Recently, a wave of rumors swept through the high-end audio community, hinting that darTZeel, the renowned Swiss brand, might be shutting down. The buzz stemmed from a piece reportedly written by Roy Gregory, leading many to speculate about the future of the company. But now, Hervé Delétraz, the man behind darTZeel, has stepped in to set the record straight—and it’s good news for fans of the brand.
In an official statement, Hervé made it clear that darTZeel is not only alive but planning new ventures, although he acknowledges that the high-end audio market is facing challenges. He pointed to global economic uncertainty and a worrying trend in the industry — companies competing not just on quality but on who can offer the biggest discount. In Hervé’s eyes, this has cheapened the original mission of high-end audio, which was to deliver the best possible listening experience to music lovers.
Hervé shared his frustration about how the industry has shifted:
“To those who want to know the truth, it is quite simple:
Hervé Delétraz
For several years now, the extreme High-End market has been in turmoil, with many prestigious brands closing down – fortunately, most of them have been able to restart – due to several factors, of which I will only mention a few.
The uncertain global economic and political climate has drawn attention away from entertainment.
But above all, the race to offer the most expensive product, claiming it’s better, while giving ever larger discounts to end users.
This extreme High-End market, whose noble and honorable purpose at its beginnings was to offer music lovers the best possible reproduction quality, has turned into a mass market, comparable to the souks of Marrakech – which I personally love, but for a different purpose – where the highest discount has become the main focus.
This trend, though not new, is now rotting the extreme High-End market and is destroying the industry.”
But rather than letting darTZeel get swept up in this downward spiral, Hervé has decided to take a bold new direction. He reassured loyal customers that darTZeel will continue producing its iconic products — though now only on demand — and urged owners to hold onto their equipment, as it is now more of an investment than ever.
He also hinted at something exciting on the horizon: a new line of darTZeel products aimed at a broader audience, though he’s keeping the details under wraps for now.
In Hervé’s words, “darTZeel instruments are made in Geneva to last forever. Period.”
So, despite the rumors, darTZeel is still standing strong, with fresh ideas brewing and a commitment to continue delivering the kind of quality that made them a household name in high-end audio.