Melbourne-based audio distributor BusiSoft AV has picked up a whole raft of new brands by taking over distribution of the UK 'Armour Home' stable in Australia.
While Armour’s brands include classic hi-fi lines like Goldring cartridges and stylii and QED’s cable range, the jewel in Armour’s crown is undoubtedly Q Acoustics, a loudspeaker brand with a relatively short 14-year history, but one strewn with awards both at home and overseas.
Sound+Image magazine alone has bestowed three awards on this company's loudspeakers in the last three years.
In the current 2020 Awards the Q Acoustics 3010i took out our Loudspeakers of the Year under AU$500 (though they are currently AU$549), with the judges calling them “small yet pure, a good-looking and low-cost way to start in high-quality sound”.
In 2019 the floorstanders from the same range took out Sound+Image’s Floorstanding Speakers of the Year under AU$2000, the citation for the 3050i model (AU$1599/pr) reading: "The value here is remarkable given the quality of styling and finish plus a sound with detail and tone that allows a close intimacy when required, but also full, weighty and driving when given power.”
This model also won EISA’s Floorstanding Loudspeaker 2018-2019 Award, while the 5.1-channel speaker pack based around the floorstanders won What Hi-Fi?'s 2019 Product of the Year for Best Speaker Package £1000– £2000.
Most interesting of all Q Acoustics’ speakers are perhaps the Concept models. The first of these higher-level models was the Concept 20, and more recently the Concept 300 standmounts and the Concept 500 floorstanders which have gathered further awards, the latter including Sound+Image’s 2018 Loudspeakers of the Year AU$2000 - AU$10,000.
Their beauty starts at the skin, with their ‘gel-core’ cabinet construction wrapped in unusual colour combinations transitioning from gloss black front to rosewood rear, or gloss-white front to pale oak rear. They are glorious performers at their price, currently AU$7999.
Team Armour
One of Q Acoustics’ secrets is the collaborations with which it has created its products, working with industrial designer Keiron Dunk of Dunk Design on the aesthetics, while audio design guru Karl-Heinz Fink and his agency Fink Consulting have been deeply involved with Q Acoustics from the start, with notable attention to both vibration-resistant cabinets and the use of high-quality drive units.
The brand grew originally from a desire to create the kind of high audio performance at affordable price levels which had previously been served by Mission loudspeakers, a brand which had moved to IAG out of Armour’s former distribution. To date, it has certainly achieved that goal.
BusiSoft’s Australian distribution takes over from Indi Imports, with Chris Emerson, Sales Director of Armour Home, commenting “This is a great opportunity for Armour to be working with BusiSoft AV, who clearly understand the requirements of the hi-fi market in Australia with a committed high-quality dealer network and premium brand portfolio."
"We are about to enter our most ambitious period for new product launches and we are delighted to start this next chapter for the Armour brand portfolio in Australia with BusiSoft AV.”
The feeling appears mutual: “BusiSoft AV is thrilled to be working with Armour Home on establishing the brands in Australia,” says George Poutakidis, CEO, BusiSoft AV. “The price point and aesthetics of these brands will fill the appetite of a new market in Australia.”
At BusiSoft AV, Q Acoustics and the other Armour brands will join major players including Bryston, Dynaudio, Focal, Naim, Moon, Thorens, and many others.
Existing Q Acoustics and QED customers requiring service and warranty support contact their point of sale for assistance.