Actually we’re scientists….

Ever since 1978 our driving force has been curiosity. Our aim was to define the framework of the possible, and push its limits a little further each day, and that’s what formed the stone of this company. We always aspired to the creation of new findings rather than the exploitation of existing knowledge. We were determined to carve out our own advances, and not simply follow the progress of technology.

Satisfying this goal requires our team of fifteen designers and developers to create every device in our headquarters in Herford. From the initial design, developing every single circuit board and finishing with the software code - the stage which brings all the component parts together to form a grand ensemble - our devices are built in Herford. They are permeated by the belief on which this company was founded, and which drives all of us forward every day.

We don't build mass products, we build accoustic treasures, we build heartbeats, goosebumps and enthusiasm. 

 

 

For Generations

We are a family company, managed by its proprietors. If we pose the question: why is T+A equipment so special? Then we find the answer in the following situation: we grant ourselves the freedom to implement our convictions; to focus on decades, rather than just the next quarter. It is precisely this independence of action which enables us to accomplish long-term goals. For example, we took three years to develop the first device in our HV series, and it was perfect. Our company founder loves music and technology, believes in science and the laws of physics, and always aimed to push those limits as far as possible; every single T+A device incorporates those convictions. These values will continue to be our companions for generations to come.

At the same time the principles of our family enterprise are also reflected in our support for the coming generation. We have developed close connections to university departments in the TU 9 network (an alliance of nine leading technical universities in Germany) through our participation in the Deutschlandstipendium (German sponsorship scheme). For instance, we support gifted young people studying in the areas of electro-technology, physics, information technology and marketing, and offer career and advancement opportunities in our technical departments. Our close scientific cooperation with these technical universities represents an active contribution to Germany as a centre of science, whilst we also benefit from the latest scientific ideas.

Innovation & progress

From digital signal processing and active units in loudspeakers right to the world’s first DSD 1024-capable player: we can claim with pride that our belief in science has made T+A one of the world’s leading, most innovative Hi-Fi companies.

Our belief in science is also our guide in the selection of individual components: the position of each element is accurately calculated, so that it presents the resistance, develops the power or amplifies the current at the optimum point for sound reproduction. We accept no compromises in the optimisation process; “good enough” is never good enough: we insist on the optimum solution.

Assembly

We believe that ideas are only as good as their implementation, and that is why our production processes are designed to maintain the latest scientific standards of quality. Instead of assembly lines we operate a traditional hand-crafting system: our highly-trained specialists work in small groups, manually assembling and checking each sub-assembly. This is our way of applying the theory and converting it into practice.

This method of working can only function if one other aspect is guaranteed: time. The time required to work with painstaking care, the time to check each individual component, the time to perfect what is already very good, and the time to make a product really breathtaking.

Our external cases consist exclusively of steel, aluminium or wood, because these are the only materials which fulfil our own expectations in terms of look and feel as well as quality. Our core principle is longevity, and we therefore need to consider this factor right at the initial stage of a new device’s conception: each individual item and material must fulfil the technical requirements in the optimum manner, but also promise an above-average life-span. This philosophy, combined with the knowledge of our developers, evolves products for generations - not just for a few years

Design

At every stage we pay homage to our design philosophy of timeless reduction: T+A devices should always look timeless - never old-fashioned. Over a period of forty years our designers have developed a stylistic idiom whose simplicity belies its progressive nature: extended shoulder lines, intersected by distinctive heat-sinks in the High-End series, ensure that our equipment looks elegant and elongated. The cooling elements of the HV series are an impressive indication of the machines’ performance potential, while modern developments such as LED lighting strips emphasise the progressive aspect of our products. 

The aim of our external design is always to blend the individual elements into a whole which is greater than simply the sum of its parts: more functional, further reduced, more aesthetic.

Using these methods we create products which are equally impressive both in technical and visual terms; products destined to last for decades, rather than just short-lived fashion accessories.

 

Service

It is our belief that the listener’s experience of a T+A device should extend beyond time and space. When products are correctly developed, they become more than purely a Hi-Fi system: they become our life companions. We place our confidence in long-lived products which can be maintained indefinitely, and we believe that the moments associated with a device cannot simply be ignored.

And that is why we do not invest our energy in product development and manufacture alone; we put just as much effort into maintenance and conservation: our head office in Herford employs seven servicing technicians whose sole task is the repair of equipment. No matter if the device is thirty years old or ten, our experienced team is able to return more than 98% of devices to working condition - thanks to our extensive store of components, from case parts right up to special transistors