About the Company
Dux — Swedish Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Deck Brand
Brand: Dux
Parent Company: Dux Telefon‑ och Radiofabriks AB
Country: Sweden (Stockholm)
Active Years: 1926 – 1979 (as a company; tape decks mainly 1950s–1960s)
Market: Consumer audio (reel‑to‑reel, radios, later cassette)
Technology: Often imported Philips machines rebadged as Dux in Scandinavia and other markets
Company Origins
Founded in 1926 in Stockholm, Dux Telefon‑ och Radiofabriks AB began primarily as a radio manufacturer and electronics firm.
In 1934 the company was sold to Philips, which shaped much of its later product strategy — Dux became one of several regional Philips‑associated brands in Northern Europe, similar to Aristona in the Netherlands and other distribution‑brand names.
Although Dux marketed various consumer audio products over the decades, it’s best known for rebadged Philips gear in many segments, including portable tape recorders and, later, cassette decks.
Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Recorders (1950s–1960s)
Unlike specialist reel‑to‑reel manufacturers (e.g., Studer, Akai, TEAC), *Dux did not design and engineer its own proprietary reel‑to‑reel mechanisms. Instead, its recorders were almost always rebranded machines built by other manufacturers — most notably Philips/Holland — and sold under the Dux label in Sweden and some nearby markets.
Known Dux Reel‑to‑Reel Models
Some of the reel‑to‑reel recorders sold under the Dux brand include:
Dux A6023 – 1957: An early reel‑to‑reel model marking the brand’s presence in open‑reel consumer decks.
Dux SA6117 – 1960: A basic consumer recorder typical of early solid‑state/late hybrid designs.
Dux SA6139T – 1963: Rebranded Philips EL3514 portable recorder; this was a small, transistorized deck made in Holland and sold in Scandinavian markets under the Dux badge.
Dux SA9030 / SA9110A / SA9137A – mid‑1960s: Later models, often essentially Philips 3514/9128‑series machines (sold with minor cosmetic or badge differences). These supported stereo operation with IEC equalization, 3¾ and 7½ ips speeds, and up to 7″ reels.
Dux EW 5504: Another mid‑1960s Philips‑based stereo open‑reel deck with three motors and permalloy heads, typical of mid‑range consumer machines.
These Dux open‑reel models were solid‑state European consumer recorders — not high‑end hi‑fi or professional decks — and reflected the broader Philips engineering of the era.
Technical and Market Position
Design: Most Dux reel‑to‑reel decks were built by Philips or Philips OEM partners (e.g., in the Netherlands) and only later rebadged for Scandinavian/European distribution.
Performance: Machines like SA9137A and EW 5504 offered stereo recording/playback, 3¾ & 7½ ips speeds, permalloy heads, and IEC equalization — typical mid‑range specs for consumer decks of the mid‑1960s. Sound and reliability ratings are usually moderate (around 6/10).
Brand Role: Dux functioned as a regional brand name, similar to Aristona (Netherlands), Pye (UK), or Telefunken/Grundig label variants in Europe — essentially badge engineering of Philips‑designed hardware.
Manufacture: Though labeled Dux, many units were physically made in Philips factories (e.g., Holland) and often carry Philips internal markings.
Broader Context & Legacy
Dux was not a vertically integrated tape deck manufacturer with its own transport design or engineering. Its strength was consumer branding and regional distribution of European‑manufactured reel‑to‑reel decks.
The machines are now mainly collector curiosities, valued more for vintage appeal than high‑end performance.
The company continued under the Dux name through 1979, after which the brand faded as cassette decks and then newer digital audio formats displaced open‑reel tape in the market.