At Tough Nut, we are Audiophiles and Artisans who envision and fabricate performance-based solutions for our clients. More than half of our products are custom solutions for discerning individuals. These include isolation platforms, acoustic panels and elegant hardwood audio stands with built-in isolation and concealed metal reinforcement to carry equipment loads.
We approach everything we do with a curious passion and our products continue to evolve even when our clients already love them.
Personally, I was educated as an Industrial designer, and was taught that form follows function, and I certainly believe that to this day. That said, we feel that great design should also be aesthetically pleasing. Our high quality, hand-crafted products are technically sound, and buffed to a satin finished. Our platforms are designed inside & out to address every potential sonic threat and where they would most likely access the platform. Once we solved these challenges, we further incorporate safeguards at each touch point, minimizing disruption to the stability of the platform. One of our primary visual elements, the beveled side, was implemented to deflect sound waves down, and away from your audio equipment.
Some might say that is overkill, but we say, nothing exceeds like excess and it is that principle that drives superior performance and ensures our authenticity. When we speak to the features of our products, we simply address our solutions to common problems. We choose not to embellish these functions or to label them with proprietary acronyms… I don’t know if that is a sound business strategy, but it is brand right for Tough Nut.
So why this business? I have been an audio enthusiast for most of my life. As a young boy, I would sit with my machinist grandfather for hours and listen to music. That was the first time I had ever experienced a component system, which included a Sherwood receiver, Garrard turntable and A25 Dynaco speakers. You probably don’t need three guesses to figure out what I did at 16 with my first paycheck! Decades later, I became a Revox guy and I still am… even if it is augmented with current Bryston components.
I consider my rig middle of the road on a good day, and I love it. As I transitioned from an audio enthusiast to a true audiophile, I started thinking of ways to improve performance and that is when I began to research isolation platforms and acoustic panels. Although I had not consciously acknowledged this as a quest much less a business opportunity, I knew that there were some things I could improve upon and some that I would certainly do differently. And then a very knowledgeable individual provided the “Ah-ha” moment I needed when he said “… One thing about dedicated audiophiles is their desire to extract as much performance from their existing rig as possible…” S.L.
And there you have it… a need and an opportunity to provide something better.
