THE HISTORY OF SCHNERZINGER
Innovation meets musical passion
It all began with Georg Frederik Schnerzinger. As early as the 1960s, the passionate music lover was researching new methods of energy transmission and developing high-quality sound concepts. His research led him to an insight that is still valid today: phase-stable signal transmission is essential for the unadulterated transport of electrical information. A realization that has only recently received the attention it deserves in audiophile circles.
He called this research work “phase monitor research”. For his achievements, Georg Frederik Schnerzinger was even made an honorary citizen of the USA in the 1970s.
He inspired his grandson Dirk Klocke, who is the driving force behind the SCHNERZINGER AudioTeam today, to strive for unadulterated music reproduction at an early age. At the age of nine, Dirk received his first high-quality hi-fi system from his grandfather. After intensive years of training, G. F. Schnerzinger arranged for him to spend time with Jason Bloom, the co-founder of Apogee Acoustics – one of the most innovative loudspeaker manufacturers of the 1980s.
From Jason Bloom, Dirk not only gained profound insights into the audiophile world, but also valuable contacts and knowledge. Looking back, Dirk sees the combination of phase monitor research and his experiences with Jason Bloom as the cornerstone of SCHNERZINGER’s exceptional development expertise.
Dirk Klocke is particularly fortunate to have experienced the unadulterated musical experience himself, internalized it and stored it as a benchmark. Personal encounters with musical legends such as Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Tina Turner and Elton John, who performed live and unamplified in front of him, have trained his ear and left a lasting impression on his understanding of music. As Udo Jürgens’ personal mentor, he got to know the artist’s perspective and experienced how music is created – from composition to recording and mastering to the finished piece of music. Dirk knows how music should sound in reality – and how it should ideally be reproduced on a sound system. For him, the most important thing is that a hi-fi system not only reproduces music, but also brings it to life and fills every note with emotion and depth.
In over 30 years, he gained extensive experience with the best and most expensive hi-fi components in the world, many of which he owned himself. This knowledge of the strengths and characteristics of individual components formed the basis for his next step: his own product development.
Driven by his perfectionism, he began to develop his own solutions together with a team of specialists from a wide range of technological fields. The focus was on maximum cable conductivity and targeted interference suppression in the hi-fi environment. His aim was a completely new approach and audible results that differed significantly from conventional solutions.
At his side:
His partner Sandra Austerschulte. She actively accompanied the development of SCHNERZINGER for over two decades. With her many years of experience in marketing – including in leading advertising agencies and a telecommunications company – and her deep understanding of electrosensitivity, she has played a key role in shaping business development.
In 2018, Sandra took over the management of the company. Since then, she has focused on strategic corporate development and marketing in order to lead the company successfully into a secure future.
This allows Dirk to concentrate fully on technical management and research. His team takes a holistic approach: it is not just about identifying faults, but understanding them comprehensively and eliminating them with the greatest possible efficiency.
SCHNERZINGER’s goal: a trouble-free environment for a life of maximum musical enjoyment. SCHNERZINGER products take audiophile sound to a new level – authentic, precise and uncompromising.
