Spinning Through Time: The Enduring Legacy of Dual Turntables

Few names within the world of vinyl records have greater currency than Dual. It's iconic. One of the oldest continuing turntable manufacturers of all time, Dual has been around for the rise and fall and rise again of the mighty vinyl record. A leader in turntable design and manufacturing for over a century, Dual continues to push the boundaries of analogue audio playback, meeting the ever-stringent demands of longtime vinyl loyalist and inspiring a whole new generation of music fanatics to spin black wax.

The Legacy of Dual: Engineering Excellence Through Time

Mechanics manufactures at the dawn of the 20th century, Christian and Josef Steidnger built precision parts for clock makers before designing and manufacturing a new spring-loaded drive for gramophones they called the Dual Motor. By 1935, the “Dual Motor” became so successful Dual was chosen as the official company name and the first turntable to feature the Dual brand was released. Just under fifteen years later, Dual introduced the first record changer for 78s. And by the fifties, companies around the world were using Dual turntables and record changers within their music cabinets.

The 60s saw an explosion in turntable manufacturing.. It was during this period that the Dual 1219 introduced a platter diameter of 30cm and became the first record changer to include a twin-gimbal bearing system in its tonearm. By the time the 70s arrived, Dual was in full flight. Dual’s first fully automatic turntable the Dual 701 arrived on the scene and was the first electronic direct-drive turntable manufactured in Europe. It was within this epoch – the 60s, 70s, and 80s – that Dual cemented its name in the minds of vinyl enthusiasts as the turntable brand for high quality, affordable analogue play.

Distinction in the Details: What Sets Dual Apart

Under new ownership and with a new vision, Dual is committed to reclaiming its position as the number one choice for high quality, affordable vinyl play. To do this, Dual has redesigned and redeveloped an entirely new line of turntables. From entry-level to audiophile, from manual to automatic, the new Dual turntable finds a perfect balance between contemporary vinyl listening and the classic appeal of this growing analogue culture.

Dual has embodied a modular design ethos to make turntable selection easier. Aesthetically, much of the new Dual line looks almost identical. However, as each model ascends in price, material quality, design features, and feature sets increase in value. By modularising and simplifying the line, new or returning analogue listeners can be confident in their decision making and long-time vinyl listeners more easily recognise the value in a new Dual turntable.

Dual CS 618Q: Audiophile Made Easy

CS 618Q marks the beginning of Dual’s audiophile-grade manual turntable. Like fellow tables in the new Dual line, it features a 45mm thick plinth wrapped in a black vinyl veneer, an anodised black platter with a classic 2.5mm rubber matt, an inbuilt and switchable phono preamplifier, and Dual’s unique speed selection dial offering 33, 45, and 78rpm speeds.

Unique to CS 618Q is its additional plinth colour options in black gloss and walnut. The CS 618Q uses the same twin gimbal tonearm; however, its accompany head shell is pre-fit and pre-aligned with the Ortofon 2M Blue. It differs from earlier models by incorporating a quartz-stabilised, high-end direct drive motor system. And features an auto stop function with an automatic tonearm lift once the record has played through.

Dual CS 529BT: A New World First

CS 529BT is no mere Bluetooth enabled turntable. Yes, it will pair with any Bluetooth enabled earbuds, headphones or speakers. And, yes, it's fully automatic. But 529BT can also be remotely controlled via a new Dual Smart App. Listeners can switch speeds, start, stop and line up a string of consecutive single sided plays – wirelessly, from their smart devices.

This makes CS 529BT the WORLD'S FIRST WIRELESSLY OPERATED TURNTABLE. Now, there's zero doubt that when you add to this its fully automatic twin gimbal tonearm, aluminium die cast platter with heavy rubber matt, 33, 45 & 78rpm speeds, as well as its solid MDF chassis encased in a Blackwood or Walnut wood veneer that CS 529BT is destined to be a hit. But, moreover, Dual's new wireless approach to turntable operations might just change the way we play vinyl records forever.

Looking Forward without Forgetting the Past

Dual's precision engineering and innovation lineage informs its current approach to turntable design and manufacturing. From former groundbreaking features like the Dual Motor and electronic direct-drive systems to the modern smart-app advancements seen in CS 529BT, the company continuously balances technical excellence with innovation. And while Dual has its eyes set firmly on the future, each model reflects an understanding of both the modern and traditional vinyl listener’s needs, maintaining a commitment to provide high-quality, accessible vinyl playback solutions that bridge Dual's storied past with an ever-evolving future.

 

Quad's Quest for Audio Perfection: A Journey Through Innovation

Few brands have the historic depth and innovative pedigree of Quad. Famed for their electrostatic loudspeakers (ESL), a patented approach to music reproduction that has been the benchmark of audiophile listening since 1956, Quad is renowned for being the closest approach to the original sound. From their early years in amplification to their most recent triumphs with Ribbon HF drivers, Quad audio components display a level of refinement few others come close to.

A History of Unrivalled & Breathtaking Innovation

QUAD's history begins with the QUAD 1 amplifier in the early 20th century, a component embodying 15 years of experience in professional audio and industrial products with the sole intention of being the era’s most accurate domestic amplifier. It was. And by 1953, amidst the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and the conquest of Everest, Quad had its own watershed moment with the release of the QUAD II Power Amplifier, an amp that pioneered innovative transformer design to reduce harmonic distortion to almost negligible levels. Such was the clear superiority of the QUAD II Power Amplifier, it remained in production for 18 years.

Far from resting on their laurels, Quad again made history in 1956 by introducing the revolutionary ESL 57 electrostatic loudspeaker, a design so advanced it remained unchanged for 28 years, eliminating distortions with its innovative diaphragm and becoming one of the most iconic, most sought after speaker models of all time. As the years passed, Quad's journey into new territory continued, solving thermal instability in transistor amplifiers, introducing 'Current Dumping' circuitry, and becoming the global reference standard for electrostatic speakers. And today, QUAD continues to advance the industry by remaining true to its sole and unchanging objective: To reproduce music in a form that is the closest approach to the original.

The Perfect Conduit Between Artist & Audience

Almost all brands have a distinct audio signature. It's the very thing that sets the apart from the rest. Some are laid back, others brash and forward. But all are in and of themselves distinct. What Quad is going for, what it started with and has continued to pursue until this day, is the closest approach to the original sound. Meaning, Quad isn't interested in a distinct audio signature. It's interested in letting the music pass through as though it were window into the recording session or live set. Quad's intention is to get out of the way, to not be distinct, being the perfect conduit – a direct line – between you and your favourite artists.

Revela: True Ribbon Technology for Truly Stunning Results

Meticulous engineering and countless listening sessions have come together to create the exquisite Revela Series, Quad's most advanced speakers to date. By incorporating cutting-edge design and the innovative True Ribbon HF driver, these speakers achieve unrivalled tonal accuracy and sonic detail.

The Series consists of a single standmount bookshelf model, Revela 1 and a single floorstanding model, Revela 2. The combination of a true Ribbon HF driver and Quad's trademarked 'advanced fibre composite' cone unit called the 'Reveal' (a damped pulp/aramid fibre cone), Revela delivers emphatic bass, precision midrange, and beautifully resonant highs.

ESL: The Closest Approach to the Original Sound

Indistinguishable is the performance of live musicians and listening to a pair of ELS series speakers. Regarded amongst the finest loudspeakers in the world, Quad's patented technology provides a unique combination of sonic speed and accuracy that is only possible from an electrostatic loudspeaker.

Quad's latest generation of ESL models, the ESL-2912 and ESL-2812 build upon the original electrostatic concept with considerable improvements to the speaker's efficiency. Characterised by near perfect transparency and lack of colouration, Quad ESL speakers are without peer, leading What HiFi? reviewers to say this about the latest ESL-2812, 'There’s a sense of complete unity to the sound from the lowest bass notes upwards, which, once heard, makes most conventional speakers sound just a little broken."

An Audio Legacy Continuing on Into the Future

Quad stands as a paragon of audio fineness, persistently elevating the listener's experience since its inception. Their unwavering quest to reproduce music in its purest form has led to pioneering technologies, from the groundbreaking QUAD II amplifier to the revolutionary ESL speakers. Each undertaking reinforces Quad's commitment to being the perfect conduit for music, offering listeners unparalleled fidelity that is as close to the original performance as you can possible get.