About Us

At MISCO, we design, test, and manufacture loudspeakers for virtually any application. If you have ever driven through a fast-food drive-thru, traveled by bus or plane, or even floated around the International Space Station, there's a good chance you've heard a MISCO speaker in action. With 75 years of experience, we've accomplished a great deal and continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in sound. We invest in cutting-edge technologies and relentlessly pursue advancements to ensure every speaker that leaves our facility meets the industry-leading quality standards we're known for. We do what we do because when you choose an audio solution from MISCO, you’re choosing one that is built to last.

MISCO's mission is simple: to ensure customer satisfaction by delivering high-quality, reliable audio products.

We bring this mission to life every day through meticulous attention to detail in the design and engineering of custom designed speakers and complete audio systems. Every new speaker undergoes rigorous testing and refinement through each phase of prototyping. And, after we carefully assemble each speaker, we conduct detailed end-of-line testing to ensure flawless performance.

Because of our unwavering commitment to excellence, MISCO has the reputation of being the most reliable loudspeaker partner worldwide—and beyond.

From a Wedding Gift to a Global Pioneer

Who knew that one wedding gift could set the trajectory of a lifetime? The Digres certainly didn’t.

In 1947, Bernice and Cliff Digre began their lives together as a married couple. Of all the gifts they received, a small kitchen radio turned out to be the most impactful. That radio got a lot of use, and over the years, that radio developed a persistent scratching sound that Bernice tried and failed to fix. With the assistance of an instructor, Cliff discovered that the speaker needed to be reconed and sent it off to the only reconing shop in Minnesota. After waiting over six weeks for the repair, a frustrated Cliff declared, "He needs competition!"—and with that, Minneapolis Speaker Reconing Company was born.

young cliff digre — A young Cliff and Bernice Digre.

young bernice digre — A young Cliff and Bernice Digre.

Minneapolis Speaker Reconing Company opened its doors in 1949. Within a year, the Digres' venture began to succeed, taking on challenging projects like fixing speakers for harsh outdoor environments like drive-in theaters. Through these early experiences, they learned invaluable lessons about what makes speakers fail and developed improvements that made the fixed products more reliable and better performing.

By 1956, Minneapolis Speaker Reconing Company had earned a reputation for quality, leading a loyal customer to commission Bernice and Cliff to design and manufacture a line of speakers. This project transformed Bernice and Cliff’s company from a simple reconing service into a full-fledged manufacturer and becoming the Minneapolis Speaker Company, MISCO. This new line of speaker would then become MISCO’s first popular product line, the Red Line speakers.

Years of success and growth followed. In 1990, the Digres entrusted their son, Dan Digre, to lead the company. Under Dan's leadership, MISCO continued to innovate, expanding into new markets and acquiring leading-edge testing equipment. The acquisition of Warkwyn in 2016 and Oaktron further bolstered our capabilities and expanded the range of customers we serve. More recently, MISCO continued its growth by launching the premier brands ToneSpeak for guitar speakers and Bold North Audio for Hi-Fi sound.

And we're still looking for the next "wedding gift" to inspire future innovation.

1949

Cliff Digre, a B-17 gunner during World War II, attended radio school in Minnesota. In class, he repaired a scratchy speaker from his wife's radio, which led to the development of the Minneapolis Speaker Reconing Company.

cliff and bernice reconing speakers — Cliff and Bernice recoing speakers.

1956

A customer asked Cliff Digre to design and manufacture an 8-inch speaker of the same high quality as his previously reconed speakers for a drive-in theater. The first order is a huge success. The line expands to automotive speakers and 12" speakers for hi-fi sets. MISCO begins to manufacture Red Line speakers.

original drive-in theater speaker that the minneapolis speaker reconing company worked on — One of the original speakers the Minneapolis Speaker Reconing Company worked on.

1980

The company has begun to focus on OEM sales servicing the growing drive-thru commercial sound industries, building on its famous waterproof designs.

modern waterproof loudspeaker — Modern example of the waterproof drive-thru loudspeaker.

1990

Cliff's son, Dan Digre, takes over company management responsibilities as President of MISCO. MISCO expands into new markets such as aerospace, medical, and pro-audio.

dan at a trade show — Dan running a MISCO trade show booth.

2001

A new, expanded engineering and manufacturing facility is built in Minnesota. The new factory allows the layout to maximize efficiencies in speaker manufacturing; MISCO expands its product line to include amplifiers and complete audio systems.

2001 misco facility — 2001 MISCO facility.

2015

MISCO acquired Warkwyn, North America's most comprehensive R&D audio lab, and relocated it to Minnesota. The synergy established with Warkwyn places MISCO in a unique position to serve the industry with North America's most extensive loudspeaker design, testing, and manufacturing capabilities.

warkwyn audio lab — Warkwyn audio testing lab.

2016

MISCO acquired Oaktron from Mitek Corp and moved it to Minnesota. This acquisition further expanded MISCO's commitment to USA manufacturing, especially in developing capabilities and product offerings for its customers in the military, aerospace, and mass transit markets.

MISCO acquires Oaktron.

2019

MISCO launches the Bold North Audio brand with the introduction of the MS 10-W, designed to match the acoustic signature of the Yamaha NS-10M systems exactly.

MISCO's Bold North Audio.

2019

MISCO builds and moves into a new state of the art R&D, manufacturing, test & measurement and warehouse facility in St Paul, MN.

new misco facility — MISCO's new St. Paul facility.

2021

MISCO launches the ToneSpeak brand with its premium line of electric guitar and bass speakers, and impulse responses. The ToneSpeak line increases MISCO's ability to serve the musical instrument industry.

MISCO's ToneSpeak.

Read more of our history

MISCO aims to deliver superior audio products that exceed expectations and perform flawlessly. Every day, our dedicated team meticulously scrutinizes every detail—from design and engineering to measurement and end-of-line testing—to ensure our products meet and surpass customer expectations.

Innovation is the cornerstone of our success. By fostering an environment of continuous improvement, we encourage creativity and drive advancements in audio technology. Our philosophy is simple: when everyone does better, everyone benefits. This belief fuels our relentless pursuit of excellence.

Core Values

Customer Satisfaction: We are committed to delivering high-quality products and services tailored to our clients' unique needs.
Mutual Respect and Trust: We prioritize clear communication and long-term relationships built on trust and reliability.
Stability and Innovation: We maintain financial and human resource stability to ensure our operations are lean, effective, and constantly evolving.

MISCO is more than just a manufacturer of great audio products; we are your partner in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in sound.

For decades, MISCO has provided high-quality audio solutions across a wide range of industries, including drive-thru kiosks, aerospace, mass transit, and casinos. Over the years, we've honed our expertise, tackling new challenges, and have built a comprehensive catalog of off-the-shelf products to meet standard industry needs. Our catalog includes:

Loudspeakers ranging from 1 inch to 21 inches
Amplifiers, including PCB, plate, and enclosed models with Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
Complete audio systems
Loudspeaker accessories such as grilles and line-matching transformers

Custom Audio Solutions Tailored to Your Needs

While our off-the-shelf products meet many standard needs, we truly excel in creating custom audio solutions. MISCO specializes in designing custom loudspeakers and finished systems to meet any technical and environmental challenge. Whether it's a bus station, Hi-Fi home audio, casino, or even a space shuttle, we can design the perfect speaker for your unique application.

MISCO also offers amplifiers. We will design and program a system tailored to your exact specifications. As your needs evolve, our team can guide you in reprogramming our amplifiers to ensure ongoing adaptability.

Comprehensive Speaker Testing

Even if you're looking to optimize your current speakers—whether MISCO-made or from another brand—we can help. Our facility houses North America's most advanced Klippel acoustical measurement and testing laboratory. We provide detailed analysis to identify performance issues and develop practical solutions that effectively address pain points.

We believe that our customers say it best. Here's what one of them has to say about working with MISCO:

"The level of support we receive from MISCO is truly exceptional. They consistently demonstrate a proactive approach, readily deploying engineers to address any issues that arise. Their responsiveness is of paramount importance to us."

—Justin Georgilas, CEO of Yfageo Technologies

Curious about what others have to say about their experience with us? Check out our case studies and read what other customers have to say about our services: