History of music reproduction
A history of music reproduction and high-end audio
Tracing audio’s revolutionary and evolutionary journey into the modern era
Caveat: This article maps out in chronological order by year how audio was invented for recording and broadcasting, and how it was shared commercially and domestically for consumption. We try to include landmarks or milestones from inventors that are significant and relevant manufacturers that matter in the branching of high-end audio. This article is by no means exhaustive and will remain a living document. Therefore, we invite all manufacturers and stakeholders to share any inaccuracies or discrepancies to correct the record for readers to benefit.
The Acoustic Era
We begin this article best known as the Acoustic Era where mechanical equipment was used to capture music. Back in the day, music was captured with musicians seated next to a mechanical horn where they would sing or play musical instruments into the horn(s) in a small room that was used to capture the air pressure of sound waves. A membrane or diaphragm, located at the apex of the cone, was connected to a stylus, and as the changing air pressure moved the diaphragm back and forth, the stylus would engrave the sonic vibrations in tandem onto a moving roll of coated paper, or a cylinder or disc coated with a soft material such as wax or soft metal for playback.
On March 25, 1857, Frenchman Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville developed the Phonautograph where the first recorded sound was said to have come out of France.
In 1877, Thomas Edison developed the first crank Phonograph. He recited the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” to test his machine. It was the first machine to record and play recordings on a tin-foil cylinder that was slid onto a spindle and played initially for two minutes and subsequently evolved to four minutes. A crank phonograph is a device that plays sound from a rotating disc or cylinder powered by a hand crank. The patent on the phonograph was issued on February 19, 1878. Thomas Edison later amplified the sound of the phonograph by adding a horn to it.
In 1887 Alexander Graham Bell created the ‘Graphophone’, including a floating stylus and a wax cylinder as a recording and playback device.
In 1888, Emile Berliner a German-American inventor developed the lateral-cut flat disc record produced out of vulcanized rubber between 12.5cm and 18cm in diameter. In 1892, he patented the first Gramophone disc records. Berliner’s invention of the flat disc record replaced the Edison wax cylinder as a recording and playback device ushering the birth of the recording industry. Emile started the United States Gramophone Company in 1894, the Gramophone Company in London, England, in 1897, and Deutsche Grammophon in Hanover, Germany, in 1898. Emile Berliner also formed the Gram-o-phone Company of Canada in Montreal in 1899.
In 1889, Louis Glass and William S. Arnold invented the nickel-in-the-slot phonograph retrofitted with a device patented under 'Coin Actuated Attachment for Phonograph' in San Francisco. The music was heard via one of four listening tubes.
In 1898, the world’s first recording studio was established in the UK located on Maiden Lane, Convent Garden behind the Strand by Fred Gaisberg and The Gramophone Company. A plaque marked the original building’s location (pictured). They recorded popular songs often performed by music hall stars in the West End. The studio, in its infancy, used a long trumpet-shaped horn that artists sang into, accompanied by a piano, that is said to have lasted for only four years.
Consequently, in 1929, the studio moved to another location primarily due to the invention of microphones which allowed larger ensembles to be recorded in larger rooms, leading to a need for a purpose-built recording studio and was subsequently renamed the EMI studio. In March 1931, Gramophone Company merged with Columbia Gramaphone and established the EMI (Electronic and Musical Industries) record label, having completed the EMI recording studio in Abbey Road after two years of design and build.
In 1976 the famous EMI studios were renamed the Abbey Road Studios.
In 1901, Victor Talking Machine was established as the leading producer of records and phonograph players in the US.
In 1909 the Gramophone Company established a recording label called His Master’s Voice (HMV), and commissioned by Emile Berliner. In April 1898 William Barry Owen and Edmund Trevor Lloyd Wynne Williams founded the Gramophone Company in London, England.
The Electrical Era
The electrical era was ushered by Western Electric's electrical microphones, electronic signal amplifiers, and electromechanical recorders. Sound recording was captured, amplified, filtered, and balanced electronically; the disc-cutting head is electrically powered. The recording manufacturing process requires the signal to be inscribed into a wax 'master' disc, where a metal electroformed stamper made from the wax master is used to stamp (mass-produce) shellac-based records mechanically.
In 1910, the wax cylinders were replaced by Shellac Records which instead recorded music from 250Hz to 2500Hz improving sound reproduction. However, the final production of wax cylinders ended in 1929. Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug found on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. The Shellac is mixed with other materials to create a hard surface for etching grooves to produce music when a stylus vibrates while riding the undulating grooves.
In 1910, Frederick Whitney Horn, a German-American immigrant in association with Japanese partners formed Nippon Denki Onkyō Kabushikigaisha (Japan Electric Sound Company) as part of Japan-US Recorders Manufacturing which he also founded in 1907. They were the first Japanese company to sell gramophones and single-sided recording discs under the brand name “Nipponophone”. They also became Japan’s first record label and also produced Japan’s first record player. In 1927, Japan Gramophone was purchased by Columbia Gramophone Ltd, and named, Nippon Columbia. The company continued to serve the Far East market with records and players and began branching into radio broadcast equipment. In 1928, the “Columbia” name was introduced when the company became Japan Columbia Recorders. In 1947, Nippon Columbia merged with Japan Denki Onkyo (not to be confused with the other Onkyo), and shortened the name to Denon taking the first syllables of Denki and Onkyo. In 1951 Denon became the first to record and sell long-playing records (LPs). The Denon label was founded in 1968 as a Nippon Columbia subsidiary. It originally focused on Japanese pop music and was under the management of Nippon Columbia's third division.
In 1916 Western Electric in the US developed the condenser microphone and sometime in the early 1920s, electrical recording gear was developed, including signal amplifiers for recordings.
In 1918, Hobart C. Niblack created a device that automatically changed records, introducing the selective player. These machines have buttons with letters and numbers, which are used to select specific records.
In 1925, the first commercial type of electromagnetic phonograph pickup was introduced. It contained a bulky magnet and employed the single-use steel needles that had been standard since the disc record players appeared in the 1890s.
In 1923 Western Electric further developed the ribbon and moving coil microphones resulting in the invention of recording devices and equalizers so that the recordings could be balanced and adjusted ranging from 60Hz to 6000Hz leading to improved fidelity.
In 1926, Paul Voigt developed the first British electric recording system. Voigt developed several new products, including a slack diaphragm condenser microphone, a high flux energized speaker drive unit, and horns using the "tractrix" contour. Under a mutual agreement, all these Edison Bell products were protected by patents taken out by Paul Voigt himself. In 1933, Voigt set up "Voigt Patents" based in Sydenham, London.
In 1928, Justus P. Seeburg combined an electrostatic loudspeaker with a coin-operated record player called the 'Audiophone' machine with eight separate turntables mounted on a rotating Ferris wheel-like device. This allowed patrons to select from eight different records. Later versions included Seeburg's ‘Selectophone’ with 10 turntables mounted vertically on a spindle. By maneuvering the tone arm up and down, the customer could select from 10 different records.
In the 1930s, a lacquer master aka acetate disc was designed to provide an instantaneous record generally used for recording, broadcasting, and the production of records. It is created by using a recording lathe to cut an audio-signal-modulated groove into its surface. A lacquer master consists of an aluminum disc with a coating of nitrocellulose lacquer with acetone added as a varnish. Glass was often used for the substrate during World War II when aluminum was in short supply. In the vinyl record manufacturing process, a lacquer master disc is cut and electroforming is used to make negative metal molds from it; certain molds are converted into stampers and can be used to press thousands of records of the master. In the mastering process, the lacquer allows the artist, producer, engineer, and other interested parties to check the quality of the tape-to-disc recording process and make any necessary changes to ensure that the audio fidelity of the master disc will be as close as possible to that of the original master tape.
In 1930, RCA Victor released the first vinyl record - a single (45 RPM) as a more durable and higher-fidelity replacement for 78 rpm shellac discs. They use the term ‘Vinyl’ for records because it is derived from PVC. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) was created by a German chemist, Eugen Baumann in 1872.
In the 1930s, the term "jukebox" was used, particularly during the 1950s. Seventy-five percent of records produced in the US went into jukeboxes. When Stereo became popular in the early 1960s, Jukeboxes were designed with stereo loudspeakers. Jukeboxes were an important marketing tool for record publishers as new releases were tallied for the number of plays and registered in billboard charts. While the number of analog jukeboxes dwindled, digital jukeboxes took over because they could store as many as 150 CDs of music on high-capacity hard drives. Consequently, the "classic" iPod became popular for music on the go and these mobile devices up-ended the jukebox industry.
In 1931, perhaps the most consequential event in audio history happened when Alan Dower Blumlein from EMI’s technical division invented stereo. His famous stereo pair recording technique aka “Blumlein Pair” was revolutionary and is still used today. Blumlein also improved the moving coil technology in microphones, including the mixers and new disc recorders derived from the Westrex systems that they were using.
In 1939, Denon developed Japan’s first professional disc recording machine the DR-148, a twin-deck transportable professional disc recorder for the 1940 Tokyo Olympic Games. In 1945 they also developed the DP-17K for the broadcast industry and disk-cutting lathes. The recorder was said to have been used to record the Hirohito (emperor of Japan) surrender radio broadcast on 15 August 1945, also known as the Jewel Voice Broadcast.
In 1948, the R-23-A disc recorder/player was adopted as a standard by Denon, and installed in the company’s studios across Japan.
In 1963, Denon developed the DL-103 low-output moving-coil cartridge that can be fitted with different tip types. The cartridge was initially developed for playing the new stereo records for broadcasting studios but went on to become one of the classic hi-fi products for audiophiles. It’s still in production at Denon’s factory in Shirakawa, Japan. In 1970, they released the DN-302F its direct-drive turntable for broadcast studios, an AC servo direct turntable that adopted speed control by magnetic pulse detection for the first time in professional use, and the DP-5000, a direct-drive motor unit for record players, to which buyers could add their plinth, arm, and cartridge.
In November 1945, an American engineer Norman Charles Pickering formed Pickering & Co. focusing on products for the professional broadcast and recording industries. Norman is credited with inventing the first user-replaceable stylus and was one of the first designers to produce a magnetic phono cartridge.
In 1945, Ortofon was founded by Arnold Poulsen and Axel Petersen in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ortofon initially developed a synchronized sound system for film and pioneered the moving coil technology for the Lyrec lathe in 1946. Lyrec only made the mechanics of the lathe leaving the cutter-head and electronics to Ortofon, a sister company in Denmark.
In 1948, Columbia and RCA in the US developed the Microgroove Record – the 10” 78 rpm Shellac record. They also introduced the first 12” 33 1/3 rpm vinyl Album LP (Long Play). In 1949 they prompted consumers to upgrade to a new multi-speed record player (aka transcription record player) with the required smaller tipped "microgroove" stylus. Sapphire and diamond then became the standard materials for the stylus tip. In 1960, Shellac records aka 78s that were much more brittle and heavier compared to vinyl had ceased production. The 12”, 45 rpm single variation first appeared during the disco era when DJs played them in clubs which permitted a broader dynamic range ideal for dance music. The first song found on a 12-inch single is "Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer, released by Atlantic Records in 1975.
In 1951 EMI built its own passive EQ device (aka the curve bender) for vinyl cutting and mastering.
In 1955 an early compressor was developed by EMI for use in the recording studio to manage the challenges of recording rock and roll music.
In 1958, RCA Victor introduced the “Living Stereo” label recordings. This was enabled by stereophonic technology and innovations in sound reproduction utilizing the invention of Westrex stereo cutter-heads including Scully lathes, to create some of the best-mastered albums in history. It is said that only lathes made from Neumann of Berlin; Scully of Bridgeport Connecticut; and Lyrec of Copenhagen are still in use today.
Radio Broadcasting and Reproduction
The radio evolved with the invention of wireless telegraphy in the late 1800s and the subsequent invention of electron tubes that would amplify the signals captured through the airwaves. It began with radio broadcasting through domestic radios, then used in vehicles until Solid State devices took over the amplification duties enabling receivers to be produced with other companion components during the Golden Age of Hi-Fi. Consequently, dedicated tuners were introduced to the audiophile community. In the 2010s, internet and satellite radio came into competition with FM radio ushering its eventual demise.
In 1897, Italian Guglielmo Marconi sent the world's first radio message over the airwaves, experimenting with “wireless telegraphy".
In 1904, American inventor and self-described "Father of Radio" Lee de Forest was said to have demonstrated a car radio at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. In 1906, De Forest invented the ‘Audion’, a device that consisted of a three-electrode vacuum tube that functioned as a primitive transistor, allowing the amplification of radio signals to enable the broadcast of speech and music. This new capability subsequently replaced the need for the Morse Code.
In 1906. Reginald Aubrey Fessenden a Canadian-born inventor, who worked in the United States was the first to broadcast music over the airwaves.
In 1918, Edwin Armstrong credited as the inventor of FM radio created the superheterodyne receiver, which is regarded by many as the first radio that matched the potential of modern radio devices.
In 1922, the first car radio was developed by Chevrolet with an antenna that covered the entire car roof, needed batteries that barely fit under the front seat, and had two large loudspeakers attached behind the seat.
In 1924, Kelly's Motors in NSW, Australia, was credited with having installed its first car radio
In March 1928, Joshua Powell an advertising agent, and L.E. Owen, a local broadcast engineer co-founded Rediffusion (a term that means broadcasting again) at Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. It initially traded under the Broadcast Relay Service Ltd. It introduced its first cable radio service in Hull in January 1929. The clientele would receive only a loudspeaker box with a selector switch. Initially, the service consisted primarily of rebroadcasts BBC Radio service but had branched to renting and selling radios in the UK. The boxes and services were later distributed in selected parts of the world. This broadcast service was famously known for its BBC news and the American Top 40 music hosted by Casey Kasem in my part of the world.
In 1928, the Hayakawa brothers established a radio department anticipating the birth of radio broadcasting in Japan. The Luxman brand was born with the introduction of the LUX 735 radio set sold together with a magnetic horn speaker. Sorry unable to acquire a better picture.
In 1930, the American Galvin Manufacturing Corporation marketed a Motorola-branded radio receiver - model 5T71. Founders Paul Galvin and Joe Galvin subsequently changed their company’s name to ‘Motorola’
In 1933, Crossley Motors offered a factory-fitted car radio.
In 1938, Bang & Olufsen (B&O) introduced the Beolit 39 which was the first radio in Bakelite to work with alternating current, a product of significance at a time when most radios were still running on batteries. B & O, originally from Denmark, was founded by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen in 1925. In the 1990s, B&O sold its electronic products directly to end users. In May 2015, Harman International announced the completion of its acquisition of Bang & Olufsen's car audio business.
In the 1950s Philips car radio used both transistors and valves. This model used a range of valves that only required 12 volts for their plate (anode) voltage.
In 1952, an FM receiver was offered by Blaupunkt.
In 1953, Becker introduced the AM/FM Becker Mexico with a Variometer tuner, basically a station-search or scan function.
In 1954, the Regency company introduced a pocket transistor radio, the TR-1, powered by a "standard 22.5 V Battery. In 1955, the newly formed Sony company introduced its first transistorized radio, the TR-55. It was small enough to fit in a pocket, powered by a small battery.
In April 1955, the Chrysler Corporation announced that it was offering a Mopar model 914HR branded Philco all transistor car radio.
In 1963, Becker introduced the Monte Carlo, a tubeless solid-state radio.
In 1965, the Marantz Model 10b stereo tube tuner widely considered an iconic product was introduced with a tuning range of 88 to 108MHz.
In 1966, General Electric introduced the first integrated circuit (IC) radio - P1740.
The Magnetic Era
During the magnetic era, sound recordings were made on magnetic tape before being transferred to other media. This was possible through a German invention developed in the 1930s but remained restricted to Germany where it was widely used in broadcasting until the end of World War II. The magnetic tape technology combines two previous inventions the wax strip recording in 1886 and later the celluloid paper strip by Alexander Graham Bell and the magnetic wire recording in 1898 pioneered by Valdemar Poulsen. The magnetic era was instrumental in not only producing quality recordings but also providing extended recordings hence longer playback, but more importantly re-recording on the same tape and editing through a process called ‘tape splicing’.
In 1886, Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory patented the earliest known audio tape recorder. This was a non-magnetic, non-electric version that employed a 4.8 mm strip of wax-covered paper coated in a solution of beeswax and paraffin with one side scraped clean, while the other coated side allowed to harden.
In 1898, Danish engineer Valdemar Poulsen invented the first wire recorder that recorded sound signals on a thin steel wire using varying levels of magnetization. Poulsen gave his product the trade name Telegraphone recorder, a picture seen in this illustration from 1922.
In 1928, Fritz Pfleumer in Germany patented the magnetic recording technology on paper tape coated with iron oxide, based on the earlier magnetic wire recording from Denmark. In 1932 Fritz granted AEG and O-BASF the rights to develop his magnetic tape invention. Paper-backed magnetic tape however spilled oxide too readily which clogged the recorder heads and was superseded toward the end of the 1940s by plastic tape, making a short but significant appearance in the history of recording media.
In 1935, AEG showed the first practical audio magnetic tape recorder, the Magnetophon K1, at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin with better sound quality and recorded music longer than the 78 records.
In 1939, Magnetic tape for recording and playback was developed for commercial use using a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film on plastic spools.
After the war, John T. Mullen from the US brought two AEG recorders from Germany back to the US. Bing Crosby was so impressed with the recording quality that he invested USD 50,000 in the Ampex company in the US to develop similar magnetic tape recorders.
In 1946, Magnecord, Inc. was founded in Chicago by R.L. Landon, John S. Boyers, R.J. Tinkham, and C.G. Barker who worked for the Research Division of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Magnecord's first product in 1947 was the professional wire recorder SD-1 ("Super Duper"). However, the company quickly moved to produce reel tape recorders beginning with the PT series. In 1956, Midwestern Instruments (later known as TELEX), a six-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma company that made geophysical instrumentation, acquired Magnecord.
In 1946 the first magnetic tape recorder to be sold commercially in the US was invented by Polish-born Semi J. Begun called the ‘Sound Mirror’ BK 401 magnetic ribbon recorder.
In 1947, the Denon brand started to evolve when Nippon Columbia merged with Japan Denki Onkyo (not to be confused with the other Onkyo). In 1948, they introduced the R-23-A recorder/player for the broadcast industry. In 1951, the PT-11 and PT-12 were the first domestically produced tape recorders based on the American Magnecorder PT-6 model for business use and broadcasting stations all over Japan. In 1953, they developed a professional tape recorder for the broadcasting industry. In 1959 they produced commercial open-reel audio tapes which were manufactured in Japan. The early models of tape recorders used tube electronics and later transitioned to solid-state tape recorders and produced both 2 and 4-track machines. In 1963, they decided to adopt the brand name “DENON”. In 1964 they started sales of audio cassette tapes. D&M Holdings Inc. was created in May 2002 when Denon Ltd and Marantz Japan Inc. merged. On March 1, 2017, Sound United LLC completed the acquisition of D+M Holdings.
In 1948, EMI Research Laboratory inspired by the German tape-recording technology built its magnetic tape machine called the BTR 1 (British Tape Technology).
In 1962, Muntz introduced the Wayfarer 4-track cartridge tape player. Celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, had these units installed in their cars.
In 1963, the Dutch, Lou Ottens, and his team at Philips invented the cassette tape which is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback that supplanted the short-lived stereo 8-track cartridge commonly used in vehicles.
In 1965, Ford and Motorola jointly introduced the in-car 8-track tape player as optional equipment for 1966 Ford car models.
In 1968, a dashboard car radio with a built-in cassette tape player was introduced by Philips.
In 1969, Olympus introduced the Microcassette which has the same width of magnetic tape as the Compact Cassette but a cassette roughly one-quarter the size using a thinner tape and half or a quarter the tape speed, but in a smaller package.
In 1973 Nakamichi from Japan launched its 700 and 1000 Tri-Tracer Cassette Decks which was the first cassette deck to utilize a three-head recording technique to monitor tape recordings during the recording process.
In 1976, the Marantz 5420 stereo cassette deck with Dolby B noise reduction was introduced. It utilizes 2 heads, and memory stop, and manual tape type selection. It is capable of handling normal, chrome, and ferrochrome tapes, with a belt-driven single-capstan transport.
In 1976, Yamaha with Italian industrial designer Mario Bellini designed the Yamaha TC-800GL stereo cassette deck which features a front panel that is angled down for easy viewing. The deck could be battery-operated or used with a car battery.
In 1982, Luxman introduced the X-3K Cassette Deck with an “Omega drive” transport mechanism that pulls the tape from the cassette, wrapping it around the head block.
In late 1992, Philips and Matsushita Electric introduced the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) as the successor to the analog Cassette tape. This magnetic tape-recording format though technically superior, was unfortunately discontinued in October 1996 because it was cost-prohibitive.
High-Fidelity Era
In the late 1930s, most sound reproduction systems were entertainment consoles or floor-standing radios. These components were housed in fashion cabinets akin to home furniture including the radio, amplifier, record player, and loudspeaker. Most electronic stores in the 30s were servicing TVs and radios or selling DIY audio kits. In the 1950s, audio manufacturers began to use the phrase high fidelity (hi-fi) as a marketing tool to describe records and equipment they believed would reproduce sound that was faithful to the recording.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the development of stereo whose term was used to describe stereophonic sound eventually replaced the term hi-fi for its intriguing sound reproduction which was touted as live-like. Records were now played in stereo and the equipment built was stereo-ready. Nevertheless, the term ‘high-fidelity’ continues to be propagated mostly by Japanese-made consumer audio products as the term became synonymous with quality sound reproduction and technological advancement. This period was famously regarded as the "Golden Age of Hi-Fi". Components were now separated into individual components without wooden cabinets whose focus now is the quality of music reproduction, however, the ‘Receiver’ evolved where the radio, pre-amplifier, and power amplifier were integrated as one component and most include facilities to further connect a record player and a cassette Deck. Tube circuits were now transistorized, amplification power and larger loudspeakers were relatively the order of the day. Some manufacturers have even miniaturized these components (mini-compo) to market their products to owners of smaller apartments. In the Golden Age of Hi-Fi, a community of audiophiles has emerged with some quarters swearing by tubes, some with horn loudspeakers, and most sticking to the record player and magnetic tape players before the advent of the digital age.
High-end audio's humble beginnings may have started after the war (1945) when war veterans were allowed to be trained in electronics or those who worked with electronics during their time in military service began building audio systems. Many of today’s high-end audio designers back in the day made audio kits and provided custom-built audio for their friends and many were involved in designing equipment for recording studios or equipment for medical use. Many of them were known to have designed prototypes in their backyard, garages, basements, or sheds. The beginnings of the audiophile community have perhaps evolved when Alan Blumlein invented the Stereophonic recording process in 1931. He intended to make recordings lifelike during playback as our ears best localize sound as a pair and his legendary Blumien pair (microphones) would capture sounds in dimensions of space and time which paved the way for specialized microphone recording techniques. After the world war, in the late 40s, stereo-cutting lathes and magnetic tape came to fruition capturing and producing high-fidelity stereo. This has led to Columbia and RCA in the US developing the Microgroove Records in stereo, and manufacturers to develop transcription turntables and stereo cartridges for end users to benefit. Thereafter, RCA Living Stereo Records, Columbia, Decca, Blue Note, etc., jumped on the bandwagon and produced high-fidelity recordings even noteworthy by today's standards. At this time recording, mixing, and mastering engineers and even acoustic engineers emerged pioneering a specialty recording industry. The invention of solid-state devices made it easier for new manufacturers to emerge and design audio components.
The late 40s also ushered in the formation of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) which defined audio recording and reproduction standards for audio components. Dr. Floyd Toole in particular from the AES in Toronto has research to improve engineering measurements, objectives for loudspeaker design and evaluation, and techniques for reducing variability in small rooms. The late 50s saw specialty audio magazines such as the UK Hi-Fi News and Record Review and importantly the US “Stereophile” magazine in the early 60s with the late Justin Gordon Holt advocating quality sound reproduction by reviewing audio components based on their subjective sound quality. In the 70s magazines such as ‘The Absolute Sound’ by the late Harry Pearson sealed the deal and in the process coined the term ‘High-End’ audio with critical analysis of audio components and records for their sound quality. ‘What Hi-Fi’ from the UK had begun to list recommendations and award accolades for audio products. This has slowly but surely consolidated a community of audiophiles who could afford the products. The introduction of the digital age in the 80s has widened the net due to its affordability and plug-and-play ease of use have removed the proverbial barriers to entry and thus populating the audiophile community.
Today, the audiophile community sees a resurgence of vinyl with new manufacturers producing quality vinyl for music playback and digital streaming allowing music to be readily available without much outlay. However, we also see the emergence of affordable products and ultra-high-end products leaving the center a little thin. This push at both extremes with new and innovative technologies while allowing for more participation across the board may not be sustainable as the competition in this niche market inevitably becomes more aggressive for the smaller ones to survive. We would see larger conglomerates merging or acquiring smaller high-end audio manufacturers. This would lead them to downplay the higher ticket products and orient toward consumer electronics or to the audio video and auto industry that they may be accustomed to.
Record players and their associated components
In 1928, Thorens, a family business was first registered in Sainte-Croix, Vaud, Switzerland by Hermann Thorens. They produced their first electric (motor-drive) record player and went on to produce a range of record players in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, Thorens introduced its first high-end turntable - TD 124, and it's still much sought after by audiophiles. In 1965, the Thorens TD 150 turntable with TP13 tonearm sparked a technical revolution in turntable design and construction. This player featured a new 3-point suspended sub-chassis that carries the platter, bearing, and arm. Fixed to the main chassis is a 16-pole, 2-phase synchronous AC motor. The company became insolvent in 1999 and a new Suisse Thorens Export Company AG whose owner was Heinz Rohrer took over trading. In May 2018 Gunter Kürten, the manager at Denon and Elac, became CEO and relocated operations to Germany.
In 1928, Luxman, a Japanese manufacturer founded by the Hayakawa brothers introduced the LUX 1730 electric phonograph. In 1931, they introduced the first magnetic pickup (moving magnet - MM). In 1975, they introduced the PD-121 Direct Drive Turntable. In 1980, the PD-300 Vacuum Disc Stabilizer (VDS) turntable.
In 1933, Shure began supplying replacement crystal pickups to various manufacturers and by the mid-1940s Shure was the largest supplier of phonograph cartridges in the US. Shure was founded in 1925 by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois, as a supplier of radio parts kits. Their famous V-15 series included several industry firsts such as the original V-15 model introduced in 1964, which was the first to feature "trackability", and utilized a symmetrical, bi-radial elliptical stylus.
In 1935, Dual began producing turntables. The development began in 1927 when one of the brothers Gebrüder Steidinger created the Dual-Motor, consisting of a spring-loaded clockwork and an electric motor. The motor was successful, and in 1935 they established the name ‘Dual’ as a company. Dual went bankrupt in 1982 and was sold to French electronic manufacturer Thomson SA. In 1988, Thomson sold Dual to German manufacturer Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG. Dual GmbH filed for bankruptcy on November 15, 2022. In March 2023, it was reported that an unspecified consortium of investors had taken over the company.
In 1947, Ortofon introduced the SPU (stereo pick-up) moving coil cartridge in Europe, a design that integrated the headshell and cartridge based on Bang & Olufsen’s patents. In 1948, Ortofon's first moving coil magnetic cartridge, the AB model was launched for domestic use.
In 1947 Pickering & Co founded by Norman Charles Pickering made cartridges for domestic use to play 78rpm records. He also co-founded the Audio Engineering Society in 1948. Norman worked on further improving sound reproduction through tonearm and variable equalizer modifications and was also credited for developing one of the earliest loudspeaker towers. In 1948, Walter O. Stanton joined Pickering & Co. as vice president in charge of sales helping the company develop the first cartridge for the new microgroove standard for vinyl records. In 1950, Walter O. Stanton replaced Norman Pickering as president. In 1954, Pickering introduced the first user-replaceable stylus and the first stereo cartridge in 1958.
On 14 December 1948, ELAC founded as 'Electroacoustic GmbH' in Germany in 1926, introduced its first consumer audio product - the PW1 record player incorporating a record changer which provided the foundation for ELAC's later market leadership in the field of record players. In 1997 ELAC ceased the production of phono cartridges because they wanted to focus exclusively on manufacturing loudspeakers.
In 1949, Lenco AG founded by Fritz and Marie Laeng in Burgdorf, Switzerland launched its first turntable. From the mid-1950s, Lenco supplied turntables for sale with local commercial partners, including Bogen in the United States and Goldring in the United Kingdom. In 1961 Lenco opened a factory in Osimo, Italy, where it initially produced electric motors. In the 1970s, the Italian factory started to produce turntables and cassette decks. Lenco AG Burgdorf was declared bankrupt in 1977, as successor company Lenco Audio AG took over repair, service, and warranty duties for existing Lenco equipment until it folded in 1983. Horst Neugebauer KG, a company from Lahr, Germany, acquired the Lenco name in 1984. In 1997 the name Lenco was acquired by the Lenco STL Group of Venlo in the Netherlands. In 2015 the company was bought by Commaxx International NV.
In 1953, Garrard produced the 301 turntable and in 1965 the 401 was introduced and stayed in production until 1976. The Garrard 301, was the first transcription model turntable that supported 33, 45, and 78 rpm records and was used by the BBC and in commercial radio stations, mostly in Europe. The 301 was usually sold without a plinth, tonearm, or cartridge. Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company was formed In 1915 by jewelers from Swindon, Wiltshire in England. The company was sold to Plessey, an electronics conglomerate, in 1960. Plessey sold the brand Garrard to Gradiente Electronics of Brazil in 1979 and series production was moved to Brazil before completely shutting down in 1992. Then, Gradiente licensed the Garrard name to Terence O'Sullivan, who operated as Loricraft Audio, in 1997. In 2018, Cadence Audio SA, who also owns the British turntable and tonearm manufacturer SME Limited, took ownership of the Garrard brand and registered trademarks when they purchased Loricraft Audio Ltd. The business was restructured to run under the name of Garrard Turntables UK Ltd.
In 1953, Grado Labs an American audio manufacturer was founded by master watchmaker Joseph Grado. They are best known for hand-building dynamic open-back headphones and cartridges in Brooklyn, New York. In 1959 Joseph Grado was awarded patents for the first Stereo Moving Coil Cartridge and an elliptical stylus design. They were also credited with being the first to use wood for their cartridge body.
In 1954, the Yamaha HiFi Player was the world’s first audio component sporting the term “HiFi" which was released and used in broadcast studios. Yamaha then produced the YP-1000 direct drive record player in 1976 which uses a Stax UA-7 tonearm and a platter machined from a single aluminum plate.
In September 1959, Alastair Robertson-Aikman who founded SME (Scale Model Equipment Company Limited – 1946) based in Sussex, England produced his first commercial pick-up arm. The Company's name was changed to SME Limited. In December 2016 the company was purchased by Cadence Audio LLP which also owns Crystal Cable, Siltech, Audio Lounge, Spendor, TimberWORX, and Garrard. Arguably the most famous tonearm that was ever produced and is still sought after by audiophiles is the SME 3009.
In 1961, AR developed the first belt-driven turntable (Acoustic Research XA) that was released commercially. Acoustic Research, Inc. (“AR”) was founded in 1954 by Edgar Villchur and his student, Henry Kloss. Edgar felt that the relative motion between the tonearm and spindle had to be minimized to prevent rumble. His solution was to have a three-point suspension system and isolate the drive system by placing a rubber belt between the pulley and the platter. This design is presently copied by many branded turntables and the XA is arguably the first performance turntable produced. In 1967, Acoustic Research was bought by Teledyne, Inc. who then sold the company to Jensen Electronics. In 1996, Jensen, including AR, was sold to Recoton Audio Corporation. In 2003, Audiovox (now Voxx International) acquired the US audio operations of Recoton and continues with the AR loudspeaker development and sales.
In 1961, recognizing the growth of Pickering & Company's consumer market, Walter O Stanton established the Stanton Magnetics brand to focus on professional broadcast and recording products. In December 2011, Gibson Brands, Inc. acquired Stanton as part of its acquisition of the Stanton Group, including Cerwin Vega and KRK Systems, creating a new division, Gibson Pro Audio. In May 2020, inMusic Brands acquired Stanton from Gibson Brands.
In 1961, The Japanese Micro Seiki Co., Ltd. was founded as a precision engineering company had produced the MR-711 their first direct drive record player. Micro Seiki developed and produced the Luxman brand turntables, as well as being an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for other hi-fi manufacturers. The company continued to make turntables throughout the '70s and '80s and is said to have shipped its last turntable in 2001.
In 1962, Audio-Technica was established in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, by Hideo Matsushita as a phonograph cartridge manufacturer. Its first products were the AT-1 and the AT-3 MM stereo phono cartridges. In 1969, the company began exporting phono cartridges worldwide and launched the first microcassette recorders.
In 1972, Denon launched the DP-3000 model turntable, and in 1976 the quartz-lock direct-drive DP-7000 turntable.
In May 1966, Nagaoka Tsusho Co., Ltd. was established, with Eitaro Nagaoka appointed as president. Nagaoka has succeeded in mass-producing metal-bonded diamond needles using a new adhesive method in Otsuka and is touted as the only manufacturer of needles in Japan. In 1979, the MP series of cartridges was launched and perhaps brought them to prominence in the audiophile world. The MP series is a Moving-Iron design which Nagaoka calls 'Moving Permalloy' because the material used is nickel/iron alloy. Moving-Iron technology is relatively rare, with only Grado and recent ‘Soundsmith’ offerings, the latter being based on Bang & Olufsen's 1980s MMC designs.
In 1967 Sansui produced its first turntable, the 1050C, a 4-pole hysteresis synchronous motor, driving a two-speed belt drive turntable. In 1985 they introduced the P-L95R, with a handling similar to LD-players; it allowed them to play both sides of the record without turning it.
In 1969, Keith Monks was said to be the first automated professional record-cleaning machine that was produced originally for the BBC use. They use a pivotal arm with a thread inserted that rides on the record surface to maintain a gap where a rotating platter turns the record clockwise. A fluid in a reservoir tank is slowly fed onto the record surface that lifts the debris off the record through a vacuum pump via the pivotal arm that would subsequently suck the record debris off. This has sparked other manufacturers to produce a manual cleaner with no vacuum suction, a semi-automatic vacuum cleaner, a fully automated vacuum cleaner, and more recently an ultra-sonic, cavitation cleaner as technology became the driving force for innovation.
In 1970, Technics introduced the SP-10 which was the world’s first direct-drive turntable. What evolved later in 1979 was the SL 1200Mk 2 turntable that became legendary and was the standard for most disc jockeys back in the day.
In the 1970s, Yoshiaki Sugano founded Koetsu a company named after a famous Japanese craftsman - Honami Koetsu. Koetsu produces hand-crafted phono cartridges that use exotic materials in their cartridge designs.
In 1972, Linn Products in the UK (Glasgow) introduced the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. This iconic turntable uses a suspended sub-chassis design and a patented tight tolerance single-point bearing. The LP12 has however evolved since its introduction, but its basic suspended sub-chassis design was derived from the Acoustic Research XA turntable and remains Britain’s best seller.
In 1973, Roy Gandy, Phil Freeman, and Terry Bateman co-founded Rega Research Ltd, whose products are made in the UK. Rega was widely known for their turntables when it launched their first Rega Planet turntable utilizing its three-spoke, steel, and aluminum platter and the Acos Lustre tonearm. They have since produced many other turntables and tonearms. Rega has also served as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of turntables and tonearms for other companies such as NAD and Rotel.
In 1975, Dr. Noburo Tominari founded Dynavector. He made high-output MC cartridges possible with his innovative development of a winding machine for the coils. His first high-output moving coil cartridge was the Dynavector 10x.
In 1997, John Michell formed J. A. Michell Engineering Ltd in Stevenage, UK. The first turntable developed was the Michell Reference Electronic. Michell designs have become synonymous with its thick transparent acrylic material. The early 80s saw the introduction of the GyroDec used with an A.C. synchronous motor and two drive belts. Later, Michell designed a suspended turntable with a floating pendulum sub-chassis with an oil-pumping inverted main bearing. In 1989. Michell Engineering ceased manufacture in 2001 when John fell ill and handed over management to Trichord Research.
In 1978, VPI Industries Inc. was an American manufacturer founded by Harry and Sheila Weisfeld in Cliffwood, New Jersey, The HW 19 was the first table they had developed in 1980 after being commissioned to create an isolation base for Denon. The HW-16 record-cleaning machine was introduced in 1981 credited to be the first portable semi-automatic ‘affordable’ vacuum machine. VPI also manufactured bases for both the Denon and JVC direct drive motors.
In 1978, Clear Audio Electronic was founded by Peter Suchy and their sons Robert & and Patrick in Erlangen, Germany. Their first products were the Delta and Sigma loudspeakers and developed Clearaudio's first moving coil cartridges. They are perhaps best known for their turntables and cartridges where they are said to pioneer a fully symmetrical design and the choice of a boron cantilever. Their tangential tonearms were introduced in 1988 and 2008, the Ceramic Magnetic Bearing.
In 1978, Goldmund based in France introduced the T3 – a tangential computer-controlled tonearm invented by a group of physics students. In 1981, Goldmund released the initial Studio turntable, a direct-drive turntable with an acrylic platter incorporating their “Mechanical Grounding Technology”. In 1980, the company was acquired by Michel Reverchon and relocated to Geneva, Switzerland.
In the 1980s, cartridge designer and watchmaker Ernst Benz founded Benz Micro cartridges in the Swiss town of Neuhausen am Rheinfall. After his passing, Ernst’s friend and colleague, Albert Lukaschek took over Benz Micro in 1994. The Benz Micro LP phono cartridge was the first Benz Micro cartridge equipped with the Micro Ridge profile stylus fitted to a pure boron cantilever.
