The company that started out of an old farmhouse in 1975 in the small country of Liechtenstein, bordering Switzerland, is now one of the most recognized leading manufacturers of quality connectivity products for the AV industry today.
Two years ago, Neutrik celebrated 40 years as one of the world’s top providers of audio, video, data and power connectors. As one of the leading Neutrik distributors in Burbank, California we’d like to go over their remarkable journey and growth and showcase many of their cutting-edge innovative lines that we stock in-store and online, that have been game-changers in the constantly growing AV industry.
Neutrik’s early offerings started with XLR connectors, and in 1984 Neutrik unveiled its X-Series – a completely screwless design and construction that resulted in greater reliability and easy assembly, and is still an important design element in Neutrik XLR connectors today.
But it wasn’t until 1987 when Neutrik had their first game-changing breakthrough. That year, Neutrik launched the SpeakON connector, geared solely for speaker connections. The SpeakON connector was designed to conform to the new EU standards, which stated that any connector that was designed to carry over 50V had to be protected against unintentional contact. With this in mind, Neutrik designed the SpeakON to be available in both the cable and the chassis versions, and to have a strong, durable construction with a twist-lock mechanism that required no soldering in the terminations.
The line was later expanded to 2, 4 and 8 pole cable connectors and the series was designed to perform in a high current, inductive load environment of amplifiers and speakers.
In the following year, 1988, Neutrik ventured into the US market and established facilities that have expanded several times over through the years.
In 1989, Neutrik introduced one of its smartest innovations, the Neutrik “Phono Plug,” an RCA connector with a retractable sleeve, that is expertly machined to their demanding standards and makes ground before signal contact and breaks signal before ground. This unique mechanism prevents noise and damage when used under load and results in optimal performance.
With the SpeakON’s continued success, nearly a decade later in 1996, Neutrik unveiled the powerCON, an AC power connector with an easy twist-lock mechanism that offers a locking device which guarantees a safe and secure power connection. The powerCON line handles both 120V or 240V and comes with a pre-mating contact to make ground before power. It’s great for connecting amplifiers, power lines of lighting applications and more.
Adhering to all modern safety standards such as SEV, UL, CSA and VDE and using a colored power inlet-outlet code system to prevent a short circuit, the powerCON connector system took the AV industry by storm.
In 1998, Neutrik ventured into the BNC connector market and established its mark by offering a newly designed rear-twist push and pull locking system. Neutrik’s BNC chassis connectors also followed the industry standard D-shape design and offered a strong connection for rugged, long-term use.
Neutrik’s innovations continued to come in the new millenium with the etherCON. The etherCON connector took a standard RJ-45 connector and put it into an XLR body. Built for demanding environments Neutrik’s etherCON connectors proved to be robust Cat-5/Cat-6 style connectors that are used in data transmission applications like digital audio and Ethernet. Best suited for industrial use, especially under harsh conditions and high traffic areas, they are designed for professional audio, video and stage lighting, industrial Ethernet, and digital audio network applications that are now a key part of live installations and AV productions today.
Neutrik continued to develop its XLR series with the XX series of connectors which featured easy assembly, superior designed chuck type strain relief and tested contact integrity best suited for analog/digital type applications.
Neutrik also launched opticalCON, advanced fiber optic connectors, offering all-metal durable protection, designed to guarantee a safe, dust-free, secure connection. Optimized with four channels, the opticalCON fiber optic connector series is best used for Point-to-Point interconnections and multi-channel routing applications.
Pre-assembled as full cables, with an innovative spring loaded push and pull mechanism and exceptional dirt protection, they are a breeze to install for camera or data connections, studio floors, rentals, touring, point-to-point audio, broadcasting and more.
With its recent entry into the Multimedia line, Neutrik introduced plugs, chassis connectors and jacks for USB, FireWire and HDMI connectivity solutions.
In 2015, Neutrik celebrated its 40th anniversary and 1 billionth connector, and continues to provide innovative, quality products for the pro AV industry.
Like Neutrik, at Pacific Radio Electronics we know that it takes a no-nonsense commitment to high quality and customer service to be in business long-term – we’ve been doing it for 85 years and counting! Family operated since the 1930’s we offer decades of industry know-how, unbeatable pricing on the brands you know and trust, and top-notch service.
Learn more about what makes PacRad your leading distributor of choice for Neutrik and everything audio/video!