Pyre wrote:So you are saying there was two different Dynaco A-25's from two manufacturers being sold at the same time and the port position has nothing to do with the brand of driver? Any Idea why they would produce two completely different speakers and call them both A-25's. Have you any sources that support this theory?
I have a pair of Dynaco A-25 with vent above and SEAS Drivers. I know that some people believe, the Dynaco's with vent above would have ScanSpeak drivers and would be "early" Dynacos. That is probably wrong, because in "early" production year Scanspeak didn't even exist. I know that there are (maybe early built?) Dynaco A-25 with vent above having SEAS Drivers. It is possible that they are "early" built, but they may have been built late also. I can only argue against the idea that the Dynaco A-25 w/vent above and ScanSpeak drivers must be early, they cannot, because Scanspeak was founded end of 1970, started production 1971, so the first in this combination can be built earliest in 1971, in 3rd year of existance of Dynaco A-25.
My guess is, that from the time that ScanSpeak existed and had Capacities, Dynaco was able to order both, ScanSpeak AND SEAS made A-25. The amount Dynaco was in need for was large, very large for a small scandinavian manufacturer. And, it's a good way to dictate prices when there are two sources available. Dynaco ordered from both...
Those Dynacos where not really different. The founders of ScanSpeak were SEAS engineers. When you look at them you see they are relatives.
Dynaco bought the stuff to sell millions in the U.S. at that time, probably there were times, both versions were on market at a time.
Another brand was ScanDyna (what existed before ScanSpeak, only sounding similar) as a distribution brand, which (also, besides other stuff) sold Dynaco stuff in Scandinavia and northern Europe. One of my PAS-3x and ST-70 are in Denmark sold 220V kits. That's what I figured out talking and mailing with people beeing related to those brands, one of them the german importer of Dynaco gear. I also had a longer mail contact to a at that time active Mr. Bjorn Borja, Senior Audio Designer @seas
He told me in different mails what I qote here:
The A-25 was designed mainly by David Hafler (Dynaco) and Ragnar Lian (SEAS) in the late 60ies. The drive units had just been developed and put into production in Norway, and were sent to SEAS' daugther company in Videbaek, Denmark where they were mounted into cabinets produced in Denmark. The finisked loudspeakers were sent by container to USA. We estimate that almost 1 million loudspeakers were sent altogether.
About ScanDyna:
ScanDyna used SEAS drivers, but possibly also other brands. I believe they used a 1" Philips dome tweeter for a while.
Bjorn Borja about Scan-Speak:
In fact, two of the founders of ScanSpeak were engineers who had been central in the development of the SEAS drivers: Ragnar Lian and Mogens Hvass. Scan-Speak was founded 1970
Bjorn Borja about the A-25xl:
I was involved in the development of A-25xl in the mid/late 70ies. There had been some comments on the poor dispersion of the 1.5" dome tweeter, so we fitted our newly developed 1" tweeter H086, and modified the crossover somewhat. But this improvement was not sufficient to overcome the problems with the exchange rate.
What I found out with the time throug this contacts is:
1950: SEAS was founded
1965: ScanDyna as a Brand was founded by Peter Hasselriis
1969: A-25 got on Market early 1969, developed by Hafler/Lian.
1970: Scan-Speak was founded by 2 SEAS Engineers Ragnar Lian and Mogens Hvass
ScanDyna sold Dynaco stuff, also B&O stuff AND Speakers stuffed with SEAS AND ScanSpeak-Drivers under it's Brand.
here an Ad from the 1970 showing a ScanDyna A-25 with ScanSpeak-Drivers:
and... Vent below :)