• M8audio – mini-interview
We first heard from Mark Thomsen in mid-2016, when his new speaker company M8audio was under early development, and we invited him to contact us again when the company was launching to the general public. Which it now is doing — based out of Airlie Beach, Queensland, and debuting with three models named the Sweet Maxwell, the Rocket 5.1 SuperResolution, and The Sub OneTen. You can read full details on these speakers via the M8audio website, and to learn more about the company’s philosophy we threw him a few questions...
SOUND+IMAGE: So what differentiates M8audio in what is, after all, a crowded loudspeaker market?
MARK THOMSEN: Well there are usually heavy trade-offs between sound, price and aesthetics. Do you want a great sounding speaker, or do you want a speaker that looks good and is easy to place and live with? I believe M8audio can deliver all of this without compromise, and that’s pretty rare isn’t it?
Of course it’s ultimately up to the customers to decide what great sound is, and what they are willing to pay for it. We have a 30-day in-home audition with free shipping both ways, so they can give it a try.
S+I: What does it take to start a new speaker brand today?
MT: First and foremost passion and dedication! Secondly I would have to say courage. No groundbreaking achievements have ever been made by doing “business as usual”. It’s necessary to dare to be different.
S+I: Your site makes much of using subwoofers for music. Is this a key belief for M8audio?
MT: I feel that subwoofers are often stigmatised unfairly. A very good subwoofer that is carefully integrated can do absolute wonders for music. Who doesn’t love great bass? Even with small speakers you don’t have to miss out. In fact you have a lot more flexibility in placement and tweaking the sound so that it works in your home. That being said I love big speakers too... I have a history of owning some gigantic speakers. We have two full-range floorstanding speakers in the works that will become part of the Maxwell series.
S+I: We understand you are Danish... What is it with Danes and loudspeakers?
MT: Well Denmark is a very small country with an industry driven by technology. Lots of speakers are manufactured worldwide, but most of the key technology was and still is developed in Denmark. Focus that in a very small population and it rubs off on everybody. In Denmark we just love speakers!
S+I: How do you see M8audio developing?
MT: Oh… I have so many ideas for exciting products involving robotic manufacturing, high volume 3D printing and things like that. That would have to be in the ultra-high-end category, because when you do something new it’s usually more expensive. Then trickledown technology and increased volume will allow us to introduce the M8audio DNA into more conventional speakers.
Although I don’t really see M8audio as a huge brand in the future — mostly because then everything becomes driven by shareholders and big business interests. It needs to be fun, and we need everyone on board to be driven by passion. That’s what makes a truly great product!