Based in Dubai, Reference Audio is a well-established company that provides the Emirates with a comprehensive service including distribution of high-end audio, lighting, video and control systems plus a design, installation and maintenance service. The company works in both commercial and residential environments, and offers everything from entertainment lighting fixtures to home-automation systems.
As head of the company’s Pro Division, Brent Davenport is now in charge of Turbosound sales at Reference Audio. He has a long history in the industry, having formed Transit Sound & Light in the UK in 1992 with his wife Sue.
In 1996 the Davenports moved to Spain and Brent worked as the Export Sales and Marketing Director for AD Systems, a local loudspeaker manufacturer. In 2002 Brent met Nabil El Rayes, who visited Spain with a view to distributing AD Systems in the UAE. A friendship developed over the next few years, leading to Brent being offered a position with Reference Audio. Sue joined him in Dubai to take charge of marketing.
“I was talking to Turbosound’s Martin Reid at the PALME Show in Dubai earlier in the year,” says Sue. “One thing led to another and I’m happy to say it culminated in us being appointed as the distributor for Turbosound products in the UAE.
“It’s many years since I drove our van down to Partridge Green to pick up Turbosound speakers, but it really only seems a short time ago. I never dreamt that one day we would be living in the Middle East and still ordering sound equipment, but when the chance came up we decided to grab it as it was an opportunity too good to miss.”
With an electronics engineering degree and 25 years’ practical experience under his belt, Brent has an excellent understanding of sound and its complexities, so seems well set to manage the task in hand.
“After recently receiving our first order, I was blown away with just how good the current crop of Turbosound products are,” says Brent. “I am confident the addition of this brand to our current inventory will take Reference Audio onto the next level. We are all looking forward to the delivery of our Aspect demo system, which we believe will be the first in the Middle East.”
Tim McCall, Turbosound’s Middle East and Asia Sales Manager, adds: “We are very pleased to welcome Reference Audio into the Turbosound fold. We are placing greater emphasis on resources in the Gulf region at the moment and the addition of Reference Audio will further strengthen our position in this market.
“The combination of our exciting product range and the experience and expertise that Brent and Nabil bring offers our customers a very strong package. Turbosound fits perfectly with the other high-end brands in Reference Audio’s portfolio, so I am very excited about our future in the Middle East.” More:
