What Clearaudio does

Clearaudio electronic GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of high-end analog audio equipment headquartered in Erlangen, Bavaria. Founded in 1978 by Peter Suchy — a Prague-born atomic physicist who developed the first fully symmetrical moving coil (MC) cartridge in the same year — the company designs and manufactures turntables, tonearms, MC and MM phono cartridges, phono preamplifiers and power supplies, and record cleaning machines entirely in-house at its Erlangen facility, with most components produced internally under documented quality controls and spare-parts availability extending up to ten years post-launch. Its foundationally differentiated technology is the patented Ceramic Magnetic Bearing (CMB), a magnetic levitation system that suspends the platter on an inverted magnetic field over an air cushion, eliminating mechanical contact; this is paired with a patent-protected contactless belt drive and ultra-low-friction tonearm bearings. Leadership transitioned in 2005 to founder Peter Suchy's three children — Veronika, Patrick, and Robert Suchy, with Robert serving as Managing Director overseeing Development & Design, Export, Marketing, and Operations. The company is currently operated by Robert and Veronika Suchy as Managing Directors.

Clearaudio operates as a sales-led specialty hardware business, distributing exclusively through an authorized dealer network comprising 70+ specialist dealers in Germany and 145+ internationally across 80+ countries, complemented by its own e-commerce storefront at analogshop.de. Pricing is quote-based through dealers rather than publicly disclosed, with products segmented across three performance tiers (Essential, Performance, Reference) plus the flagship Statement series, anchored by premium positioning and "Made in Germany" craftsmanship. The customer base is dominated by high-end audiophiles and vinyl enthusiasts, with a secondary OEM channel in which Clearaudio supplies precision components to other audio manufacturers under their brands. Adjacent revenue streams include limited collector's vinyl (Vinyl Vision 3000, in partnership with Prague's Doupě music club, limited to 300 copies per release), branded music reissues, and experiential initiatives such as the HiFi Bulli (a restored VW T1 bus outfitted as a mobile listening room) and the Vinyl Bus mobile record store. The company's most significant recent commercial moves include a strategic 2024 product partnership with ELAC to bundle the concept active turntable with ELAC active speakers into an all-in-one premium system, a 2026 limited-edition Rammstein turntable, and ongoing presence at international audio trade shows such as HIGH END VIENNA. Recognition includes the 2024 Exportpreis Bayern award in the Crafts category.

Name

Clearaudio

Legal name

clearaudio electronic GmbH

Website

https://clearaudio.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Clearaudio is a family-owned German manufacturer of high-end analog audio equipment — turntables, tonearms, MC/MM cartridges, phono electronics, and vinyl cleaning machines — produced in-house at its Erlangen facility and sold via a global network of specialist dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

High-end analog audio equipment

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)

SIC

Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651)

akta.pro primary industry

Hi‑Fi / Audiophile Components (DACs, Amps, Turntables, Streamers) (CRACANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Turntables & Vinyl Audio Equipment Retail (CRACAEAH), Audio Accessories (Ear Tips, Cables, Stands, Cases, Transmitters) (CRACANAM)

Keywords

• High-end turntables
• Analog audio equipment
• Moving coil cartridges
• Phono preamplifiers
• Vinyl playback systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. High-End Turntable Sales: Core revenue stream from manufacturing and selling premium analog turntables (platforms, platters, motors, chassis). Product lines include Essential Line, Performance Line, Reference Line, and flagship Statement series. Products are sold through authorized dealers and directly via analogshop.de.
2. Tonearm Sales: Proprietary tonearms including concept/Verify, Clarify, Satisfy Kardan, Profiler, Unify, Tracer, Magnify, Universal, Unity, TT-series, and Statement T11. Sold through dealer network and direct shop.
3. Cartridge (Tonabnehmer) Sales: Moving Coil (MC) and Moving Magnet (MM) cartridges including concept MC/MM, essence MC, Talisman, Concerto V2, Stradivari V2, Jubilee MC, Diamond Jubilee MC, da Vinci V2, Titanium V2, Goldfinger Statement V2.1, and flagship models. Sold through dealers and direct shop.
4. Electronics (Phono Preamplifiers & Power Supplies): Phono preamplifiers (nano phono V2, smart phono V2, basic V2, balance V2, balance reference phono, absolute phono, statement phono) and power supply units (smart power 12V/24V, Professional Power 12V/24V).
5. Vinyl Cleaning Machines: Record cleaning machines including smart double matrix, smart matrix professional, smart matrix SILENT, and double matrix professional SONIC — sold as standalone products and supporting the broader vinyl ecosystem.
6. Accessories: Cables, connectors, racks, tonearm accessories, platters weights, azimuth optimizers, and other accessories. Available through dealer network and analogshop.de.
7. OEM Components: Clearaudio serves as an OEM supplier for internationally renowned audio companies, providing precision components manufactured to the same quality standards as its own-brand products. This represents a non-trivial share of manufacturing output.
8. Vinyl Vision 3000 & Music Production: Exclusive worldwide distribution of Vinyl Vision 3000 collector's vinyl editions (produced with Doupě/Prague music club), as well as proprietary music production including reissues, re-releases, and own analog recordings on vinyl — sold through analogshop.de and authorized dealers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clearaudio manufactures high-end analog audio equipment in-house at its Erlangen, Germany facility. The product portfolio centers on precision turntables with patented magnetic levitation bearing technology, complemented by tonearms, Moving Coil (MC) and Moving Magnet (MM) phono cartridges, phono preamplifiers and power supplies, vinyl cleaning machines, and accessories. Products are organized into Essential Line, Performance Line, and Reference Line tiers, plus a flagship Statement series.

Product overview

Clearaudio is a German manufacturer of high-end analog audio equipment with nearly five decades of expertise. The product portfolio centers on turntables (Plattenspieler) as the core offering, complemented by precision tonearms (Tonarme), phono cartridges (Tonabnehmer), electronics including phono preamplifiers and power supplies, and vinyl cleaning systems. Products are organized into three performance tiers: Essential Line (entry-level/Plug & Play), Performance Line (mid-reference), and Reference Line (flagship/reference). Key technologies include patented magnetic levitation (The Levitation Principle), Ceramic-Magnetlager (CMB) bearing system, and contact-free belt drive. The portfolio extends to special projects like Vinyl Vision 3000 collector's editions and the HIFI Bulli mobile demonstration vehicle, plus music production services. The company operates through a network of over 70 specialist dealers in Germany and 145+ internationally, serving customers in more than 80 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vinyl Vision 3000: A collector's vinyl series project in collaboration with DopeYeah! Records and the Prager Musikclub Doupě, featuring limited edition releases with holographic technology.
• concept
• Essential Line
• Performance Line
• Reference Line
• clearaudio HiFi Bulli
• clearaudio Vinyl Bus

Products and services

• Clearaudio Turntables (Plattenspieler)
• Clearaudio Tonearms (Tonarme)
• Clearaudio Cartridges (Tonabnehmer)
• Clearaudio Electronics (Phono Preamplifiers and Power Supplies)
• Clearaudio Vinyl Cleaning Machines

Quantifiable outcome

• Relevant spare parts available up to 10 years after product introduction — a unique feature valued by customers in over 80 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ELAC Electroacustic GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2024Clearaudio and ELAC formed a strategic product partnership centering on the concept active turntable and ELAC's ARB-51 and ARF-51 active speakers. The concept active features an integrated phono preamplifier and volume control, allowing direct connection to ELAC active speakers without additional components. The partnership extends to the HiFi Bulli mobile demo system (restored VW T1 bus), the Vinyl Bus mobile record store, and joint product configurations for the premium all-in-one vinyl experience. The collaboration is driven by shared philosophy of quality, precision, and analog music reproduction.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pro-Ject Audio Systems: Austrian manufacturer of turntables, tonearms, and phono electronics. Directly comparable to Clearaudio as one of Europe's leading high-volume turntable specialists serving audiophile and entry-level segments across global dealer networks.
• Linn Products: Scottish high-end audio manufacturer famous for its LP12 turntable and integrated hi-fi systems. Comparable to Clearaudio as a long-established, premium-priced analog specialist with proprietary bearing and tonearm engineering.
• Rega Research: British turntable and tonearm manufacturer with a strong global dealer footprint. Closely comparable to Clearaudio in product scope (turntables, tonearms, cartridges, electronics), premium positioning, and family-business heritage.
• VPI Industries: American high-end turntable manufacturer offering direct-drive and belt-drive platforms across multiple price tiers. Comparable to Clearaudio as a family-founded, design-led turntable specialist with in-house manufacturing.
• Thorens: Historic Swiss-origin turntable brand (re-established in Germany) producing premium belt-drive turntables and tonearms. Comparable to Clearaudio as a long-heritage analog specialist with a similar tiered product structure.
• Acoustic Signature: German high-end turntable manufacturer based near Stuttgart. Closely comparable to Clearaudio as a domestic competitor offering precision-engineered turntables with proprietary motor and bearing technologies to the audiophile market.
• Brinkmann Audio: German manufacturer of high-end turntables, tonearms, and electronics. Comparable to Clearaudio in craft-based manufacturing, audiophile customer base, and premium Reference-tier pricing.
• Transrotor: German turntable manufacturer specializing in high-mass, precision-bearing turntables and tonearms. Comparable to Clearaudio as another German Mittelstand analog specialist serving the global audiophile dealer network.
• Ortofon: Danish manufacturer of phono cartridges and tonearms. Comparable to Clearaudio as a leading European cartridge specialist; complementary rather than directly competing across full turntable systems, but overlapping in MC/MM cartridges and tonearms.
• SME (Scientific Music Electronics): British manufacturer of high-precision tonearms and turntables. Comparable to Clearaudio in precision-engineered, premium-priced analog playback components supplied to audiophiles worldwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clearaudiohifi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7hO3CP46rIfqSdIHJW3_hQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/clearaudiohifi
• Instagraminstagram.com/clearaudiohifi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clearaudio