Alders & Lange (A&L) demonstrate how cutting-edge technology and individual customer requirements can be brought together. A closer look at a new brand with a long-established heritage, using the Headman headphone amplifier as an example.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the German economy.”
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single leading German politician who hasn’t uttered this familiar phrase at some point. It is usually followed by an emphatic declaration of commitment to “Made in Germany” and praise for the tradition of German family-owned businesses. Don’t worry – you haven’t accidentally picked up the Handelsblatt or WirtschaftsWoche; you’re still reading your beloved high-end magazine. I’m taking this somewhat roundabout route because the parent company of the up-and-coming audiophile newcomer Alders & Lange is precisely such a model family business.
Alders electronic GmbH, based in Kempen in the Lower Rhine region, has been a leading supplier of high-quality electromechanical components for more than 35 years. Now in its second generation, the family-owned company is some 40 employees strong and develops and distributes solutions for applications in a variety of industries, including aerospace – Airbus, for example – as well as medical technology, construction and agricultural machinery, and hydrogen technology. Its portfolio includes switches, pushbuttons, joysticks, control handles, PCB accessories, sensors, and cable assemblies. In addition to distribution, Alders also develops customized solutions, customer-specific modifications, and small production runs in-house to meet individual customer requirements. But how did this classic B2B company make its way into the realm of audiophile consumers? The answer is Heiko Lange. Since late 2019, Lange has been something of an inventor-in-residence at Alders electronic. A graduate engineer who previously worked as a project manager at Infineon, he spends most of his time in his “laboratory” at home in Geldern. There, he tinkers with products designed to meet the individual requirements of industrial partners. Creativity and a healthy dose of playful experimentation are the trump cards this electrical engineer brings to the table. Early in his career at Alders, for example, he designed and built an entire e-scooter more or less on the side. And because Lange has long been passionate about music and the development of his own audio components, he was the one who convinced company CEO Martin Alders to establish a high-quality audio division when the question arose of what field the company should expand into next.
Whether on social media, in advertisements, or at trade shows, Alders & Lange’s phono and headphone amplifiers are proper head-turners – not only because of their vivid RAL colors, but above all because of their intriguing blend of retro and contemporary design. The name Dieter Rams inevitably comes to mind, and his design philosophy appears to have served as a guiding influence. But why Rams in particular? At A&L, the return to his ideals is regarded almost as an obligation: “It is the art of bringing technology and emotion into harmony. When people look at our products, we want them to see not just a piece of equipment, but a promise: clarity, permanence, and the joy of sound. Our inspiration is the 10 Principles of Good Design that Dieter Rams formulated back in 1976.” Heiko Lange firmly believes that Rams’s design philosophy can also be applied to the technical concept of an audio component. No unnecessary bells and whistles in the circuitry, no needless signal paths, and absolute precision in manufacturing. That the last point is more than an empty promise becomes apparent when you take a look inside the units. It is not merely the workmanship of the individual circuit boards, but above all the quality of the components themselves that speaks volumes. “Of course, we can’t give a 100-percent guarantee for ‘Made in Germany’; that would be dishonest. Here and there, you’ll find smaller components that originate in the Far East,” Heiko Lange told us. “Nevertheless, we make every effort to source as many solutions as possible right here in our region of the Lower Rhine, so that we can maintain the greatest possible degree of control as part of our quality-assurance process.” Quite simply, anyone who supplies companies such as Airbus or medical-technology firms knows that quality assurance is absolutely essential.
Heiko Lange found similarly audiophile-minded colleagues in Daniel Jennen and Christian Kallen, and together with company CEO Martin Alders, they quickly agreed to establish the subsidiary Alders & Lange. Their first project was the Modern Record Console, or MRC for short. It was a contemporary reinterpretation of the Braun music consoles of the 1970s and ’80s. Technically, however, it relied on current solutions, while the amplification section employed tubes. They were completely convinced by the MRC sonically, but had to acknowledge that these enormous consoles, by today’s standards, represented a niche market – and that was before considering the immense production costs. The fundamental idea behind the design and technology, however, did not disappear into a drawer, but rather became the starting point for the brand’s further development, essentially with the proportions reversed: tubes gave way to solid-state technology, while the gigantic music console was condensed into the design-aesthetic perfection of the “cigar boxes” Headman and Vinyl-Engine. Their surfaces are finished with high-quality Tiger Drylac powder coating, giving them a matte, finely textured appearance. The finish is durable, environmentally friendly, and scratch resistant. Standard colors are Dust Gray, Jet Black, and Traffic White; for an additional charge, all RAL colors are available in matte or gloss. Upon request, high-quality automotive-grade wet-paint finishes are also available.
What impressed me most after spending several weeks with a Headman in bright grass green and a Vinyl-Engine in vivid orange, and after my conversations with Heiko Lange, was the flexibility of the components and the underlying concept of developing a truly custom-made unit for every customer. Even though the configurator on the company’s website allows prospective buyers to assemble a component quickly, the real challenge for the A&L team is to work with each customer to determine their specific needs and then figure out how best to implement them. What is everyday business for Alders in the B2B world hasn’t merely been adopted by the subsidiary Alders & Lange – it has been elevated to the very core of the brand. This is also why the company has opted for direct sales exclusively, as this is the only way to ensure immediate contact with the customer. Even in its “standard version,” however, the Headman offers a wealth of options, as the A&L team explained to me in detail at the Moers Analog Days. Up to three stereo channels can be configured using plug-in cards. The powerful Output Module 1 is suitable for virtually all headphones and line-level inputs, while Output Module 2 serves as a specialized line driver. Volume is controlled precisely via a microprocessor-controlled resistor network, while high-quality relays ensure lossless signal routing. The power supply, too, is designed with sound quality as a priority in addition to operational safety: multistage regulated filtering optimizes performance, while a watchdog monitors the operating voltages. The optional Head 4 Extension allows up to four headphones to be connected. Also in the pipeline is a version of the Headman featuring a so-called Biophonic Equalizer, specifically tailored to the sonic characteristics of headphones. An expansion board also permits external volume control, further improving the signal-to-noise ratio. If you run through all the possible Headman configurations, you quickly arrive at a three-digit number of variants.
But enough of the specifications – let’s hear what A&L’s sonic promise is all about. I have three very different headphones at my disposal: the exceptionally transparent open-back studio monitor Hi-X65 from Austrian Audio, the classic T1 from Beyerdynamic, and the superb-sounding high-end Denon AH-D9200. The music selection should be anything but restrained, so the finale from Puccini’s La Bohème fills the earcups with glorious high-camp romanticism, here in Kent Nagano’s outstanding interpretation, both musically and sonically. And once again, it becomes clear just how important a relatively neutral amplifier, one committed above all to musical truth, is with such highly emotional music. Suddenly, you realize that the supposed kitsch of Puccini is really more a matter of prejudice, while the music’s heightened emotional impact is the product of sophisticated compositional technique. Whichever of these three very different headphones you choose, individual voices and instruments retain their place within the soundstage without being artificially spotlighted or colored; voices and orchestra flow together while remaining clearly intelligible in their individual structures. This is complemented by dynamics that seem virtually limitless, reproducing fast transients effortlessly and bringing an immediate, exhilarating sense of involvement to the listening experience.
Here, Heiko Lange demonstrates how he translates Dieter Rams’s principles of honesty, reduction, and function into technical know-how that makes this acoustic pursuit of musical truth possible. Just as in the visual language of the design, the sound creates its effect not through exaggeration, but through balance, order, and concentration on what matters most. The Vinyl-Engine follows the same philosophy seamlessly. Kraftwerk’s “Boing Boom Tschak” sounds almost unnervingly lifelike; at times, you find yourself glancing waryly to the right and left to make sure Ralf Hütter hasn’t magically appeared right next you. For me, this is yet another demonstration that original Kraftwerk vinyl is clearly preferable to the various digital remixes – at least when the subtle signals etched into the grooves are retrieved and rendered as effectively as they are by the Vinyl-Engine.
Are you looking for high-end gear that’s anything but ordinary? Do you have a penchant for components that stand out visually while remaining uncompromising in their tactile quality and sonic performance – and, above all, can be tailored to your individual needs? Do you still believe in the promise of “Made in Germany” and appreciate technical expertise and uncompromising quality? Then your first stop should be the A&L website, followed perhaps by a visit to the showroom in the Lower Rhine region. Heiko Lange and his team will welcome you warmly, offer straightforward and professional advice, and, without a doubt, tell you about their plans for the future. You may even get the chance to experience the Vinyl-Master, which accommodates four turntables, or the prototype power amplifier, which – in keeping with the company philosophy – again promises enormous flexibility and the greatest possible range of adjustment options. Alders & Lange has a pipeline brimming with ideas, and it will surely have more than a few audiophile surprises in store for the future.
Preamplifier & Headphone Amplifier Alders & Lange Headman
Concept: Line preamplifier, headphone preamplifier | Features: Basic version (HM 100) with 1 x headphone output via Power Module OM-1; fully equipped version (HM 111 G4) with 1 x headphone output, 4 selectable gain stages, 2 x line outputs (fixed or variable level), biophonic equalizer, 4 front-panel-selectable headphone outputs | Volume control (attenuation): −63 dB to 0 dB (in 64 steps) | Channel separation (@1 kHz): > 90 dB | Frequency response (20 Hz to 20 kHz @ 100 kΩ): < 0.1 dB | Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR): 115 dB | Power consumption (operating/standby): max. 15 W/< 0.2 W | Finishes: Jet Black, Dust Gray, Traffic White, custom RAL colors on request (surcharge from €300) | Dimensions (W/H/D): 20/11/40 cm | Weight: 8.2 kg | Warranty: 2 years | Price: €6250 to €8200
Alders electronic
Arnoldstraße 19
47906 Kempen
Phone +49 2152 8955255
info@alders-lange.de