“Finding an OEM/ODM manufacturer for smartphones and computers is easy, but when it comes to audio, it’s a different story,” says the product manager of a globally renowned audio brand.
Apple’s decision to partner with Foxconn and Nvidia’s choice of TSMC illustrate how major brands select their OEM/ODM manufacturers with a keen eye on technology and reliability. This trend isn’t lost on the audio industry, which, despite its mature market with a wide range of manufacturers, still emphasizes the need for technical acumen in acoustics.
The design director of a prestigious audio brand put it aptly, “A good audio product isn’t just a box emitting sound.” They highlighted that human hearing is incredibly selective, pointing out the varied expectations between average and professional users. The director emphasized that quality is non-negotiable, whether for entry-level devices or high-end audio systems and conference speakers, all of which must deliver crystal clear sound. “Top-notch OEM/ODM manufacturers,” they added, “have the capability to meet the diverse needs of these audio products.”
In fact, many audio brands are focused on key product-design-wise matters, such as planning, design, research, and development, while manufacturing and production are outsourced to professional manufacturers. So, here comes the question: how do you choose an audio manufacturer that can perfectly execute product design, meet sound requirements, and ensure high yields?
Here are five key characteristics as suggested by brand product managers:
1: Professional Acoustic Engineering
Just like a racing car’s engine design, professional audio manufacturers usually deploy a dedicated acoustic engineering team focused on optimizing the design of audio components, including sensors, speakers, microphones, signal processing, and even proposing solutions ahead of customers by modularizing each aspect for customers to choose from.
A dedicated acoustic engineering team ensures quality and audio output performance by fine-tuning aspects like frequency response, low distortion, and high signal-to-noise ratio. Professional manufacturers also offer modules for different levels of audio products, whether it’s performance equipment, recording studio gear, home audio, or high-end premium audio.
2: Advanced Research and Development
An excellent professional audio manufacturer should also have the momentum to drive research and development, continuous innovation, and developing cutting-edge audio technology is essential. This involves predicting trends in user, market, and industry preferences to push the boundaries of sound reproduction. Excellent manufacturers continuously advance in patents to establish a leading position in the industry.
For those who demand even more from research and development, invest in advanced testing equipment such as anechoic chambers, audio analyzers, and software for rigorous sound quality checks. They also ensure the integration and compatibility of their products with various applications. Furthermore, they prioritize product reliability and quality, ensuring durability in all environments to consistently deliver the best sound.
3: Excellent Manufacturing Yield
A leading audio manufacturing partner must possess automated processes, manufacturing principles, and energy-saving and carbon-reduction capabilities. They should also have a world-class manufacturing layout that allows them to choose production facilities in nearby countries based on the audio brand’s sales market. A quality audio production line includes high-quality component assembly (soldering, adhesive bonding, fastening), plastic injection molding, PCB board assembly, ensuring precise quality, quantity, and reliability.
When the music signal enters the voice coil, we can regard the voice coil and motor as the power system, and the eadge and damper as the suspension system. Smoothly and stably push the cone back and forth to compress the air to generate density waves, and then the sound can be played perfectly. Subtle adjustments to materials, shapes, suspension displacements, and power levels will produce completely different sound effects. Finding the most appropriate combination is a significant challenge for the designer’s sense of choice, “how to fulfill various customer groups, this is the most indispensable ability.”
To ensure production quality, they need to obtain international certification standards in quality control, such as ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001, IATF16949, BSCI, TUV, CE.
4: Diverse Product Integration
It’s essential to show the characteristics of technology and profession in “R&D, acoustics, and manufacturing” capabilities in multiple audio speaker categories when surveying excellent manufacturing foundries. in digital age, acoustic integration with modules and software, takes experience, tuning technique, and era perspectives, having a right partner would help brands able to achieve more integration tasks in one-stop, go-to-market in time, to meet the needs and preferences of different customers and provide suitable solutions.
5: A Stellar Reputation
in the Industry, excellent audio OEM/ODM manufacturers receive continuous orders from well-known clients. This characteristic signifies three key points: 1. Industry recognition of their technical expertise and profitability, 2. Compliance with international standards for ESG sustainable manufacturing (a requirement typically imposed by globally recognized brands), and 3. A well-established distribution and after-sales technical service network.
If an audio brand requires more than just “manufacturing” but also “design,” it’s crucial to assess whether the chosen manufacturer has OEM and ODM service capabilities.
Jazz Hipster, Your Professional High-End Audio OEM/ODM Manufacturer. Jazz Hipster is a professional audio manufacturer with top-notch acoustic engineering, digital technology, and design teams that emphasize the integration of software, hardware, acoustics, and engineering. They provide exceptional sound quality and impeccable craftsmanship, aiming to be a leader in innovative loudspeaker manufacturing and design worldwide. Since its founding in 1981, Jazz Hipster has served 18 top-tier and 50 renowned brands, establishing itself as an indispensable OEM/ODM partner with a long and distinguished history.
They have also forged partnerships with 24 leading global manufacturers in various fields, including STREAMIN, RF, SOC, BLUETOOTH, AUDIO DSP/MCU, such as MediaTek, Qualcomm, NXP, and Texas Instruments. Their collaboration with MediaTek is incredibly profound, incorporating chips and audio components into their products to introduce intelligent chip audio solutions. This not only enhances the capabilities of their partners’ products but also helps their customers launch devices with outstanding acoustics, such as smartphones, computers, and car audio, receiving widespread acclaim.
Whether you need high-end premium home theater systems, studio monitoring audio, conference audio-visual equipment, smartphone/computer/car audio, wireless handheld devices, standalone speakers, or any other audio equipment, Jazz Hipster can provide you with complete and mature solutions and OEM/ODM services. Their entire production line is certified with international standards like ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001, IATF16949, BSCI, TUV, CE, and more.
For more information on their OEM services and details, please contact us.
