Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Noerbaek.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a Dane by birth, and some say by temperament—with the engineering mindset of Germans but with perhaps a more playful spirit, which, fortunately, I’ve never outgrown. I was immersed in a life-long passion for audio sound systems when I built my first speakers at the age of nine (some family members say I was only six). Raised in the Jutland town of Aarhus, I had built well over 100 speaker sets for my school chums and others by the time I left high school. A concentrated curriculum of electrical engineering at a technical school prepared me for a three-year tour on a merchant marine ship, where I needed to master a real-world expertise to ensure the safety and success of our many voyages.
My desire to build a career in audio electronics brought me to the U.S. in 1986, and after several years of shaping my personal vision and establishing a reputation in the competitive American marketplace, I launched PBN Audio in 1992. Beginning with the Montana speaker line, I’ve always followed my muse and trusted the mantra she whispered in my ear: Hearing is believing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Following your own path and taking sole responsibility for your own successes and disappointments is always a trying one. But I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. The freedom to design and build every speaker, amplifier, and turntable from the ground up and meticulously integrate all the elements to orchestrate fully dimensional, lifelike sound, from the smallest components to the imposing seven-foot Master Reference speakers—is deeply embedded in my work, every day. As my business takes me into a global market, I’ve learned about the differences in how people experience music and what experiences are truly universal. There is truthfulness in the best music, in its inspiration and execution, which is, I believe, unmistakable. By truthfulness, I mean the sheer beauty and power music conveys, whether it’s a 1930s jazz jam session or a major philharmonic mastering the full dynamic range of a Beethoven symphony. Challenges? That’s what I thrive on!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
There are indeed industry standard-setting audio systems and components that are state-of-the-art, and there is a place for that. PBN is about a more personal, old-school mastery, and about craftsmanship. It comes out a relentless hunger to make recorded music come alive, literally, in the sense that it evokes a “thereness” that transcends the recording and transports the listener to an immersive experience. Ambitious? Unavoidably. But deeply satisfying when it works.
I have a deep love of vinyl, as many aficionados do, and feel it gives us the best opportunity to capture the unique warmth and rich texture that our analog brains yearn for. My approach begins with researching the best classic engineering, recovering the key components wherever they may be found worldwide, and lovingly refurbishing them. I then design speakers and turntables that bring the best of this time-tested technology (such as turntable motors that rotate at an extremely precise 33.333 rpm) and wed them with the best of current engineering. When painstakingly synthesized in this way into an original creation, something akin to magic happens. Our veneered or piano-finished cabinetry designs seek to give the eye the same level of delight as the ear. Everything is custom-built. Our most recent introductions, the M! Series, the Studio Reference Series, and the thunderous Bass Towers, as well as our GrooveMaster turntables, all embody this philosophy. Our pre-amps and amplifiers are meticulously hand-assembled to create seamless sound systems.
What were you like growing up?
As alluded to, I find a bliss in rediscovering and affirming each day the delight of discovering new ways to unlock the riddles of audio perfection, or as close as I can get. After a long day’s work, hand-winding copper coils for an EB-SA amplifier or adding a final layer of lacquer to a hardwood burl veneer, I’ll relax in my personal sound room with a glass of wine and just savor the music. I was born to this life. I don’t play an instrument—my speakers and components are my instruments.
Pricing:
- M2!5 Speakers $34,500 per pair
- EB-SA2 Amplifier $40,250
- Studio Reference 14 $28,000 per pair
- GrooveMaster Vintage Direct P3 $34,500
- GrooveMaster Vintage Direct DP6 $9,775
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pbnaudio.com
Image Credits
David Stump
