Walk through a luxury hotel lobby, a hedge fund cafeteria, a high-end retail space, or a residential theater on the Jersey shore, and the speakers you don't notice are probably MSE Audio products. The Lenexa, Kansas manufacturer doesn't put its name on the grille—but the seven brands it owns and engineers do.
"We don't just create speakers — we craft audio solutions that transform spaces and elevate experiences," reads the company's tagline. The slogan that ties it all together is Ingenious. By Design.—and after 70 years in the industry, MSE Audio has earned the right to use it.
A 70-year story that starts in 1955
MSE Audio's history begins in 1955 with Bill Hecht, a pioneer in speaker design who founded United Speaker Systems, Inc. with a mission to bring "theater sound for the home." His soft-dome tweeter patent laid the groundwork for decades of audio engineering.
In 1997, Chris Combest—today's CEO—founded Induction Dynamics in Kansas with the goal of building the best residential loudspeakers on the market. In 2002, Chris and Bill's son Ken Hecht (Jacksonville, FL) joined forces, combining Kansas OEM manufacturing with Jacksonville hi-fidelity driver design. The result was MS Electronics—what today we know as MSE Audio.
The acquisitions and product launches that followed read like a roadmap of architectural and commercial audio:
- 2004: Acquired SoundTube Entertainment from founder David Weiner—the pendant speaker brand that redefined open-ceiling audio installations.
- 2006: Brought in Phase Technology (PhaseTech), a luxury residential pioneer with the patented dARTS (Digital Audio Reference Theater System).
- 2008: Chris and Ken's engineering team developed SolidDrive—the invisible sound transducer that turns drywall, glass, or wood into a high-fidelity speaker.
- 2011: Acquired Rockustics, the creators of "The Original Rock Speaker" for outdoor and landscape audio.
- 2013: Added Soundsphere—omnidirectional speakers for gyms, airports, and arenas (BAA/TAA compliant, produced in Jacksonville).
- 2024: Rebranded so SoundTube becomes the primary customer-facing name for both commercial and residential offerings.
The seven-brand portfolio integrators actually use
Most manufacturers don't cover this many room conditions. MSE Audio does—because they own seven specialized brands under one engineering roof:
- SoundTube — commercial and residential pendants, ceiling, in-wall, hanging, outdoor; the broadest IP-enabled PoE and Dante-capable speaker line in the industry.
- PhaseTech — luxury residential audio since 1982; patented dARTS reference theater systems built in Jacksonville.
- Soundsphere — omnidirectional commercial speakers for large venues; BAA/TAA compliant.
- SolidDrive — invisible transducers that turn surfaces into speakers.
- Rockustics — outdoor "rock" and landscape speakers, now manufactured in Lenexa.
- Induction Dynamics — Chris Combest's original 1997 residential loudspeaker brand.
- dARTS — Digital Audio Reference Theater System for purist home cinema applications.
Industry leader in Dante-enabled audio since 2011
While most architectural speaker brands stayed analog, MSE Audio bet early on IP networking. From their company overview: "Since 2011, SoundTube Entertainment has led the industry in end-to-end Dante-enabled audio systems for everyday applications."
The SoundTube STNet series gives integrators IP-addressable, PoE-powered, Dante-enabled speakers and hubs that can be programmed without specialized training. For a restaurant chain, retail rollout, hospitality property, or corporate cafeteria, that translates directly into faster installs and centralized monitoring of every speaker on the network.
Every SoundTube product is Designed and Engineered in the USA—a meaningful spec for government, military, and BAA/TAA-sensitive commercial projects.
Patented installation technology built for integrators
What makes MSE Audio different from a typical OEM is how much engineering they put into the install itself, not just the driver. Their patented technologies include:
- BroadBeam® Technology — dispersion engineering that ensures even sound coverage across a space, often allowing fewer speakers to cover the same square footage.
- BroadBeam Ring™ — applied to ceiling speakers to broaden the coverage pattern.
- SpeedWing™ — constant-tension mounting system for faster, more reliable installation.
- Complimentary system design services—free engineering support for both commercial and residential projects.
How Restrepo Innovations works with MSE Audio
Across our four divisions—Residential, Commercial, Hospitality, and Government/Military—MSE Audio brands cover situations no single brand can solve alone. We use SoundTube pendants in restaurants and retail when ceilings are exposed; SoundTube STNet when a property needs Dante or PoE-driven IP audio; PhaseTech and dARTS in reference theaters; SolidDrive when a designer refuses to see a speaker; and Rockustics when audio has to disappear into a garden or pool deck.
Michael Restrepo on the partnership: "MSE Audio is the rare manufacturer that thinks like an integrator. Seven brands, one engineering team in Lenexa, free system design, and patented coverage technology that lets us hit specs with fewer speakers. From a Hamptons backyard to a hedge fund cafeteria to a high-end retail rollout, they've got the right product."
If you're planning a distributed audio, hospitality, retail, or outdoor speaker project, contact Restrepo Innovations—and learn more about our MSE Audio partnership on our partner page.