Teenage Engineering Plans to Stop Making Synthesizers, CEO Says
Founder Jesper Kouthoofd told Highsnobiety that the company will phase out synths, including its flagship OP-1.
Hardware and design company Teenage Engineering plans to stop making synthesizers altogether, founder and chief executive officer Jesper Kouthoofd told Highsnobiety, in comments reported by The Verge .
The move marks a major departure from the musical hardware line that established the firm's brand. The shift includes winding down production of the OP-1, the portable synthesizer launched in 2011 that anchored Teenage Engineering's commercial profile.
Kouthoofd stated that he communicated the decision internally during a company reorganization last fall. "Everyone was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ But I’ve come to the conclusion that, for us, the products aren’t the business," Kouthoofd told Highsnobiety. "We can be so much more than that."
While Teenage Engineering has built design partnerships with external brands including Ikea, Nothing, and Playdate, its in-house hardware catalog has centered primarily on audio gear, including the OP-1, the OP-XY, the EP-133, and the TP-7.
Teenage Engineering did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding its timeline or product roadmaps.
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