Since Ryan Shaw made his first batch of turntable weights in 2008, he has been on a dedicated journey of audio discovery. Over the past fifteen years, MasterSounds have had the joy of producing innovative boutique audio equipment for a devoted group of like-minded music lovers.

Initially taking time out from his duties at his parents’ manufacturing firm to engineer a few vinyl weights geared towards DJs as well as audiophiles, MasterSounds began in Manchester as Ryan Shaw’s one-man operation yet now boast a deep and celebrated history in pioneering a revered line of high-fidelity audio products from DJ mixers, FX units, turntable weights and more.

Rooted in the companies’ esoteric principles of sound and simplicity, their often hand-made to order products are crafted with beautiful design DNA. The impressive client list spans genres, and includes DJ Harvey, Gilles Peterson, BICEP, Kolsch, Fabric London, Trojan Records, Phonica London and Ninja Tune with their unassumingly opulent products offering a wonderful sound experience designed for home HiFi Listening, listening bars or discerning public venues. To celebrate both 15 years in the game and the recent release of their new high powered modular sound system called “Clarity M”, MasterSounds setup a small showcase in a beautiful studio on the fourth floor in the historic Vernon Mill in their hometown of Stockport, take a look at the video below.

With a deep passion for vinyl and warm analogue sound, Shaw speaks to us with the earnest enthusiasm of someone who truly appreciates good design and quality British manufacturing nodding to the humble Technics 1210’s place in the British Science Museum as a product that “has shaped the world we live in.”

Read the interview…

Talk us through what initially piqued your interest in audio manufacturing, how MasterSounds came to be, and how any younger experiences brought about your career choices?
Manufacturing is in the blood; my dad owned an engineering company, and my earliest memories are of being in factories and learning about design and engineering, so it came pretty naturally to be around making things. The music side comes from my parents’ love of music and my uncle having a classic ‘70s hifi setup (QUAD/KEF) which I was obsessed with from the age of 5 and ended up being the 1st kid in school with turntables after being given loads of rap and early house records by my brother. It’s great to look back now after over 30 years and see those records and what value they gave to my life.

Give us the rundown on your musical road to becoming a DJ and passion for music.
Back in the day, I was totally obsessed with music and sound, we started to collect mix at school tapes from the late 80’s and early 90s by guys such as Sasha, Grooverider, and nights like the Hacienda & Shelleys. At 13 I manage to get a pair of belt-driven turntables and a tiny 2-channel mixer and pretty much all I did was play music. I nabbed my parents’ hifi and rewired more speakers into it so I could play the music as loud as possible. I wanted to play out and used to play at school parties, which lead to local bars and eventually clubs. I kept going, got more obsessed and started to play in better venues and internationally. Once you step of your local town and especially into new countries you begin to really understand how music can change people and a dancefloor. Turning up to a venue in the middle of nowhere in a new country and being expected to be the best you can be was such an amazing experience for me, I learned so so much about people, rhythm, and the power of using your equipment to make people move.

What has influenced your ambition for success and where would you like to see that ambition take Mastersounds? Why do you do what you do?
It’s taken 15 years of love, commitment, passion, and really hard work to realize what we have achieved to date with MasterSounds, I have always gone with my gut on what I want to do, if it feels right then I am happy to see where it takes us. I do what I do because I love music and a challenge.
Coming from a design engineering background, I wanted MasterSounds products to be of amazing quality, limited edition, and to really make a difference to the user, and crucially for someone to be proud to own our products.

The modern audiophile landscape appears to be shifting, riding a new wave of interest in vinyl, broadening its appeal, and placing emphasis on the subtle impact of quality design. As someone so hands on with your product design what do you feel are central characteristics of great design?
I think the shift has been well over a decade, I started MasterSounds in 2008 when working in Phonica and seeing the demise of vinyl when the digital era for DJs really took off, when I was playing in venues using vinyl the whole experience changed so I decided to start to make audio accessories that helped when playing vinyl. I have always been drawn to great design that’s quite minimal, useful and gives the user a great feeling of ownership. I think keeping it simple is my key.

Subtly luxurious, MasterSounds products have meticulous attention to the fine details including the components and materials used – what role does the handmade element have on the company and does it pose any significant challenges?
They say God is in the detail, and our DJ mixers are proudly made by hand via my great friend and partner Andy Rigby-Jones in rural Cornwall. We also hand-build all our loudspeakers in England, it’s something that I feel completely passionate about, I can’t identify with soulless manufacturing in high volumes and cheap components and design, sure there can be a place for that but it’s just not in my ideals to want to be part of it for MasterSounds. There are tonnes of challenges we face from day to day making premium audio products, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We hear the word esoteric a lot when it comes to beautifully designed audio projects – there’s clearly a deep appreciation for quality from you but what’s your own interpretation of the word and importantly how does MasterSounds embrace it?
An esoteric principle of sound & simplicity is a mantra for everything we do at MasterSounds. We are esoteric in our approach to everything above.

From a DJs perspective tell us about the fascination with Rotary mixers and their relationship with uncompromising music curation and sound quality.

It all harks back to the 70s, disco music, and a complete love and fascination for great audio. As time went on new technology has come around, but we still hark back to those golden years. I think we strike a great balance between old-school principles coupled with modern thinking and design principles, but always keeping our mind on those amazing days from the NYC disco scene.

Integral to MasterSounds is the ability to collaborate with the DJ Community that surrounds MasterSounds and share the same vision and passion for quality as you — how are these relationships formed?
Coming from the dance floor I never wanted to lose that feeling and working with like-minded people really is a joy. For me, if a relationship feels natural it’s all good and I let it flow and this has created some real special partnerships.

MasterSounds has worked with some incredible record labels and brands such as Boiler Room, Ninja Tune, Carhaart, and Trojan Records – have collaborations formed a key part of growing the business and who would you like to work with next?
It’s pretty amazing really, the support from our community continues to hugely inspire me to keep on Grooovin’. We have a constant flow of new and interesting DJ’s, acts, labels and more who come and pop in, which really keeps us fresh. As for who we are working with, keep locked.

MasterSounds has developed many authentic partnerships with brands in the fashion space. Are there any areas of the fashion industry that influences what and how you do things as a company?
Hugely yes, I see fashion as part of the arts, music, fashion, art etc. You can tell what a person is about by what clothes they wear, and that also links back to what music they listen to, so it’s like a cool little cycle of style. I like both simplicity in terms of clothing design, but I am also into technical breakthroughs in clothing.