The Soundking Group, an original equipment manufacturer that specialises in the development and manufacturing of professional audio systems, musical instruments and digital cinema solutions, is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. Established in 1988 as a small enterprise, the Soundking Group has grown to become a respected manufacturer of original audio equipment for the professional market with a global reach.
The Soundking Group started operations with ten employees, manufacturing XLR connectors for the professional audio industry in 1988. The small manufacturing facility quickly gained a reputation for quality workmanship, and by 1995 the enterprise employed 300 people at a large-scale manufacturing facility in Ningbo, China.
The company quickly expanded its product range to include an array of audio cables, wire solder and injection moulded plugs and sockets for the professional audio market. Building on its trajectory of growth, Soundking continued to develop its manufacturing capabilities and scope to become one of China’s largest manufacturers of original sound equipment, an achievement marked by the company’s relocation to what has become known as the Soundking Science Park in 2005. The Soundking Science Park, situated in Ningbo, China, is a 185,000m2 compound that serves as the company’s headquarters and includes state-of-the-art manufacturing and research and design facilities and provides employment for more than 2,000 people.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics served as an opportunity for the Soundking Group to demonstrate its growing capabilities as a provider of professional audio consultant and installation services. The company provided audio engineering services to more than 30 Olympic venues and was recognised as a vital service provider during the global event.
BY 2010, the Soundking Group had significantly extended its international reach, supported by the acquisition of three major international audio brands, including Carlsbro, one of the most established guitar amplifier companies in the UK, the Cadac mixer company and the music technology manufacturer Studiomaster. The Soundking Group has also established research teams in America, the UK and Germany and continues to invest heavily in research and development to ensure that Soundking continues to innovate in line with the rapid digitisation of professional music and audio equipment. In 2016, the Soundking Group launched one of the first 20-channel compact digital consoles, which has received a number of international awards.
In a recent interview with ETECH, Soundking president Leo Wang expressed his optimism regarding the company’s ability to make a valuable contribution to the professional audio market in South Africa. “We manufacture a range of professional audio products that offer high performance at an affordable price, which suits the needs of customers in developing markets,” Wang explains. He goes on to state that Soundking has been favourably received by clients across Asia and Latin America. More recently, Soundking has started to make inroads in the African market, with significant growth in Kenya and Nigeria.
In 2017, Soundking attended Mediatech Africa, South Africa’s only dedicated professional audiovisual tradeshow and exhibition, and has since developed a solid understanding of the local market. “While South Africa is a new market for Soundking, our experience at Mediatech 2017 has instilled a lot of faith in our ability to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with distributors in the country. We intend to attend the upcoming iteration of Mediatech with the aim of deepening existing relationships and developing a closer understanding of the needs of the South African market,” Wang concludes.
