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www.OA2I.com
ONIX AUDIO to OA21
Real history of success
ONIX AUDIO & OA21 - STILL Proudly BRITISH
Onix Audio was created by Two young engineers -
Adam Worsfold & Tony Brady in 1984
Click Here for a drawing of them in 1980 at Thorn EMI
Craig Hill a 3rd partner sold ONIX amps in a Small HiFi Store
ONIX history was EARNED over years , it can't be sold
Adam Worsfold the sole onwer, built ONIX to a world brand
History cannot be re-written or changed to suit others .. Its documented fact
ABOUT US
A Message from our CEO
This is the only true history of ONIX AUDIO, I am a founder and below is we grew .
Its ONIX AUDIO history , not Facebook hearsay, posted on the fake Facebook ONIX AUDIO page
Today Chinese use the name , but they have nothing to do with us -The only ONIX AUDIO
In 1984, 10 prototypes amps were created for R & D , but never sold. They were built into a half shoe-box size box. They made for research and test only . In early 1985 the first bank account named ONIX AUDIO was opened by Adam W with Barclays Bank in London Rd Brighton. This is the official birth of ONIX AUDIO. The ONIX OA21 was the first product ONIX AUDIO sold.
Adam W & Tony B had trained together at the UK electronics giant Thorn EMI in the field of audio design and manufacture, both left Thorn EMI in late 1983 . They started to build amps after development in 1985 above a shoe shop at "1b Sydney Street Brighton ". Craig Hill was the salesman at his fathers shop "Brighton HiFi" so he sold the ONIX OA21 as part of the shops inventory . This is the start of ONIX AUDIO, with all original founders and what they did . Ultimately the start of ONIX AUDIO and its success, marking its place in history began in 1985 and continued to this day
Products launched - OA20 & OA21
1986 >
In 1990 5 years after exceptional growth, from selling less than a hundred amps to 1985 , now selling 1000,s of amps a year in 1990 . ONIX AUDIO then produced a Tuner the BWD 1. From 1986 ONIX AUDIO became world known ,starting export to over 28 Countries. Magazines and shows reporting ONIX was the best sound at its price point . A tradition we hold until today . We had moved to a new larger facility in Newhaven Sussex UK , 12 Miles away from the shoe shop in Brighton , so new local staff joined the company and helped it to grow things were good .
In July 1991 Adam W always on the go and taking on new challenges chose to progress his life and sell up. He chose to retain the brand / Name ONIX , and licensed it to a newly formed company. Selling the new company to Rogers speakers ( Swisstone Electronics ltd )
After Retaining the trade mark ONIX . This later caused confusion when Rogers, was sold to a Chinese Company, who mistakenly thought they bought the brand ONIX along with rogers , but actually they did not.
Launched - Soap 2 ,OA24 , OA401 ,OA601 , OA801
1995 >
The Chinese company did little to make any impact selling products that were 100% Chinese, having none of the original ONIX DNA ( Design Integrity ) and none of the ONIX paths set by the founders. They had ugly gold colored plastic knobs, and were aesthetically terrible, with poor quality polished plastic fronts, bad electronic design principle. Gallery Click Here . and were just fake
They claimed they were made by ONIX ELECTRONICS LTD on the back of each unit, a company that was dissolved in 1997 !! ONIX was not real . Hence nothing can really be considered a real ONIX during this era 1995 to 2010 . Thankfully most of these units are now in landfill as not too many were sold because they were Not ONIX in any way, and were just cheap dressed up store stock .
Products Launched - Chinese Made OA Units
2010 >
< 1985
In early 1985 Craig Hill and Tony Brady were having daily arguments, resulting in Craig Hill offering his share of ONIX to Adam Worsfold and resign entirely . Craig had nothing more to do with ONIX AUDIO or any part of it from 1985. Long before its commercial success .This now making way for Tony Brady to continue as a consultant.
The new redesigned OA21 called the OA21s was the first new design in late 1985, having a new case finishing with rounded corners and a redesigned board created by AW. This resulted in a dramatic increase in sales . Its new look with superior sound was considered perfection with ONIX successfully starting international sales .
Adam and Tony as friends collaborated well, with all new products from 1986 being developed by both of them over hours of listening and a pint or two. This was ONIX AUDIO as we know it, and its what made it a commercially known worldwide brand in HiFi
The TM ONIX was registered by Adam Worsfold in 1988
Products launched - Soap 1, OA21s & BWD1
< 1991
MP3 was a new compressed music format having less than 20% of the original sonic content ,it took hold with a drastic reduction of quality as the consumer embraced MP3 in pursuit of convenience and portability .
When in 1997 the Chinese owners of the Closed UK company, (Click Here ) had thought they bought the brand ONIX with their purchase, they then used the brand ONIX on cheap generic Audio Products that were 100%
"Made in China"
These are considered the "dark" days of ONIX
Products Launched - Chinese made products
< 2009
ONIX having lost its core values, Adam Worsfold , the original & existing owner of the brand ONIX ( the trade mark ) stopped the unlicensed use of it on Chinese Made products. He regained use of the brand and returned ONIX AUDIO to it`s core values, by designing a new range of amplifiers launched in 2016. To great reviews Click here
ONIX was always loved by thousands and was now again on the map . The original classic ONIX OA21 was still the reference for so many, with sonic qualities being the corner stone of ONIX AUDIO, even if things had changed with the world
ONIX AUDIO with REAL DNA was back
Products launched - DNA 50 and DNA 45 - Reviews
In 2020 the world was hit by Covid 19 , no one realized how much it would change people or their lives. In early 2019 after a few years of negotiations , Adam Worsfold still the owner of "ONIX the brand" agreed to assign "some" IP rights to the same Chinese Company that used it in the1995-2010, timeline above.
This was a peace offering for the new era. This also allowed them to make portable units indicative of the brand ONIX and the quality it represents . These units compliment our range well. ONIX will always be ours, but they use it too in a range that fits well with ours, and still meets customers expectations.
We are the original ONIX - built in the UK with all its DNA
We have direction and a new range in 202X
Products Lunched - DNA ULTIMATE / OA21 Legacy
< 2020
2020 > on
Welcome to OA21 ltd. The British Legacy of ONIX AUDIO > Real coming of age with - OA21
BRIGHTON in 2021 where ONIX AUDIO was born in 1984 by our Founder A Worsfold
Music was on the streets and ONIX was in the making of a great era
BRIGHTON Sea Front 2021
BRIGHTON Where ONIX was Born
BRIGHTON in 2021 where ONIX AUDIO was born in 1984 by our Founder A Worsfold
Music was on the streets and ONIX was in the making of a great era
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AGELESS DESIGN
When the OA21 was designed 40 years ago we simply did not know a classic was actually born. We sold hundreds of thousands. No one knew that the simple three knob minimalist design an exceptional sonic audio design would stand the test of time and become a part of so many families . The OA21 was truly a timeless classic . Like a classic Rolex watch, or Rolls Royce silver shadow , pure , perfect and built with passion by people not machines -
The OA21 was built to last for generations not years and it has proven to have done so
We at OA21 will make sure nothing changes, the heart that goes in to every OA21 Amp
Behind every design there are an important structures for how it is created, people do that ,computers don't.
We are Manufacturers, its in our DNA , we know it's important to understand what you are buying and why.
1984 Set the rules
BWD 1 and Soap 2 from 1984
Brighton UK
UK Seaside Town of OA21
Its called power
Transformer 400VA DNA101
1984 Set the rules
BWD 1 and Soap 2 from 1984
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