Electro-Voice

The story of Electro-Voice is a long one, and that's a good thing when you're talking about pro audio gear. It takes a high-quality product to stay at the top of this cutthroat market for over 85 years, and with a legacy going back to 1930, Electro-Voice has definitely proven they have what it takes. The emphasis at EV is on live sound, with a huge selection of microphones and loudspeakers so you'll be well-equipped on both sides of the mixer. It was the microphone that gave Electro-Voice its start. In the late 1920s, mic prices were high and sound quality was lagging. Something had to be done, so Lou Burroughs and Al Kahn set out to solve the problem by turning their radio-repair shop into a microphone manufacturer. At first, EV was producing one handmade microphone a week. But that was enough to get the ball rolling, and the company only grew. By the '50s, Electro-Voice had started making speakers. In 1963, they received the first-ever Academy Award given for an audio device, taking home an Oscar for the 642 Cardiline shotgun microphone. Then, in the 1970s, EV paved the way again by making the first microphones with neodymium magnets. If you think you're picking up a pattern here, you're on the right track. This is exactly the sort of thing that Electro-Voice is known for: pushing boundaries and developing new tech so that they can build the best pro audio equipment possible. The same philosophy backing up Electro-Voice microphones goes for their speakers as well, with an impressive selection of powered and passive models. If you plan to use a power amp with your sound system, take a look at EV passive loudspeakers. Or, when you need the ability to connect an audio source directly to the speakers, choose a powered set instead - these have their own built-in amp so they can accept a signal from any device, amplified or not. Whether you're a road manager, venue owner, musician or anyone else looking for high-end pro audio equipment, Electro-Voice is an option that always satisfies. No one has done what they do for longer, and when you hear the sound quality captured and produced by their microphones and speakers, you'll probably agree that they've got plenty of years ahead of them, too.