55+ Years of Sonodyne

The Foundation Years

Spectrum speakers

the first note

Established in Kolkata with innovative solutions for audio and power electronics

In the summer of 1970, Ashoke Mukherjee, a bright young engineer from IIT Roorkee, mustered the courage to start his own business. It took courage to walk away from a steady job and to step into an unknown territory in a hostile and uncertain business environment. With the usual unsteady beginning in a makeshift office in south Kolkata, the small company grew to become the pioneer of high fidelity audio in India. Sonodyne was born. In the '70s and '80s India was gradually awakening to a newfound independence. Radio, Television broadcast grew and vinyl and cassette decks, and later colour TVs were introduced. Sonodyne was quick to foresee and be at the forefront of these high tech movements. What separated Sonodyne was innovation. In-depth R & D was conducted on each model. And then sourcing partners were found globally. This resulted in a culture of grooming young engineers and having a strong base of strategic suppliers. Some of the models like Uranus, Orfeo, Super Jetline developed a cult following that remains to this day.

The '90s were a testing time. With multiple changes in not only government policies, but also governments, an air of uncertainty was dawning for the Indian electronics' manufacturers. A large number of them, not being able to adapt, closed shop. But not Sonodyne. Anticipating the challenges at home, we focussed on exports. The inherent knowledge and passion allowed the development of innovative products that soon found markets, mainly in USA and in Western Europe. This allowed for further strengthening of the knowledge base, and expertise in designing and building hi tech audio products. And importantly it laid the foundation of long lasting business partnerships and friendships.

The 2000s brought in a wave of change. With the development and proliferation in digital platforms, the way audio was produced, played back, and performed was changing. Sonodyne has been quick to adapt to this change. The product line has been divided in professional and residential verticals with clear goals in each segment. In the professional segment our products provide sound solutions to studios, cinema, retail, hospitality, lifestyle, wellness, and live performances. In the residential segment, the focus is on premium wireless speakers for music and multichannel audio.

The foray into professional audio introduced us to an array of professionals around the world. Our studio speakers have been endorsed by Grammy Award winning sound engineers, producers and musicians, like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Josh Blair, Tom Lord Alge, Eddie Kramer, among others. Our sound systems are installed in most leading retail chains in India (like Tata Trent, Reliance, Future Group, Aditya Birla Group, H&M). What resonates with our customers is our superior sound, and build quality.

Understanding the massive scope of growth in these specialised segments, globally, we have strategised a scale-up of operations. Our project “Premium Digital Audio” was sanctioned by The Technology Development Board (TDB), Govt of India, with the focus to develop premium audio solutions based around streaming services and technologies. This partnership with TDB has allowed us to invest heavily in product development and modernise our manufacturing facilities. The successful completion of this project has ensured that we shall retain a commanding position both in terms of technology and manufacturing capability, for years to come.

Which takes us back to the beginnings and the courage it took to start Sonodyne. A courage that came from knowledge and passion. Over fifty years of commitment to knowledge and passion has allowed Sonodyne to ride the crest of an unsteady wave. With the inherent strength and with the commitment to our Founder’s vision we are confident for a smooth ride, for the next 50, at least.