Every company has that one person everything rests on. For us, that’s Jasse. Officially, Jasse "Jazmanaut" Kesti, sound designer. Unofficially, the man whose ears are literally insured – because if anything happens to them, a 14-person company is pretty much in trouble.
What does Jasse actually do?
Jasse tunes the sound of every Valco headphone and speaker. In practice, this means he sits in the studio, listens to hundreds of hours of music, and tweaks the frequency response until the end result sounds the way it’s supposed to sound. Not the way the marketing department would like it to sound.
Whether it’s the sound profile of the VMK25.2 noise-cancelling headphones, the bass response of the NL25 buds, or the speaker sound of the Nordell MK3 – Jasse has listened through them all so many times that his Spotify Wrapped is nothing but test tones and pink noise.
In big companies, sound design is done by committee. Some MBA guy looks at market research and says "more bass, young people like bass." With us, Jasse says "this sounds good" or "this sounds like shit," and that’s what we go with. Democracy is overrated when it comes to sound.
Why insured ears?
Because they’re genuinely Valco’s most valuable asset. Henri drives an Alfa Romeo that breaks down once a month, the office is in Oulu, and the Death Star’s construction budget is still in its early stages. But Jasse’s ears – they’re irreplaceable. Literally.
A sound designer’s ears aren’t normal ears. Jasse hears differences in frequency response that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice even if you pointed at them with a red arrow. This isn’t some mystical gift but the result of years of practice. But the result of that practice can’t be replaced with money or technology. That’s why those ears are insured.
By the way, Jasse doesn’t go to rock gigs without earplugs. And he doesn’t use a lawnmower without hearing protection. The man takes his tools seriously.
How does this show up in the products?
Practically every time you put on Valco headphones, you hear Jasse’s work. That warm, balanced sound doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from one person sitting and listening and tweaking until everything is just right.
Big brands spend millions on advertising and celebrity partnerships. We spend that money so Jasse can sit in peace and make the headphones sound better. And to get Henri’s Alfa fixed yet again. And maybe someday for that Death Star.
If you want to hear the difference yourself, order any headphones https://valco.fi from there. If you don’t like them, you’ll get your money back. But you’ll probably like them. Jasse’s ears don’t lie.
