Polk’s origin story is the stuff of legends. Three college kids take over an off-campus mansion and turn it into a makeshift factory, then travel the country selling speakers out of a station wagon. Half a century later, it’s one of the most important names in audio.

As the brand’s 50th anniversary approached, we flew to Baltimore to talk to their engineers and product designers. Then we took what we learned and soun up a new campaign that nods to the company’s future while paying tribute to its past.