Audeze Headquarters Is In A League Of Its Own — Just Like Its Headphones

Audeze — the manufacturer of high-end headphones such as the CRBN and the Maxwell — is a play on the word odyssey inspired by the seminal sci-fi classic, "2001: A Space Odyssey." It's a fitting name, or rather, a fitting inspiration, since the company is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of audio technology, just as the film both showcased an exciting, yet very possible near-future, as well as expanded what the medium of cinema itself could do.

Audeze, which recently earned a SlashGear innovation award at IFA 2024, isn't just making fancy headphones. It's redefining the limits of what personal audio should sound like, just as Enzo Ferrari wasn't just making fancy sports cars but figuring out how to design and craft engines and vehicles that could deliver as much performance as current technology would allow. Audeze began from humble beginnings and was founded by its current CEO, Sankar Thiagasamudram, and CTO, Dr. Dragoslav Colich. 

Originally, the small company built large speakers using magnetic planar drivers, which produce accurate and detailed sound, but which were traditionally not used in headphones due to their complexity and cost. Since then, Audeze has made a name for itself by producing high-end headphones using custom-built drivers, including current-gen gaming headsets. What really makes Audeze stand out, however, is that they manufacture these innovative drivers in house. The company's Orange County headquarters also includes its factory, where a team assembles its high-tech hardware both by hand and with the help of sophisticated, custom-built machinery. 

SlashGear recently visited this factory at Audeze HQ and spoke with CEO Sankar Thiagasamudram about the company's past, present, and future — which included a sneak peek at the hotly-anticipated CRBN2.

By shrinking down magnetic planar drivers and incorporating them into headphones, Audeze has managed to bring a fidelity to personal audio quality that wasn't thought possible not too long ago. There are other headphones equipped with electrostatic transducers out there, but Audeze managed to make theirs ultra-thin by removing laminate coating, which also reduces audio quality.

I had a chance to feel this film, which consists of incredibly small yet durable carbon nanotubes, and was surprised at how such an advanced, useful technology could feel so impossibly thin and lightweight. In fact, the same groundbreaking material is even used to build solar sails that are the future of space exploration. Compared to metal drivers, carbon nanofiber transducers can more faithfully recreate and transmit sound with more resolution, transparency, and clarity.

It was never the original plan to shrink down these unique electrostatic planars small enough to be used for headphones. That idea "started off as a research project," according to Audeze CEO, Sankar Thiagasamudram, whom I sat down with for a conversation that lasted nearly an hour. The research project was a collaboration with the medical field, to see if it were possible to "design headphones with no metal parts inside."

Instead, the initial idea was to build headphones intended for MRI patients. If you've ever undergone an MRI, which uses powerful magnetic fields to scan your body, you'll know it can be a claustrophobic experience. No metal can be allowed anywhere near the scanner while you're undergoing an MRI, but headphones would be useful for patients to help drown out the sounds of the machine and distract them. Not only can this calm down patients, but it can help make for more accurate brain scans that aren't affected by neurological surges of anxiety. Soon, Audeze made metal-free headphones a reality for such medical applications.

"Once we made these headphones," continued Thiagasamudram, "we realized they were also probably one of the best-sounding headphones we ever made — so we also made an electrostatic version for our consumers." Thiagasamudram laughed and mentioned that somebody once referred to the expensive, high-end product as "gold-plated headphones," which isn't accurate — because the carbon nanofiber film used for Audeze headphones "is much more expensive than gold."

Audeze is headquartered in Orange County, California, just south of Los Angeles. Not only are its offices located there, but the complex — which recently expanded to an entire new building — includes a showroom and the factory that produces the drivers itself. Audeze has stayed in the O.C. because it's near to where the electrostatic film necessary for the planars are manufactured. Of course, sunny SoCal is a good fit for Audeze regardless, as it's also home to other groundbreaking tech industries, including drone and medical device manufacturers, as well as aerospace companies. With its expansion, Audeze is becoming a big fish in a rapidly-growing pond.

Audeze stands out from these other companies by being one of the few headphones or speaker manufacturers not just in Orange County, but in the entire U.S. As Thiagasamudram explained to me, it's "very hard to find people manufacturing audio. In audio companies, it's very hard to find people manufacturing anywhere, except overseas — unless you're making small batches of things."

Jack Picone/SlashGear

Still, Audeze has found a way to manufacture its drivers at scale, making it a uniquely valuable asset to the audio industry as a whole. This is thanks in part to its innovative, modular machinery that Thiagasamudram and his team custom built to quickly produce different drivers for different products, as well as its factory floor where these proprietary machines are utilized. Every single driver that Audeze puts out into the world is made at its O.C. factory, which I recently toured for SlashGear.

It's a bit surreal walking around the factory floor of Audeze knowing how advanced its electrostatic drivers are. That's because the factory is a bit of a paradox. It has both the small-scale feel of an independent, mom-and-pop shop, while also being much larger than it looks from the outside and very much giving off the vibe of an industrial facility. This contradictory nature is especially apparent as you walk through the narrow aisles of workers assembling the company's signature headsets or when you see the advanced machinery that Audeze more-or-less built from scratch using proprietary technology. The factory even includes a static-free clean room.

Jack Picone/SlashGear

At the same time, there are cardboard boxes literally overflowing with headphones in various stages of development, but the workers don't feel like they're droning away as part of a dispassionate assembly line — instead it feels more like an intimate office setting. Audeze has grown significantly over the past few years, but still only has between 100 and 200 employees. 

Jack Picone/SlashGear

Together, this team researches, designs, develops, and builds most of Audeze's hardware. It's become the largest flexible printed circuit board manufacturer in the country, and many of its signature headphones — including its CRBN, LCD series, and MM series — are all hand assembled and personally tested in house. Each and every Audeze planar magnetic and electrostatic driver is built there, as well as, remarkably, components used by competitors.

In 2023, Audeze was bought by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the division of Sony that also makes PlayStation. It proved to be a good fit, as many gamers are interested in advanced headsets that provide high-quality audio both in and out. There are two officially-branded Sony headsets — one over-the-ear and one in-ear — and every single driver inside them are designed and produced at Audeze's factory. "I don't think people realize how actually advanced [the PlayStation headsets] are," stated Thiagasamudram during our interview. 

He has a point, as these exceptional first-party console accessories are essentially a high-end pair of Audeze headphones that uses the same noise-reduction tech in the microphone as its highly-praised Maxwell. This lossless audio provided by Sony Pulse Elite headphones and Sony Pulse Explore earbuds is even more impressive when you consider that both headsets are completely wireless through PlayStation's PS Link technology.

Being owned by Sony hasn't limited Audeze in any way. The company — which previously worked with gaming headset brands like HyperX and even collaborated with Microsoft for a limited-edition Maxwell set — still has plans to work with third parties in the future. Thiagasamudram noted that Audeze has even helped direct competitors with making their prototypes, because Audeze has an audio lab and manufacturing facility that these other companies don't — at least not locally.

Audeze drivers are used every day in Sony's PlayStation headsets, but the company's own products are also very popular. Last year, SlashGear gave an excellent review to the Audeze Maxwell, praising the wireless gaming headset's slick presentation, easy setup, precise volume control, and seamless connection to multiple devices at once. Of course, SlashGear also found the sound quality of the Audeze Maxwell to be superb — thanks in part to their gigantic 90 mm planar drivers. Hardcore gamers will also appreciate the battery life of the Maxwell, which can get over 80 hours of wireless gameplay with full charge.

In addition to the Maxwell, Audeze also sells its flagship LCD series, which uses proprietary magnet arrays and Audeze's breakthrough carbon nanotube electrostatic tech to provide exceptionally light and fast diaphragms. Professionals and audiophiles use LCD headphones to hear audio with flawless precision and fidelity. That's another thing about Audeze — they're respected in the industry by people for whom sound isn't just their passion, but their profession. Many audio engineers, for example, are big fans of the Audeze MM Series, which also offers stunning clarity and allows you to hear sound in its truest form.

Jack Picone/SlashGear

I was able to test out several different models at Audeze HQ, but I honestly don't know if that was a good thing. The sound quality was — as expected — incredible. Audeze's Director of Marketing, Peter James, played a few songs for me, including Radiohead's "Karma Police" and Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun."

With the Audeze earcups on, it was as if I were in the studio as the songs were originally being recorded. I didn't so much hear the music as felt it. The bass was incredibly low and resonant without ever becoming distorted, while the treble was clear enough that I was hearing subtle sounds I never heard in these songs before — both of which I've listened to countless times.

So, why was this a bad thing? Well, for convenience's sake, I usually use a pair of Apple AirPods 3, and I noticed the difference in audio quality as soon as I put them on for my trip home after my listening tour of Audeze's roster. Now that I've flown so close to the sun — aurally speaking — everything else just pales in comparison.

This is especially true after listening to the most impressive product in the Audeze family, the CRBN Electrostatic Headphones. This $4,500 device takes all the cutting-edge technology Audeze has developed over the years to provide the best sound you can currently expect from a pair of headphones. Despite this, they weigh just 470 grams and feature incredibly soft, comfortable earpads that fully cover your ears and drown out your surroundings.

The track I listened to with the CRBN was Rush's "Tom Sawyer." I was absolutely bombarded by a symphony of drums, synths, guitar, bass, and Geddy Lee's high-pitched vocals. It was downright magical. I think at one point I looked over at my AirPods with sheer resentment. (That's another thing I haven't mentioned yet — in addition to sounding great, Audeze headphones look great, as well. That includes the sleek and modern Maxwell headset, as well as the classy look of the more studio-oriented higher-end models).

Simply put, you won't find better headphones than the Audeze CRBN — at least, not until the CRBN2 are released. These headphones were only just announced, and details are still limited. However, these headphones have certainly earned the right to the CRBN name and will somehow offer even more superior sound than before. The company says that Audeze CRBN2 uses second-generation carbon-nanotube electrostatic drivers and other breakthrough technology to generate "the most powerful, tactile bass response of any electrostatic headphone, and vividly holographic spatial imaging." 

It's the most advanced set of headphones from the company yet and possibly the most advanced set available for consumers, period.

After sitting down and speaking with Audeze's founder and CEO, Sankar Thiagasamudram, it was very clear that his ethos and passion are deeply embedded into the DNA of the entire company, and its entire team. He loves to talk shop and is passionate about technology — and not just audio-centric tech. 

We spoke at length about what the future held for Audeze. While the Maxwell was a big step for the company in terms of branching out to a wider market with a more affordable product, the gaming headset is still more expensive than popular competitors made by Turtle Beach and Razer. When asked if Audeze would be willing to make more affordable hardware in the $100 range or even lower, Thiagasamudram responded, "Probably not, because we still have to make it here ... but we also want to make premium products."

Audeze isn't interested in manufacturing cheaper, lower-quality headsets — and there's no reason it should be. Plenty of brands already do this and customers have no shortage of options if they just want something that gets the job done and aren't interested in high-quality audio. Audeze is happy bringing unique, boundary-pushing technology to those who desire and appreciate it. Considering how advanced the tech inside Audeze hardware is, it's already impressive that they can bring the price down to $300 for gaming headsets like the Maxwell.

"We bring something new to the market and high-quality audio," said Thiagasamudram, "and I think that's a combination we want to do." He compared Audeze products to "performance cars" for drivers less interested in a vehicle that simply gets them from here to there but who want trailblazing engineering that provides a ride that's best at what it does.

This being 2024, I had to ask about AI. "We do a ton of AI," Thiagasamudram replied, including in the noise suppression tech currently used by the Maxwell. As AI becomes more and more integral to just about everything, it will do so for audio products as well, including ones currently in development by Audeze.

When I asked if Audeze was interested in developing hearing aid technology like what Apple recently announced for its AirPods Pro 2, Thiagasamudram answered in the negative. "I don't want us to become distracted." Audeze has a simple, straightforward mission — to bring customers the best sound possible. So (at least for now) don't expect Audeze headphones to double as hearing aids.

The company is interested in further refining its planar driver and transducer designs, though. Thiagasamudram says Audeze is hard at work advancing the technology to bring even "more lifelike sound" as well as "much more immersive experiences." Other goals include boosting wireless fidelity as well as extending the range for its wireless headsets while reducing latency. Imagine hearing lossless audio from a sound system that's across the street — according to Thiagasamudram, it could one day be possible.

When I asked the Audeze CEO what the five-year plan for the company was, Thiagasamudram told me, "One way we found is that ... look at your five-year road map, then work backwards and what you can deliver in two years or three years. So, work on that product now so that you can go eventually for the five-year goal."

So, don't expect Audeze to rest on its laurels or take a breather now that the CRBN2 is on its way. If anything, the CRBN2 is a stepping stone to an even more advanced, higher-quality set of headphones yet to be developed. Audeze will continue to use its research and development labs and in-house factory to push the boundaries of personal audio into the technological unknown — just like the astronauts in "2001: A Space Odyssey."