Austrian Audio
Austrian pro-audio brand born from AKG's Vienna closure.
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Austrian Audio is an Austrian company that makes microphones and headphones for professional stage and studio work. It was founded in July 2017 by 22 former employees of AKG Acoustics, after AKG closed its Vienna factory. The company spent over a year developing its first microphone capsule, the CKR12, and launched its first two products—the OC818 and OC18 large-diaphragm condenser microphones—in 2019. In 2025, DPA Microphones acquired a majority stake in the company, though Austrian Audio continues to operate from its Austrian base.
Background
Austrian Audio's origins lie in the closure of AKG Acoustics' operations in Austria. AKG was founded in Vienna in 1947 by Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless, initially supplying cinema equipment before expanding into microphones and headphones. After Harman International acquired AKG in 1993 and Samsung Group acquired Harman in 2016, the AKG factory in Liesing with about 130 employees was closed and relocated by mid-2017. Some employees were offered relocation to Germany or Hungary, but AKG continued only as a brand within Harman, with product development moved to Eastern Europe.
In July 2017, Austrian Audio was founded by 22 former AKG employees from management, acoustics, electronics, testing, mechanical design, wireless technology, and software/firmware. The company spent over a year developing its first microphone capsule, the CKR12, before releasing its first two products, the OC818 and OC18 large-diaphragm condenser microphones, in 2019. In 2025, DPA Microphones acquired a majority share in Austrian Audio, with the company maintaining its presence in Austria.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Austrian Audio (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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