Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH

Burmester Audiosysteme got its beginning in 1977. As a musician since his early days, Dieter Burmester always wanted to make his audio components and loudspeakers reproduce music as naturally and purely as possible.

It was the malfunction of a faulty preamplifier that caused the development of the first Burmester product. Because the products on the market couldn't satisfy Dieter Burmester's high demands, he built his own preamplifier, the Burmester 777 in July 1977 from parts of medical machines, which he produced in his own engineering office. The 777 is still the core element of Burmester's products and model of the type designation of the following components (composed of the year 77 and the month number 7).

Because the 777 was very successful, Burmester wanted to bring the first hi-fi power amplifier with symmetrical signal routing on the market. This was a novelty for the hi-fi world. However, in the beginning it was difficult to convince retailers and journalists.

By 1978, Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH was fully established. Already in 1978, the company introduced the characteristic chrome design, which has even found its way into the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

In 1980, Burmester developed and produced the world's first modular preamplifier, the Burmester 808. Further milestones are the symmetrical switching technology, which was first used by Burmester in 1983, the first amplifier with DC coupling from the phono stage through to the speaker terminals and the first remote controlled speaker adjustment with relay circuit resistors, both introduced in 1987. In 1991, the company brought the first belt-driven CD player to the market.

In 1994/1995, Burmester enlarged its portfolio with loudspeakers and brought the first speaker system with a dual active/passive crossover network. In some models they use an air motion transformer as a tweeter, or a particularly large chassis with a diameter of 17 centimetres (6.7 in) for the mid-range frequencies. Also in 1994, Burmester built a universal solution to clean the power supply. By now the manufacturer also offers in-wall loudspeakers and an all-in-one system.

Dieter Burmester was named ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2003 by the Berlin Association of Independent Business Owners. Burmester Audiosysteme is one of the founding members of the German Manufactories Initiative (Initiative Deutsche Manufakturen), the 'Handmade in Germany' foundation which represents German manufactories of handmade products and craftsmanship.

Dieter Burmester died in August 2015 at the age of 69, after a short but severe illness. After his death, the company was led by his widow Marianne Burmester. On 1 January 2017, Andreas Henke joined as co-CEO of Burmester Audiosysteme.

In the Home Audio sector, Burmester offers audio components, loudspeakers, and complete systems. Product categories include preamplifiers, power amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, power conditioners, turntables, CD players, network products, and loudspeakers.

Home Audio products are divided into several product lines.

On the company website, these are listed as the Signature Line, Reference Line, Top Line, and Classic Line. The Signature Line comprises top-tier products in the Burmester portfolio. The Reference Line includes various audio components, such as power amplifiers and other high-end equipment. According to the company website, this line features the 909 MK5, 218, and 259 power amplifiers, among others.

According to the company, the Top Line translates the technical concepts of the Reference Line into more compact forms. The Classic Line is positioned with a focus on ease of use and core technical functionality, benefiting technically from developments made in the Reference and Top Lines.