AKAI GX-266II (1979)

 

Onkyo D-5 (1981) | Pure, Natural, and Expressive Sound

 

Just as musical styles evolve, so do the trends in sound reproduction. Onkyo’s approach to speaker design has always focused on natural expressiveness—creating sound that stays true to the original recording without coloration or distortion. A speaker’s true character depends on the quality of its diaphragm, and Onkyo has achieved remarkable purity with its innovative Delta Olefin diaphragm. Unlike conventional materials, Delta Olefin offers minimal resonance and fast decay characteristics, delivering smooth, accurate sound reproduction across all frequencies. In technical terms, it provides a low Q factor and quick transient response—but from a musical perspective, it means the speaker “breathes” naturally, resonating only with the music itself. The result is a clear, detailed, and emotionally engaging sound that faithfully reflects every nuance of the performance. This advanced three-way speaker system showcases Onkyo’s commitment to high-fidelity engineering:

Low frequencies: 28 cm cone-type woofer with a Delta Olefin diaphragm and dust cap. Equipped with a four-layer voice coil and Capton bobbin for improved power handling and precise bass control.

Midrange: 10 cm cone driver, also crafted from Delta Olefin, housed in a dedicated 1-liter sealed enclosure to eliminate interference and ensure pure midrange reproduction.

High frequencies: 2.5 cm soft-dome tweeter made from specially developed chemical fibers with uniform thickness, achieving up to 2–3 dB higher efficiency than conventional designs.

Fine-tuning: Independent level controls for both midrange and high frequencies allow personalized sound adjustment.

The result is the distinctive “Delta Olefin Sound”—a long-awaited breakthrough that meets the demands of  discerning music enthusiasts. With exceptional clarity, natural tonality, and sensitivity to every genre, this Onkyo loudspeaker stands at the forefront of modern high-fidelity audio. Maximum power: 120W | Frequency range: 33-30.000Hz | Impedance 6ohm | Size: 350x630x325mm (W/H/D) | Weight: 16,5kg

Looking for more? Head to 1001hifi.com for everything vintage audio.

WEGA frogpit study 1978 | A Vision Ahead of Its Time

 

This rare music center prototype designed by Hartmut Esslinger of frog design offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of modern hi-fi systems. Keen observers will immediately notice its resemblance to the later Wega Concept 51K from 1979 (see here). The system was envisioned as a set of modular components, each with its own dedicated controls and display. These modules included a three-head cassette deck, a digital radio-timer unit, an amplifier and equalizer module, and even a Laser Pick-Up — essentially a CD player concept long before the real thing existed. Now you may ask, how could a CD player be part of a music center in 1978, when the Compact Disc wasn’t introduced until 1983? The answer lies in the innovative collaboration between Hartmut Esslinger/frog design and Sony-Wega. When Sony acquired the German brand Wega, it continued to work closely with Hartmut Esslinger and his frog design studio. This partnership influenced the clean, futuristic aesthetics of many early 1980s Sony products — and also produced experimental prototypes like this one. However, the so-called “CD player” here wasn’t a Compact Disc player as we know it today. The design was actually inspired by several early DAD (Digital Audio Disc) concepts that Japanese manufacturers were testing at the time. The Laser Pick-Up shown in this prototype was part of that experimentation — a forward-looking idea that visually anticipated the CD era, even though it was never manufactured. A brilliant example of 1970s industrial design, this Wega-Sony prototype stands as proof of Esslinger’s visionary approach — merging technology and aesthetics years ahead of its time.

Looking for more? Head to 1001hifi.com for everything vintage audio.