Studio Grade - Behind the Label
Studio-grade - sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But what does it really mean? The truth is, it’s a label that’s been slapped onto headphones, monitors, and gear for decades, claiming accuracy, durability, and justifying its price. But how can you tell if it’s just marketing or if the product truly performs better? In this video, we’re pulling back the curtain to reveal why we’ve slapped the 'studio-grade' label on our products. Are we guilty of using it without substance or not? You be the judge.
Let's ask AI for the definition of Studio Grade:
"Studio grade refers to equipment that meets the high standards required for professional audio work. This means the product is designed for accuracy, reliability, and durability, ensuring consistent and precise performance in demanding environments. It typically includes rigorous testing, high-quality materials, and technical specifications tailored for professional use in studios, live sound, broadcasting, and other performance-critical settings."
Sounds to me like there's an idea but not exact specs for it. There's a nice video by YouTuber Paul Third, who takes the position that anything can be studio grade if it delivers translation. I agree with that but feel like shedding some light on another angle. (I’m not picking a fight with you, Paul—just offering another perspective.)
In terms of exact technical specifications, we don't have an agreement. It’s not like the FIA and Formula 1, where every detail is specified. We have plenty of room for interpretation regarding what professionals need and want.
However, in terms of what studio-grade gear should deliver and how a pro audio brand should behave, that's quite well defined. At least from our perspective. But feel free to pitch in the comments—I’m eager to be proven wrong and to learn new things.
Studio Grade Reason No. 1: First Impressions Matter
Today, people spend about a minute exploring a new brand online. From a branding perspective, the message of why, how, and what must be concise and clear. It's important to help people quickly decide if they’re in the right place, even if it means sacrificing some details. While “studio gear” might not be perfectly clear, it helps people understand if they’re in the right place. No one wants to waste their time being tricked by marketing tactics. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
Studio Grade Reason No. 2: Listening to the Pros
When designing a product, the R&D team will focus on what is asked for by the final user of the product. Sure, competitors play a role as well, but 9 out of 10 decisions are made based on feedback from the final user. When those users are audio professionals, the final product will be tailored for their needs—unless the R&D team completely fails to listen.
We have an endorsement program that offers a nice discount to professionals in exchange for their involvement in the R&D of new products. So, listening to audio engineers and integrating their ideas and needs makes a product tailored for studio use. As simple as that.
Studio Grade Reason No. 3: Durability and Strength
When a product is designed for a professional environment, it must withstand daily wear and tear. This is the nature of professional tools. Using materials that may not be the easiest or cheapest to work with but offer durability sets these products apart from consumer products and into the studio-grade category. Having headphones made of real wood, aluminium, and stainless steel might make them heavier, but you could play hockey with them. If that doesn’t justify studio grade, then I’ve spent the last decade in the wrong industry. To back this up, we offer a 5-year limited warranty.
Studio Grade Reason No. 4: Longevity and Serviceability
In our opinion, a studio-grade-labelled product should always have available spare parts for 10 years or more. But not just that—parts should also be serviceable with basic skills and tools. No fancy equipment needed.
Studio Grade Reason No. 5: Rigorous Quality Control
Quality control for studio-grade products is on another level. We do individual unit calibration, visual inspection, and mechanical tests. Every single unit is tested, including B-stock units. When a unit fails to pass quality control, it’s set aside for production engineers to replace any faulty parts and retested. That said, we do hand-build these, and at least for now, we’re still humans, not AI robots. The failure rate out of the box is way below 1%, but if you’re the unlucky 1%, we’ll exchange the unit immediately.
Studio Grade Reason No. 6: Fast and Reliable Support
Any brand can claim to be studio grade, but we believe only those that respond to support tickets within two working days qualify. Having a WhatsApp quick chat and an open phone line is also a must to qualify as a studio-grade brand. Any brand that doesn’t have fast support, regardless of the quality of their products or 100 years of tradition, is just showing the part of the transaction they’re interested in. Find me in private, and I’ll share some horror stories about the brands you likely regard as the absolute pinnacle of studio-grade gear. But it’s likely you’ve already experienced that.
So, what does studio-grade mean to you? Whether it’s just marketing fluff or a real standard, one thing’s for sure—it shapes how we choose our gear. We’ve laid out our take, now it’s up to you to decide what matters.
