Vienna Acoustics gets bigger and better!
By Roy Gregory
As soon as the Munich Show opens its doors for set-up, the annual round of “Who’s not here?” will start – accompanied by the hum of uninformed speculation, rumour and gossip. It’s got to the point where companies that choose not to exhibit have started to issue press releases in the hope of explaining why. Indeed, there are any number of good reasons why a company might be absent, from electing to offer an alternative, off-site experience, to choosing to attend a different event altogether. Product plans might not have reached fruition or the marketing focus might have shifted East – or even West.
One High-End stalwart that won’t be in Munich this year is Vienna Acoustics. But in this case, the reason is entirely positive. A brand that seemingly goes out of its way to represent that most audio of oxymorons, the quiet loudspeaker manufacturer, Vienna Acoustics have calmly been producing speakers that are as musically satisfying as they are affordable, notable for their combination of wide bandwidth, rich harmonics and flawless finish. Their products have consistently delivered both musical excellence and excellent value. With entirely European manufacturing, complex yet exactingly executed cabinets and their own unique drivers, if the Vienna speakers have a problem, it’s that they aren’t expensive enough to attract attention and be taken as seriously as they should. Being the industry’s best kept secret isn’t necessarily great for business, but the Company has always been happy with not just the business it does but the way it does it and who it does it with. The proof of this particular pudding lies in the loyalty of both dealers and end users to the brand and the term “much loved’ wouldn’t be inappropriate.
Like most successful, independent manufacturers, Vienna have kept things simple, with a tightly focussed range that traverses the key price points and system requirements. Within that range, there’s always been a compact floorstander called the Mozart – and (just like its namesake) it’s always been one of the company’s star performers. But when the Mozart Infinity arrived, it exceeded all expectations. Pretty soon, just meeting demand for the Mozart Infinity started to cannibalize funds and resources. Pretty soon, the company realised they’d created a monster. Production of other models and new product development were impacted, with deliveries and projects delayed. Something needed to give and an answer had to be found. Ultimately, that answer emerged from the most obvious place…
Vienna Acoustics has been working with JRC SA, the Polish cabinet manufacturer for over a decade. The company started as a supplier, but as the relationship developed, they soon became the Polish distributor too. Who is in a better position to understand both the pressure placed on Vienna Acoustics by the success of the Mozart Infinity and the potential inherent in the company. As a result, the two companies have entered into a formal partnership, a strategic step that provides both funding and an immediate easing of both supply and new product development pressures. Unfortunately, that easing didn’t occur soon enough to allow the completion of the new projects under development in time for the Munich show. So instead of simply showing the existing range, the decision was taken to concentrate on playing catch up, both in terms of production but also those new models.
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