Review: Tim Jarman

Illustrative of a ‘new wave’ in both the mechanical design and ergonomics of early-1970s turntables, Braun’s fully automatic PS 450 was an idler-drive of some distinction

Braun’s hi-fi activities are little known in the UK, although the company’s Regie 510 and Regie 350 receivers have been featured in previous Vintage Reviews [HFN Jun ’16 & Apr ’17]. At its peak, the Braun hi-fi range was as broad and as sophisticated as that of any rival manufacturer, in addition to the kitchen, personal care and photographic equipment that the company also produced. Unlike some, Braun designed and manufactured its own turntables and these were engineered to the very highest of standards.

The mini/micro system craze was one of the Japanese electronics industry’s last great flourishes of the 1970s. Aiwa joined with Technics, Toshiba (Aurex) and Mitsubishi in producing tiny equipment with the same (or better) performance than many full-sized units, the contention being that improved component miniaturisation meant large boxes were no longer needed.

Imagine the difficulty of designing a high-quality loudspeaker with a radically new appearance. While buyers were happy to accept amplifiers, tuners and cassette decks with fascias that looked like the dashboard of a Concorde, speakers were furniture and so had to blend in - square box, plain grille and nothing more. If anyone could solve this problem it would be Bang & Olufsen, masters of creating designs that are at the same time futuristic-looking, appealing and enduring.

The story of DPA is not uncommon among small and specialised hi-fi manufacturers. Arriving in 1992, it actually represented the second iteration of a company co-founded by Robert Watts (who has since gone on to be digital design consultant at Chord Electronics). And while Deltec Precision Audio, which debuted in 1984 with its CTA80 preamplifier, had ultimately shut up shop in the early '90s, the ideas behind its original models clearly had some merit – it was soon back with Watts onboard, albeit under a slightly different name.