Company History
1979: The Beginning
Audio Exklusiv was founded the 1.10.1979 by Gerd Pütz. The trigger for the foundation was his ambition for perfect music reproduction, newest technologies and unconventional solutions. Furthermore the missing chances to realize all these things in a big company. His well-grounded apprenticeship as well as his vast practical experience helped him to make his wish come true.
In the 60th he made an apprenticeship at the famous Max-Planck-Institute for iron-research in Düsseldorf, and then he studied physical technics at the research center in Jülich. Having always had a passion for music and technics, in the early 70th – after having passed the examination – he moved into the region of the Taunus where he started to work for HECO, then and today a famous german loudspeaker company. Here he became head of the development and was responsible for a number of innovations. Very soon he presented to his employer a concept for an electrostatic loudspeaker. In this concept he saw – because of all physical circumstances – the best way for a music reproduction that will be as natural and lifelike as could be and far away from the common box-sound of that days.
Unfortunately his employer could not become friendly with these ideas and so Gerd Pütz decided to realize his dreams and visions – even though a number of famous producers such as Sony or Wega offered him, thanks to his success and his inventor-talents, interesting jobs.
But the only way to realize his ideas was an own company and so on the 1.10.1979 he ventured the step into the self-employment: AUDIO EXKLUSIV was born.
Finally he could develop his electrostatic concept without any limitation. But he did not develop only dynamic loudspeakers which offer a similar sound experience as the electrostatic loudspeaker: At the same time he engaged himself with the complete peripherals of loudspeakers in order to create the best possible working conditions for his sound converters.
1980: Birth of a legend
1980 the first version of a later legend, which influenced a great number of other loudspeaker producers, entered the market: the TUBULAR BELL I. Delicate, livingroom-friendly but with an exceptional electrostatic sound so untypical for a dynamic loudspeaker. As even the price-performance relation was extremely good this was the basic for the following successes for Audio Exklusiv.
1981: "Der Plattenspieler"
Other products followed continuously in order to complete the strategy. With “Der Plattenspieler” in 1981 the new working device of the legend High End magazine “Das Ohr” entered the market.
1982-84: Elektrostatic P3 and Amplifier
Already in the year 1982 the first electrostatic P3 could be presented to the public. Finally Gerd Pütz did arrive at the destination of his dreams. The press jubilated, the music enthusiasts were crazy.
As for most of the noted amplifiers it meant a hardly to manage loading at the same time the first own power-amplifier was presented that same year. Together with the pre amplifier P2 which was presented in 1984 this combination meant to be a nearly unbeatable solution for most demands and wishes. The concept, to concentrate on well-thought-out and uncompromising builded appliances without any modern bits-and-pieces, was a success: In all tests both appliances could be found on leading positions.
1986 - 90: Tube Power Amplifier and a sad incidence
But the crown can be seen in the electrostatic speaker P6 presented in the year 1986. The international hifi press praised this exceptional loudspeaker and created the expression “Pütz-Elektrostat”, which is known by many music enthusiastics even nowadays, after so many years.
The logical consequence was, in order to get the most out of the electrostatic, to develop a directly connected tube power amplifier as well as for the P3 as also for the P6, in order to activate the loudspeaker.
With the age of only 41 year Gerd Pütz died in the year 1990 - too early: who knows what this inventor genius would have given else to the music enthusiastics?
1990-2004: The "Post-Gerd-Pütz-Era"
In the following years – up to approx. 2004 – his wife Eva and their two sons continued to lead the company – always true to the uncompromising philosophy of the founder. The primary products have - during all the years - gently been tended, the product line-up has consequently been enlarged.
A new dynamic loudspeaker ”Filigran“ became, after the Tubular Bell II and III, a modern alternative for all those who couldn’t place an electrostatic speaker.
The amplifier line up has been completed by a tube pre amplifier, two integrated amplifiers were released and a big power amplifier, which could – in spite of its enormous power – keep the fine, fleet-footed and musical sound of the smaller models.
From 2004 on the business has been shut down with the exception of the service.
2009: A brand new start
In the year 2009 the family Pütz sold the trademark, design- and technical rights of Audio Exklusiv to a long-time friend of the family – to Andreas Schönberg. Being music-enthusiastic and hifi-crazy, but even uncompromising as formerly Gerd Pütz he acknowledged on the one side the danger, that one of the eldest and famous german high-end trademark could disappear, and on the other side he noticed the chance offered by the appliances even nowadays: an excellent sound experience and a – in their minimalist-puristic performance - phantastic quality.
Together with a small team of developers the appliances will now consequently be brought on the latest technology and production-related level, which does also correspond to the new legal regulations.
A completely new puristic tube pre amplifier, once again named P7, will complete the program. A similar concept will be realized for the new coming transistor preamplifier which will substitute the previous P2.
Concerning the revision of the existing products as well as regarding the new products there won’t be – exactly as in the past – any Voodoo. An uncompromising choice of materials, using only best components which will be determined in complex and extensive listening experiments, the combination of old and new technologies (every one applied where it fits best) as well as a completely new idea for the resonance elimination, which does not influence the dynamic opens new sound-worlds - by always following the ideas and visions of the founder Gerd Pütz. And: a very important point can be seen in the fact that all developments and the production will be made in Germany.
A great number of new products are on the list for the next 18 months: new turntables, CD-Player, CD-Drive, D/A-Converter, new dynamic loudspeakers as well as interesting accessories will complete the line up in order to lead Audio Exklusiv once again to be the first choice for the sophisticated music-enthusiast.