Sonaudax Image 301 cabinet speakers

I have inherited a pair of these Sonaudax Ltd, Image 301 floor-standing speakers from my father, who bought them in London late 70s or early 80s. I have replaced the base units in each as the foam around the cones had broken down over time. But really I'd like to know a bit more about them and I can't find much online.
No Has anyone else ever heard of them?

Thanks
Luke

 

hi luke, the sonaudaux company existed at woodside ave, eastleigh, southampton. from late 1970's - mid 1980's.
image 301's were their top of the range speaker, which they exported to Japan, i didn't think they sold any here?
i was working next door to them at the time & my brother welded the managers car for him & he sold me 2 sets for around £300 a pair. they were amazing! the technical director explained they were designed specifically for live jazz recordings, acoustic or classical etc & boy i was blown away when i heard them at a demo, switching between them & a pair of some other hi-end £1000 a pair speakers.

mine have also decayed foam & so are not in use, i might get around to fixing them up one day.

i didn't think that anyone would have ever heard of them, i was surprised to see your post.
i wonder how your dad came by his pair? i was told they were not for u.k. market.

hope this is helpful
royseyboy

 

Hello,
I was happy to see this reply, it had been a year and a half since I wrote the post and had forgotten all about it.

What an amazing story, made me smile to hear of the deal done in return for the welding.
Very surprised and pleased to hear of their intended use in live jazz, I do listen to jazz often through them. Impressed that they are their top of the range speaker. They to me sound so much better when driven harder. I am very impressed with them too and feel very lucky to have inherited something that today would have cost £1000s potentially.

The story is;
My Dad and a good friend of his were in a hifi shop on the Edgeware Road and was told that the speakers were surplus stock, and words to the effect (my dad can’t really remember after 35 years) that Sonaudax found that they weren’t selling well, so this hifi shop were selling them off at a reduced price. He too thought they were much better than more expensive competition.
Dad says he think he paid around £125 for the pair back then. Quite a lot.

Also, my Dad’s friend who went with him bough another pair, and recently he game me them as he no longer used them or had the space. I therefore have two pairs also. One pair refurbished, the others awaiting for when I need them.

Hope this was interesting.
best,

Luke

 

Damn! It's been more than a year. This really is interesting. Good for you if you have 2 pairs now!

 

Hi guys I'm years late but hey.
Sonaudax HD24S45C
These speakers were used in the Hi Fi Answers 1978-ish published magazine to build your own Compact 11 (as in two) Monotors designed by Badger Sound services. I have all the details about them and the magazine cos I built a pair of them in laminated cabinets and they were awesome. Mine were driven by a Rogers amp with a Thorens deck and an SME arm with a Grado stylus. I loved it. the sound was so pure and true. However, over the years my speakers picked up some dampness and dust. So I vacuumed them one day only to see the speaker cone seal vanish up the vacuum cleaner. Well, you don't need me to say that I was horrified and to this day they have remained the same damaged way. I forget the name at the moment but Falcon Acoustics still stocks the tweeters woofers and midrange speakers for replacements as near as you will ever get. Some are budget and then you can py whatever you want. Mine are on the back burner at the moment so to speak but I do intend to get them refurbished and back up to full sound and strength.
I do hope this little note helps and puts some ripples into the pond.
Bats have beautiful hearing .................Ping................
PS. My brother suggested Car speakers as an alternative, maybe a good call.

 

I am the happy owner of the Sonaudax 301. I also own the lighter version. I refoamed the bass speakers. This went well. They are somewhat damaged in appearance, unfortunately, but they sound like clockwork. I'm not using them at the moment, I now have the qUAD SL 57 electrostats.

I bought them in the early 80s in the Netherlands for 450 guldens (€220).