History - Renkus-Heinz

In 1979, Renkus-Heinz began in earnest when Harro Heinz and Algis Renkus registered the corporation in California. A few years later, Heinz bought his partner out of the business and went on to build a visionary organization that changed the way we experience sound.

Thanks to Heinz’ innovations and inventions, Renkus-Heinz became – and remains – synonymous with premium sound to this day.

Harro Heinz, Founder

The original factory at Airport circle

Our first delivery truck

The back area - assembly and testing

Sonic Concepts

Harro’s son, Ralph Heinz, joined the company early on as a trained mechanical engineer who Harro says “has a natural talent for understanding acoustics.” Patents for innovations such as TRAP (True Array Principle) and CoEntrant technologies reflect the truth of that statement.

Ralph is also credited with developing some of the most advanced digital beam steering solutions on the market today. Renkus-Heinz developed the very first Unibeam – an algorithm that crafts asymmetric beams and utilizes the entire array for all frequencies. This allowed for louder beams that could be cast further in a room – and allowed for a more manageable setup.

These innovations, along with other unique concepts like Complex Conic horns and Reference Point Arrays, are the foundation of Renkus-Heinz’ well-established reputation for sonic excellence today.

An Ear to the Market

Another key ingredient in the Renkus-Heinz story is the company’s unique ability to deliver customized, built-to-order products on an off-the-shelf time schedule. This is made possible through keeping a manufacturing facility operational at the company’s headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California. Renkus-Heinz still designs, prototypes and manufactures the vast majority of its products in house.

Harro Heinz, Founder

The original factory at Airport circle

The back area - assembly and testing

Family Focused

Today, Harro Heinz is joined at work by three generations of the Heinz family and is involved in all aspects of the business: from engineering to manufacturing – each of which still occurs in-house at the Orange County headquarters. The company also continues to maintain a familial work atmosphere, with 20- and 30-year work anniversaries considered normal occurrences.

The Future

In December 2019, Renkus-Heinz co-founder Harro Heinz turned 90 years old. After his 90th birthday party, he discussed a few components of his vision for the future of the company:

Artificial Intelligence is coming to professional audio sooner than we expect. “We will very soon see a speaker that can be installed in a room and immediately configure itself to provide optimal sound,” Heinz said. “The technology to digitally steer sound will soon be considered the standard because of how effectively it can be placed in a space.”
The focus will be increasingly on the audience. “When we look at the industry today we still see a lot of focus on the performers or the product,” Heinz said. “That’s important, of course, as you have to have great content. But more important is that we look at the audience we serve, understand what they want, and deliver impressive experiences to them. Positioning sound with precision – and putting it on the audience – positions businesses for success.”
The future of pro audio – and visual – belongs to the inventors. “We see commoditization continue in the audio world,” Heinz said. “What will set successful companies apart – whether they be manufacturers or integrators – will be the level of intelligence they can put behind their products and solutions. The future of A/V belongs to those willing to experiment.”