May 5, 2011 09:36 GMT  ·  By

Apple may be looking into the possibility of creating its own, Apple-branded sound systems, going by reports that the Cupertino-based Mac maker has hired Tomlinson Holman, former corporate technical director for Lucasfilm.

Apple prides itself on hiring the best-of-breed from every industry, whether it’s video, audio, software, or hardware.

A good example is Jonathan Ive, the company’s designer responsible for the look and feel of pretty much every Apple product.

So it’s no surprise that Apple has snatched Lucasfilm's Tomlinson Holman, a legend in the industry, to squeeze some audio genius out of him.

Holman won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2002 and he is personally responsible for the first 10.2 surround sound system ever released.

Perhaps best known for being the chief inventor of Lucasfilm's THX theater sound system, Holman is currently a film sound professor at the University of Southern California.

He served as the corporate technical director for Lucasfilm, the creators of Star Wars, for 15 years.

It is worth pointing out that, in addition to his work in the film industry, Holman also has experience designing loudspeakers and amplifiers, as outlined by GigaOM.

So we’re enticed to speculate that Apple may be planning the introduction of its own, Apple-branded sound systems for use with desktop computers and / or iOS devices.

Granted, Apple has filed no patent applications that specifically attest the company’s interest in selling such hardware.

But few expected the Mac and iPod makers to launch their own line of battery chargers and Apple branded batteries. Yet they did.

However, the best bet remains that Holman will be taking part in the existing audio projects underway at Apple.

Whether he’ll help enhance the audio quality of built-in speakers on Macs and iOS devices, or whether he’ll be teaching the Logic team a thing or two about maximizing the use of 10.2 systems, we’re sure he’ll do a heck of a job at Apple.