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Design Acoustics D-1 speakers with metal cabinets

J

Junknewbian

Well-Known Member
I just scored a pair of Design Acoustics D-1 speakers with a brushed aluminum box that looks very cool. Searching the internet, there is no mention of the metal version. Was this original or did someone customize these? If so, they did an awesome job. I had never heard about Design Acoustics before, but they looked fine and the sound dispersion cone over the tweeter spoke "quality" to me.
 

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They look very cool but I suspect they are modified, not factory.
Design Acoustics made some very nice speakers. I have a pair of PS-10's and just bought a pair of PS-6's for my daughter. I suspect you'll like the way they sound.
 
those would make great kitchen system speakers :yes: if all of your appliances are stainless steel that is :scratch2: at any rate, those look really rad :yes:
 
These are definitely stock factory units as I worked part-time at Design Acoustics in Torrance, California at the time these were in production in the late 1970's. Although the D-1's were also offered in conventional wood cabinets, far more of the metal cabinet versions were produced. The dispersion cones suspended in front of the tweeter were cast in house from a resin material. The reason they were used was because original owner and designer George Sioles wanted wide dispersion from all of his models. He chose the Peerless cone tweeter over a dome because they cost far less! (lol)

George sold Design Acoustics to Audio-Technica in 1980 and the operation was moved to Stowe, Ohio although none of the pre-existing models were continued. Audio-Technica designed the "PS" Point Source models in house and they had nothing in common with the George Sioles ownership "D" series models, well apart from putting the woofers in odd places...(lol)
 
stickman said:
These are definitely stock factory units as I worked part-time at Design Acoustics in Torrance, California at the time these were in production in the late 1970's. Although the D-1's were also offered in conventional wood cabinets, far more of the metal cabinet versions were produced. The dispersion cones suspended in front of the tweeter were cast in house from a resin material. The reason they were used was because original owner and designer George Sioles wanted wide dispersion from all of his models. He chose the Peerless cone tweeter over a dome because they cost far less! (lol)

George sold Design Acoustics to Audio-Technica in 1980 and the operation was moved to Stowe, Ohio although none of the pre-existing models were continued. Audio-Technica designed the "PS" Point Source models in house and they had nothing in common with the George Sioles ownership "D" series models, well apart from putting the woofers in odd places...(lol)
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Thank you for educating us! I've never seen the metal version before. Very interesting.
 
audiobiker said:
those would make great kitchen system speakers :yes: if all of your appliances are stainless steel that is :scratch2: at any rate, those look really rad :yes:
Click to expand...

Now that you mention it, they do look a little like a mini-fridge. You're going to give speaker manufacturers something to think about! These are a little big for my kitchen. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but they measure 20.5 X 11 X 8 inches.
 
I think you got something pretty special there. Can you show us a pic of the drivers.

BTW . . . I have a pair of PS-3
 
Thanks for the feedback! I did a listening test and they do sound good - nice detailed sound, maybe a little lean. They might have more bass if they were placed properly in a better room, perhaps. You can see in the picture above, they're just sitting on my table in the middle of the room. Has anyone else had a pair, or experience with D-1 speakers? Thanks Stickman, for all the detail from the factory, it was great!
 
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Funny enough I ended up buying these speakers from the OP as I recognize the table and room. His name is Steve and he is nice :). Although they are in rougher cosmetic shape now than when these pictures were taken. :/
 
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