L-Acoustics has made a strategic investment in French-based MagREEsource, and also established exclusive partner rights in the professional audio industry for sustainable manufacture of rare earth magnets critical to loudspeakers.
This forward-looking partnership claims to bring a breakthrough circular economy model to the professional audio industry through innovative magnet recycling and manufacturing. By investing in MagREEsource, L-Acoustics is supporting a start-up partner that will allow the loudspeaker manufacturer to significantly reduce its environmental footprint while diversifying its supply sources for neodymium magnets essential to loudspeaker manufacturing.
For L-Acoustics, the collaboration represents a ‘transformative approach to sustainable manufacturing in the audio industry’. MagREEsource’s proprietary recycling technology enables 100 per cent recovery of neodymium magnets from various sources, including loudspeakers, electric vehicle engines and wind turbines generators, transforming them into high-performance magnets made with fully recycled material. This circular process drastically reduces the environmental impact compared to traditional magnet production methods.
‘The strategic investment and partnership with MagREEsource represent a significant advancement in our sustainability journey,’ says L-Acoustics Group CEO, Hervé Guillaume. ‘By securing exclusive access to this revolutionary technology for the professional audio sector, we are not only reducing our environmental footprint but also strengthening our supply chain resilience and delivering on our commitment to responsible innovation. We’re proud to support a promising start-up whose breakthrough technology has the potential to transform sustainability practices across multiple industries. The ability to recycle nearly 100 per cent of magnet materials from diverse sources creates a true circular economy model that can benefit the audio sector and beyond.’
‘This partnership with L-Acoustics represents a pivotal moment for MagREEsource,’ says MagREEsource President and co-founder, Erick Petit. ‘The strategic investment provides crucial resources that will accelerate our growth and technology development. This collaboration with a global industry leader validates our approach and opens potential opportunities for innovation in the professional audio sector. Together, with our circular “magnet-to-magnet” model, we’re creating a sustainable and sovereign supply chain for rare earth magnets that addresses critical environmental and resource challenges while demonstrating how established companies and disruptive start-ups can partner to drive innovation with the process and to the final loudspeaker design and conception.’
The environmental benefits of this partnership are substantial. A recycled magnet from MagREEsource produces 91 per cent less carbon dioxide than traditionally manufactured magnets from newly extracted materials – just 6kg of CO₂ compared to 67.6kg for conventional manufactured magnets. Additionally, the recycling process uses 86 per cent less water, saving approximately 1,187 litres per kilogram of magnet produced.
The partnership also opens possibilities for future recycling initiatives within L-Acoustics’ ecosystem. Potential opportunities include exploring end-of-life magnet collection hubs and integration of new designs using recycled magnetic materials in future product development. These forward-looking approaches align with L-Acoustics’ sustainability vision and could contribute to reducing industry dependence on newly extracted rare earth elements.
The current pilot facility of MagREEsource in Noyarey, France, can process 80 tons of magnets annually, with plans to expand to a full-scale MagFactory by 2028 capable of producing 1,000 tons per year. This innovative approach has garnered significant support from European institutions.