Hi, I‘m Klaus! Welcome to my private page. You might be wondering what it’s about.
This website and audio blog actually launched in 2015 to share my travel impressions during a year abroad in China. Later, I used it as a platform to bundle all my published audio reviews on various websites, blogs and forums. In this section, I previously introduced myself as a multilingual reviewer. Now, in 2024, I think this needs some updating. Though one thing remains:
Since I first shared impressions on audio gear, I have made a career that my younger self would be envious about.
A Career in Audio
Photography
When I started photography to accompany my reviews, I had never thought my photos would be used for large product announcements on websites as famous as Forbes or printed in large and displayed at high-end audio shows – year after year. That is next to creating manuals, brochures, backdrops, and much more. Yet somehow I reached that level (though I think there are hobby photographers in audio that far exceed my skills).
Sales
My passion for audio products led me to Sales, in which I occupied leading roles in B2B, DTC and E-Commerce. I‘m not the big talker, so my Sales skills rely on me understanding the market and knowing the product(s) inside out. Combining brand building and sales activation, I have successfully represented big brands in the industry (for studio, stage, home and portable use).
E-Commerce
Though this wasn’t my latest job, I want to mention that I also managed an online shop for portable audio, which in its short 2-year-lifespan, achieved 150+ reviews on Google with an average rating of 4.9, making it to date the best-rated store in Germany in its field ever. Through the use of custom content, including an educational blog and exclusive photography, excellent SEO and reach within the community, my lead preceded the competition and could be considered visionary at the time. The formula proved to be a success as more and more stores adapted it.
Reviews
My review career peaked in 2017/18 when especially IEM releases were reminiscent of the Wild West expansion. There were definitely more misses than hits, and I believe I did not shy away from expressing my opinion. Especially due to the lack of a definition about what is neutral, I saw my mission in educating manufacturers and users. At Headflux (now offline), I had found just the right host to deep-dive into the technical aspects. We spent a lot of time measuring and researching IEM – I believe it was the first time the sloped Diffuse-Field target was used. Something that suddenly now, 6 years later, is finally accepted as a neutral reference.
Product Management
Finally, I can confidently claim to have accompanied several product launches (speakers, headphones, IEMs, amps and more), been part of the product management and even set up complete market-entry strategies on an international level. If there is one box that I haven’t ticked yet, it’s that of the Product Owner. And I will probably keep this website alive until that happens.
A Personal Blog
This website with blog tells the story of my journey in audio, of me making use of my experience, but also about the continued search of better products. Please allow for the occasional post that is off-topic. This is not a review or news blog; it‘s far more personal than that.