LOWTHER HERITAGE

The History of Lowther Loudspeakers

What does Lowther do?

Lowther is a British manufacturer of high-end, handcrafted full-range loudspeaker drive units, horn-loaded and full-range loudspeakers, and valve amplifiers. Founded in 1934, Lowther grew from the pioneering horn designs of Paul Voigt and was developed through the 20th century under Donald Chave. Today Lowther makes crossover-free full-range drivers, complete loudspeakers, the PX4 valve amplifier, phase plugs and cables, and supplies plans and drive units to DIY home builders - all made to order in Britain.

1924

The Cinema Horn

Voigt develops what later is named the Cinema Horn

1926

First British Electric Recording System

Paul Voigt develops the first British electric recording system whilst working at Edison Bell, where a mutual agreement gave him ownership of his own patents

1928

Voigt Marries Ida

Voigt marries Ida Florence May Munro in St Augustine church, Honor Oak Park, London. Ida is said to be either the first or one of the first women to have qualified and awarded a degree in engineering.

1933

Voigt Patents Established

Edison Bell ceases trading and Paul Voigt establishes his own company, Voigt Patents.

1934

The Domestic Corner Horn

Paul Voigt releases the Domestic Corner Horn, a horn-loaded speaker emulating live sound in the most realistic manner to date. The first corner horn sold for £32.50. Voigt meets O.P. Lowther of the Lowther Manufacturing Company Ltd and the two men become fast friends.

1936

Lowther-Voigt Collaboration

Voigt and Lowther collaborate on their first project, the Lowther-Voigt Radio, covering a range of radiograms, amplifiers, tuners and loudspeakers. Aimed at the luxury market and the most fastidious of audiophiles, the project offered many different adaptations for home use including building custom cabinets.

1939

1939-1945

World War II

World War II takes a hold of the world but cinema offered a much needed escape from reality. Voigt spends much of his time maintaining his horn-loaded speakers in cinemas across the UK. A German bomb displaced the roof of the small factory at The Courts.

1945

Post-War Challenges

After World War II, like many British people with German heritage, Voigt suffered a lot of racial abuse. When the war was over the council, then the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham, was prejudiced against him because of his German ancestry and refused to fix his roof. He got very fed up with England. He also had a spinal condition but the doctors could find nothing wrong. Although he tried everything that doctors in England suggested, nothing improved his condition which must have made it very difficult for him to continue installing heavy speakers. Instead of continuing to live in the UK, Voigt and Ida decided to move to Canada. He sold his shares with a handshake to his trusted chief engineer at the time, Donald Chave.

1951

The Lowther-Hegeman Reproducer

Chave and legendary American audio designer Stewart Hegeman teamed up to take the Lowther/Voigt full range single driver concept to a higher level. They release the Lowther-Hegeman Reproducer as a result. This was a big step up from the Domestic Corner Horn at four feet wide, four feet tall and two feet tall. The newly developed PM4A drive unit (later to become part of the A series) was used inside a large horizontal plaster horn, creating an impressively wide dispersion of mid- and treble-frequencies. The Reproducer was three times the price of the next most expensive Lowther speaker at the time and had very short production run between 1950 & 1951. It is estimated that only 20-30 reproducer units have ever existed to date.

1970

Innovation with New Materials

Then owner Donald Chave goes into partnership with his close friend Roy Hopps. Their innovation with new magnet materials leads to the creation of the world-famous ceramic-based C series of speakers drivers, and the renowned Neodymium-based EX and DX range.

2018

New Era Begins

Martin Thornton takes over Lowther and the company moves to its current home in Northamptonshire.

2020

Pandemic Innovation

As a global pandemic takes a hold of the world, the new Lowther team take the opportunity to start research and development of a new range speaker cabinets. They start with a focus on a developing some speakers from Lowther's history. A refurbished Acousta 115 was installed by Lowther in the Handel Hendrix museum in London. Jimi Hendrix was himself a discerning audiophile and owned a set of 115's in the 1970's. Visitors of the museum can now listen to Hendrix's original vinyl collection as Hendrix himself experienced it.

2021

The Future of Lowther

After a full year of research and development the new Lowther team are not slowing down. This year will see the release of a brand new flagship range of speakers designed for the modern era of audio reproduction along with the return of a few timeless favourites.

Thank you to our friends over at the Lowther Voigt Museum for documenting the history of Lowther Loudspeakers so meticulously.

Frequently asked

About Lowther - FAQ

Lowther is a British manufacturer of high-end, handcrafted full-range loudspeaker drive units, horn-loaded and full-range loudspeakers, valve amplifiers (such as the PX4) and related accessories. Founded in 1934, Lowther designs and builds full-range, crossover-free drivers and the cabinets that horn-load them, and also supplies plans and drive units to DIY home builders. Everything is made to order in Britain.

Lowther traces its loudspeaker heritage to the pioneering acoustic engineer Paul Voigt, who developed the Domestic Corner Horn in 1934 and met O.P. Lowther of the Lowther Manufacturing Company Ltd that same year. Voigt's full-range, horn-loaded designs became the foundation of the Lowther sound. The company later flourished under Donald Chave, who championed and developed the Lowther full-range drive units through the mid-20th century.

Donald Chave was the driving force behind Lowther for much of the 20th century, developing and promoting Lowther's full-range drive units and horn loudspeakers after the pioneering work of Paul Voigt. The "Donald Chave era" is central to Lowther's identity as a full-range, horn-loading loudspeaker company.

The brand operates as Lowther Loudspeakers and has historic links to the Lowther Manufacturing Company Ltd founded by O.P. Lowther. For the exact current registered company name and number, please contact Lowther directly at hello@lowtherloudspeakers.com.

Today Lowther makes full-range drive units (the Concert, Sinfonia, Philharmonic and Grand Opera collections, including Alnico, ceramic, neodymium and field-coil variants), complete handcrafted loudspeakers, the PX4 valve amplifier, phase plugs, cables and accessories. Lowther also publishes cabinet plans and supplies drive units for DIY builders, and offers refurbishment and upgrade services for older units.

Lowther for Life

Discover the stories, craftsmanship, and passion behind Lowther through our video series.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

What does Lowther do?

The History of Lowther Loudspeakers

What does Lowther do?

The Cinema Horn

First British Electric Recording System

Voigt Marries Ida

Voigt Patents Established

The Domestic Corner Horn

Lowther-Voigt Collaboration

World War II

Post-War Challenges

The Lowther-Hegeman Reproducer

Innovation with New Materials

New Era Begins

Pandemic Innovation

The Future of Lowther

About Lowther - FAQ

What does Lowther do?

Who founded Lowther and what is its heritage?

Who was Donald Chave?

What is the legal company name of Lowther?

What does Lowther make today?

Lowther for Life

The History of Lowther Loudspeakers

What does Lowther do?

The Cinema Horn

First British Electric Recording System

Voigt Marries Ida

Voigt Patents Established

The Domestic Corner Horn

Lowther-Voigt Collaboration

World War II

Post-War Challenges

The Lowther-Hegeman Reproducer

Innovation with New Materials

New Era Begins

Pandemic Innovation

The Future of Lowther

About Lowther - FAQ

What does Lowther do?

Who founded Lowther and what is its heritage?

Who was Donald Chave?

What is the legal company name of Lowther?

What does Lowther make today?

Lowther for Life