Birmingham Sound Reproducers
40/41 Perry Park Road, Blackheath, Birmingham (April 1932)
Claremont Works, Old Hill, Staffordshire (August 1932)

Birmingham Sound Reproducers Ltd.
Claremont Works, Old Hill, Staffordshire (August 1932)
Monarch Works, Powke Lane, Old Hill, Stafford. (1956)

Brands: BSR, Monarch, Telemaster & Quanta

Birmingham Sound Reproducers (BSR) was founded in 1932 by Daniel McLean McDonald in the West Midlands, England. Initially producing transformers, BSR expanded into amplifiers and PA systems. The company went public in 1957 and became a major supplier of turntables and autochangers. By the 1960s-70s, BSR dominated the market with an 87% share, producing over 250,000 units weekly by 1977.

BSR diversified in the 1970s, acquiring Bulpitt and Sons (Swan Brand) and Goblin (BVC). They introduced innovative products like the Accutrac 4000 turntable. However, the 1980s brought challenges due to changing consumer preferences. BSR produced its last turntable in 1985 and transformed into Astec (BSR) plc in 1989.

Despite its decline, BSR's innovations significantly impacted audio technology history.

Founding and Early Years
Daniel McLean McDonald (1905–1991) founded Birmingham Sound Reproducers as a private company in 1932 in the West Midlands of England. The company started in a small workshop at Perry Park Road, Blackheath, near Birmingham, initially producing transformers. As the quality of McDonald's transformers gained recognition, he expanded into designing and selling amplifiers and complete PA systems.[1][2]

Company Registration
Birmingham Sound Reproducers, Ltd. was officially registered as a private company on October 22nd, 1932. The company had a capital of £2,500 in £1 shares. Its stated objects were to acquire the business of electrical reproducers carried on by Birmingham Sound Reproducers at Claremont Works, Old Hill, Staffordshire, to adopt an agreement with D. McDonald, and to carry on the business of manufacturing gramophones, electrical reproduction, and wireless apparatus, etc. The first directors were D. McDonald and W. H. Lovall, with the registered office at Claremont Street, Old Hill, Staffordshire. [3]

In 1933, BSR developed the 'Ampligram', a record player that could also be used as a public address system.

Radiolympia Exhibition 1934
BSR showcased an impressive array of equipment at the Radiolympia exhibition in August 1934:

• Amplifiers: Ranging from 12 watts to 60 watts
• Pre-staged microphone amplifiers
• Ampligram: A neat radio chassis and high-frequency amplifier
• Turntables: Including a record-changing unit
• Mixer control panels
• Twin-turntable equipment
• High-class permanent-magnet speaker chassis
• Complete speakers with rectifier unit and valve for A.C. working
• Auditorium speakers and baffles
• Microphones
• Radio-gramophones
• Oscillators
• Valve voltmeters

The BSR 1934 five-valve receiver was particularly noteworthy. It was constructed on a steel chassis with cadmium plated finish and lacquered. It included a mains transformer, tapped from 190/250 volts, 60 cycles, used in conjunction with a full wave rectifier. A suitable converter was also supplied for D.C. mains operation. [4]

World War II and Post-War Period
During World War II, BSR became involved in the design and production of military equipment, including devices for acoustic mines, underwater submarine detectors, and aerial trimmers for RAF communication equipment.
By 1947, BSR had diversified its product range to include communications sets (intercoms) under the Telemaster brand, laboratory test equipment, and sound recording and reproducing instruments, including phonographs.

Rise to Prominence (1950s-1960s)
In the 1950s, BSR began its ascent in the record player market:

• Early 1950s: BSR started supplying auto-changing turntables to Samuel Margolin for his Dansette record players.
• 1957: The company went public, marking a significant milestone in its growth.
• By 1961: BSR employed 2,600 people and had become a major supplier of turntables and autochangers to global record player manufacturers.

Attempt at Refrigerator Production
In the early 1960s, BSR made an attempt to diversify into household appliances, including refrigerators:

• The company purchased land at Wollaston, Stourbridge, and built a 200,000-square-foot factory.
• This factory was intended for the manufacture of refrigerators and tape decks.
• BSR also had plans to produce washing machines at this facility.
• However, both the washing machine and refrigerator plans were ultimately canceled.

This unsuccessful venture into refrigerator production demonstrates BSR's attempt to diversify beyond audio equipment, though it ultimately remained focused on its core audio products. The company's main success continued to be in turntables and record changers, where it dominated the market for several decades. [5][6]

Peak Years and Innovations
During the 1960s and 1970s, BSR reached its peak:

• The company's market share in the turntable industry reached an impressive 87%.
• By 1977, BSR's factories were producing over 250,000 units per week.

Diversification
In the 1970s, BSR diversified its business:

• 1971: Acquired Bulpitt and Sons, manufacturers of Swan Brand electric kettles.
• 1973: BSR Housewares bought Goblin (BVC), makers of vacuum cleaners.
• 1974: BSR acquired Peter Pritchard’s Audio Dynamics Corporation (ADC) & introduced the Accutrac 4000, an upmarket turntable with individual track selection capabilities.

Challenges and Decline
The 1980s brought significant challenges to BSR:

• Changing consumer preferences towards portable music players and competition from cassette tape players affected BSR's market position.
• The company closed several factories and made thousands of workers redundant in the early 1980s.
• 1984: The Rotronics Wafadrive, launched in late 1984, was likely one of BSR's final products.[7]
• 1985: BSR produced its last turntable.

Final Years and Legacy
BSR's turntable production ceased on June 25, 1984, but briefly resumed two years later following a substantial order from Germany's Schneider for approximately 60,000 linear turntables.

However, this revival was short-lived as production was soon outsourced to a Chinese manufacturer. In June 1989, the company underwent a significant transformation, changing its name from BSR International plc to Astec (BSR) plc.  Simultaneously, the iconic BSR brand was sold to DAK, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer. The company's operations came to an end, and its Wollaston facility was sold to Sunrise Medical Equipment. This marked the conclusion of a once-thriving British enterprise, ultimately succumbing to competition from more affordable Far Eastern imports.

In 2009 Astec (BSR) plc was liquidated. [8]

Birmingham Sound Reproducers played a crucial role in the development of the British audio industry, particularly in the record player market. Despite its eventual decline, BSR's innovations and dominance in the turntable market left a lasting impact on the history of audio technology.

[1] Wireless Magazine Apr 1932, Page 358.
[2] Wireless World Aug 19, 1932, Page Ad 42.
[3] The Electrical Review Oct 28, 1932, Page 656.
[4] Practical Wireless Aug 25, 1934, Page 687.
[5] The Electrical Times Jun 8, 1961, Page 925.
[6] The Electrical Review Sep 1, 1961, Page 349.
[7] London Gazette Aug 12, 2009, Notice ID; L-59155-893609.