Dual

Dual Origins

The Dual company, known for its turntables, has its origins dating back to 1907 when brothers Christian and Joseph Steidinger began manufacturing clockwork and gramophone parts in the Black Forest town of St. Georgen, Germany. Initially, the company focused on producing precision parts for clockmakers and mechanical tooling. In 1927, the company introduced the Dual-Motor, a combination of a spring-loaded clockwork and an electric motor, which proved to be very successful. The Steidinger brothers rebranded their company as "Dual," a name derived from their innovative "dual-mode" power supplies that allowed gramophones to be powered either electrically or via a hand-wound mechanism. The company officially adopted the name Dual in 1935 and began producing turntables under that name the same year. Dual became the largest manufacturer of turntables in Europe after World War II, employing over 3,000 workers in several factories. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Dual expanded its product line to include audio cassette players, VCRs, CD players, and other consumer electronics.

In 1988, Thomson sold Dual to the German manufacturer Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG. However, the company faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy on November 15, 2022. In March 2023, an unspecified consortium of investors took over the company. The Dual line of turntables was acquired by Alfred Fehrenbacher GmbH, which continues to produce them in St. Georgen, preserving the traditional manufacturing methods.