Austrian Audio
Austrian Audio is an Austrian professional-audio company that designs and manufactures microphones and headphones.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Austrian Audio is an Austrian professional-audio brand specializing in microphones and headphones for studio, stage, broadcast, and other professional applications. The company was established in Vienna in July 2017, following the closure of AKG Acoustics’ Austrian operations after Harman’s acquisition by Samsung. Its founding team consisted of 22 former AKG employees with experience spanning management, acoustics, electronics, testing and measurement, mechanical engineering, wireless technology, software, and firmware. The company’s formation was closely connected to the loss of AKG’s long-standing Austrian engineering and manufacturing base. AKG had been founded in Vienna in 1947 by physicists Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless and had developed from a supplier of cinema equipment into a recognized audio manufacturer. Harman acquired AKG in 1993, and Samsung acquired Harman in 2016. After the latter transaction, the Austrian AKG sites, including the Liesing factory, were scheduled for closure and the work was to be redistributed among facilities elsewhere in Europe and Asia. Austrian Audio emerged as an independent enterprise created by former employees who wanted to continue developing professional audio products in Vienna. Austrian Audio spent more than a year developing its first microphone capsule, the CKR12. The company introduced its first products in 2019: the OC818 and OC18 large-diaphragm condenser microphones. These products established the brand around professional recording and live-sound equipment rather than consumer electronics. The company’s portfolio subsequently centered on microphones and headphones, with an emphasis on in-house engineering and professional use. In 2025, DPA Microphones acquired a majority share in Austrian Audio. The transaction placed Austrian Audio under DPA’s ownership while allowing the Austrian business to retain its presence in Austria. This ownership change connected two specialist professional-audio companies, but Austrian Audio remained identifiable as its own brand. Publicly available reference material does not establish detailed financial terms, a complete executive roster, or a comprehensive list of operating markets.
History
Austrian Audio was created in Vienna in July 2017 against the backdrop of a major restructuring of the professional-audio industry. Its immediate antecedent was the closure of AKG Acoustics’ Austrian operations. AKG had been founded in Vienna in 1947 by Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless, initially supplying cinema-related equipment such as loudspeakers, film projectors, and light meters. Over time, the company broadened its activities to include automotive horns, door intercoms, telephone microphone capsules, headsets, and other audio products. It became particularly associated with microphones, headphones, and professional recording technology. AKG was acquired by Harman International Industries in 1993. Harman later became part of Samsung after Samsung’s acquisition of Harman in 2016. Following the Samsung transaction, plans were announced to close AKG’s Austrian locations, including the Liesing factory, which employed approximately 130 people, and to relocate activities by the middle of 2017. Some employees were offered opportunities to move to facilities in other countries. Product development and manufacturing were increasingly distributed across other European and Asian locations, leaving AKG primarily as a brand within Harman’s wider organization rather than an independently operated Austrian manufacturing business. Austrian Audio was founded after the Austrian closure by 22 former AKG employees. The group included specialists in management, acoustics, electronics, testing and measurement, mechanical design, wireless systems, software, and firmware. Their objective was to continue developing professional audio technology in Austria through a new independent company. The business devoted more than a year to the development of its first microphone capsule, called the CKR12. This work became the technical foundation for the company’s initial product range. In 2019 Austrian Audio presented the OC818 and OC18, its first two products. Both were large-diaphragm condenser microphones intended for professional recording and sound applications. Their introduction established the company’s market identity as a specialist microphone developer rather than a general consumer-electronics brand. The company also developed professional headphones and continued to position its products for studio, stage, broadcast, and related professional environments. The company’s early identity was shaped by continuity with Vienna’s microphone-engineering tradition, but it operated as a new enterprise rather than as a continuation of AKG’s corporate ownership. Its personnel heritage, technical capabilities, and location linked it to the former Austrian AKG organization, while its products and corporate structure were developed independently. In 2025 DPA Microphones acquired a majority share in Austrian Audio. The acquisition changed the company’s ownership and connected it with another specialist professional-audio manufacturer. Available reference material states that Austrian Audio maintained its presence in Austria after the transaction. Details such as the purchase price, the precise governance structure, and the full list of executives were not provided in the cited material.
- 2025
DPA Microphones acquires a majority share
[1]DPA Microphones becomes the majority owner of Austrian Audio, which continues to retain an Austrian presence.
- 2019
First products are introduced
[1]Austrian Audio launches the OC818 and OC18 large-diaphragm condenser microphones, based on the company’s early CKR12 capsule development.
- 2017
Austrian Audio is founded
[1]A 22-person group of former AKG employees establishes Austrian Audio in Vienna after the closure of AKG’s Austrian site.
- 2016
Samsung acquires Harman
[1]Samsung acquires Harman, after which the closure and relocation of AKG’s Austrian operations are announced.
- 1993
Harman acquires AKG Acoustics
[1]Harman International Industries acquires AKG, bringing the Austrian audio brand into a larger international corporate group.
- 1947
AKG is founded in Vienna
[1]Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless establish AKG Acoustics in Vienna, creating the historical professional-audio lineage associated with Austrian Audio’s founding team.
Products and positioning
A Vienna-based professional-audio specialist built around Austrian engineering heritage, microphone development, and products for studio, stage, and other demanding professional applications.
Large-diaphragm condenser microphone · 2019
OC818
The OC818 was one of Austrian Audio’s first commercial products and helped define the company’s professional microphone portfolio. It is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone intended for demanding studio and professional sound applications. Its launch in 2019 followed more than a year of development work on the company’s CKR12 capsule technology.
Large-diaphragm condenser microphone · 2019
OC18
The OC18 was introduced alongside the OC818 as one of Austrian Audio’s first products. It is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone aimed at professional recording and sound work. Together with the OC818, it established the new company’s initial market presence after its formation by former AKG personnel in Vienna.
Microphone capsule
CKR12
The CKR12 is Austrian Audio’s first microphone capsule development and an important part of the technical foundation behind its initial products. The company spent more than a year developing the capsule before introducing the OC818 and OC18. It represents the brand’s emphasis on in-house microphone engineering.
Professional headphones
Professional headphones
Austrian Audio also develops headphones for professional audio users. The cited reference identifies headphones as a core product category, but does not provide enough detail to document individual models, launch dates, specifications, or current product status.
Brand decisions
2025
DPA Microphones acquires a majority shareM&ABackground
Austrian Audio had developed as an independent specialist in professional microphones and headphones after emerging from the former Austrian AKG organization.
Action taken
DPA Microphones acquired a majority share in Austrian Audio.
Aftermath
Austrian Audio remained present in Austria while becoming majority-owned by DPA Microphones. The available reference does not state the transaction value or detailed governance arrangements.
2017
Create an independent professional-audio company in ViennaStrategyBackground
The closure of AKG’s Austrian operations displaced a group of employees with expertise in acoustics, electronics, product design, testing, and software.
Action taken
Twenty-two former AKG employees established Austrian Audio and pursued new microphone and headphone development under an independent Austrian brand.
Aftermath
The new company developed the CKR12 capsule and introduced its first microphones in 2019, preserving a professional-audio engineering presence in Vienna.
Recent events
Austrian Audio launches HI-X professional headphones[2]
Reported:
Austrian Audio debuted its first professional headphone range, comprising the on-ear HI-X50 and over-ear HI-X55, at NAMM 2020 in the US.
Sources4 sources
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