Innovative British Brand Cambridge Audio Puts Music First
By
10 months ago
Cambridge Audio is a Great British Brand 2024
Cambridge Audio is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book.
Cambridge Audio: Great British Brand 2024
‘Cambridge Audio has always been an innovative company. Since it was founded in 1968, it has been responsible for a number of world firsts and continues to lead the way in developing new products for music lovers. The Alva TT was the first record player to offer hi-res Bluetooth streaming, bringing vinyl into the modern age. We launched our first network music streamer in 2011, but since then have produced another 12 related products: the most recent, MXN10, is powered by our fourth-generation technology.
These advances have been transformational, changing the way people listen to music. People still enjoy listening to vinyl and CDs because of their tactile nature but streaming brings a different level of convenience offering equally great pleasure. It’s not the same as putting on a record and sitting down really to indulge in it, but streaming appeals as it puts a world of music in your pocket, on your phone, and it’s affordable.
Change is constant in our industry: streaming is now the main medium for listening to music, although CDs and vinyl still have their place. The one thing that will never change is that music will always be there, at the heart of everything we do. Our passion for music is what drives us to make the products that we make, and tell the stories we tell: from launching our Made By Music podcast with artist interviews to running events in our music venue HQ.’
Charlie Henderson, CMO
Five Proudest Moments
- The P40 integrated amplifier, launched in 1968, was our firstever product, and the world’s first to use a toroidal transformer.
- In 1984, Cambridge Audio launched the CD1, the world’s first two-box CD player, which is still recognised as a landmark product in CD reproduction.
- Alva TT, launched in 2019, was the world’s first aptX HD Bluetooth turntable, meaning you could play your records in hi-res anywhere in the house.
- Our first pair of true wireless earphones, Melomania 1 (2019), gave us the chance to give people great sound on the go.
- In 2022 we won our first two Red Dot Awards for product design, with our Melomania 1+ earphones and Evo Series of all-in-one players.
What I’ve Learnt…
- Put customers first: the brand isn’t what we say it is, it’s what they say it is.
- It’s all about the music: we make products to connect people with music.
- Do the right thing: a business doesn’t just exist to make money; we aim to improve people’s lives with our products.
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO
Gallery Court, Hankey Place, London SE1 4BB
