“We are proud to have contributed to relaunching Cabasse, this brand which invented, with others, high fidelity more than 70 years ago,” expresses Alain Molinié, the company’s general director. Ten years ago, in fact, the Montpellier home automation group Awox bought the Plouzané company, specializing in luxury audio. “It had been owned since 2006 by the Japanese group Canon but it was surviving on its own momentum, without investment,” recalls the manager.
Since then, Awox, now Veom, has invested several tens of millions of euros to position the brand in the connected audio market while maintaining know-how on sound quality.
Investments and a strategic vision which are now bearing fruit. Cabasse has around fifty employees, the majority of whom are based in Plouzané, and achieved a turnover of €9.30 million in 2023, compared to €7 million in 2013.
At Cabasse, we have the particularity of carrying out electronics, product design, mechanics and software internally.
In-house research and development
Last March, Cabasse announced that it had raised €1.40 million to expand its distribution network, particularly internationally, in North America, Asia and Northern Europe. And in mid-May, the company presented its latest innovation: “The Pearl Myuki”. This new high-resolution connected speaker is a concentrate of research and development (R&D). “It weighs around 2 kg and is the most powerful in its category on battery with more than 100 decibels. You can have an all-night party on a terrace, boasts Alain Molinié. At Cabasse, we have the particularity of designing electronics, product design, mechanics and software internally. We are dealing with luxury audio whose prices exceed €1,000. »
Repairing products from the 70s
Cabasse has also regained control of its production with investments in workshops. “Today, we assemble a third of our production on site. This concerns the most high-end products, which exceed €3,000,” indicates Alain Molinié. The company, listed on the stock exchange since the end of 2022, does not however disclose the number of speakers produced.
While innovating, Cabasse also does not lose sight of its history. “In Plouzané, we repair one or two products per day that date from the 70s or 80s. It’s an important activity,” he emphasizes. To be able to repair, Cabasse has numerous spare parts in stock and machine tools. “For our customers, who most often get these devices from their parents or grandparents, it is an acoustic emotion,” says the general manager. This practice exists in the luxury watch sector, but to my knowledge, we are the only ones to do it in audio. »
