On September 1, 1926, in the Baltic port city of Kiel, Dr. Heinrich Hecht, Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, and Dr. Rudolph Freystedt founded Electroacustic GmbH (ELAC). Originating as a premier research institute for underwater hydroacoustics and maritime echo-sounding systems, ELAC transformed after World War II into one of the golden pillars of German high fidelity—famed worldwide for its precision Miracord turntables, moving-magnet cartridges, and JET folded-ribbon tweeters.
The Kiel Fjord Laboratories: Mastering the Physics of Underwater Sound (1926–1945)
Following the First World War, the navigational perils of the foggy North Sea and Baltic waters led German physicists to investigate underwater acoustic transmission. On September 1, 1926, Dr. Heinrich Hecht and his scientific colleagues established Electroacustic GmbH along the Kiel fjord. Their focus was pure electroacoustic physics: developing magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducers capable of measuring ocean depths and detecting submerged obstacles via sound reflection.
By 1930, ELAC echo-sounders were recognized as the most reliable maritime depth-finding instruments in the world, equipping international commercial freighters, passenger liners, and oceanographic vessels with unprecedented navigational safety.
The High-Fidelity Metamorphosis: Miracord Turntables and JET Tweeter Excellence
In 1948, faced with postwar demilitarization, ELAC ingeniously channeled its acoustic transducers and precision miniature mechanics into civilian audio reproduction. Developing the PW 1 record changer, ELAC introduced the legendary Miracord series in 1957. Featuring heavy die-cast platters, hysteresis motors, and ultra-low rumble, Miracord turntables became the benchmark of American and European audiophile listening rooms.
In the modern era, ELAC revolutionized acoustic reproduction once again with the JET folded-ribbon tweeter, based on Oskar Heil’s Air Motion Transformer principles. Hand-folded in Kiel, ELAC loudspeakers deliver transient speed and crystalline high-frequency transparency, uniting a century of Baltic sonic science.
Fiera campionaria a Milano: innovazione tecnica, radio ed elettroacustica
Immagini d'archivio storico dell'Istituto Luce che testimoniano i padiglioni dell'innovazione elettronica, radiofonica e della tecnologia di precisione acustica. (Fonte: Archivio Storico Istituto Luce Cinecittà)
Interactive 360° Street View: ELAC Electroacustic Historical & Manufacturing Campus
Historical Location: Rendsburger Landstraße 215, 24114 Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (Coordinates: 54.3045, 10.1065)
