Now, if you haven’t heard of AMG before, well, honestly, what are you doing? You probably don’t know anything about cars. Even though I’m traditionally more of a Volvo and BMW enthusiast, of course, I knew AMG, and I was very excited to get the opportunity to tour this amazing facility.

One thing that really struck me was just how clean everything is. They really stick to that original “One Man, One Engine” concept, but in the process of doing so, they’ve added automation where it’s helpful, utilizing some incredibly sophisticated tools. For example, there is a cart that follows the engine builder around through different steps of the process and actually pre-selects the specific parts they need for each step. It is an amazing marriage of human craftsmanship and automation working in harmony.

But what really shocked me, as I said, was the cleanliness. There’s no oil on the floor, no parts lying around, and no grease stains. When I asked about this specifically, the gentleman giving us the tour simply said, “You just keep it clean.” It was a very Swabian mentality. Of course, they have cleaning crews, but I think this is a thread that ran through almost my entire experience with all the German factories: a level of precision and organization that is typically German. It isn’t incorrect to say that there really is a higher level of organization in their manufacturing than I’ve seen almost anywhere else.

It was a joy to experience that, both at the factory—where we saw the area where Pagani engines are made (one person makes every Pagani engine ever delivered)—and at the delivery center for new owners. Although AVM and Viablue are perhaps not quite as exclusive as Pagani, I think the same type of care goes into their products.

AVM (Audio Video Manufaktur)

Fast forward a little bit, and we arrived at the AVM factory. While there are a few local suppliers who provide things like circuit boards and casework, the AVM factory proper is where all the magic comes together.

We got a lovely and unexpected tour of those local facilities as well. This structure allows AVM to have a high degree of control while utilizing local specialists who are excellent at, say, printing circuit boards but may not necessarily know as much about audio testing. They work together with AVM to build the optimal product.

What is that product? Well, one thing that is really cool about what AVM does is that they have a range of products—from relatively affordable all the way to about $40,000 for their top-level monoblock amplifiers. AVM products do tend to use tubes in some of the amplification stages, and they have an extremely wide array of functionality. We are talking Bluetooth, Wi-Fi streaming, DSP, amplification, phono stages… the list goes on. Even an all-in-one integrated unit from AVM for $5,000 or $6,000 is an incredibly complete package, not only sonically but also functionally.

What AVM does better than almost any manufacturer I’ve seen is take the level of care you expect from a $30,000 or $40,000 piece and take that all the way down into their most affordable products. I was very impressed at the amount of features they were able to include while retaining an extremely clean circuit board layout and high-quality componentry.

After touring the factory, we got some time to listen to AVM at a local shop. It was an incredibly nice arena to listen to hi-fi, built around an old historic house in Baden-Baden, a historic vacation town renowned for its hot springs.

VIABLUE Cables

We also got to see another company: VIABLUE.

VIABLUE is focused on cables that feature shielding to minimize noise. This focus originally came from their work in recording studios, where multiple microphone cables might be laying over each other, and they needed to reduce the noise from those cables interacting. They’ve taken this technology into hi-fi. They are remarkably low on exotic “voodoo” ideas about how audio cables work and extremely high on practicality.

They offer different types of shielding and a pretty astonishing degree of customization—custom connectors, colors, and lengths. VIABLUE gave the impression of an enormous amount of attention to detail, working extremely closely with the people who cast and draw out the wire. They can specify different cable geometries for a customer who may need it. Interestingly, a lot of the cable they sell is actually to the medical industry, which has very specific needs.

For their audio cable, this represents an intriguing prospect: relatively affordable cables made to a very high standard with an enormous amount of flexibility. Although the actual operation was relatively straightforward, I gained a newfound appreciation for the organization, time, and care it takes to put all of this together.

Listening Impressions and Conclusion

Both AVM and Viablue represent companies that, for reasonable money, are able to put together a pretty serious audio system. This is something we don’t see too often anymore in the United States; it is challenging to meet those price points while looking nice, providing excellent sound quality, and offering great value.

The sonic qualities further supported the idea that these are fully modern products. They do excellent with digital and streaming. There is no question of “will it suit analog” or “does it have this flavor.” Everything I heard from both companies was relatively true to source, transparent, neutral, and straight-ahead. It is a modern, wide-bandwidth, dynamic sound that is quite appealing.

It is very easy to see where a consumer who isn’t a “card-carrying audiophile” might walk into a shop—many of which still exist in Germany—and simply purchase a system because it sounds nice. AVM actually makes pairs of speakers that are relatively affordable and designed to be compatible with their entry-level electronics. We heard a few of those at the shop where we demoed the gear, and I have to say they sounded really quite nice.

Overall, as these companies begin to get wider distribution in the United States through Fidelity Imports, they are definitely ones to keep an eye out for. If you are looking for an affordable or mid-priced system, it’s very hard to beat the level of build quality, service, stability, and sound quality on offer here.

Both companies have been around for quite some time. AVM, although acquired by the current owner Udo Besser some time ago, originally started in 1986 and is a long-standing staple of the German audio market.

I’ll be bringing you more exciting factory tours very soon, so stay tuned for those. But in the meantime, check out AVM and Viablue cables. These are two exciting audio brands, especially for folks interested in more accessible, feature-rich gear.

That’s all for now. Thanks, and I’ll see you later.