially for professional applications and he patented both a loudspeaker mounting system and design aesthetic for QSC Audio. Hales lead the development of a new corporate logo and loudspeaker industrial design language for QSC Audio, which are still in use to this day.
In 2004, Hales departed QSC Audio to found Professional Home Cinema, LLC and develop professional-style loudspeakers for residential installed systems. Professional Home Cinema loudspeakers and DSP amplifier/processors quickly became the system of choice by many A-list movies stars, producers, directors and studio executives, for their personal residential screening rooms. In 2010, the company adopted the name Pro Audio Technology (‘PRO’) to better suit the company’s long-term strategic objectives.
Since the creation of Pro Audio Technology where Paul is owner and acting President, both BMW (BMW DesignWorks, USA) and Samsung Electronics have called upon Hales a second time for consultation on several projects including industrial design management, television loudspeaker systems and DSP products. Most recently, Hales consulted for Dolby Laboratories, the industry leader in surround sound for commercial and residential cinema environments, on the subjects of acoustics and loudspeaker design.
In 2020, Hales launched a sister company, Theory Audio Design, to bring his unique approach to audio equipment design to residential and commercial installed audio systems.
Stemming from his passion for speaker design and love of anything related to audio, Hales enjoys music, movies, and playing the drums. Never a dull moment, Hales stays busy with travel, photography, automobiles, cooking and just about any kind of physical activity. Hales also believes there isn’t a problem in the world that the right glass of wine can’t fix, and he is more than capable of picking the wine.
Marc Bertrand started his career in 1990 as a publishing Sales Manager in Ontario, Canada at a group of industry publications serving the Pro Audio, Musical Instrument and Trade Segments. It was in that role he got to know the staff at Tannoy North America and in 1994 he accepted a position on the order desk. A motivated team player with great ideas and customer relations, Bertrand quickly worked his way up within the organization, jumping from order desk to marketing and media relations, to sales and management.
In 2003 after Tannoy North America’s acquisition by TC Group, Bertrand was appointed the role of Managing Director. Six years later, TC Group Americas was formed and Bertrand was named CEO overseeing a catalogue of brands including Tannoy, TC Electronic, Lab.gruppen, Lake, and others through to 2016. During his tenure and under his leadership, the brands saw tremendous growth/
Following his time with TC Group Americas, Bertrand assumed an advisory role with Adamson Engineering before formally joining the company in 2017 as Managing Director, Americas. Just two years later, in 2019, Bertrand was appointed the role of CEO where he led Adamson’s global operations for the next four years.
In 2022 Bertrand was introduced to Paul Hales and Erin Phillips by a mutual industry friend. Not looking to make a move he took a video call as a favor to a friend. After seeing with the brands were capable of and knowing he could help the team reach their growth goals, Bertrand officially joined Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design as CSO in 2023 - his first project being the launch of Theory Professional’ into the commercial market. Bertrand’s excellent industry connections combined with his breadth of knowledge and experience in audio manufacturing, logistics, and growing sales networks at a global level make him a perfect fit for the executive team.
A Canadian through and through, Bertrand is a hockey fan who resides in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. When he isn’t jet-setting around the globe Bertrand can be found on the phone in his home office, playing golf alongside his two sons, or casually playing bass guitar.
Our other resident Canadian, Erin Phillips is a Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing Management graduate from The University of Guelph and comes to PRO with over 30 years of AV industry experience.
Phillips has audio in her DNA. She was born into an audio-centric family and was exposed to good sound and loudspeaker manufacturing at a young age. A close family friend to the founder of respected loudspeaker brand, Paradigm, Erin’s father has for more than 30 years been responsible for factory operations at Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan. Many of Erin’s early years were spent within the factory walls, working part-time across multiple departments from engineering, to finance, to manufacturing – you name it, she’s done it all.
After graduating from university, Phillips returned to Paradigm Electronics, Inc. and spent nearly a decade focused on product development and marketing. A passionate team player with a keen eye for detail and organization, Erin managed global marketing and PR for the three brands including product reviews, media relations, copywriting, social media, media planning, trade shows and events.
In 2016, Phillips joined esteemed AV industry PR firm, Caster Communications, where she leveraged her in-depth AV expertise to lead and support over half a dozen accounts at any given time. Her knack for building and nurturing strong relationships with her teams, clients, and media, allowed her to score top press coverage, product reviews, and industry awards for many leading residential and commercial audio, video, and automation brands. Anyone who has read about PRO and Theory in the news is familiar with Phillips’ work. Since 2016 she has scored a consistent cadence of top-tier press coverage for the two brands – including the launch of Theory Audio Design in 2018.
In 2021, Phillips found her way back to her roots in audio and accepted the role of Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design where she owned all marketing and communications initiatives including the launch of Theory Professional in 2023. In 2021 Erin was promoted to Vice President where she continues to oversee all marketing and public relations for the company, but her role and responsibilities have expanded substantially to include project management of product development and manufacturing, purchasing, and operations.
Phillips resides in Burlington, Ontario, Canada where she works out of her home office. An active yogi, world traveler, and mother, Phillips spends her minimal time left indulging in a glass of good wine while immersed in great-sounding audio.
CHRIS FARLEY
Lead Software Engineer /
Sales Engineer
An alum of San Jose State University, Chris Farley graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1990. Two years prior to graduation, Farley met Paul Hales of Hales Design Group when he worked at a cabinet manufacturing factory that manufactured the very first Hales loudspeaker enclosures. With a passion for acoustic testing, Farley was hired directly by Hales as a manufacturing engineer at Hales Design Group where Farley applied his background to test Hales’ loudspeaker designs.
Shortly after Hales joined QSC Audio, the leading manufacturer of professional audio power amplifiers, Farley started at QSC Audio in 2001 as the lead programmer on a test system designed to automate the quality control testing of loudspeakers. During his tenure at QSC, Farley honed his skills via a variety of programs including SoundCheck, Visual Basic 6.0, Microsoft Access, and Oracle, which he leveraged to create a fully-automated loudspeaker testing and data management system for the company.
In 2010 Hales reached out to Farley once again, this time to lead the development of the software configuration tool for Professional Home Cinema’s proprietary DSP amplifiers. As PHC’s loudspeakers and DSP amplifier/processors quickly became the system of choice by many A-list movie stars, producers, directors and studio executives for their personal residential screening rooms, the configuration tool developed by Farley became vital to the installation and optimization of these systems. Shortly after Farley joined the team, the company adopted the name Pro Audio Technology (PRO) to better suit the company’s long-term strategic objectives.
Farley continues to lead all software projects for PRO where his passion and expertise for acoustics, engineering and programming are a vital asset to the continued growth and success of the company. In 2019, Farley took on the additional role of Sales Engineer, where he offers support to PRO dealers, reps, and international distributors, as the go-to resource for system design and technical support. Given his woodworking and technical skills, Farley is also responsible for the AV, lighting design, and build-out of PRO and Theory tradeshow booths and audio demo rooms.
RYAN PORTER
Applications & Business Development Architect
Ryan’s passion for AV spans nearly 35 years beginning at a young age within his church, school, and community theater. Ryan went on to study stage lighting and technical sound at Bakersfield College.
What started as a hobby quickly ignited a career path in AV. After college, Ryan landed a job with a major home electronics retailer and also explored various sales roles from appliances to medical mobility equipment, and even vending route sales. But it was in 2007, when Ryan attended his first CEDIA Expo that he discovered his passion for custom integration, designing, and installing whole-home systems.
Since then, and for nearly 20 years, Ryan has continued to hone his expertise in residential AV working at two established integration companies before joining Southern California independent manufacturer’s rep firm, ByDesign Vision and Sound Marketing (ByDesign), in 2020.
As a regional sales representative for ByDesign, Ryan focused on territory growth, business development, and supporting both emerging and established firms. As the company expanded, Ryan led the design and build out of their high-end experience center and training facility. While there, he also represented the PRO and Theory brands and became an instant advocate. Ryan spent five years educating the Southern California market on the benefits of integrating PRO and Theory into their audio projects, making his next move an extremely natural fit.
In 2025, Ryan joined Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design as Applications and Business Development Architect where he continues to share his decades-long AV industry experience to lead and support the US residential network of reps, dealers, and industry partners.
Having spent many years ‘in the trenches’ of AV, Porter is intimately familiar with what it’s like to be an integrator, retailer, and manufacturer’s rep, as well as the challenges associated with working directly with end users, builders, designers, and architects. Ryan’s patient, thoughtful, and methodical approach combined with his breadth of AV experience make him a valuable addition to the PRO and Theory teams.
Outside of work, Ryan spends his free time with his three VIPs: his wife and two daughters. Family is at the heart of everything Ryan does, and he brings that same dedication and passion to his work.