- TONE Factory is a dedicated, young team that has been providing new impetus in the field of record players and the corresponding lifestyle under the umbrella of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH in partnership with Pro-Ject Audio Systems since 2019.
It was a good five years ago when the TONE Factory design team first presented a record player with the primary aim of addressing a particularly young, design-orientated audience and getting them excited about vinyl record playback and ultimately high-quality music enjoyment. This approach, which was the basis of the TONE Turntable from the very beginning, can therefore be seen as an alternative concept to the ubiquitous streaming in modest quality, as an attempt to make high-quality audio around a record player part of the modern lifestyle again.
It was a great advantage that the TONE Factory development team basically operated under the umbrella of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH, but largely independently and autonomously, in order to enable new ideas and innovative concepts. With Pro-Ject Audio Systems, also part of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH, they had an experienced partner at their side.
TONE Factory – A young, innovative team and a special concept
As already mentioned, the TONE Factory team is made up of young, committed people, namely Nicole Lichtenegger, Philipp Wollinger and Jakob Dirnberger. They invested a good two years of development work before presenting their own product for the first time at the end of 2019, beginning of 2020: the TONE Turntable, which was financed via the Kickstarter platform.
It took two years to fine-tune the unusual design and take care of all the technical aspects, naturally focussing on the best possible sound quality, but also on the most flexible use possible.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems as a competent partner
As a partner with decades of experience, the young development team was supported by Pro-Ject Audio Systems, as already mentioned, whereby the production naturally also took place in the Czech factory of Pro-Ject Audio Systems. It is therefore fair to say that this is a solution “Made in Europe”.
From the outset, the TONE Factory turntable was designed as a plug & play system, although it was not a classic HiFi system that the TONE turntable was intended to be used in, but in fact those scenarios that are relevant for young people.
From turntable to amplifier to speaker
It is therefore obvious that over the last five years, an entire audio system has been successfully built around the aforementioned turntable, which includes a compact amplifier system TONE Amp S as well as speaker systems such as TONE Speaker S and TONE Speaker L.
A look behind the scenes at TONE Factory
So it’s high time to take a closer look at how things have developed at TONE Factory over the last few years, what the current state of affairs is and what the company is planning for the future. Getting to the point with Jakob Dirnberger, Art Direction & Marketing at TONE Factory.
For those who don’t know TONE Factory yet: What is TONE Factory?
“We have developed a record player that makes it as easy as possible to enter the world of analogue music listening. Our aim was to create a product that doesn’t look like a technical device. That’s why we kept the design as minimalist as possible, for example by moving the controls to the underside of the turntable. There is no automatic function, no setting options and no tonearm lever. The only ‘feature’ is the Bluetooth transmitter. Otherwise, everything else is designed so that you can concentrate fully on the music and the records – because that’s what it’s all about.”
Purists claim that Bluetooth has no place in a record player. Why did you decide to integrate this feature anyway?
“I have to smile… Bluetooth is often criticised in HiFi circles, but I don’t see any contradiction in that. We’re offering a product that makes it incredibly easy to listen to records and therefore appeals to a target group that wasn’t previously interested in HiFi. However, those who are more interested in sound quality and want to experience a real sound stage can always switch to our speakers and amplifiers – which are a perfect match for the TONE turntable and have been available since last year.”
TONE Factory and Pro-Ject Audio products come from the same production facilities in the Czech Republic. What distinguishes the two brands?
“TONE Factory was founded in 2019 to commercialise a new turntable design. Like Pro-Ject and Musical Fidelity, TONE Factory is also part of Audio Tuning. We in the design and marketing department had the idea of developing a minimalist turntable.
When the first designs and prototypes were ready, it quickly became clear that what we had created here did not fit into the Pro-Ject concept, especially not as an entry-level line. We needed our own brand and new digital distribution channels. That’s why we launched TONE Factory, also with the aim of marketing directly via an online shop.”
Which target group is the TONE Factory brand aimed at?
“TONE Factory is primarily aimed at customers who wouldn’t go to traditional HiFi shops. These are predominantly younger people who want to deal primarily with music and not with the technology of cables or amplifiers.
There is jargon in many areas, but we try to avoid it as much as possible to make the experience as simple as possible. All that technology puts a lot of potential customers off, so we’ve removed that barrier, because at the end of the day it’s about the music and the records, not the devices and their functions. It should sound good and look good!”
How does TONE Factory manage to keep products affordable despite being “Made in Europe”?
“That’s a big challenge, of course. In recent years, we have experienced massive price increases in production due to global crises. The term “affordable” is of course relative. Getting to the point that we manufacture a product that nobody really needs. But we are proud to offer a high-quality product at a fair price that comes from Europe. We manufacture in the neighbouring Czech Republic, have short transport routes and short waiting times. We have made special moulds for the components that we use in the record player.
The tonearm, for example, consists of two parts that have to be joined together. Ultra-sonic velding (ultrasonic welding) is used for this with a machine that was made in Switzerland for our tonearm.”
Are there any historical HiFi devices that particularly impress you or serve as inspiration?
“Dieter Rams’ Braun products have always been a role model for me. His design approaches and theories still shape our environment today – and not just in the field of analogue design, but also in the digital realm.”
How does the design process work for you?
“When we design new products at Pro-Ject, they are usually based on existing models, on which we primarily make improvements. We have a wide range of models that we can orientate ourselves on. With TONE, we developed the entire design from scratch. The process was intensive and consisted of many prototypes, colour samples and test devices until we were satisfied with the details.
For new products, we start with various designs and renderings before we produce samples. It often turns out that although a design is visually exciting, it is not practical or economical in practice or in production. Getting to the point, we have a secret room full of design studies that have never made it into the public domain.”
Your solutions are aimed at new customer groups, where can TONE Factory products be purchased?
“The main sales channel is our website at www.tone-factory.com. The Allsound Shop is located at Maragetenstraße 98 in Vienna, where you can test our devices and buy them directly. We have also set up a separate listening room for TONE Factory at the Pro-Ject headquarters. It’s not in the general customer area, but if you ask nicely, you can get a guided tour and listen to our products there.”
Are new products planned for the near future?
“Of course, there are new products in the pipeline that we can’t talk about in detail yet. We have big plans to further develop and continuously improve our existing products.
What I can reveal is that we will be moving upwards in terms of price, as we want to focus on even higher quality and materials.”
Last but not least: What is the appeal of analogue music listening for you personally? Why are so many young people interested in it again today?
“The appeal of listening to analogue music lies in the conscious engagement with the music. You take your time and engage more intensively with the artists. A record player as a piece of jewellery in a home and a lovingly assembled vinyl collection are something special.
They not only demonstrate a passion for music, but also bring culture and lifestyle into your own four walls.
Consciously turning to analogue music is also like a ritual as a balance to the hectic, predominantly digital everyday life. Everyone has their own preferences: Whether by soft candlelight or with a glass of wine in hand, the analogue world of vinyl invites you to lose yourself completely in the music. A record player demands attention. Preparing the record, putting it on, possibly dusting it off before you put the cartridge on – a real prelude before you can finally listen to the music, but you are rewarded with the sound of the record.”
Thank you for the interview!
Prices and availability
The TONE Factory brand solutions can be found directly on the company’s website, where you have to invest € 449,- for the TONE Turntable, which is available in the colours Ultramarine Blue, Terracotta Red, Dune Grey, Black, White and Green. As already mentioned, a matching amplifier is also available in the form of the TONE Amp S for € 399,-, and the TONE Factory brand also offers speaker systems. The TONE Speaker S costs € 599 and the TONE Speaker L € 999,-.
Getting to the point
There are young, committed companies that can provide new impetus in the audio sector, and TONE Factory is definitely one of them, even if this brand, like Pro-Ject Audio Systems, is part of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH. A conscious decision was made to run the TONE Factory brand as an independent line, which can draw on the technical expertise of Pro-Ject Audio Systems and utilise its modern production facilities, but which is also dedicated to completely independent concepts that go beyond current conventions and thus ultimately break new ground in addressing new target groups.
| Theme | Visiting the … TONE Factory |
|---|---|
| TONE Factory – a Division of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| Brand | TONE Factory |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | TONE Factory – a Division of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| Distribution | Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG |
