Dual Turntables Returning to North America
fter a long hiatus, Dual, the brand synonymous with budget-priced, high-performance analog playback, is returning to the North American market with a new range of turntables. Two manual, belt-drive models, the CS 418 ($599) and CS 518 (right, $799), will be launching this month. In the summer, the CS 618Q ($999 or $1199, depending on finish), a direct-drive 'table with auto-stop and auto-lift functions, will be available in various finishes, while the fully automatic CS 429 ($599) is scheduled for late-fall introduction. Its Bluetooth-enabled larger sibling, the CS 529BT ($899), will make its debut in early 2022. Dual was founded in 1907 in St. Georgen in the Black Forest as Steidinger Brothers - Factory for Precision Engineering. In the 1970s, it became one of the largest producers of record players worldwide. After bankruptcy in the 1980s, Dual was sold to the French firm Thomson and then on to Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG in Türkheim. Today, the company is owned and run by Josef Zellner, who led the export department for Dual in the 1990s. The company’s main offices are in Landsberg am Lech, with a product-development and service center in Kiefersfelden, Germany. "Dual is returning to its roots as a leading
turntable brand," said Josef Zellner. "New products are being introduced for the
future, whilst investing in support for the legacy products." |
