A Humble Beginning
Ong Radio began in 1929, when its founder Mr. Ong Sean Kee, an employee of a Dutch bank decided to pursue an entrepreneurial vision of his own. From a humble shop at Aliwal Street, Ong Radio Service was born at a time when business registrations were not yet required in Singapore. What began as a modest venture would eventually grow into one of the region's most respected names in luxury audio and lifestyle entertainment.
Our Journey
The Founding
Ong Radio Service is born at Aliwal Street a repair shop for radios and home appliances, founded in the midst of the world depression.
Baghdad Street
Ong Radio relocates to a centrally situated shophouse along Baghdad Street, marking the beginning of a new era guided by quiet determination, humility and resilience.
The Second Generation
The late Mr. Ong Siong Kwee rebuilds the business from the ground up. Night after night, amplifiers are painstakingly hand-built under the dim lights of Baghdad Street each one taking fifteen days to complete.
The Golden Age of Sound
Ong Radio becomes a trusted importer of the world's finest audio brands: Goodsell, Leak, Ortofon, Marantz, McIntosh and Bozak,choosing focused excellence over expansion by quantity.
Never Compromise
When a key marque ceases production, the company's philosophy is forged: never compromise, never surrender quality, and never stop moving forward. Ong Radio places its confidence in McIntosh,the cornerstone of its identity.
A World-Class Showroom
On 1 May 1988, more than 250 guests attended the official opening of Ong Radio’s Marina Square showroom. McIntosh President Gordon Gow praised it as “the most beautiful McIntosh showroom in the world.” Ong Radio was also the first company globally granted exclusive rights to feature the prestigious McIntosh logo on its main storefront.
Expanding into Integrated Home Entertainment
Ong Radio expanded with two new showrooms at Plaza Singapura and Adelphi and transformed its business to offer premium audio-visual, home theatre and intelligent home systems. Building on decades of innovation from its own valve amplifiers in the 1940s to custom acoustics, multi-zone audio and high-powered home theatre, Ong Radio continued pioneering advanced lifestyle entertainment in Singapore, later introducing Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound in 1996.
Dream Systems
Nearly a century on, Ong Radio designs and delivers bespoke Dream Systems, immersive audio-visual experiences combining engineering precision with refined living, personally curated and supported.
“Never compromise, never surrender quality, and never stop moving forward.”The Ong Radio philosophy, forged through the war years
In Honour of the Late Mr. Ong Siong Kwee
The second-generation custodian of Ong Radio, the late Mr. Ong Siong Kwee rebuilt the business by hand after the war and shaped the philosophy that guides us still: never compromise, never surrender quality, and never stop moving forward.
Today, Ong Radio remains synonymous with heritage, craftsmanship, integrity and innovation with every system thoughtfully curated, meticulously installed and personally supported, continuing a tradition that began in 1929.