50 years of krix

50 years of krix

50 years of krix

50 YEARS OF INNOVATION, PASSION AND UNMATCHED SOUND EXPERIENCE

 

In 2024, Krix proudly marks their 50th anniversary, a remarkable milestone that underscores five decades of unwavering commitment to delivering unparalleled audio experiences. Established in Adelaide, Australia in 1974, Krix has become synonymous with innovation, quality, and a passion for exceptional sound in both commercial cinema and residential audio worldwide.

To commemorate this significant occasion, Krix is excited to announce a year-long celebration filled with exciting events, competitions, tradeshows and more. The 50th-anniversary festivities aim to honour the history of Krix and to engage and thank our loyal customers who have been an integral part of our journey.

Integrated Systems Europe 2024: In January, Krix will exhibit alongside partners and leading audio and visual technology innovators Trinnov Audio, Barco and Officina Acustica in Barcelona. Innovation from all partners promises to deliver a transformative experience for those who attend.

50th-anniversary speaker release: In honour of this milestone, Krix will unveil a speaker series that embodies the pinnacle of our engineering achievements and lifts home cinema to the next level.

Competitions: Audiophiles and Krix enthusiasts will have the chance to participate in exciting competitions and win exclusive Krix prizes.

International Dealer Conference: In September, Adelaide, Australia, will be the centre stage for our top-performing worldwide dealers. Krix will showcase their latest products, connect with valued partners that define the industry, and celebrate the remarkable 50th anniversary of Krix, marking half a century of innovation and excellence in the industry.

StereoNET Hi-Fi and AV Show 2024: Krix will have a prominent presence at the 2024 StereoNET Hi-Fi and AV Show being held in Melbourne in October of 2024, providing attendees with a firsthand experience of their latest innovations and celebrating the legacy of Krix.

“We are thrilled to celebrate 50 years of Krix, a journey marked by passion, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of audio excellence. This milestone is a testament to our team’s dedication and our customers’ unwavering support. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of audio engineering and delivering unforgettable sound experiences.” Says Gary Krix, CEO of Krix.

For the latest updates and exclusive content celebrating Krix’s 50th anniversary, be sure to follow them on FacebookLinkedIn, or Instagram, or visit krix.com.au/50th-anniversary/

For the ultimate sound experience, play it through Krix.

A testament to five decades of unwavering commitment, Krix’s journey began in Adelaide, Australia, in 1974, where Scott Krix set out to redefine audio excellence.

Today, Krix is synonymous with innovation, quality, and a passion for delivering exceptional sound experiences. Whether in commercial cinemas or residential spaces worldwide, Krix’s legacy resonates through the impeccable craftsmanship and engineering embedded in every Krix speaker.

Explore the timeline below and experience the last 50 years of Krix.

The Krix dream

Scott Krix was a bright-eyed music lover who had spent much of his youth tinkering with electronics and audio parts that he had scavenged from everywhere from where he lived in Loxton, a small town three hours east of Adelaide. After completing an electronic engineering degree in Adelaide, he then founded ‘Krix Speaker Systems’.

1974
Scott's first horn design inside the Acoustic Foundry shop, with drivers and information in the foreground
1976

The Acoustic Foundry

Scott, realising his hobby had developed somewhat of a ‘cult-like’ status, opened a traditional HiFi shop in a suburb of Adelaide, where like-minded individuals could browse, listen to music, purchase, and create their own HiFi systems – just like Scott and all his friends were doing.

He named it the Acoustic Foundry.

The Acoustic Foundry clientele were initially often university students and others who liked something a little bit different, and the brand grew from there.

The Acoustic Foundry found its niche and began selling Design Your Own Systems (DYOS). This unique approach laid the speaker elements out in separate enclosures, switchable via a console with different filters for auditioning. Customers would bring in their own favourite music (vinyl at the time) and try different components until they had the sound to their liking.

Scott would subsequently construct the selected, potentially one-of-a-kind system to the preferred level of finalisation. This could involve using only supplied components and plans or delivering a fully assembled and finished product.

Home Grown Series

The Home Grown series was born from the three most popular DYOS systems mentioned above.

The Acoustic Foundry offered a range of three Home Grown models in different sizes, price points and components.

The Home Grown series was extremely popular; some are still loved and used by Krix customers today.

1978
1979

First factory and Krix office

Krix Speaker Systems purchased one acre of land at Hackham, Adelaide, and built (by hand) a modest 120 square-meter factory, which today still houses the company’s administration department.

Intro to cinema

Scott was approached by the owner of a local cinema (The Capri), who passed by the Acoustic Foundry on his way to work daily. He was intrigued by the speakers, which Scott had built at university and displayed in the store’s front window.

Scott then designed and built PA-style loudspeakers for the cinema, they were rear horn loaded and featured dual 15-inch low frequency (LF) drivers. There were no subwoofers in the installation, so Scott thought it was necessary to provide as much LF ‘grunt’ as possible.

Upon installation of the new speakers, Scott began the process of equalising the cinema. A significant acoustic problem was discovered, due to sound reflecting off the front wall behind the speakers, which then interfered with the direct sound. To solve this problem, Scott built the world’s first ‘Infinite Baffle Wall’.

The baffle wall consisted of a rigid structure around the screen speakers and was mounted flush with the speaker baffles. The audience side of the baffle wall was coated in acoustic absorbent material.

Krix cinema installations grow to cover 90% of national cinema expansions.

1980
1985

Growing and building

During the ’80s the Australian cinema industry was booming, and multiplex cinemas were opening everywhere.

Strong demand for cinema speakers meant that more space was required, leading to the build of a larger factory spanning 500 square meters. This was aptly named Shed 1.

Growing, building and growing some more

Krix held a prominent position as a key supplier to the local cinema industry, having successfully completed over 200 cinema installations nationwide. With a dedicated team of 10 full-time staff, attention shifted towards expanding the company’s consumer product segment, necessitating further space.

To accommodate this growth, another factory was constructed, spanning another 500 square meters, and was aptly named Shed 2.

1990
1993

Going global

The company, which had changed its name in 1988 to Krix Loudspeaker Engineers Pty Ltd, shortened the name to Krix Loudspeakers (as we are known today).

Krix made its entrance to the global market, shipping commercial cinema speakers to New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.

THX accreditation from Lucasfilm

Krix attained THX accreditation from LucasFilms for their cinema surround model, the KSX-1.

1993
1994

Dealers, tradeshows and overseas distributors

The early ’90s saw the revolution that was surround sound. Krix was well established to firmly push into this new residential market. Krix’s national retail presence expanded significantly, growing from five dealers to forty within two years.

Krix began exhibiting at tradeshows around the world, the first being the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in Las Vegas. The first consumer distributor was signed (located in Hong Kong). Malaysia followed quickly, and then in 1996, the United States.

Another shed

In 1996, Krix exports were approaching 40% of production capabilities – time to add another shed! This time, a 1000 square metre, two-level building was built to house final assembly, warehouse and research and development offices and listening facilities.

1996
1997

The rest of the ’90s

Krix continued to engineer and manufacture new products while exhibiting at various tradeshows around the globe and winning prestigious awards for both commercial cinema and consumer products.

Krix attains THX accreditation for commercial cinema surrounds KX-1840, KX-1850, KX-1550 and low-frequency cinema screen speaker KX-2610, cinema subwoofer KX-4610, and cinema screen system KX-5812.

Krix also purchase the one-acre block adjacent to their current facilities in anticipation of future expansion opportunities.

The patents begin

In 2003, David Murphy, Krix’s Senior Cinema Loudspeaker Design Engineer, achieved a significant milestone in innovation as he was awarded an Australian patent for his constant directivity acoustic horn design.

David jokingly stated that Scott could purchase the patent from him for $1USD. Scott pulled out his wallet, riffled through quite a few compartments and proudly produced a $1USD note! The note is STILL proudly stuck to the wall in David’s office (just above a copy of the patent itself).

The US patent for the same was awarded in 2006.

2003
2004

Success continues

In 2004, Krix celebrated 30 years as Australia’s oldest and largest loudspeaker manufacturer!

Distribution was confirmed in the United Kingdom and Krix speakers were also supplied to Austria, Germany, Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Jordan and Afghanistan.

4-way cinema screen speakers

Continuing the focus on innovation, Krix achieves a significant milestone after three years of dedicated development. In a groundbreaking move, Krix became the global pioneer in introducing a comprehensive lineup of 4-way cinema speakers, solidifying its position at the forefront of audio technology.

2004
4-way speakers being installed into a commercial cinema
2007

Another patent

Krix are awarded an Australian patent under the title “Method of Designing a Sound Waveguide Surface”. The inventors are David Murphy along with Anthony Zander, Richard Morgans and Colin Henry.

A US patent for the same was awarded in 2013.

An international brand

For the remainder of the ’00s, Krix continued to grow globally. Over 100 commercial cinema systems have been installed in Korea, Ireland, Malaysia, and Japan.

Krix introduces the Neuphonix floorstanding loudspeaker, earning numerous accolades. This success is further reinforced by the Seismix 3 Mk3 subwoofer, Apex 4 floorstander, and the Epicentrix center speaker (designed to complement the Neuphonix), all of which garner multiple awards.

Scott Krix receives ‘Cinema Pioneer’ status for over 25 years of service to the cinema industry.

2008
Scott Krix concentrating while surround by Commercial cinema speakers
tower of commercial krix speakers
2010

And another…

In 2010, Jon Scott, who has been leading the Research and Development department at Krix since 2003, received a patent for his innovative design of a reversible mounting bracket.

Krix consumer branches to China, which quickly becomes a fast-selling market.

Series X

Embracing the expanding multichannel trend, Krix’s Research and Development team seamlessly merged their passion for home entertainment speakers with their extensive expertise in commercial cinema. This synergy led to the inaugural collection of specialised home cinema speakers known as Series X (abbreviated for Xtreme).

The Series X screen speakers are tailored for rooms spanning from five to twenty three meters in depth.

2010
Series X in a dedicated cinema room
A pair of Neuphonix speakers product image
2014

Special 40 year anniversary edition speakers

Marking four decades as Australia’s foremost and largest loudspeaker manufacturer, Krix commemorated this milestone by releasing a special anniversary edition of their renowned flagship Neuphonix design.

Limited to just 40 pairs, each speaker set was individually numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Adding a personal touch, Scott Krix autographed each of these exclusive speakers, creating a unique and collectible celebration of the company’s 40-year legacy.

Series SX

Conceived as a more space-efficient alternative to Series X speakers, Series SX (abbreviated for Scaled Xtreme) retain the distinctive Krix cinema sound.

With screen speakers tailored for rooms spanning three to eight meters in length, the Series SX range also serves as an ideal complement as surround speakers and subwoofers when paired with Series X.

2014
Hyperphonix 45 speakers on the wall and on the ceiling
Series MX 5 system in a wall
2015

Series MX

Krix introduce Series MX (abbreviated for Modular Xtreme) into their dedicated home cinema lineup.

This addition implemented the baffle wall design conceptualised by Scott Krix in the 1980s.

Australian consumer shows

Following overseas success at various tradeshows, Krix exhibit at various residential and trade shows around Australia.

2016
Tradeshow booth at StereoNet
A pair of Heretix speakers
2017

The Heretix

The Heretix, along with an MX-30, were on demonstration at the 2017 StereoNET show. A long-time passion of Scott Krix, the prototype Heretix were highly efficient and utilised the Krix patented horn technology.

The 24.10.10 room – a world first

At the 2018 StereoNET International HiFi Show, Krix demonstrated a world-first maximum channel-count Dolby Atmos cinema featuring 34 decoded channels in a 24.10.10 configuration.

2018
Trinnov ovation system
2018

Welcome Trinnov

After meeting some of the team from Trinnov at a trade show in 2017, a relationship quickly developed between the two brands.

Krix became the Trinnov Audio Commercial Cinema distributor for Australia.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE)

2019 saw Krix exhibit for the first time at the world’s most prominent residential audio-visual trade show, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Amsterdam.

This tradeshow cemented the Krix brand throughout Europe and established relationships with many new distributors and dealers.

2019
Krix tradebooth with a commercial speaker, Series MX system and Series X surround speakers
2019

High spatial resolution demonstration room

The primary demonstration room at the Krix factory underwent a complete transformation to become a 15.4.8 setup, featuring an MX-30 and twenty Phonix surround speakers.

Quake!

‘Quake’ was installed in Wallis Cinema Mitcham, closely followed by Noarlunga and Mt Barker. This new, unique concept was designed by Krix and featured Trinnov processing.

2019
Wallis commercial cinema image with Quake on the screen
Line up of Krix speakers
2020

The world in lockdown

Although travel to tradeshows and commercial cinemas was on hiatus due to restrictions, Krix persevered in its commitment to engineering and innovation, navigating with resilience and creativity and releasing multiple new products for the dedicated home cinema market during the early 2020s, while expanding the distributor and dealer network across the globe.

Exclusive distributor

After two years as a consumer sub-distributor, Krix became the exclusive Australian distributor for the Trinnov High-End range.

2021
Group shot of dealers attending Trinnov training at Krix factory
Michael, Jon and Don at Integrated Systems Europe 2023 standing in front of the Krix, Trinnov, Sony and Officina Acustica booth.
2023

ISE and partnerships

Krix collaborated with Trinnov Audio, Sony, and Officina Acustica at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE). Together, they showcased a cutting-edge 13.16.6 home cinema with an exclusive preview of Trinnov’s innovative Waveforming technology.

Research and development demonstration room upgrade

Krix was the first in the world (outside Trinnov HQ and ISE) to implement Trinnov’s new Waveforming. This demonstration room houses 16 subwoofers in a 25 square metre room!

2023
An image of an Trinnov Altitude
image of Scott, Gary and Ashely Krix standing against a wall.
2024

The 50th year

Currently, Krix speakers are in over 4,000 cinemas across 40 countries worldwide, and our presence continues to expand. We couldn’t be prouder of this remarkable growth and global reach.

Today, Krix is still family-owned. Scott Krix along with two of his brothers, Gary and Ashley, all actively work within the business and the Krix focus remains the same – continue to innovate and manufacture speakers that allow listeners to experience the magic of movies and music.