Headphones

Martin Roberts
'I'm a design engineer by background who cut my teeth for a decade in the aerospace and defence industry,' explains Warwick Acoustics' MD Martin Roberts, 'before getting involved in the world of hi-fi back in 1999.' That in itself is not so unusual a route into the audio industry, but the path thereafter demonstrates a real sense of determination.

'It was always our intention to develop an award-winning product [the Sonoma Model One] to prove our patented core technology and put Warwick Acoustics on the map. Then we planned to follow that up with a flagship headphone product that raised the bar of acoustical performance to a new level.'

Warwick's team was tested en route, 'Our balanced-drive BD-HPEL driver was an intensive engineering project that took us the best part of two years. There were three main challenges: electrically insulating both sides of the membrane, providing electrical connections to three layers in a very compact space, and ensuring the system was balanced, both within the amplifier and the transducer.

'There are other applications for our technology outside of high-end headphones. We are also active in the automotive sector developing the first electrostatic audio system designed specifically for in-car use. There are other possibilities but headphones and automotive are our strategic focus right now.'

Maintaining focus is important in any business, especially a start-up, like Warwick, with big ambitions.