Dual Reel to Reel Tape Recorders

Primarily known for their turntables, Dual was started in 1907 by Christian and Joseph Steidinger. They began by manufacturing clock and gramophone parts. The original partnership broke up in 1912 and Joseph Steidinger started his own company named Perpetuum.
The Dual name originated in 1927 when they started offering dual-mode power supplies for gramophones which could now run on AC voltage or a wind-up mechanism. The first Dual Turntable using the new brand name was released in 1935

1937 – Sons Oskar and Siegfried took over management when Christian Steidinger died

1949 – The first stackable record changer for 78 records, the Dual 1000 was introduced.

1973 – The long-term competitor Perpetuum-Ebner was taken over by Dual

1981 – Dual was taken over by the French electronic company Thomson-Brandt. The new owner, who also owned the trademarks of Nordmende, Saba and Telefunken, integrated Dual into his group

1985 – First German made Compact-Disc player

1988 – Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG become the new owners of Dual

1993 – Last Dual factory in St. Georgen in the Black Forest shut down. Turntables now made by Schneider by an outside contractor, Fehrenbacher GmbH

1996 – Parent company was restructured and sells Dual brand to Karstadt AG, a department store chain. Only the brand rights for turntables remained with Schneider

2020 – DGC GmbH changes name to Dual GmbH now located in Landsberg am Lech. New generation of turntables designed and made in Germany is introduced. The top model, Primus Maximus, a $15k limited edition of 100 units, made to order