For John Minnick, audio wasn’t just a career choice; it was a calling. Long before streaming platforms and wireless ecosystems, he was soldering circuits in his parents’ basement, chasing fidelity, and learning signal paths by hand.
“AV has been part of my life forever. I got into audio when I was in high school," he said. "I built my own power amps.”
This passion led him to engineering school, preparing him for roles in developing consumer imaging equipment, commercial electronics, wireless and wired networking solutions, and digital audio, long before these fields integrated across the industry. His professional career kicked off at Eastman Kodak.
“It was an amazing company at the time," Minnick recalled. "Some of the best engineers and people I'd ever worked with in my entire life worked there.”
From there, he worked on one of the earliest digital jukebox and music server platforms at Gibson Audio, a precursor to personal streaming libraries, then went on to shape wireless innovation at NuVo Technologies, where he led the development of the company’s wireless player system. All this led to Minnick's most pivotal chapter: joining Bogen Communications in 2013. It was an unexpected opportunity and came with something rare. “It was kind of a clean slate," he explained. "They gave me a lot of latitude, which you don’t get very often in your career.”
Minnick hit the ground running with Bogen by establishing a new development center in Orlando, FL, building a multidisciplinary engineering team, and leading the development of Nyquist, Bogen’s first fully digital, software-based audio and communications platform. Originally a project code name, Nyquist helped Bogen transition from traditional PA and intercom systems to networked audio, software, and services.
Using a long-term engineering approach, the team architected the solution to evolve over time, eliminating the need for frequent resets. This has paid off, with Nyquist becoming one of Bogen’s most successful and profitable platforms. “We didn’t want to blow it up in five years and start over," he noted.
But last year, he decided the time had come to retire, which took effect only recently (his last day was just a week before our interview). “After going at it for 12 years, it's time for some new visions, new thoughts, new people,” Minnick said.
When he expressed his wish to step away from a company he had dedicated so much to, Bogen honored him by naming its Orlando engineering facility after him, which he joked is “usually when somebody dies.” But the gesture highlights the significant impact he had on Bogen and the industry as a whole.
As he looks ahead, the evolution of audio remains just as exciting for him as when he first explored stereo systems decades ago. The advice he gives to newcomers is straightforward: “Be passionate about it," Minnick said. "If you have a passion for it, it’s well worth it.”
Minnick channeled this lifelong passion into creating innovations that will continue to grow and make a lasting impact on the Pro AV industry. Through it all, he has always remained connected to the creative spirit that initially drew him to the audio industry.
“That passion’s been with me all my life. I just really love audio reproduction and how it's evolved,” he said. It also spilled over into his family life—today, two of his children work in the AV industry. “I rubbed off a bit,” he said with a laugh.
