Reading for the weekend: 22 articles about the history of legendary audio companies and how they “make sound”

In our blog " Hi-Fi World " we write about well-known audio equipment manufacturers. In today's collection of collected articles that will help you learn your favorite brands from new sides.


Photo by Adam Greig / CC

Ortofon

• Brand history. The 100-year history of Ortofon began with the production of sound film equipment. They released their first cartridge pickup only after the war. In this material, we recall the history of the company and its innovative devices.

• Report from the Ortofon factory: part 1. The Ortofon brand's equipment is produced in a small factory in the Danish outback. In the first article, we take a look at the research laboratory located there and the company's approach to the production of pickups.

• Report from the Ortofon factory: part 2. The Ortofon factory is designed in such a way that any product from the catalog can be made to order in just a few days. The second part of the factory tour tells about the final stages of this process: head assembly and testing of finished devices.

Lehmannaudio

• A little about the history of Lehmannaudio. Lehmannaudio has become famous for its headphone amplifiers. In this material we will tell about the history of the brand and the most interesting devices of the company. You can also find out on what equipment its founder Norbert Lehmann listens to music.

• Lehmannaudio headphone amplifiers and Norbert Lehmann philosophy. Norbert Lehmann has principles: he does not use Bluetooth in his devices, is indifferent to lamp technology and does not seek to “sharpen” amplifiers for popular models of headphones. This article will tell about the philosophy of the creator of Lehmannaudio and its reflection in the products of the brand.

OPPO Digital

• OPPO Digital - quality without compromise. OPPO Digital is a brand from China that has evolved into an international company with an office in California. In this article we will talk about the technologies that they use in their audio equipment. Also look at the most unusual models of the brand.

• Report from the factory OPPO Digital. The story of the "atypical" Chinese brand factory, more like the offices of Silicon Valley. The article details the process of testing OPPO products. Cables are tested on a device that simulates the actions of a playful child, and headphones are treated with a solution similar in composition to human sweat.

Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius / CC
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Bang & Olufsen

• Bang & Olufsen Museum. The history of the Danish company, models of which have always been distinguished by advanced design. The style of the brand was determined by the radio released in 1934, inspired by the works of the Bauhaus School. For their outstanding appearance, their production devices were included in the collection of the New York Museum MOMA. You will find photos of this and other equipment companies in the article.

• History of Bang & Olufsen. The story about the founders of the brand Peter Bang and Sven Olufsen reminds stories of well-known startups. Peter was an introvert and inventor who spent all his time in the laboratory. Sven, on the contrary, was a charismatic businessman. Because of the difference in the characters, they often quarreled, but together they managed to create a successful company.

• Report from the Bang & Olufsen head office. The factory and main office of Bang & Olufsen are located in the Danish commune of Struer, far from big cities. According to legend, the reason for this is the romantic relationship of Peter Bang with a local girl who did not want to move from her family. In the article you will find a tour of the company's office and photos of their new developments.

Penaudio

• The history of the company Penaudio. It began with the disillusionment of a typical Finnish teenager with an assortment of local audio stores. About the fact that he was unhappy, and how he found his approach to sound - in this article.

• Penaudio: True Finnish sound. In this material, Sami Penttila talks about his attitude to sound and invention. While still at university, he made the first audio system that several Hi-End equipment stores liked at once. Since then, Sami continues to experiment and share experiences.

Monitor audio

• Technology History Monitor Audio. This article is a review of the development of the technology of the famous British brand: from the first columns to the modern "precious" series. Special attention is surprised at the features of the membranes installed in the company's products.

• The process of creating acoustics Monitor Series 3G. In this material, the main developer of the company Charles Minett talks about the workflow of his department on the example of the new budget series Monitor 3G.

• Visiting Monitor Audio. The company's products are developed from scratch. This article tells about the headquarters of the English brand, in which the research and experiments necessary for the creation of new models take place.

Clearaudio

• Robert Zuhi: "Russia is waiting for a growing interest in vinyl." Clearaudio produces vinyl players and parts for them. In a new interview, Robert Zuhi, the son of the company's founder and CEO, spoke about the sharp increase in interest in vinyl and what equipment young record lovers are buying. We remind you that earlier Robert had already told us about the most important parts of the player and the secrets of the productivity of his small family business.

Photo david falkner / CC

• Report on the production of Clearaudio: part 1. The plant of the company is located in Germany and manufactures both Clearaudio equipment and equipment commissioned by other manufacturers. In the first part of the Clearaudio production story, we will look at how their turntables and vinyl washing machines assemble.

• Report from the production of Clearaudio: part 2. The second part of the report shows rare equipment for testing players, as well as the process of assembling the tonearts and the inviolable vinyl collection of Peter Zuhi himself, the founder of the company.

Arslab

• History of the brand Arslab. The manufacturer of Hi-End equipment Arslab owes its existence to both the achievements of experts from Taiwan, Germany and the USA, and the experience of Soviet radio engineers. In this article we will tell you a brief history of the creation of a brand that revived the legendary Riga plant Radiotekhnika.

• Arslab from the first person. Brand ideologist Artem Faermark and chief engineer Yuri Fomin talk about the peculiarities of the Russian Hi-Fi market, the experience of organizing their own production and positioning the Arslab brand.

• Yuri Fomin, Arslab: “A speaker system is a complex but accurate mathematical model.” Yuri Fomin has been developing acoustic systems for more than 30 years, and since 2008 he has become the chief engineer of Arslab. In this interview, he talked about the principles that guide him, creating the acoustics and his acquaintance with Artem Faermark.

• Notes from the factory where they make acoustics Arslab. Report from the Riga factory, where not only Arslab products are produced, but also cases and columns for other European brands, for example, Penaudio. From the article you will learn about the new experimental developments of Yuri Fomin and why the factory in Latvia is better than production in China.

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