Valco is a 14-person company. We make headphones, speakers, and earbuds. We're not a startup, we're not a corporation, and we're not particularly good-looking. But we do know how to make headphones.
If you're looking for a story about a visionary founder who dreamed of a better world and woke up sweaty to write a manifesto — wrong address. This is the story of how a crew decided to make better headphones for less, because the big brands charge ridiculous prices and half of that money goes to ads where some celebrity poses with headphones on.
How we got here
Henri, our great leader, drives an Alfa Romeo that breaks down about once a month. That tells you everything essential about our decision-making skills. At some point he decided there was room in the headphone industry for a company that doesn't blow millions on marketing but puts the money where it matters — sound quality, materials, and repairability.
In the early days we were basically operating at a garage level. Now we have a real office and our own service center in Kajaani. There are 14 of us. The budget doesn't stretch to a Ferrari or the Death Star, but both are on the roadmap. Every order gets us 0.000001% closer.
Why we're not like Sony or Bose
Big companies have thousands of employees, hundreds of millions in marketing budget, and flagship models that cost 400–500 euros. A significant chunk of that price goes to brand upkeep, sponsorship deals, and making sure some actor wears them at the airport.
We don't pay anyone to pose. We pay Jasse, our sound designer, whose ears are insured and who tunes every product by hand. The result: headphones that compete in sound quality with flagship models but cost a fraction.
Are we better at everything? No. Sony's ANC is the best on the market. That's just a fact. But in sound quality and repairability we win. And when Sony's headphones break after two years, they go in the trash. Ours get repaired.
Repairability isn't a marketing gimmick
This is the part where people usually talk about sustainability and recycling and show a picture of a green forest. We can't be bothered. The fact is: electronics sometimes break. Pads wear out. Batteries degrade. The question is what happens then.
We have our own service in Kajaani. Jasse and the rest of the team repair the devices. You can replace the pads yourself by twisting the old ones off. Spare parts are available. This isn't greenwashing — it's common sense. Why would you throw 150-euro headphones in the trash when a repair costs a fraction?
What we make
Noise-cancelling headphones in four different models — the VMK series, from the affordable VMK15 to the flagship VMK25.2. Earbuds in two price ranges, NL21 and NL25. Three different Bluetooth speakers in the Nordell series — from the small Micro to the big Max, which has RGB lights for those who need that sort of thing.
All sold to over 58 countries. Germany is our biggest foreign market, which is perfectly logical — Germans appreciate quality and sensible prices. Raimo, our fictional CEO, claims it's because Germans recognize good engineering. He also swears by the Mercedes-Benz W124. Everything else is rubbish, according to him.
We don't promise to change the world. We promise you'll get value for your money and that your headphones can be repaired when they break. That's enough. Bye, and thanks for all the money.
