SONOSAX SAS SA
Sonosax SAS SA is a Swiss manufacturer founded in 1977 that designs and builds professional audio mixers, recorders, preamplifiers, converters, and monitoring speakers for film production sound mixers, classical recording engineers, documentary recordists, and high-end audiophile users worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersLe Mont-sur-lausanne, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SONOSAX SAS SA does
Sonosax SAS SA is a privately held Swiss manufacturer founded in 1977 by Jacques Sax and headquartered in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Vaud. The company designs and builds professional audio equipment, including mixers, recorders, preamplifiers, converters, and monitoring speakers, marketed to professional sound engineers, production sound mixers for film and television, classical and orchestral recording engineers, nature documentary recordists, broadcast radio producers, and high-end audiophile users. Its product portfolio centers on the SX-R4+ 16-track professional recorder, the SX-M2D2 ultra-portable mixer and sound card, the SX-AD8+ 8-channel microphone preamplifier, and modular analog mixers including the SX-ST, SX-ES64/ES84, and SX-VT, complemented by a modular expansion ecosystem (SX-LC8+ linear fader control, SX-RX8+ wireless receiver slot, SX-RC8+ rotary fader module, AEM-1 ARRI camera preamp) and the ADN-2A active monitor speaker.
The company's technical differentiation rests on its proprietary Fully Discrete (FD) operational amplifier architecture using all-transistor discrete circuits rather than integrated op-amps, achieving signal-to-noise ratios above 130 dB and slew rates of 40 V/µsec. Core products support Dante, AES67, and AVB audio-over-IP networking, dual-domain analog/digital conversion (SX-DD2), redundant dual-SD-card recording, PoE powering, and integration with major wireless receiver ecosystems including Wisycom, Sennheiser, Shure, Lectrosonics, Audio Limited, and Sony. SONOSAX generates revenue primarily from one-time hardware sales priced from CHF 90 for accessories to over CHF 13,000 for large mixing consoles, supplemented by option cards, accessories, and repair services, sold direct via email from Switzerland and through a curated global distributor network. The company has no external funding, no parent, and operates as a small specialized manufacturer with documented credibility across Oscar, BAFTA, César, and Locarno winning film and music productions.
SONOSAX SAS SA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SONOSAX SAS SA
- Legal name
- SONOSAX SAS SA
- Website
- https://sonosax.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Sonosax SAS SA is a Swiss manufacturer founded in 1977 that designs and builds professional audio mixers, recorders, preamplifiers, converters, and monitoring speakers for film production sound mixers, classical recording engineers, documentary recordists, and high-end audiophile users worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SONOSAX SAS SA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Audio Equipment
- NAICS
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310)
- SIC
- Musical Instruments (3931)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pro Audio Equipment (Mics, Interfaces, Mixers, Studio Monitors) (MPAIAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audio for Cameras (On-camera Mics, Wireless Mics, Recorders) (CRACAPAH), Instrument & Pro Audio Retail (Online/Brick-and-Mortar) (MPAIAJAH)
Keywords
Where SONOSAX SAS SA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Le Mont-sur-lausanne
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SONOSAX SAS SA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: SONOSAX generates revenue primarily from the sale of professional audio equipment including recorders, mixers, preamplifiers, converters, speakers, and accessories. Products are sold at price points ranging from approximately CHF 90 (accessories) to over CHF 13,000 (large mixing consoles). Sales are direct from Switzerland and through a global distributor network.
- Accessories and Options: SONOSAX sells a wide range of accessories including cables, connectors, power solutions, batteries, and option cards (e.g., AVB card at CHF 430, Dante option cards). These complement hardware sales and provide recurring revenue through add-on purchases.
- Technical Services and Repairs: SONOSAX provides repair and maintenance services for its products, with ongoing support for long-lived equipment. The company notes increasing time dedicated to maintenance as products age.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SX-R4+ Professional Recorder |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SX-M2D2 Ultra Portable Mixer/Preamplifier |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SX-AD8+ Preamplifier |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SX-DD2 Dual-Domain Converter |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SX-RX8+ Wireless Extension Module |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MINIR82 Compact Recorder |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SX-LC8+ Linear Fader Control Surface |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | SX-R4+ Display Upgrade Service |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | AVB Option Card for SX-AD8+ |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SONOSAX SX-ES Mixers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
SONOSAX SAS SA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SONOSAX SAS SA designs, engineers and manufactures professional audio hardware for location sound, broadcast, and high-end music recording. Its product range includes portable and modular mixing consoles, multi-track field recorders, microphone/line preamplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, active near-field monitors, and modular expansion accessories. Equipment is built in Switzerland and sold worldwide to film sound engineers, classical music recordists, documentary producers, and broadcasters.
Product overview
SONOSAX SAS SA is a Swiss manufacturer of high-fidelity professional audio equipment founded in 1977, specializing in portable mixers, recorders, preamplifiers, converters, and monitoring speakers for the film, broadcast, and music recording industries. The product portfolio centers on the SX-R4+ 16-track professional recorder (built around SONOSAX preamps), the SX-M2D2 ultra-portable mixer/sound card, the SX-AD8+ 8-channel preamplifier with Dante/AVB options, and compact analog mixers including the SX-ES64/ES84 and SX-ST series. These products are complemented by extension modules (SX-LC8+ linear fader control, SX-RX8+ wireless extension, SX-RC8+ rotary fader expansion), the AEM-1 camera preamp for ARRI cameras, the ADN-2A monitoring speaker, and the SX-DD2 dual-domain converter. The SX-R4+ serves as the flagship recorder, expandable to 12 mic inputs via the SX-AD8+ and controllable via SX-LC8+ or SX-RC8+ modules. The SX-AD8+ and SX-M2D2 offer Dante networking capability for multi-channel recording setups. The company also offers discontinued products including the MINIR82 recorder, SX62R mixer/recorder, SX-R4 (predecessor), SX-VT modular console, and FD-M4 preamplifier.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SX-R4+ Portable 16-track digital audio recorder designed for film and broadcast location sound recordists needing timecode, high-resolution recording up to 24-bit / 192 kHz, and rugged battery-powered operation.
- SX-M2D2 Ultra-portable 2-channel mixer, preamplifier and USB sound card for location sound recordists, podcasters, and journalists needing high-quality capture in a compact form factor.
- SX-AD8+ 8-channel microphone/line preamplifier with analog-to-digital conversion, supporting optional Dante, AVB, and AES67 network audio cards for studio and broadcast integration.
- SX-ST Modular high-end analog/digital mixing console available from 4 to 32 channels, designed for classical music recording, broadcast, and live recording applications.
- SX-ES64 Compact 6-channel analog mixer designed for documentary and broadcast location applications where portability and simplicity are required.
- SX-ES84 Compact 8-channel analog mixer designed for documentary and broadcast location applications where portability and simplicity are required.
- SX-DD2 Dual-domain preamplifier and analog-to-digital converter that combines microphone/line inputs with A/D conversion for networked audio environments.
- ADN-2A Active 2-way near-field studio monitor with analog and AES/EBU digital inputs, designed for professional mastering and reference listening environments.
- SX-LC8+ 8-fader linear control surface expansion module that adds motorized fader control to the SX-ST modular mixing console.
- SX-RX8+ Wireless extension module that adds 8 channels of wireless microphone receiver integration to the SX-ST modular console for live and broadcast workflows.
- SX-RC8+ 8-channel rotary fader expansion module that adds rotary-channel control to the SX-ST modular mixing console.
- AEM-1 Camera-mounted analog preamplifier designed to mount on ARRI ALEXA cameras, providing clean on-camera microphone preamplification for film production.
Quantifiable outcome
- 135 dB (A-weighted) dynamic range from analog input to recorded file on SX-R4+
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SONOSAX SAS SA
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SONOSAX SAS SA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature6 records
SONOSAX SAS SA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.
- IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique)notableIRCAM selected the SONOSAX SX-AD8+ with Dante extension for their AI co-improvisation research project using Somax2 artificial intelligence agents. The equipment was used for both studio testing sessions and live performances at Improtech international festivals in Tokyo and Paris, and at the EPFL Rolex Learning Center. Richard Rentsch and José Miguel Fernández noted the remarkable preamp quality, system stability, and portability of the SX-AD8+ as key factors in their choice.
- Merging TechnologiesnotableSONOSAX collaborated with Merging on the mechanical design of the ANUBIS product. Additionally, the SONOSAX SX-AD8+ is compatible with Merging's ANUBIS via RAVENNA/DANTE in AES67 mode. SONOSAX products were featured on Merging's stand at ISE Barcelona. The AES67 connection is currently limited to 48kHz due to a Dante soft restriction.
- Zeigermann Audio (Hamburg)minorZeigermann Audio in Hamburg, Germany, serves as the distributor for SONOSAX products in the German market, facilitating the sale and support of SONOSAX equipment including the SX-VT for TONHAUS.
- Areitec (France)minorAreitec is the French importer/distributor for SONOSAX, representing the company at the Salon de la Radio in Paris.
- DCLR Records / Paul SissenerminorPaul Sissener's DCLR Records studio in Switzerland has been a long-term user of SONOSAX SX-R4+ and SX-AD8+ for professional recording, including Mozart Requiem at Lausanne Cathedral. The studio later expanded with SONOSAX SX-DD2 for monitoring, representing a complete SONOSAX signal chain.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SONOSAX SAS SA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sound Devices: Sound Devices is the dominant US competitor in professional portable audio recorders and mixing consoles for film/TV production sound, with its Scorpio, 888, and MixPre series competing head-to-head against SONOSAX's SX-R4+ and SX-ST lines for the same Oscar/BAFTA-tier customer base.
- Zaxcom: Zaxcom develops professional wireless audio systems and portable digital recorders (Nomad, Deva) for film, broadcast, and live production — directly competing with SONOSAX for production sound mixer budgets and with a similar modular workflow philosophy.
- Nagra: Nagra is a fellow Swiss manufacturer of high-end professional audio recording equipment with a comparable heritage in film and classical music recording, sharing SONOSAX's premium positioning and customer overlap among European production sound professionals.
- Aaton: Aaton designs digital sound recording equipment specifically for cinema production, including Cantar-X recorders and Onyx mixers that compete directly with SONOSAX's SX-R4+ in the European film sound market.
- Merging Technologies: Merging Technologies builds high-end professional audio interfaces (Anubis, Hapi, Pyramix) and collaborates with SONOSAX on mechanical design and RAVENNA/AES67 interoperability, overlapping in classical, mastering, and post-production recording workflows.
- Professional Sound Corporation (PSC): PSC manufactures portable professional audio mixers, remote antenna systems, and accessories for film and television production sound, occupying a similar niche position to SONOSAX in the production sound cart ecosystem.
- Tascam: Tascam produces a broad range of professional multitrack recorders, mixers, and audio interfaces (DA-3000, HS-4000, SD series) used in broadcast, film, and music recording, with overlapping portable recorder functionality to SONOSAX's SX-R4+ and SX-M2D2.
- Schoeps: Schoeps is a German manufacturer of high-end professional condenser microphones widely used alongside SONOSAX preamps in classical music recording and film production, sharing the same demanding end customers and quality benchmarks.
- Wisycom: Wisycom designs professional wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems whose MCR42/MCR54 receivers integrate directly with SONOSAX's SX-RX8+ Minislot module, competing for the same production sound wallet while also serving as a technology partner.
Broad incumbents
- ARRI: ARRI is a major cinema camera and lighting manufacturer whose ALEXA35 and ALEXA265 cameras integrate with SONOSAX's AEM-1 preamplifier; while primarily a camera company, ARRI's audio accessory ecosystem overlaps with SONOSAX's cinema-targeted products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Customer concentration
SONOSAX SAS SA social profiles
Digital presenceSONOSAX SAS SA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SONOSAX SAS SA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SONOSAX SAS SA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SONOSAX SAS SA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SONOSAX SAS SA
What does SONOSAX SAS SA do?
SONOSAX SAS SA designs, engineers and manufactures professional audio hardware for location sound, broadcast, and high-end music recording. Its product range includes portable and modular mixing consoles, multi-track field recorders, microphone/line preamplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, active near-field monitors, and modular expansion accessories. Equipment is built in Switzerland and sold worldwide to film sound engineers, classical music recordists, documentary producers, and broadcasters.
Is SONOSAX SAS SA a public or private company?
SONOSAX SAS SA is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SONOSAX SAS SA founded?
SONOSAX SAS SA was founded in 1977.
Where is SONOSAX SAS SA based?
SONOSAX SAS SA is headquartered in Le Mont-sur-lausanne, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does SONOSAX SAS SA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Options and technical Services and Repairs.
Who are SONOSAX SAS SA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sound Devices, Zaxcom, Nagra, Aaton, Merging Technologies, Professional Sound Corporation (PSC), Tascam, Schoeps and Wisycom. ARRI is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SONOSAX SAS SA have an API?
No public API is recorded for SONOSAX SAS SA.
What industry is SONOSAX SAS SA in?
SONOSAX SAS SA's product category is Professional Audio Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAJAB, Pro Audio Equipment (Mics, Interfaces, Mixers, Studio Monitors), with a secondary code of CRACAPAH, Audio for Cameras (On-camera Mics, Wireless Mics, Recorders). Its NAICS code is 334310 and its SIC code is 3931.