Scan Speak, Vifa, Peerlass Drivers

[frenchmon]

I have some old Sony book shelfs that are 17x8x12 that I am thinking of replacing the drivers and crossover in. Now I know about Peerless drivers, Vifa drivers and Scan Speak drivers...but what I did not know before my research is that these drivers are all made and owned by the same company over in Denmark/China called Tymphany...and that Tymphany just last year sold off the Scan Speak divison to one of its former Managing Directors but they continue to share certain intellectual property and continue to cooperate on matters of common interest. I also leaned that Morel, another high end speaker driver company over in Denmark use to make the drivers for Dynaudio years ago before a disagreement over issues and then Dynaudio decided to make their own drivers. But what really got me was learning that Peerless, Vifa, and Scan Speak where all the same company. Did any body know this?

frenchmon

[Ajani]

Interesting project, that's exactly what I was originally planning to do with my old Technics speakers; upgrade the drivers and crossovers.... But I'm actually liking the way they sound in my main rig, so I'm now reluctant to mess around with them...

I had no idea those brands are all related....

[poppachubby]

No I didn't know that. Hey Frenchie, my Angstrom Model Three's use 5.5" Vifas. Fantastic drivers. Really fast and punchy, I highly recommend them.

[thekid]

I did not know that but it does not surprise me. The audio world has always had a history of companies rebadging or using single source material in the construction of gear to make it look like there was more diversity than really exists. Consolidations and mergers only have made this worse. Unless you really follow the industry you don't realize how much of your money goes into buying a name versus products with discernible differences.

[kexodusc]

Yeah, old news for DIY-ers. Peerless/Vifa have been realigning their product lines in recent years too, I thought the plan was to slowly phase the Vifa line out altogether.
You'd be surprised at how many speakers use these drivers. I use them in some of mine too.

[frenchmon]

Yeah, old news for DIY-ers. Peerless/Vifa have been realigning their product lines in recent years too, I thought the plan was to slowly phase the Vifa line out altogether.
You'd be surprised at how many speakers use these drivers. I use them in some of mine too.

No they are not plaining on fazing out Vifa...they even released some new Vifa designs.

I've also noticed this about SEAS and Vifa speakers.....in 1956 the Scandinavian Electro Acoustic Systems, or SEAS was formed and in 1961 Wessel and Nørgaard Madsen, two owners of SEAS bought Videbæk højttalerfabrik (Known today as Vifa) from Nørgaard Madsens father and made a sister company of SEAS speakers in 1971. And then in 1981 After some difficult years, the Danish company (Vifa) managed to break away from SEAS by what the new Norwgian owners regarded as a criminal act. It was named Vifa and became a competitor from one day to the next. I cant find any information on when Peerless/Scan Speak bought Vifa.

[kexodusc]

No they are not plaining on fazing out Vifa...they even released some new Vifa designs.

I've also noticed this about SEAS and Vifa speakers.....in 1956 the Scandinavian Electro Acoustic Systems, or SEAS was formed and in 1961 Wessel and Nørgaard Madsen, two owners of SEAS bought Videbæk højttalerfabrik (Known today as Vifa) from Nørgaard Madsens father and made a sister company of SEAS speakers in 1971. And then in 1981 After some difficult years, the Danish company (Vifa) managed to break away from SEAS by what the new Norwgian owners regarded as a criminal act. It was named Vifa and became a competitor from one day to the next. I cant find any information on when Peerless/Scan Speak bought Vifa.

At one time the communication given to driver resellers was that they were planning to do away with the Vifa line, and a reflection of that is all the old Vifa drivers like the now legendary Vifa PL18 woofer and D27 tweeter have been renamed the Peerless "V-line" and are currently carrying Peerless badges instead of Vifa. But you're right, that seems to have not gone very far and they are releasing new Vifa and Peerless drivers. Wonder if the Scan-speak sale changed things? The drivers are different enough from each brand to guess that they are probably be operating as separate entities to,o though every now and then some obvious signs of borrowing show up.

I don't have much in the way of corporate history, but I know throughout their lives, a few top designers have moved from company to company to company. The Skaaning brothers in particular have been involved at more than a few.

[02audionoob]

Owning a company doesn't in itself make for much of a relationship in the products.

[MikeyBC]

In tympany's case there is no rebadging. Each product line is unique with very little similaritys between them.

[frenchmon]

At one time the communication given to driver resellers was that they were planning to do away with the Vifa line, and a reflection of that is all the old Vifa drivers like the now legendary Vifa PL18 woofer and D27 tweeter have been renamed the Peerless "V-line" and are currently carrying Peerless badges instead of Vifa. But you're right, that seems to have not gone very far and they are releasing new Vifa and Peerless drivers. Wonder if the Scan-speak sale changed things? The drivers are different enough from each brand to guess that they are probably be operating as separate entities to,o though every now and then some obvious signs of borrowing show up.

I don't have much in the way of corporate history, but I know throughout their lives, a few top designers have moved from company to company to company. The Skaaning brothers in particular have been involved at more than a few.

I'm wondering what is up with the Scan Speak/Peerless break....it seems they didn't separate to much seeing it was sold to someone who was very close and at one time a member of the company and they still share much technology.

Yeah, I noticed the Peerless V-line = Peerless Vifa line....I think its Peerless way of showing who teh parent company is while at the same time keeping some of the rich tradition of Vifa.

frenchmon

[frenchmon]

Wow..this is getting very interesting...apparently Tympany bought a company back in 2007 that got them started...this acquisition was In September 2007, it was the "Premium Loudspeaker" company, a western managed Asian based high end system integrator. From what I can gather from the internet....this is the company that make speaker drivers for Klipsch, Energy, Jamo and a host of other companies. I thought these companies made their own drivers.... It seems to me that most of the speakers we listen to all come from the same factory.

frenchmon

frenchmon

[frenchmon]

What the "Premium Speaker" company does is get the design from the Speaker company...in this case "Klipsch" and then makes it according to Klipsch spects.

In addition they make their own speaker drivers and design other drivrs other than Peeless and Vifa...their house brand or no name brands and market them to other companies who have an option of putting their own names on the drivers.

I did see a report on an order from Klipsch to the Premium Speaker (Hui Zhou) co. for speaker drivers and Premium Speaker (Hui Zhou) co delievered the drivers.

frenchmon

[Feanor]

I have some old Sony book shelfs that are 17x8x12 that I am thinking of replacing the drivers and crossover in. Now I know about Peerless drivers, Vifa drivers and Scan Speak drivers...but what I did not know before my research is that these drivers are all made and owned by the same company over in Denmark/China called Tymphany...and that Tymphany just last year sold off the Scan Speak divison to one of its former Managing Directors but they continue to share certain intellectual property and continue to cooperate on matters of common interest. I also leaned that Morel, another high end speaker driver company over in Denmark use to make the drivers for Dynaudio years ago before a disagreement over issues and then Dynaudio decided to make their own drivers. But what really got me was learning that Peerless, Vifa, and Scan Speak where all the same company. Did any body know this?

frenchmon

I wasn't aware that Tympany had sold Scan Speak -- it will be just as well maybe, if it preserves SP as the high-end brand.

BTW, Morel is headquartered in Israel, not Demark.

[frenchmon]

I wasn't aware that Tympany had sold Scan Speak -- it will be just as well maybe, if it preserves SP as the high-end brand.

BTW, Morel is headquartered in Israel, not Demark.

So Feanor...you've known this already it seems? What do you know about them owning "Premium Speaker" company who apparently makes speakers for many well named Big time speakers like Klipsch and others?


frenchmon

[frenchmon]

I it will be just as well maybe, if it preserves SP as the high-end brand.

Them selling to one of their closes employees and then to still share there ideas back and forth seems odd in my book. Why help out the competition...unless its a move to try and gain in some sorta way. Sounds like to me they found some kinda way to break Scan Speak from the company but yet some kinda way keep them in the family and make money. I could be wrong but im just sayin.

BTW, Morel is headquartered in Israel, not Demark

I dont know if I have ever heard a Morel driver but I assume its a very good driver.

frenchmon

[Feanor]

Them selling to one of their closes employees and then to still share there ideas back and forth seems odd in my book. Why help out the competition...unless its a move to try and gain in some sorta way. Sounds like to me they found some kinda way to break Scan Speak from the company but yet some kinda way keep them in the family and make money. I could be wrong but im just sayin.
...

Or you could be right. I don't know.

...
I dont know if I have ever heard a Morel driver but I assume its a very good driver.

frenchmon

Yes, Morel drivers have a great rep; up there with Scan Speak, Dynaudio, and higher-end Seas.

[frenchmon]

At one time the communication given to driver resellers was that they were planning to do away with the Vifa line, and a reflection of that is all the old Vifa drivers like the now legendary Vifa PL18 woofer and D27 tweeter have been renamed the Peerless "V-line" and are currently carrying Peerless badges instead of Vifa. But you're right, that seems to have not gone very far and they are releasing new Vifa and Peerless drivers. Wonder if the Scan-speak sale changed things? The drivers are different enough from each brand to guess that they are probably be operating as separate entities to,o though every now and then some obvious signs of borrowing show up.

I don't have much in the way of corporate history, but I know throughout their lives, a few top designers have moved from company to company to company. The Skaaning brothers in particular have been involved at more than a few.

Well Looks like you where correct after all Kexousc...Tymphany slowly faded Vifa out and renamed all their designs "Peerless Platinum". So Vifa lives on under a new name...and this happened last year I believe.