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Edgar Lavington History

Pamphonic Reproducers Ltd – Chronology

[“Pamphonic” loosely translated from the Greek – “Music of Surpassing Beauty”.]

• 1931

• Paul Taylor (aged 22) and partner Edward Lavington left Faraday House (college)
• Invented the “Pamphonic Electrical Reproducer”
• Installed amplifier systems in London theatres - Dominion, Coliseum (120W) and Drury Lane (60W, for Noel Coward’s “Cavalcade”).

• 1932

• Registered Pamphonic Reproducers Ltd. (Pamphonic and Paramphonic names registered)
• Installed a 200W public address system at White City stadium, Empire Pool Wembley (120W), and other stadia. “Bunched” speakers with narrow beam-width.
• Launched “Pamphonic Baby Reproducer” (also known as the “Standard Pamphonic Reproducer”) 18W, Marconi Pickup, Garrard Induction Deck, Epoch cinema loudspeaker.
• Keith Prowse appointed as “sole concessionaire” for Pamphonic Reproducers. (First Catalogue)
• Launched “Junior Paramphonic” radiogram with separate speaker. 25W, £160 gns.
• Launched “Senior Paramphonic” twin turntable radiogram with separate speaker. 50W, £250 gns.

• 1933

• 540/542 ceiling mount PA speaker. 540/545 wall mount, 536 8W horn type
• 521A 25W open-air PA speaker, 525A flared type

• 1935

• Pamphonic Reproducers moved to 45 St Pancras Way

• 1938

• New version of 521A speaker(16” driver)
• Pye take main agency for Telefunken TO1000 tone arm and cartridge. Used in many Pamphonic reproducers
• “Tone Filter”.  Tone & impedance corrector for (Telefunken) pickups. 4 gns.
• New “Reproducer”. 20W into a 16” speaker. DO24 output valves, 65 gns.

• (1939 (Items in Catalogue)

• Pamphonic Baby Gramophone (20W, 2.5% distortion, 50Hz – 9KHz ate -5dB) £60 gns
• 500/501 20W amplifier. 40Hz – 14KHz +/- 1dB. 904V, TT4, AC/P1, 2x D024.
• 503/504/505/506 portable PA and record deck using 500/501 amplifier.
• 513 microphone mixer/pre-amplifier. EF5, EBC3. 120uV in, 10V out.
• 507 single turntable
• 509 dual turntable unit using Garrard RC1A Automatic Record Changer.
• 512/80 80W Output stage. Mullard MZ05/60 output valves, Mullard RG1/250 mercury rectifiers.
• 512/250 250W Output stage. Using Mullard M21/600 output valves
• 512/600 600W Output stage. Using Mullard M21/600 output valves
• 521A Loudspeaker. 16” diaphragm. £8. 14s
• 522 Field rectifier for loudspeaker field coil. £2. 12s. 6d
• 523/524 Cabinets containing speaker and rectifier. c. £20
• 525A/525 Single/double flare with speaker. £14-£20
• 516 Moving Coil Microphone
• 520 Carbon microphone
• Universal Amplifier (ac/dc PA set) 20W, 2 speakers, microphone. 26 gns.
• Pamphonic registered address 45 Kings Road, London NW1

• 1946/47

• 601A PA Amplifier. 25W (3x SP41, 2x EL35, 2x FW4/500). 52 gns with speakers and mic.
• 601B PA amplifier. 25W (3x EF37, 2x EL34, 2x IW4/500). £27. 10s. 53½ gns with speakers and mic.
• 602/A 50W “Transportable Amplifiers” (PA). (2x EF37A, EF37, ECC35, 4x EL37, 2x GZ32). £34.
• 601H 25W (2x EF37A, EF37, ECC35, 2x EL37, GZ32). £25. 16s
• 600/A 10-12W (2x EF37A, 2xECC35, 2x KT61, GZ32). £18.
• Offered joint branded PA Equipment (Pye Pamphonic Ltd, Radio Works Cambridge) in 500 series
• Pamphonic moved into new premises in Westmoreland Rd London NW6

• 1947

• 700 Series professional PA systems (rackmount)
• 606 Radiogram 10W (4x EF36, 4x EL32, 2x 1D5). Tuner model 606RH from Pye (possibly based on the Pye 15A radio), Garrard RC65 Deck, Garrard cartridge.
• Pye Ltd acquired 51% of Pamphonic Reproducers Ltd and provided futher cash for operations.

• 1949

• 607 Table Radio (Pye 15A SW/MW/LW chassis inside, but painted red not blue). Bow-fronted walnut veneer cabinet with twin doors.

• 1952

• “Westmoreland” single cabinet record player. 15W output.

• 1954

• “Victor” Loudspeaker. Twin unit, 15W. 55 gns
• 1002 Amplifier 25W Ultralinear, 0.05% distortion (ECC83, ECC81, 2x KT66, GZ32)
• 1002A Preamplifier (2x ECC40). 40 gns with 1002 amplifier.
• Acquired W. Bryan Savage and started new vibration equipment division. Huge valve amplifiers (20kW) and “shakers” (10,000lb)
• New sales offices and showroom opened in Stratton Street, Mayfair.
• “Pam” name started to be used for some Pye-sourced equipment, including TVs.
• Edgar Lavington helped Pye launch their Pamphonic-designed PF9i amplifier and PF9iA preamplifier. 40 gns.

• 1955

• Pye acquired remaining 49% of Pamphonic.  Paul Taylor stayed on as MD.

• 1956

• 1003 Integrated amplifier. 10W (1% distortion) 27gns. (EF86, 2x ECC83, 2x 6AQ5, GZ32)
• Bowyer Lowe (Pye) took over running of Pamphonic while Paul Taylor was ill with TB.
• Pye designed and launched the Pam 710 transistor radio. The first British all-transistor radio. £22. 14s plus £8. 15s. 3d purchase tax.

• 1957

• 2001 24W HiFi Amplifier 0.05% distortion at 15W. £29. 8s (ECC81, ECC83, 2x KT66, GZ32).or (6L6G, 12AX7, 12AT7, 5V4)
• 2001A Preamplifier (2x ECC40) £12. 12s
• “Nymph” transportable record reproducer (competing with Decca Deccalian)
• PA amplifiers and loudspeakers for “The Story of Woburn” son-et-lumiere.

• 1958

• 602W 50W Professional PA amplifier. (EF86, ECC81, ECC83, 2x KT88, GZ34)
• 603W 100W Professional PA amplifier. (EF86, ECC82, ECC81, 2x EY84, 2x KT88, GZ34)
• Service department at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore.
• Pioneering line source loudspeakers (780/781/782 indoor, and 60LS/80LS/110LS outdoor models)
• 3000 Stereo integrated amplifier. 2x 7.5W 30gns. £31. 10s. (2x ECC83, 2xECL82, EZ80). The very first stereo integrated amplifier in the UK, before the stereo record standard was even finalised.
• 600 Loudspeaker (PA) amplifiers supplied to Post Office Telecommunications for use in repeater stations.
• PA System for “My Fair Lady” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
• First UK demonstration of Stereo “Discs” by Pye. Waldorf Hotel London. Pamphonic 3000 amplifier and Victor loudspeakers.

• 1959

• 1002B Push-button preamplifier (2x ECC40). 24gns
• 1004 10W Integrated Audio amplifier. (EF86, 2x ECC83, 2x 6BW6). 25gns
• 3001 integrated stereo amplifier 7½W per channel. 34gns. (2x ECC83, 2xECL82, EZ80)
• Victor Senior loudspeaker 15W. 45gns
• Victor Junior loudspeaker 10W. 30gns
• PA loudspeakers 100W with “Hi-Fi or Ab-Fi characteristics” shown at Audio Fair
• Edward Lavington left Pamphonic.

• 1960

• Stereo Record Player (SP63?). 2x3W. Possibly the earliest stereo record player in the UK. 2x ECL83
• 600W 10W integrated PA amplifier. Same style as the 3000/3001 integrated HiFi amplifiers.

• 1961

• Pye-Ling founded as joint venture with Ling-Temco-Vought of USA to consolidate vibration equipment product line manufacture (Royston, Herts).
• Pamphonic bought Reflectograph tape machine line from Multimusic (Multicore Solders & Bib Tape accessories) but closed it within a few years.
• “Pam” branded radio and television sets were sold widely.
• PA amplifiers shown at the Audio Fair

• 1962

• Reflectograph Model A tape recorder. (2 track record and playback) 3¾ and 7½ ips. Inbuilt amplifier.
• Pillar (eg “line source”) PA loudspeakers demonstrated at London International Audio Festival.

• 1963-64

• Reflectograph Model B tape recorder (4 track record and playback)
• Reflectograph Model C tape recorder (2 track stereo record and playback)
• Reflectograph Model D tape player (2 track, playback only)
• Cosmonaut slim-line tape recorder cabinet
• 5200, 5205, 5206 “Pam” branded stereo record players

• 1965-66

• Pamphonic and Pam brands vanish from the market.
• W Bryan Savage still making vibration systems in Royston.
• Philips bought controlling interest (60%) in Pye.

• 1973

• Discussions started on new line column loudspeakers for Westminster Abbey
• Paul Taylor assigned all patent rights to these line column speakers to the Dean & Chapter of the Abbey

• 1975

• Paul Taylor became President of the Society of Environmental Engineers

• 1977

• Patented Line Column Speakers installed in Westminster Abbey, designed and overseen by Paul Taylor, installed by Pye Business Communications.