By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW & HONG KONG, PR CHINA: Premium UK personal audio brand Atomic Floyd has hit Australian shores, partnering with Apple to sell its range of very high-end earphones.
Distributed in Australia by Simms, Atomic Floyd’s range of products, which start at RRP $219, have already received positive feedback in other markets, according to head of product development Rik van Donk.
In an email conversation with van Donk, we asked how Atomic Floyd came to have such a close relationship with Apple, a company noted for being very selective.
“Apple works hard to deliver a premium experience to their customers through their own products and stores, and also via the range of brands that they offer in their stores. The quality and performance of Atomic Floyd headphones clearly add to that experience; Apple picked up on this when we launched in the UK two years ago, and we've been working with them ever since,” he replied.
Atomic Floyd is sold through Apple stores throughout Europe and the Asia Pacific region, though this is not an exclusive arrangement. Van Donk told us that Atomic Floyd is currently in discussions with “several premium retailers” across Australia, with more retailers coming on board part of the macro strategy.
“We see Australia as a key market in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia offers a unique cultural blend, and to cater to those differences in tastes and desires is hugely challenging and satisfying; it definitely pushes our product development to new levels.
“We are here to stay for as long as Australia will have us.”
Although the brand is based in the UK, the products are made in China. We asked van Donk how Atomic Floyd can guarantee the product quality that consumers would expect from such expensive products.
“We rigorously test our products to meet our high quality standards and we continuously work with our manufacturers to exceed those standards.
“We partner only with manufacturers that have a proven track record and an appetite to improve further. As a result of this, whether products are made in China or made in Europe doesn't really matter so much anymore.”
Van Donk continued to say Atomic Floyd offers a 2-year warranty on all its products.
There are five models available in Australia at launch. All of these units have earphone capabilities with a 3.5-millimetre jack, meaning they will work with virtually every personal audio device. Three models also have a built-in microphone, which will work with the iPhone to enable handsfree talking.
The five launch models are:
AirDrum + Microphone – RRP $349
AirJax + Microphone – RRP $329
TwistJax Acoustic Steel – RRP $299
HiDefDrum + Microphone – RRP $249
HiDefJax AcousticSteel – RRP $219