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Q&A with Mads Klifoth of Audiovector

Q&A with Mads Klifoth of Audiovector

How did your interest high-end audio begin? Did it come from the music side or the electronics side? 

I grew up with a lot of music around me as a child. Listening to Andreas Vollenweider, Loggins & Messina, Led Zeppelin, Fairfield Four, Elvis, BB King, Prince, and a lot of Keith Jarrett music was the key to my interest. Soon after, with the different systems and combinations we had at home, I started my love affair with audio, and I was hooked!

What was your first high-end system?

My father is the founder of Audiovector, of course, so I have been exposed in one way or another to high-end audio since before I could walk. One of the first systems I remember him playing was a Meitner Pre with two monoblock power amplifiers, a fully loaded Linn LP12 turntable, and our F 3 Trapez loudspeakers (this early model paved the way for Audiovector as it is today). My own first system was a pair of Audiovector M3 Avantgarde MK2 with Musical Fidelity X-Ray, X-A2, X-AS100—I was 12 years old then.

 

What attracted you to the industry? And loudspeaker design in particular? 

I was attracted to the industry because I really enjoy the feeling of “camaraderie” that is quite unique in the hi-fi business. A shared love of music, plus close relations to our partners and working in a family business all contribute to this. We think that loudspeakers are the most important part of a hi-fi system as you translate electrical signals to acoustical signals. 

 

What differentiates high-end audio from other forms of audio? 

The relentless pursuit of the best possible sound and an enthusiastic approach to musical reproduction and music itself fascinates us a lot. This uncompromising approach in every respect differentiates high end from other forms of audio.

 

In light of current technology, do you approach speaker design differently today? 

A lot of technical calculations and various measurements have become much easier due to computerization. In addition, we use our many years of professional experience and, of course, our ears, which are always the most important tool in creating a great loudspeaker. The significance of simply listening with your ears and using your judgment if something is musically communicative and emotionally involving must never be underestimated! Also, listening to our designs in different environments is also as important as ever.

 

Is a younger generation of audiophiles demanding something different from Audiovector than earlier generations? 

In essence, today’s requirements are close to the same as previous generations: Pure, lifelike, natural sound, but with even more focused precision, lower distortion, and with loudspeakers that comply with the quality of high-end streaming.

 

What interesting fact or aspect about Audiovector might surprise audiophiles? 

Some audiophiles are surprised by the fact that a high-end loudspeaker can look quite so attractive. We take pride in offering hand-built and beautiful-sounding products with a modern, elegant, and timeless exterior, which is directly related to our strong Danish design heritage.

 

What are the greatest challenges facing the high-end audio industry in general?

I think that as an industry we need to communicate the real value of what we make. By this I don’t mean commercial value but an emphasis on music being essential for well-being and cultural enrichment. And high-end audio delivers this to maximum effect. Over the next 10–15 years we need to have an extra focus on getting people to migrate to our industry from more mainstream products and experience a high-quality, emotionally communicative system, and this is something you cannot do via Instagram or Facebook. However, embracing emerging technology—regarding both performance and usability—side by side with more traditional engineering (such as vinyl playback) has to be incorporated into this more holistic strategy.


Outside of audio, what do you do for fun?

I am fortunate to have a wonderful wife and an amazing two-year-old son with whom I spend most of my time. On weekends I listen to a lot of music—maybe not always obsessed with the audio reproduction, which makes it a lot of fun! I ride my mountain bike in the forest, enjoy good food and wine, and collect mechanical watches, which is a great passion and hobby of mine.

 

What (still) inspires you about your work? 

Everything from creating a new product to running a day-to-day business with amazing colleagues, partners, and customers around the world. I feel blessed every day to have the trust and faith of these people. 

Tags: AUDIOVECTOR LOUDSPEAKERS Q&A

Neil Gader

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.

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