Onix
ABOUT ONIX
If you turn your gaze to the south of London on the map of the British Isles, you will find a small seaside town named Brighton. A famous holiday resort in England and known by many as the capital of British music and art. The soul of creativity. In the 1980s, ONIX was born here.
Beginning (1979-1996)
In 1979, the founder Tony Brady, who was studying at Brighton Technical College, began to design power amplifiers in a warehouse next to Brighton Pier. His friend Michael O’Brien was shocked by the amplifier’s petite size and massive driving power. At that time, Michael was already a manager of Rogers, a famous British audio brand, and he immediately understand the potential of Tony’s creations.
With the joint efforts of Tony and Michael, ONIX was officially born, with its first classic models OA20 and OA21 launching in 1981. Over the next ten years, ONIX gradually gained a foothold in more than 30 international markets, including Germany, United States, Singapore and Japan. At this time, ONIX developed its trademark black-gold aesthetics, that are followed to this day.
Times are Changing ?1997-2022?
Around the turn of the millennium, facing the surging international market competition and new design approaches in the world of Hi-Fi, ONIX had to change with the times.
And so, in 1997, Mr. Pu Hsao Hsiung from Taiwan Sound Art Co. acquired the core technology and brand ownership of ONIX.
Thanks to Mr. Pu Hsao Hsiung’s broad international vision and exquisite tuning skills, the next generation of ONIX machines was upgraded and modernized. The sound became more atmospheric and offered an increased precision, while preserving the traditional approach of British Hi-Fi. With these changes, ONIX’s popularity grew and it even became known as a “Little MBL”.
Another landmark event for ONIX was the start of cooperation with Shanling Audio, a highly reputable OEM manufacturer, with a heritage going back to 1988. ONIX has been working with Shanling since 2003, keeping up with the original audio design and the traditional look, launching a wide range of models over the years, culminating with the release of high-end OC93 and OIA92 devices in 2022.
New Era (2023?
For the audio industry, which is fairly young with just 100 years of history, “change” is the ever-present theme. Nowadays it’s facing new generation of users, with a big push towards streaming, smart systems, desktop devices and rising demand for high-end Headphone rigs.
In May 2023, ONIX announced its return to the international market, with the launch of the new ONIX Miracle High-End Hi-Fi stack at the Munich Hi-Fi Show. Bringing a brand-new and unique concept to the Audiophile world, combining all the experience of ONIX audio tuning with Shanling’s development of streaming-ready systems and portable players.
After 40 years, ONIX is here once again, setting up new trends. From the seaside town of Brighton, over the island of Taiwan, to the booming Great Bay Area, ONIX is still going strong and keeping to its origins and traditions.