About the Company
Sonorus Audio is a modern boutique manufacturer of high-end analog reel-to-reel tape recorders, founded around 2008 and active in the 21st-century tape revival.
Company origins
Sonorus Audio was established by Arian Jansen, a former electronics industry executive, initially focusing on electrostatic speakers and amplifiers before pivoting to tape playback machines as demand grew for modern decks to play master-quality reel tapes from labels like The Tape Project.
Flagship product: ATR10 series
The ATR10 (introduced ~2012) is Sonorus's core offering—a playback-only deck based on a modified Studer/ReVox PR99 MkII consumer chassis, upgraded with new DC motors, custom belt-driven flywheel system, AM Belgium heads (inheriting Studer specs), and fully redesigned electronics for low distortion and flutter.
The ATR10 MkII (current model) addresses aging Studer parts availability through modern CAD design and new components while preserving the transport's proven reliability.
Design philosophy
Sonorus emphasizes "no noise reduction needed" playback of high-output modern master tapes (15 ips, half-track), leveraging precise servo control and transformer-coupled analog stages for holographic imaging and quiet backgrounds without Dolby or dbx.
Limited recording versions exist for in-house use (e.g., Jansen's Holographic Imaging tapes) but are not commercially available.
Production and market
Output is extremely low-volume and custom-order, targeting audiophiles during the 2010s–2020s RTR revival alongside brands like Ballfinger and ATR Services; pricing reflects hand-built quality (~$20,000+).
Sonorus remains active as of 2026, with the ATR10 MkII as its flagship.
Historical significance
Sonorus represents the small cohort of post-2010 boutique builders extending vintage transports for the digital-era tape revival, prioritizing playback purity over recording versatility or historical replication.