with Audionet Managing Director Thomas Gessler

 
i-fidelity.net:   Mr Gessler, can you please explain us which category the Audionet DNP falls into? Respectively which clientele you’re targeting with the DNP?

Thomas Gessler:   The DNP evades a classic classification. It is a typical analogue preamp with an affluence and density of information that seemed unimaginable for most listeners. Furthermore, it’s a universal, audiophile hightech D/A converter which charms unbelievable sounds even from a set top box; in addition it’s a streaming client or renderer which marks the state of the art both soundwise and because of its operating options, and it’s also an equaliser and bass manager, which adds a truly new dimension to the subject of high-quality music reproduction, not forgetting the fun.
Thus the circle of interested people has also been outlined: plain vanilla undogmatic folks who wish for music listening on the very highest level without limiting themselves. The DNP translates the wealth of today’s technical possibilities into pure euphony and creates a deeply emotional experience. By the way: right on time for the High End fair we are also going to showcase our new super power supply Audionet EPX, which is bound to raise the DNP – and not only this one – still further onto an almost incredible level.


i-fidelity.net:   We at i-fidelity.net find it absolutely remarkable that a medium-sized company like Audionet is able to produce such a complex high-end appliance. What did the extra mile for its realisation include?

Thomas Gessler:   Well, it should be generally known that we do not only distribute our systems, we also design them in the first place. And since the beginning of our company we’ve had a tradition to deal very thorougly with the things. We are about knowledge, not about hearsay.
One example of this is CARMA, a software for measuring and evaluating the sound in a listening room. We were not only concerned with the topic »How do reproduction system and listening room sound together«. At the same time we also created an analyse instrument for this purpose which enables us to make substantiated statements and show definite improvement activities. That being said, thereby we have acquired an extremely profound and well-founded approach to this subject. And this is a significant reason why our equalisers admittedly sound so damn good.
By the way, the new CARMA 4 will be ready for the High End – still available as a free download on our website –, which will offer absolutely professional measuring and analysing tools in every respect. The same applies to our operating apps. Here again, we have managed to develop groundbreaking solutions out of nowhere. So we’re no longer merely a hardware manufacturer, in the meantime the firm- and software development represents by far the bigger part of our work – everything homemade and thus available for our customers in the form of populated software and well-established competence. All in all it’s an enormous effort that we’re making in this sector!


i-fidelity.net:   You are working with different suppliers who even make custom parts for Audionet in some cases. How satisfied are you with their services?

Thomas Gessler:   We have housings, transformers, circuit boards, SMD mounting, but now also a large proportion of the components that we use like e.g. capacitors, custom-made for us – in India, Japan, China, but primarily in Germany as well. For instance, in the new Audionet EPX we use Elna capacitors which are exclusively made for us by this company of international standing. Every entrepreneur knows: single items are ok, bulk production is ok. But small and medium quantities will earn you wrinkles and grey hair, because the requirements are just as high as with large volumes. This means in concreto that effort and costs will rise extremely. Things are going very well with our suppliers; with many of them we’ve had long lasting business relations and they know our quality standards. After all, they make us pay for it.


i-fidelity.net:   Do you think that music listening via harddisk is the future or do you believe that it is just another, utterly comfortable source?

Thomas Gessler:   Music listening via harddisk is going to creep as naturally into our lives and occupy its place as e.g. the computer or the internet, of that I am sure.


i-fidelity.net:   In your capacity as Audionet’s managing director you have extremely rarely adapted to hip trends for more than a decade. Whereas a large proportion of the branch will meet at the High End in Munich from May 9th, you’re sounding the bell for the chapter »New Ways for Munich« ein. What’s it all about?

Thomas Gessler:   Since the High End can’t take a clear decision if they want to be a trade or a public fair, I always felt we had the problem that we could care neither for our dealers and importers nor for our many loyal customers the way they deserve it. This year we want to free ourselves from this balancing act with a concept that will include consultations by appointment and also a free convivial part, with a new location and flexible times. From this we’re expecting more fruitful and successful results for all persons involved.