Varia Instruments and Brionvega, standouts at Milan Design Week 2024, epitomize audio excellence with distinct approaches to design and innovation.
Founded in 2017 by Marcel Schneider and Simon Schär, Varia Instruments crafts top-tier mixing consoles that merge engineering prowess with musical passion. Conversely, Brionvega, has boasted a legacy since 1945 by the Castiglioni brothers and is acclaimed for iconic designs fusing technology with Italian aesthetics. Both brands, revered for superior sound quality and craftsmanship, redefine audio technology’s landscape with their unparalleled offerings.
Brionvega Vinyl Players: Form & Functionality
Its products have transcended their original function to become cultural icons. A perfect synthesis of aesthetic pleasure, ease of use, technology and timeless design, Brionvega vinyl players possess incomparable modernity and versatility. They are displayed in prestigious museums worldwide, symbolizing the intersection of technology, design and art.
Its “Totem” has a discreet, cubic design that integrates complex production into a simple, art form, which leaves one captivated by not only the sound quality but its timeless beauty.
Music is a message and has no visible form. In the perfect purity of a cube, “Totem” conceals and encloses its musical vocation, which is revealed and shared with a touch of our hands, which open it up and release its full potential for reproducing sound.
Mario Bellini, prominent architect and designer of Brionvega’s “Totem”
Key milestones, such as the introduction of the “Doney TV” in 1956 and the “TS502 Radiocubo” inclusion in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)’s collection in 1968, underscore Brionvega’s enduring influence on industrial design. The brand’s mission, to offer iconic products that blend industrial design with technical innovation, is exemplified by its presence in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Osaka Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidoub and the Milan Triennale, to name a few. Legacy designer such as Ettore Sottsass leaves his mark with the series “Memphis”. The most prominent version is David Bowie’s that was crafted specially for him, to encapsulate his sincere love for the product. It was eventually auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2016 for £257,000.
Their ability to combine cutting-edge technology with timeless design, creating products that evoke emotion, inspire creativity and leave a lasting impact on culture and society, are second par none. The modular, well-defined design of the “Radiofonografo” though seemingly extremely similar to each other, however, each possess a slight difference, which reveals its essence of an artistic product, or a true musical masterpiece.
As a true Brionvega aficionado, Francis Ford Coppola’s longstanding ownership of a Radiofonografo reflects his appreciation for the brand’s timeless design. His endorsement serves as a testament to Brionvega’s enduring appeal among discerning enthusiasts who value both aesthetics and functionality.
Brionvega can be found at Xtra (Singapore), DrivePro (Shanghai) and MoMA. Featured image, from Brionvega’s Totem collection.
Varia Instruments: Superior Quality DJ Equipment
Varia Instruments is a pioneering force in the realm of DJ equipment, renowned for its commitment to crafting superior-quality mixing consoles. It blends their engineering expertise and passion for music to create mixing consoles that elevate the DJ experience.
Each Varia mixer is meticulously handcrafted in Switzerland, reflecting a fusion of precision engineering and attention to detail. The brand’s flagship model, the RDM20, boasts fully analog circuitry, two-channel rotary design and innovative three-band isolator-banks for enhanced mixing creativity.
With balanced outputs and a built-in linear power supply, Varia Instruments sets the standard for excellence in analog DJ equipment.
Varia Instruments can be purchased online from CHF 2190 (RDM 20) / CHF 3940 (RDM 40) or at Ziegelackerstrasse 10, CH-3027 Bern, Switzerland.
