Origin Acoustics announces its latest strategic partnership by becoming the exclusive U.S. importer of Velodyne Acoustics. Origin Acoustics is bringing back this iconic brand to the U.S. market by partnering with Velodyne Acoustics new ownership, Audio Reference, out of Hamburg, Germany.
Velodyne Acoustics started in 1983 with the aim of transforming the enjoyment of music and movies in the home. Arguably the biggest name in the subwoofer category, the company went dormant for several years and was then acquired in 2019.
Dave Hall, the founder of Velodyne, was able to develop over 200 patents, of which Velodyne Acoustics still holds many today. These patents in subwoofer construction and design show the true pioneering and innovation that is part of the brand’s history.
Thomas Wolff, export sales manager for Velodyne Acoustics, says, “We are excited to bring Velodyne Acoustics back to the US where the brand started. The brand was iconic in the states and adored by the Custom Channel and 2-channel resellers alike. We have been looking for the right partner that could bring Velodyne Acoustics back, and there is no doubt Origin Acoustics will do a great job. This is incredible for both companies, and most importantly, for the dealers who have enjoyed the brand for many years.
Origin Acoustics will offer the entire line in the U.S. market, which will be supported by its national sales team and rep partners. The product line consists of over 30 subwoofer models, along with several amplifiers, most of which are newly designed.
Gordon Isaac, chief marketing and strategy officer says, “We are very excited to be partnering with Velodyne Acoustics as part of our curated brands approach to doing business. Velodyne Acoustics is passionate about audio performance, and we are excited to bring their products back to the U.S. and expand their custom line of products by collaborating on additional Design Centric Technology solutions that we know are important to designers and specifiers.”
Nick Berry, Origin Acoustics CEO, adds, “Origin Acoustics is fully committed to this industry, and we felt it was our duty to bring this iconic brand back to the US dealers and continue to develop its legacy. Velodyne Acoustics has done a great job of continuing the tradition of performance and innovation, and this partnership will mean a lot to our US customers”
Velodyne Acoustics’ wide range of products covers most price points for both music and movie applications. Some of the special products in the line are the MicroVee X series, a new version of the widely successful MicroVee compact subwoofer product.
Roughly the size of a 9-inch cube, the MicroVee X has 800 watts of dynamic power and will play down to 18Hz utilizing a 6.5-inch-high excursion carbon fiber driver and two side-mounted passive radiators. Other offerings include their Digital Drive Plus line of sealed enclosed subwoofers, available in 10-, 12-, 15- and 18-inch models with up to 3,000 watts of power and capable of playing down to 10Hz. Many models come with DSP amplifiers, which make proper set up very simple.
Isaac adds, “Velodyne Acoustics has always created amazing subwoofers, but what is impressive is how they have been able to continue to elevate the performance of their products and bring out new models that are even better than the originals.”
The Velodyne DB-12 recently received an award for the Subwoofer of the Year over $1,500 from Sound and Image Awards, while Modern HiFi called the MicroVee X not just any subwoofer. This concluded that the Hamburg-based engineers from Audio Reference and Velodyne Acoustics have created something special here and gave it a 9.3 out of 10.
Mansour Mamaghani, CEO of Hamburg-based Velodyne Acoustics, says, “I feel strongly that we share a commitment with Origin Acoustics to create reference-level sound quality and provide strong customer support throughout a positive and long-term approach to business. This will be a great opportunity for US dealers to offer a brand they know well. We look forward to working with the team at Origin Acoustics and continuing to create the high-performance products their dealers require.”
Origin Acoustics will demo the products at its CEDIA Expo Booth #16069 and will have inventory in stock and shipping around early November.
