Braun

Founded in 1921 by Max Braun as a small engineering workshop in Frankfurt, Germany, Braun began producing radio components before becoming a leading radio manufacturer by the 1930s. The company achieved legendary status under design chief Dieter Rams (1955-1995), who created revolutionary audio firsts: the first all-wave receiver, mobile music player, wall-mounted integrated sound system, stackable Hi-Fi system (now in MoMA), and record player with plexiglass cover. Rams' iconic LE1 electrostatic speaker (1959) and the audio 310 series (1971) featured minimalist design with rounded corners, anodized aluminum grilles, and white finishes that influenced modern technology design, including Apple products. While Braun's consumer electronics division was sold to Gillette in 1967, the audio legacy continues through Braun Audio's modern LE speaker range, celebrating Rams' timeless essentialist design ethos with smart speakers that retain the pared-back aesthetic of their origins.