A fair question. The internet is full of companies that sell Chinese headphones with their own logo and disappear off the map in half a year. We're not that kind of company. But we're not Nokia either.
14 people, not a single one unnecessary
Valco is a company where 14 people work. That's not many. It's also intentional. We don't have a communications director, a brand strategist, and no one sits in a meeting to decide the time of the next meeting. Instead, we have Jasse, whose ears are insured and who tunes every headphone model by hand. And Henri, whose Alfa Romeo breaks down regularly but who still budgets for a Ferrari.
A small size means decisions get made fast. If something is crap, we fix it the same week—not four quarters later when a steering group has approved the change proposal.
Own service center in Kajaani
This is where we truly stand out. Most headphone makers don't fix anything. The device breaks, you buy a new one, the old one goes to the landfill. Thank you, next customer.
We have our own service center in Kajaani. Headphones are repaired, not thrown away. This is both an environmental act and a business decision—we want customers who stick around, not those who buy once and disappear. The warranty is 24 months, and even after that you can get the device repaired with a repair kit.
Startups typically don't build their own service infrastructure. There's neither the money nor the interest for that. We did it anyway, because it's the right thing to do.
Sold to 58 countries, not a single TV ad
Valco headphones have been sold to over 58 countries. Germany is a big market, but stuff ships all over the world. All this without TV commercials, celebrity deals, or some footballer wearing our headphones at an airport.
How is that possible? The product is good and the price is fair. When you don't pay Cristiano Ronaldo 50 million to wear headphones around his neck for three seconds, you can sell a better product for less. Radical, I know.
The product range covers over-ear headphones in the VMK series, in-ear headphones in the NL series, and Nordell speakers. Something for everyone—except those who want to overpay for a logo.
And what about the Kuolemantähti?
Every purchase funds our Kuolemantähti by about 0.000001 percent. The pace is slow, but the direction is right. We also need a Ferrari and beer, so priorities may shift.
Seriously: we're a real company with a business ID, our own service, real employees, and products that can be repaired. The startup-like attitude has simply remained because it works. Bureaucracy has never improved the sound quality of any headphones.
If you're unsure, order and try. If you don't like it, you get your money back. Easier than starting Henri's Alfa in the winter frost.
