Creative Technology becomes Destructive liao

[Atonchia]

Didn't know the company is still around after the passing of Mr Sim... 

Haven't bought any of CT product since the speakers in late 90s for PC. 

Still contributing to the society.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/family-of-late-creative-technology-founder-sim-wong-hoo-donates-385000-to-st-pocket-money-fund

Edited June 7 by Atonchia

[Jman888]

On 6/8/2026 at 7:36 AM, Atonchia said:

Didn't know the company is still around after the passing of Mr Sim... 

Haven't bought any of CT product since the speakers in late 90s for PC. 

Still contributing to the society.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/family-of-late-creative-technology-founder-sim-wong-hoo-donates-385000-to-st-pocket-money-fund

i bought a webcam, headphone and a portable speaker these few years, almost bought the Aurvana Ace when it first launch that cost $200+ that time.

although i dun see CT as a successful company, have to admire what he did was more about passion and not chasing after money.

[inlinesix]

I bought portable DAC 10 years ago 

[Ake109]

My last Creative product was SoundBlaster Pro because I wanted to hear the Wing Commander II speech pack (came in 8x 3.5inch iirc, from that software cloning shop in People's Park, cannot remember what the name liao)

[kobayashiGT]

On 6/8/2026 at 9:20 AM, Jman888 said:

i bought a webcam, headphone and a portable speaker these few years, almost bought the Aurvana Ace when it first launch that cost $200+ that time.

although i dun see CT as a successful company, have to admire what he did was more about passion and not chasing after money.

if his obsession is graphic card, and not sound card, things will be very different. 😅

[Rm2s]

A quick look at the company webpage, the total staff around the world is now around 280 (Singapore use to have over 1,000 not counting production operators). Still has 5 offices worldwide. Did a prompt to look for last 20 years financial results of the company. I wonder how the company able to survive.

Available annual net profit/loss figures (in USD) include:

FY2025: Net Loss of $10.4 million

FY2024: Net Loss of $10.8 million

FY2023: Net Loss of $16.7 million

FY2022: Net Loss of $11.0 million

FY2021: Net Loss of $7.6 million

FY2020: Net Loss of $17.6 million

FY2019: Net Loss of $30.4 million

FY2018: Net Loss of $12.6 million

FY2017: Net Loss of $16.8 million

FY2016: Net Profit of $5.6 million (Last full-year profit)

FY2015: Net Loss of $10.2 million

FY2014: Net Loss of $18.0 million

FY2013: Net Loss of $14.0 million

FY2012: Net Loss of $11.6 million

FY2011: Net Loss of $25.1 million

FY2010: Net Loss of $38.4 million

FY2009: Net Loss of $137.9 million

FY2008: Net Loss of $31.8 million

FY2007: Net Loss of $106.6 million

FY2006: Net Loss of $95.4 million

[Playtime]

On 6/8/2026 at 9:20 AM, Jman888 said:

i bought a webcam, headphone and a portable speaker these few years, almost bought the Aurvana Ace when it first launch that cost $200+ that time.

although i dun see CT as a successful company, have to admire what he did was more about passion and not chasing after money.

it was successful in its time la, played on world stage. Eventually vast majority of companies will fail one.

Unlike singtel, SIA, ST etc he had no back ground or govt backing as GLC, in fact was looked down on. So he/CT did very well liao, not sure many locals can compare.  Who knows if he had more support things could have been different.

Edited June 8 by Playtime

[serenade]

I wanted to support local and recycling. Made my way to their showroom at JE with my old Creative Desktop speakers for them to upgrade and re-sell. At same time to buy their speakers as a replacement. Auditioned their new range, up to the lower rungs of their soundbars. None of them could make it on sound quality. I asked to buy back the same model of speakers that I had brought as the sound quality was still the best. Had no stock and dont know when new stock will arrive.

In the end, I went home and bought a speaker from Edifier through Shopee. Turned out the Edifier has more features, sounds better and is cheaper than the Creative I wanted.

I am afraid Creative has lost its direction, no longer pursues sound quality, nor make good products that delivers what they promise in advertisements.       

[Albeniz]

Nowadays, I have been buying these gadgets online from Shopee instead, and usually from the smaller brands or names.  The quality is surprisingly good.

The competitions faced by local companies are real tough.

[citydrivingsg]

Main culprit is none other than the founder himself who refused to step down despite the company going downhill:

** Sim Wong Hoo's long tenure as CEO (1981–2023) is a major factor** in Creative Technology's prolonged decline, though it's not the *only* reason.

### Summary of Creative's Decline Since ~2006
- **Peak**: Mid-1990s — Sound Blaster dominated PC audio. Revenue hit ~US$1.6–2 billion.
- **Post-2005/2006**: Sharp and sustained losses. The company has been mostly unprofitable for nearly 20 years, with revenue shrinking dramatically (from hundreds of millions to ~US$60–70 million in recent years).
- It survived on past cash reserves, occasional patent settlements (e.g., US$100M from Apple), and cost-cutting, but never recovered meaningful growth.

### Main Reasons for the Losses

1. **Failed to Adapt After Sound Blaster Era**  
   The PC sound card market collapsed as motherboards integrated good-enough audio. Creative was too dependent on one product category.

2. **Disastrous MP3 Player Battle vs Apple**  
   Creative entered the portable music player market early (Nomad/Zen series) but was crushed by the iPod. Aggressive price wars, high marketing spend, and low margins led to heavy losses. They won a patent lawsuit but lost the war.

3. **Poor Product Strategy & Execution**  
   Repeated attempts to pivot (graphics cards, CD-ROMs, VoIP, headphones, Super X-Fi, etc.) mostly failed to gain traction. Many products were technically innovative but poorly marketed, overpriced, or lacked ecosystem support.

4. **High Costs & Inefficient Operations**  
   Heavy R&D spending with low returns, bloated structure, and slow decision-making.

5. **External Factors**  
   Intense competition (Apple, Sony, Samsung, Chinese brands), commoditization of audio tech, rise of smartphones, and later supply chain/inflation issues.

### Was Sim Wong Hoo the Problem?

**Yes, to a large extent** — despite being a brilliant inventor and engineer:

- **Strength**: Visionary innovator who built Creative from nothing into a global brand and pioneered PC audio.
- **Weakness as CEO of a public company**: 
  - He stayed as Chairman + CEO for **over 40 years** — extremely rare and usually unhealthy for a listed company.
  - Strong "founder syndrome" — resisted major strategic shifts or bringing in professional management.
  - Repeated failure to execute successful pivots despite many attempts.
  - The company became known for coasting on past glory while burning cash.

Many analysts and observers in Singapore noted that while Sim was a great *technologist*, he was not a strong *business strategist* or operator for a maturing company in a hyper-competitive industry. After his death in 2023, the company continued cost-cutting and restructuring, but the core challenges remain.

**Bottom line**:  
Creative’s decline is a classic case of a hardware company that won one generation but couldn’t reinvent itself. Sim Wong Hoo deserves huge credit for the early success, but his long grip on leadership contributed significantly to the inability to adapt. Many Singaporeans still view him fondly as a pioneer, but from a shareholder perspective, the results since the mid-2000s speak for themselves.

---------- Source: Grok AI

[Sosaria]

On 6/8/2026 at 10:27 AM, kobayashiGT said:

if his obsession is graphic card, and not sound card, things will be very different. 😅

People don't appreciate good digital sound. MP3 quality will do. As for those audiophiles, their equipment is niche brands definitely not Creative level 

[inlinesix]

On 6/8/2026 at 5:51 PM, Sosaria said:

People don't appreciate good digital sound. MP3 quality will do. As for those audiophiles, their equipment is niche brands definitely not Creative level 

I moved portable China DAC that is powered by the phone. It is good enough for 3.5mm jack.

Creative DAC still somewhere in backpack

[TangoCharlie]

Made some money from the xfi hype so a supporter still. Bought their outlier wireless ear phones for kids and myself. Good enough for me.

No longer a shareholder though with his passing.

He may not be the most savvy bizman on hindsight, but he sure put money where his mouth is. Respect!

[Atonchia]

On 6/8/2026 at 11:37 AM, serenade said:

I wanted to support local and recycling. Made my way to their showroom at JE with my old Creative Desktop speakers for them to upgrade and re-sell. At same time to buy their speakers as a replacement. Auditioned their new range, up to the lower rungs of their soundbars. None of them could make it on sound quality. I asked to buy back the same model of speakers that I had brought as the sound quality was still the best. Had no stock and dont know when new stock will arrive.

In the end, I went home and bought a speaker from Edifier through Shopee. Turned out the Edifier has more features, sounds better and is cheaper than the Creative I wanted.

I am afraid Creative has lost its direction, no longer pursues sound quality, nor make good products that delivers what they promise in advertisements.       

All my wireless headphones all edifier.

[Atonchia]

His sister interview.