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AKG (company)

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AKG Acoustics
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
Founded1947; 79 years ago (1947)
Founder
  • Rudolf Görike
  • Ernst Pless
HeadquartersNorthridge, Los Angeles, California, United States[1]
ProductsMicrophones, Headphones, Digital Hi-Fi Sound Systems
OwnerSamsung Electronics
Number of employees
~170
ParentHarman International Industries
Websitewww.akg.com
File:AKG C214 Condenser microphone.jpg
The AKG C214 condenser microphone
File:AKG at Revox B795 LP-player (3870710127crop).jpg
AKG S8X cartridge

AKG Acoustics—originally known as Akustische und Kino-Geräte Gesellschaft m.b.H. (translated as Acoustic and Cinema Equipment L.L.C.)—is a firm specializing in acoustic engineering and manufacturing. Established in 1947 by Viennese scientists Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless, the company originated in Vienna, Austria. Since 2017, it has operated as a division of Harman International Industries, itself owned by Samsung Electronics.[2]

The AKG brand currently offers a range of products including microphones, headphones, wireless audio systems, and related accessories tailored for both professional and consumer use.

History

Founded in 1947 in Vienna by physicist Rudolf Görike and engineer Ernst Pless, AKG initially focused on supplying technical equipment for cinemas such as loudspeakers, film projectors, and light meters.[3] Gradually expanding its portfolio, the company began producing items like car horns, intercom door systems, carbon microphone capsules for telephony, headsets, and cushion speakers.

During this period, AKG secured patents for pioneering moving coil technology and the mass load membrane principle, innovations that enabled their products to achieve broader frequency responses.[4]

AKG gained worldwide recognition with the launch of the D12 microphone in 1953. Renowned for its superior sound quality at the time, it became a staple in radio broadcasting stations and recording studios globally.[5][6] This product line was further refined with subsequent models including the renowned C414 and C12 microphones.

Entering the late 1970s through the 1980s, AKG also ventured into manufacturing magnetic cartridges such as the P25 introduced in 1982.[7]

In 1984, AKG transitioned into a publicly traded company on the Vienna stock exchange. It quickly became recognized as a blue chip stock with high trading volumes.[8]

The American corporation Harman International Industries acquired AKG in 1994.[6] Prior to this acquisition, AKG had established its U.S. subsidiary in Los Angeles in 1985. Currently based in the San Fernando Valley, AKG Acoustics USA also manages regional offices for Crown Audio, another Harman subsidiary.

In recognition of its contributions to audio technology, AKG received the Technical Grammy Award in 2010.[9]

In a strategic move announced in 2016, AKG's headquarters along with its manufacturing and engineering operations based in Vienna were scheduled for closure by 2017. The brand's central management was relocated to California while most production shifted to Harman’s international facilities.[10][1]

Following these changes, a group of former AKG engineers from Austria established Austrian Audio in 2017 to compete within the same market segment.[11]

Timeline

  • 1945 – Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless start providing film equipment to cinemas in post-war Vienna.
  • 1949 – Görike and Pless establish AKG under the name Akustische und Kino-Geräte Gesellschaft m.b.H.
  • 1949 – AKG launches its initial headphone production, introducing the K120 DYN model.
  • 1953 – The company unveils the first-ever dynamic cardioid microphone globally.
  • 1955 – AKG sets up a subsidiary in Germany.
  • 1985 – A U.S. branch is created, located in Northridge, Los Angeles, California.
  • 1991 – The firm debuts its first wireless microphone systems: the WMS100 and WMS900.
  • 1994 – AKG becomes a division of Harman International Industries.
  • 2006 – To celebrate its 60th anniversary, AKG releases a limited edition of the renowned C414 LTD microphone.
  • 2010 – The company is honored with a Grammy Award recognizing its contributions to the recording industry; CEO Dinesh Paliwal accepts the accolade on behalf of AKG Acoustics.
  • 2010 – AKG announces a collaboration with Quincy Jones to produce a signature headphone series featuring unique designs and customized drivers.
  • 2012 – A partnership with DJ Tiësto is revealed, leading to the production of headphones branded under Tiësto's name.
  • 2016 – Harman announces plans to close all Vienna-based facilities by the following year.
  • 2017 – Samsung Electronics acquires Harman.
  • 2017 – The AKG brand relocates its headquarters to California, United States.

Microphones

File:AKG Samsung bundle earphone.jpg
AKG Samsung bundle earphone

Among AKG's professional offerings, the original C 12 microphone, launched in 1953, stands out prominently along with its various successors and alternate versions. These include the Telefunken Ela M 250 and M 251 models from 1960, the C 24 stereo microphone, the C 412, and more than a dozen iterations bearing the "C 414" label in different configurations. These microphones feature the renowned CK12 large-diaphragm capsule[12], engineered by Konrad Wolf at AKG. The CK12 represented a breakthrough in transducer design by providing consistent frequency response and sensitivity across all polar patterns, ranging from omnidirectional to figure-eight.

AKG microphones have been utilized during the filming of Hans Hass's Adventures in the Red Sea and were also installed aboard the MIR space station. Additionally, these microphones are referenced in Dan Brown's novels The Da Vinci Code and Deception Point.[13]

Selected microphone models include:

  • D12E – a dynamic cardioid microphone notable for its bass boost between 60 and 120 Hz, ideal for capturing high sound pressure sources with strong low-frequency content
  • D130 – an omnidirectional microphone commonly favored by journalists
  • D19c – a dynamic cardioid microphone famously used as drum overheads by Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick on Ringo Starr’s drum tracks during Beatles sessions (1964-1967)[14]
  • D190
  • D222 – a dual-capsule dynamic microphone employed at the UK Parliament’s dispatch boxes
  • D220
  • D330 – a premium dynamic vocal microphone used by ABBA.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
  • D112 – a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone frequently used for bass drums and other low-frequency instruments
  • C12 – a valve condenser microphone; original units are now considered collectors’ items valued around $10,000
  • C12VR – an upgraded version of the original C12 featuring handcrafted capsules and vintage 6072A vacuum tubes produced in Vienna, Austria[15]
  • C214 – a large diaphragm condenser microphone with a single cardioid polar pattern
  • C314 – a large-diaphragm condenser offering four selectable polar patterns, -20 dB pad, and a 100 Hz high-pass filter
  • C414 – a versatile large diaphragm condenser with nine switchable polar patterns, selectable gain levels (-6/12/18 dB), and three high-pass filter options
  • C451 – a small diaphragm condenser originally manufactured from the 1960s through the 1980s and recently reintroduced to the market
  • C535 – a high-quality condenser vocal microphone; AKG produced a gold-plated version specifically for Frank Sinatra[16]
  • D409
  • D5
File:AKG C1000S microphone.jpg
C1000S microphone
  • C1000S – a small diaphragm condenser available in four versions released between 1986 and 2012
  • C2000B – side-address small diaphragm condenser microphone
  • C3000(B) – a large diaphragm condenser with five versions launched from 1993 to 2012
  • C4000B – an electret microphone featuring dual diaphragms and multiple polar patterns
  • SolidTube (discontinued) – a large-diaphragm cardioid microphone introduced in 1997 that utilized an ECC83 / 12AX7 vacuum tube to produce subtle low-level distortion often perceived as added warmth. The power supply included a ground lift switch to help resolve ground loop issues. Standard accessories comprised a spider shock mount, pop filter, and robust carrying case.[17]
  • DMS Wireless Microphone System[18]

Headphones

AKG produces an extensive selection of high-performance headphones.

The K50, launched in 1959, holds the distinction of being the first supra-aural open-back headphones globally.

Previously the top-tier model, the K1000 was a distinctive fully open headphone design but is no longer available.

Currently, the K812 represents the pinnacle of AKG’s headphone offerings.

The K702 model includes a detachable cable and is finished in black, whereas the K701 is presented in white. The Q701 also features a removable cord and comes in three colors: white, black, and lime green. All three models remain in active production. The K701 has been widely favored by professional musicians and sound engineers within recording environments.

AKG K240 headphones are commonly utilized in leading recording studios as an optimal choice for both monitoring and playback purposes. These headphones gained additional recognition after appearing prominently in Eddie Murphy’s 1985 music video for "Party All the Time," where the K240 Monitor was featured.

Another noteworthy but brief offering was the K280 Parabolic, a multi-driver headphone engineered to direct compression waves toward a focused point within the earcup.

Beyond studio-grade headphones, AKG also designs Hi-Fi headphones and earphones intended for consumer use. Notably, their parent company Samsung has enlisted AKG’s expertise to tune headphones bundled with its flagship smartphones, starting from the Galaxy S8 and S8+ through to the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. This collaboration extends to stereo speakers featured on models such as the Galaxy S9, S9+, S10E, S10+, Note 9, and Note 10 (USB Type-C connector).

In 2017, AKG’s Y50 on-ear headphone model received the Product of the Year award from What Hi-Fi? magazine.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Retrieved August 25, 2018
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Retrieved April 2, 2014
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ↑ HiFi-Stereophonie 11/1982 especially p.4 of PDF (German; PDF, 3.4 MB), retrieved 2020-05-21.
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).Template:Fix/category[permanent dead link]
  17. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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