Wharfedale is one of the earliest pioneers of high fidelity audio reproduction. Founded by Gilbert Briggs in 1932, Briggs won first prize in a competition with the first drive unit he ever made – the ‘Bronze’ model, and from then on built a strong reputation for pioneering within what is now firmly established as the ‘Hi-Fi’ industry.
In the 1950’s Gilbert Briggs embarked on an ambitious collaboration with a close friend and colleague, Quad’s ‘Peter Walker’. With Quad supplying the amplification and Wharfedale building the loudspeaker systems, they introduced what was to become an industry-defining series of concerts wherein audiences were invited to experience live versus recorded music first hand. Touring the UK and the USA and playing at venues as auspicious as the Royal Festival Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York, Gilbert Briggs introduced listeners to the delights of quality hi-fi and stereo sound.