Revox
| Revox Holding AG
|
|
|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1948 |
| Seat |
Regensdorf , Switzerland
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| management | Christoph Frey ( Managing Director ) Beat Frischknecht ( Chairman of the Board of Directors ) |
| Branch | Consumer electronics |
| Website | www.revox.com |
Revox was founded in 1948 by the Swiss entrepreneur Willi Studer to manufacture tape recorders . Today the company mainly produces complete audio systems for private use.
Company history
The company's founder Willi Studer entered the audio sector in 1949 with the revision of tape recorders imported from the USA. The decision was made to develop and produce tape recorders himself. In 1950 Studer developed the first own tape recorder, which was sold under the name Dynavox. In addition to devices for the consumer sector, Studer developed devices for studios and broadcasters. Devices for the professional market were given the name Studer , while devices for the amateur market were given the product name Revox . The first company was based in Zurich, but soon moved to its own production facilities in nearby Regensdorf. The focus of Revox products was initially on the development and production of tape recorders.
With the 36 series, Revox launched a tape recorder with a total of three motors and thus a minimum of mechanical components. One winding motor per winding plate as well as one capstan motor resulted in the basic concept for all later devices. Besides tape recorders and amplifiers, and later, FM - tuner manufactured. In 1966, Studer expanded its operations by founding Willi Studer GmbH in Löffingen in the Black Forest, Germany. At the main factory in Löffingen, tape recorders were initially manufactured, later amplifiers as well. The tuners were always produced in the Regensdorf plant in Switzerland. In 1967, after 80,000 tape recorders had been built, the last recorder of the 36 series rolled off the tape at the Löffingen plant.
With the new product line, the A series, the company moved into the transistor age. Studer's company philosophy consisted of maximum precision, which is why he manufactured as many components as possible himself. For this purpose, a first branch for engine production was set up in Ewattingen in 1968 .
In 1972 a further branch opened in Bonndorf in the Black Forest , where circuit boards and assemblies were manufactured. Motor production was also relocated from Ewattingen to Bonndorf and the Ewattingen branch was converted to loudspeaker production and development. The last company expansion took place in 1973 with the Bad Säckingen branch , which specialized in the non-cutting processing and electroplating of assemblies.
In 1989, Willi Studer began to withdraw from the company, which now had 1,576 employees and an annual turnover of over CHF 215 million. In the following years it was taken over by Motor-Columbus AG . In 1991 the company was divided into the Studer, Revox and "Assemblies and Elements" divisions.
By 1993 around 1,000 jobs had been rationalized. In 1994 the Studer part of the company was sold to the American company Harman International and all Revox production facilities in Germany were closed in the following years.
Willi Studer died on March 1, 1996 at the age of 83. The production was relocated from Löffingen to Villingen-Schwenningen in the Black Forest in 1998 . From then on, production was located in the Villingen-Schwenningen industrial park (SABA)
Today Revox is mostly owned by institutional and private Swiss investors. Since 2000, the product focus has been on multiroom and home control systems .
In 2017, Revox GmbH was renamed Revox Deutschland GmbH.
Product history
Under Willi Studer
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After the beginnings with the Dynavox 1949, the Revox T26 was developed in 1951 as a device with an integrated radio receiver . In 1955 the Revox A36 followed as the first tape recorder with three motors: one motor for the tape transport and two independent motors under the tape reel discs. This tape recorder has been consistently developed. In 1954 the device received separate recording and playback heads as well as separate recording and playback amplifiers, so that real rear tape control was possible. In 1960 the Revox D36 tape recorder came on the market, which for the first time enabled stereo recordings in half- or quarter-track recording; in the following years 1961 the E36, 1962 the F36 and in 1963 the G36. After more than 80,000 units of the 36 series had been sold, in 1967 came the change from tube technology to transistor technology.
In 1967 production of the Revox A77 tape recorder started. "The A77" became the epitome of a high-quality tape machine for demanding home use, later also with Dolby B noise reduction. This modular tape recorder had the tried and tested three-motor drive, but now with an electronically controlled AC capstan motor. This meant that the belt speed was independent of the network frequency, among other things. With the Recovac material from Vacuumschmelze Hanau, Revox manufactured more durable “Revodur” clay heads themselves (from A77 MK II). Milled edges of the belt on the head, above and below the belt run, ensure improved tape-head contact with increasing wear. The shape of the head was designed for a large contact area, which, with its low head mirror resonance, ensured deep bass reproduction. The tape recorder was supplemented by an A76 FM tuner and an A50 (later A78) amplifier to create a complete hi-fi system.
In 1974, the semi-professional A700 tape machine was first fitted with digital drive logic control and a quartz-stabilized motor control. This tape machine had three tape speeds, electronic tape tension control and an input mixer. Separate ICs have been developed for this type of tape machine . This tape recorder was supplemented by the synthesizer tuner preamplifier A720 with Nixie tubes for frequency display, station buttons and, last but not least, excellent reception properties as well as the stereo amplifier A722, followed by the high-performance output stage A / B740
After 10 years, Revox presented the next generation B77 at the IFA 1977 in Berlin. The new B77 tape machine was based on the A77, but in the meantime had a digital logic control, a tape movement sensor, which made it possible to switch from each operating mode to another (e.g. directly from reels to play or rec), and a cutter device. The new series was supplemented by the synthesizer tuner B760, which can also control / save rotor antenna positions with accessories, the integrated amplifier B750 and the turntable B790 with direct drive and tangential tonearm. The B-series was expanded in 1981 with the B780 receiver and its B739 tuner preamplifier.
In addition to the hi-fi systems, consisting of a tape machine, tuner, amplifier and record player, Revox also manufactured its own loudspeakers. The range was supplemented by headphones and microphones that were purchased from Beyerdynamic . In 1981 the cassette device B710 appeared on the market. This device was characterized by a 4-motor drive that worked without belts, drive wheels or slipping clutches. In 1983 Revox offered its first multi-room system based on the B200 system, which enabled music in all rooms of the house. Revox was the first company in the world to offer a multiroom system. Revox entered digital audio technology very late and launched the first Revox CD player on the market in 1984 with the B225.
The rapidly advancing development in the field of hi-fi technology forced Studer to ever faster product cycles from the 1980s onwards, which were reflected in the modified B and C series (B250 integrated amplifier, B260 FM tuner, B226 CD player, B291 tangential turntable, which made it optically slightly changed in 1991 in the H-series (" H9 ")). These devices were all characterized by a microcontroller control , but in the analog area they built on the proven technology of the B-series. In the mid-1980s it became more and more difficult to differentiate yourself from the cheaper competing devices. With the CD and the increasingly inexpensive CD players, but also with the highly integrated semiconductor components, more and more inexpensive audio devices came onto the market, the technical data of which came closer to the Revox products.
After sale
Based on the first multiroom concept of the B200 series, further multiroom systems were developed for the H series (1987), the Evolution (1990), the Emotion (1991), the Exception (1996) and the Elegance series (1998) . In all systems, a B219, H219 or V219 side room amplifier was used for each additional room.
In 2002 a modular audio-video system was released with the M51. It is u. a. designed to supply up to 32 rooms in four different listening zones with music. In addition to the standard equipment (DVD drive and 5.1 module), further modules can be added according to customer requirements, such as radio receivers, analog modules (for connecting turntables or tape recorders), multimedia modules, etc. Control via smartphone apps is also supported. The output stages provide up to 5 × 200 watts sine in pulse width modulation technology .
The “multiroom concept” is complemented by the Revox M57 audio server and the successor Revox M37. The M series was expanded in 2006 with the M10, a 19 ″ rack solution as a central switching and source point, and in 2010 with the 2 × 200 watt amplifier M100, FM tuner and DVD drive in a compact housing. The modules that can be used are identical for the M10 and M51 models, the latter currently in the Mk II version. Most of the modules for the M100 are offered as attachable additions to the basic model. In multi-room operation, the rooms are controlled either via wall control units, via remote controls or via apps for the iOS operating system.
In addition to the pure M37 audio server, the M117 multimedia server was introduced in 2011, both of which are optically based on the design of the other systems. The design of the entire product line includes a. Aluminum and glass.
In 2012 Revox developed a family of audio network receivers. The Joy series , whose models S118 – S120 are among others. a. differentiate in output power, support access to audio streams from storage media ( NAS , PC and smartphones), enable the connection of several devices via classic audio inputs and can be remote controlled via radio. The Joy family has now been completed by the S37 audio server and the S22 CD player, both of which have the same dimensions as the network receivers.
The latter harmonises with the network receivers S119 and S120 in the Mk II version via a link connection that transmits all signals and data. All devices in the Joy series can be controlled using the S208 radio remote control and apps for iOS and Android.
At the beginning of 2020 Revox will introduce the Studiomaster T700, an analog record player with a carbon tonearm and built-in MC system preamplifier.
Revox Joy S119 audio network receiver (since 2012)
Revox Joy S119 / S120 rear view
Revox Joy with G Shelf loudspeaker
speaker
The Revox company has been manufacturing loudspeakers for more than 40 years. The first loudspeakers from the Revox brand were the 46 series (1970), which was developed into the A77, A76 and A50 hi-fi systems at the time. It was followed by the AX (1976), the BX (1977) and the BR series (1980). All loudspeakers were developed and manufactured in the Revox plant in Ewattingen / Black Forest.
Numerous other loudspeakers accompanied the company in the 1980s. The best-known loudspeakers were the Symbol B (1983) and the first Revox active loudspeaker Agora B (1986). The two digital active loudspeakers Scala 4.7 (1994) and Scala 3.6 (1996) followed later.
The current Re: sound G and Re: sound S series use classic loudspeakers, including sound cubes with an edge length of just 10 cm up to a 3-way floorstanding loudspeaker. A home theater solution is also offered with a center speaker and active subwoofers .
The Re: sound L series with a cover made of real leather consists of a 2.5-way floorstanding loudspeaker, a 2-way bookshelf loudspeaker and an active subwoofer with an output of 250 watts.
Installation speakers are also part of the range. These include classic built-in speakers and invisible “soundboards” ( Re: sound I model series ), the latter based on the principle of the flexible wave that is transmitted to the soundboard by an exciter . These speakers can be installed invisibly. A number of amplifier models are available for equalization.
Product chronology
- 1949: Dynavox - Wilhelm Studer's first tape recorder
- 1951: Revox T26 - the first tape recorder with the name Revox
- 1954: Revox 60 - the first Revox mono record player (after consultation with Thorens, it was not sold)
- 1954–1967: Revox A36 First tape recorder with three-motor drive. The device is constantly being further developed and has a rear tape controller and becomes a stereo device from 1960 with the D36
- 1967–1977: Revox A77 (MK I to MK IV) - the most successful tape recorder series from Revox with over 186 different versions and several hundred thousand copies sold
- 1969–1977: Revox A50 later A78 - stereo amplifier
- 1969–1977: Revox A76 (MK I to MK III) - the first FM tuner
- 1974: Revox A700 - semi-professional tape machine
- 1974: Revox A720 - FM synthesizer tuner with preamplifier
- 1974: Revox A722 - stereo power amplifier
- 1974: Revox A740 - stereo power amplifier
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- 1977–1999: Revox B77 - tape recorder with digital drive control
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- 1977–1999: Revox B750 - integrated amplifier
- 1977–1999: Revox B760 - FM synthesizer tuner, like the A 720, the benchmark for reception properties
- 1977–1982: Revox B790 - first turntable with tangential tonearm
- 1981–1984: Revox B710 - cassette tape recorder with four- motor drive
- 1984: Revox B 225 - the first CD player from Revox
- 1985–1992: Revox B 215 - Next generation cassette tape: with automatic calibration, again as a four-motor drive
- 1988–1993: The Revox-C series (with RS-232 interface, XLR connections and Dolby HX Pro , models C270, C274, C278) - the most recently developed tape machine series
- 1990: Revox Evolution - first audio system with softkey operating concept and multiroom
- 1991: Revox H series (The predecessor B215 regarding drive like cassette deck H1 , CD player H2 , amplifiers H5 , RDS tuner H6 , turntable with Tangential H9 , favorable cassette deck H11 )
- 1996: Revox Scala - Digital Active Loudspeaker
- 1997: Re: sound S series - introduction of an aluminum loudspeaker series
- 2001: Revox M57 - 4 zone audio server
- 2002: Revox M51 - modular audio video system with 4 zone multiroom option
- 2004: Revox IWS50 - first Revox built-in loudspeaker
- 2005: Revox M37 - Audio Server with up to 4 zones and up to 400 GB storage capacity
- 2008: Re: sound L series - Exclusive speaker series with real leather housing
- 2010: Revox M100 - stereo amplifier with digital sound processor for room and loudspeaker adaptation
- 2010: Re: sound I invisible - invisible speakers
- 2011: Revox M117 - multimedia server with 500 GB storage capacity
- 2012: Revox Joy - audiophile network receiver as S119 with 2 × 60 watts Sinus or as S120 with 2 × 120 watts Sinus as well as the entry-level model S118 with 2 × 25 watts Sinus
- 2013: Revox Symphony - all-in-one high-end audio system
- 2014: Revox Joy CD - JOY S 22 CD player, in combination with network receivers or stand alone
- 2015: Revox Multiuser / Multiroom System - first multiuser / multiroom system with a user-oriented operating concept
- 2020: Revox Studiomaster T700 - analog record player with built-in MC system preamplifier
literature
- Peter Holenstein : The talking machines. Studer-Revox. The life's work of audio pioneer Willi Studer . Oesch Verlag, Zurich 1998, ISBN 3-7263-6713-6 .
- Roger Lagadec : The eye listens. Willi Studer - a patron in technological upheaval. In: Franz Betschon et al. (Ed.): Engineers build Switzerland - first-hand history of technology , pp. 446–457. Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich 2013, ISBN 978-3-03823-791-4
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://zh.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml;jsessionid=4207b57d7deddabd7ee8667c7d7c?uid=CHE-113.952.063
- ^ History Studer. reeltoreel, 2004, accessed July 21, 2020 .
- ↑ stereo.de of June 13, 2017, Revox becomes "Revox Germany" , accessed on May 2, 2020.
- ↑ a b HiFi Stereophonie 7/1978 page 877 ff. (At theimann.com), accessed on April 28, 2020.
- ↑ HiFi Exclusiv 2/1980, page 24 ff. , Accessed on April 28, 2020.
- ↑ studerundrevox.de, The ReVox H-Series, accessed on April 25, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c avguide.ch of March 24, 2020, New Revox record player , accessed on May 2, 2020.
- ↑ studerundrevox.de, ReVox B215, accessed on April 29, 2020 .
- ↑ a b cassettedeck.org, Revox B 215 , accessed on April 25, 2020 .
- ↑ HiFi magazine Audio 12/1982, Wellenreiter : Reference tuner for audio from 02/1980 to 12/1982.
- ↑ HiFiclassic, Revox B215 Cassette Deck Review , accessed on April 30, 2020 (English).
- ↑ studerundrevox.de, construction time overview of all tape recorders, accessed on April 26, 2020.
- ↑ Revox C270 professional tape recorder. reeltoreel, 2016, accessed April 20, 2020 .
- ↑ Stereo 1991, suitable for the H system - Revox H1 cassette deck (test)
- ↑ HiFi archive, Revox catalog H-Series 1990 , accessed on April 25, 2020.
- ↑ ReVox cassette device H11. In: Catalog. Retrieved May 2, 2020 . (PDF, 467 kB)