Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
Equipment Inductee
Dynaco A25 Loudspeaker
Introduction
The Dynaco A25 loudspeaker was a two-way bookshelf loudspeaker that delivered excellent sound quality at a very affordable price. It was designed in Denmark by Ejvind Skaaning in collaboration with the SEAS company in Norway. The A25 was sold in North America as the Dynaco A25, and in Scandinavia as the Scan-Dyna A25. The A25 was available as early as 1969 and was a big seller throughput the 1970s. It was a classic speaker that was well regarded for its warm and natural sound, and it remains popular among audiophiles and vintage audio enthusiasts today. At the time, the A25 was a mass market product priced at around USD$79 per speaker.
Key Facts
| Manufacturer | Dynaco |
| Model | A25 |
| Category | Bookshelf Loudspeaker |
| Key Technologies | Moving coil drivers Aperiodic cabinet Dome tweeter |
| Years in Production | 1969 into the 1970s |
| Inducted into the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame | March 2023 |
Technologies
The A25 employed a 10-inch woofer and a 1.5 inch dome tweeter. The woofer was constructed with a heavy-duty paper cone and a large voice coil, while the tweeter used a soft dome made from silk. Early production models employed a SEAS H087 tweeter, and later production models used a Scan-Speak D3808 tweeter. The crossover network, which separates the frequencies sent to the woofer and tweeter, was designed to cross over around 1500 Hz. The tweeter level was adjustable by the user, using a stepped potentiometer to reduce the energy going to the tweeter.
The A25’s cabinet was made from sturdy, high-density fiberboard (HDF) and finished in a walnut wood veneer. The enclosure used an “aperiodic” design, with a large port stuffed with high density material, to provide an extended low frequency response along with a smooth impedance curve.
Performance
The A25’s performance was remarkable for such an inexpensive and simple design. It had a smooth frequency response, great detail, decent efficiency, and reasonable power handling capability. It was capable of a well balanced sound for all types of music, from rock to classical.
It was compact enough to be set up on a bookshelf or on stands, but large enough to sit on the floor.
The A25 was well reviewed by all of the major audio magazines. Gordon Holt (Stereophile magazine) stated “You will have a hard time buying more musical naturalness at any price… (the A-25s) are quite probably the best buy in high fidelity today.”
Julian Hirsch (Stereo Review magazine) said “When the music contained low bass… the Dynaco (A-25) left no doubt of its capabilities… Nothing we tested had a better overall transient response.”
Audio magazine echoed, “The A-25 produced the finest tone-burst response of any speaker tested in this manner, regardless of price.”
Impact
Prior to the release of the A25, Dynaco primarily sold electronic components including amplifiers and radio tuners. Dynaco’s first products were vacuum tube amplifiers, which they sold as early as 1955. Dynaco electronics could be purchased fully assembled, or in kit form to be built by the owner. The kit versions were known as Dynakits. These products established Dynaco as a reputable manufacturer with an emphasis on delivering good value for the money. Their products were simple, sturdy, inexpensive, and sold well.
When it was released in 1969, the Dynaco A25 had a major impact on Dynaco and on the audio industry. The A25 looked great, sounded great, was compact, and was inexpensive enough that almost anybody could afford a pair. Dynaco sold huge numbers of A25 speakers. Some estimate that as many as 1 million A25 speakers were sold.
Induction to the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
So why is the Dynaco A25 Loudspeaker a “Hall of Fame” inductee? It didn’t have the greatest specifications, and it didn’t incorporate any revolutionary technology. What the A25 did was sell in huge numbers……..some estimate that Dynaco sold a million A25 speakers by the time production ended. It got great reviews from audio magazines, and it sounded good with all types of amplifiers and all types of music. For many people, the Dynaco A25 was an important part of their first “Hi-Fi” experience. For these reasons, the Dynaco A25 is inducted to the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame.
