From: "Saved by Internet Explorer 11" Subject: Dyna Company History Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2015 10:40:24 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01D0687A.6EC61B00" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01D0687A.6EC61B00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://home.indy.net/~gregdunn/dynaco/history.html
Company= =20 History
David Hafler and his friend Herb Keroes started a Philadelphia, PA = based=20 company called Acrosound in 1950, dedicated to building and = selling=20 audio-quality output transformers. Herb's mother invested a = substantial amount=20 of money in the company, which apparently didn't return much of a = profit. As=20 part of the marketing of the transformers, and concurrent with Hafler's = own=20 interests in audio, they developed and extended the Blumlein = "Ultralinear"=20 circuit, using taps from the output transformer to feed signal back = into the=20 output stage screen grid circuitry. Numerous homebrew as well as = commercial=20 hi-fi amplifiers from the early '50s were based on Acrosound = transformers. =20 Hafler was interested in selling entire amplifiers as build-it-yourself = kits, a=20 somewhat novel approach in the early '50s. The average hi-fi = enthusiast=20 generally started with a schematic, chose an output transformer (which=20 determined the power of the final amplifier), selected parts and tubes=20 accordingly, then hand-crafted his unique component on a homemade = chassis. =20 Further, Hafler's idea was to supply preassembled, tested circuit = boards which=20 only needed to be connected to the transformers, controls and power = supply to=20 produce a working unit. Even the Heath and Knight units of their day = generally=20 required the purchaser to assemble and test the PC boards themselves, a = time-consuming task.=20
In 1954 Herb and Dave went their separate ways (allegedly due to = differences=20 of opinion over kit production and marketing). During a visit to the = New=20 York-based Brociner Electronics (owned by Victor Brociner, whose = influence in=20 audio design was also far-reaching) Hafler met up with Ed Laurent who = had=20 designed a novel single-tube driver circuit for a power amplifier. = More or=20 less together, they founded the Dyna Company with the intention of not = only=20 producing transformers, but high-quality audio circuitry using them. = Soon=20 after incorporation in October 1955 at 617 N. 41st St in Philadelphia, = Dynaco=20 announced the Mk. II 50-watt amplifier. Available as a kit or = preassembled, it=20 sold for several years, into the 1960s, superseded only by the=20 soon-to-be-classic Mk. III 60-watt unit. Hafler wrote an article for =20 Radio-Electronics Magazine in 1955 delineating the design of a = high-power=20 version of the "Williamson" amplifier using Ultralinear circuitry and = the new=20 output transformers. This amplifier offered a slightly different = circuit=20 topology from the Mk. II and Mk. III units soon to appear in Dynaco's = line, but=20 showed that the Ultralinear idea was applicable to many amplifiers. = Shortly=20 thereafter, Dynaco moved to 3912 Powelton Ave., where they remained for = several=20 years. Interestingly, the building was the former site of a chocolate=20 factory, and the old walk-in refrigerator served as a well-isolated = listening=20 room!=20
Demand for the PAM-1, Mk. II and Mk. III was sufficient for Hafler to = develop=20 new offerings; Laurent collaborated with editor par excellence Bob = Tucker to=20 produce the legendary Stereo 70 while Hafler was on a business trip. = Soon=20 Dynaco had a handful of high-quality amplifiers and preamplifiers, = including a=20 new series of stereo gear, and their first FM tuner -- the FM-1, = originally a=20 Stewart Hegeman design "distilled" by Laurent -- in 1961. A stereo = adapter=20 designed by Sid Lidz (at a fraction of the cost of other available = adapters,=20 fitting into a specially reserved slot in the FM-1 chassis) and later a = fully=20 integrated stereo tuner soon followed. Although Dyna switched to buying = their=20 output transformers from a local Philadelphia company, and finally a = Japanese=20 source, all were still manufactured to the design specifications = developed by=20 Hafler. Ed Laurent was the chief engineer during these years, and he=20 contributed to the design of virtually all the vacuum tube circuitry. = He and=20 Bob Tucker followed Hafler's lead in producing simple, reliable, easy = to=20 manufacture and assemble electronics and the best manuals in the = industry.=20
In the mid-1960s, Hafler's company released its first solid-state = equipment;=20 the PAT-4 and Stereo 120 pair (again the product of Laurent's expertise = in=20 circuit design) made a hit and were well-reviewed by the audio = magazines. Not=20 as collectible today as their tube brethren, these units are still = remarkable=20 for their sound quality 35 years later. During this period, Dynaco = moved from=20 their Powelton Ave. location to larger facilities at 3060 W. Jefferson = St. in=20 Philadelphia. Also introduced during this era were the first = commercial=20 products to generate passive matrix recovery of ambient signals from=20 conventional stereo recordings; the = DynaquadTM system=20 found its way into the QD-1 Quadaptor and the SCA-80Q "4-dimensional"=20 integrated amplifier. Late in the 1960s, Dynaco dropped another = blockbuster in=20 the form of the A-25 bookshelf loudspeaker, designed by SEAS Fabrikker = in=20 Denmark and imported by Dynaco. Praised as few other speakers in hi-fi = history,=20 the A-25 went on to sell over a million units and spawn a line of up- = and=20 down-scaled systems to match the range of electronics offered by Dyna.=20
In the 1970s, Dynaco made history again and again with a new series = of=20 solid-state units which continued the trend of maximum quality for the = money.=20 Ed Laurent moved over into management of the loudspeaker product line, = handing=20 solid state design over to a new generation of engineers that he hired = in turn.=20 Led by chief engineer Wade Burns, designers Erno Borbely, Jim = Bongiorno, Harry=20 Klaus, Hans Frank, Richard Pley, and others produced a stunning = sequence of=20 respectable equipment. Their FM-5 tuner, PAT-5 preamp and Stereo 400 = power=20 amplifier drew rave reviews from the critics, who mercilessly compared = the new=20 units to equipment several times their price and offered only minor = criticisms.=20 Dynaco's tube units continued to sell well into the 1970s, bolstered by = Laurent's last design -- the monoblock Mk. VI. In fact, the Stereo 70 = sold=20 virtually without a break right up until 1990 (more about this later). = Audio=20 Research Corporation offered retrofit kits for the Stereo 70 as part of = their=20 1970s line, and many many third-party modifications have sprung up = around the=20 infinitely versatile Dyna circuitry. Dynaco's exemplary second- and=20 third-generation solid state gear, such as the Stereo 150, QSA-300, = ST-410,=20 SE-10 equalizer and SCA-50, kept the mid-line alive even as the awesome = Stereo=20 416 (Wade Burns' 'maximized' ST-400 with more output transistors, a = better=20 power supply and meters than any similarly priced competing amplifier) = revived=20 Dyna's reputation as the audio leaders in 1977.=20
In (1973?), Dynaco had moved from their Philadelphia home to nearby=20 Blackwood, NJ where they remained until their demise. Employees cited=20 often-dangerous conditions in the surrounding Jefferson St. neigborhood = and=20 frequent vandalism as strong incentives for the move. It was much = safer and=20 more conducive to operating a business in the new location, and Dynaco=20 flourished. Plans were laid for a follow-on series of advanced = loudspeakers and another generation of solid-state gear, and the innovation = continued.=20
Dynaco became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tyco, Inc. in 1969. = David=20 Hafler remained with the company a few years longer, but left in 1974 = to join =20 Ortofon, manufacturer and importer of high-end phono cartridges. = In=20 1977, Hafler founded the Hafler Company, continuing the = tradition of=20 high quality but inexpensive kits and assembled hi-fi gear. Former = Dynaco=20 employees Bob Tucker and Harry Klaus contributed their authorial and = technical=20 expertise to Hafler's cause at his new company. In the mid-1980s, = Hafler=20 developed the straight-wire differential test (SWDT) for audio = amplifiers, a=20 typically straightforward and effective tool for evaluating linearity = --=20 proving that the man who founded Dynaco was still at the cutting edge. = Though=20 the Hafler company is still a major player in high-end solid state = equipment=20 for audio and professional sound systems, David Hafler lost control of = the=20 organization which bears his name in a power struggle and has since = retired.=20
Tyco tried to revitalize the Dynaco name in the face of competition = from=20 foreign hi-fi manufacturers by encouraging the design of an all-new = solid state=20 product line and holding on-site repair/upgrade clinics at Dynaco's = strongest=20 retailers. The new product line suffered a tragic setback when the = prototypes=20 were stolen at the Atlanta Hi-Fi Show in the mid 70s, a loss that has = not been=20 recovered or adequately explained in 25 years. Due to subsequent cash = flow=20 problems, the new components (featuring such equipment as the 2510=20 preamplifier, 2501 tuner, 2530 integrated amplifier and 2521 power amp) = were=20 never produced. Dynaco employees of that era remember Tyco's = acquisition for=20 an overall improvement in work environment (due partially to the move) = and=20 marketing, with many new product ideas coming to fruition. In spite of = Tyco's=20 efforts, and record sales of their sturdy equipment line, Dynaco's = profits=20 began to slide and their once-preeminent position among american hi-fi=20 manufacturers was in danger. Rumors surfaced concerning the possible = sale of=20 Dynaco, and sure enough, the Dynaco holdings were sold to ESS = Inc. in=20 1979.=20
ESS seemed puzzled as to what to do with the acquisition. Anecdotal = reports=20 from the ESS era indicate that their management of Dynaco's assets was = less=20 than successful. Dynaco, the company, closed its doors in 1980. When = ESS=20 decided to unload their inventory, the Dynaco brand, parts and kits = were picked=20 up by Stereo Cost Cutters/Sound Values Inc. in Columbus OH. = SCC/SV=20 revived the FM-5, AF-6, ST-150, SCA-50, SE-10, and ST410 kits without = redesign=20 or parts substitution. When original parts were exhausted, some of the = units=20 ceased to be available; others were repackaged with new metalwork, = cases, etc.=20 and re-issued. The Black Box 410 and Black Box Stereo 150 were = examples of the=20 latter, which stretched availability of those units into the 1980s; a = few BB150=20 units were still available in 1990, when the author purchased his.=20
Realizing that Dynaco tube units were becoming even more popular than = the=20 solid-state equipment, SCC/SV brought back the Mk. IV, PAS-3X and = Stereo 70,=20 which sold well until the last of the NOS Dynaco transformers, boards = and=20 metalwork were exhausted in the early 1990s. They even managed to = produce a=20 small run of Mk. VI amps before their parts store ran out. At this = point, with=20 the original Dynaco stock virtually gone, SCC/SV ended 14 years of = Dynaco sales=20 and parts support and turned their efforts toward designing new tube = and=20 solid-state gear for the enthusiasts. They still produce high-quality = yet=20 relatively inexpensive new components today under the name Sound = Valves, though=20 they are unable to provide parts or tech assistance for Dynaco = equipment (for=20 obvious reasons!).=20
In the late 1970s, Dynaco released a short-lived set of new = loudspeakers=20 developed under Ed Laurent's supervision before he departed to join = SEAS=20 Corporation. The "Phase III" speakers were highly respected, but their = introduction was apparently too late to make any strong impression on = the audio=20 industry. After Dynaco closed, another company (apparently the = Canadian=20 subsidiary, though the details are not clear; obviously someone still = owned the=20 Dyna branding for loudspeakers at that time) released the Dynaco A-150, = A-250,=20 and A-350 speakers which were manufactured in Canton, MA. Reaction to = these=20 units was not favorable, and they disappeared from the review magazines = in the=20 mid-1980s.=20
In the early 1990s, the Dynaco brand was picked up by Pan Orient=20 Corporation (now Panor Corporation), which started selling = original=20 design equipment under the Dynaco brand; they offered the PAS-3 series = II,=20 PAS-4, CD player, and Stereo 80 tube power amp. Panor still owns the = Dynaco=20 brand name, but any direct connection with the company founded by David = Hafler=20 has apparently ended for good. On the other hand, I have recently = received=20 information from Panor, indicating that they have re-opened their web = site at=20 www.dynaco.com, and that the Singapore web site is in no way affiliated = with=20 the company known as Panor Corporation or with the Dynaco brand. = Apparently=20 the Dynaco brand will still be around for some time, and hopefully = still be=20 associated with high-quality low-cost stereo equipment (more products = are=20 promised in the near future). I haven't had time to check out any of = the new=20 Panor equipment yet, though. More news here as it is available.=20
On a positive note, it is remarkable that many former Dynaco = employees (from=20 the Hafler era) are still in touch with one another; the fellowship and = shared=20 vision of the company extended into their private lives, and many of = them are=20 still using their 1960s-vintage equipment on a daily basis, as is the = author of=20 this web site.=20
So what is the current status of Dynaco and support for the = equipment? None=20 of the original principals are involved in support for Dyna equipment = any more.=20 There are a number of audio companies who sell upgrade kits and tech = assistance=20 for the tube equipment, but almost no one who still supports the = solid-state=20 amplifiers. Part of the reason for my providing this web site is to = make a=20 rallying point for Dyna enthusiasts, in hope that we can pool our = resources and=20 make as much tech info available as possible, develop a network of = shared=20 schematics/troubleshooting info, etc. So write me at the address below = if you=20 have any info to share; I will be building and updating a set of links = to=20 assist Dyna enthusiasts in keeping their equipment running well into = the 21st=20 century!=20
I would like to thank Wade Burns, James Elliott, John Ferranti, Doug = Hercus,=20 Ed Laurent, Richard Pley and Joseph Sparacio, former Dynaco employees, = for=20 contributing to the accuracy of this historical document and correcting = my=20 timeline of Dynaco's latter days. Also thanks to Kevin Devaney and Dov = Sassoon=20 for recent info as regards the current state of Panor's holdings. Any = mistakes=20 I have made interpreting their comments, or conclusions I have = erroneously=20 drawn, are my responsibility and not theirs. As I receive further info = from=20 them and others, I will continue to improve the history page and add = data to=20 the component pages. It is clear from their passionate interest in = accuracy=20 that Dynaco's employees cared greatly about the company and each other, = and it=20 has been my privilege to hear their comments and share information from = their=20 own experiences at Dynaco with the world community.=20
RIP: Harry Klaus, who contributed to many fine Dynaco products; Sid = Lidz,=20 designer of RF and power components; Bob Tucker, author of most of = Dynaco's=20 first-rate manuals; Bill Phillips, Dynaco's "golden ear" and customer = service=20 manager; and Joe Sparacio, technician. They will be missed.
Back to the = Dynaco=20 page.=20
This page created and maintained by Greg =
Dunn.
Copyright =A9 2000-2001 Greg Dunn