Onix Audio was a legal trading name of a partnership manufacturing ONIX AUDIO products and ONIX AMPLIFIERS. ONIX AUDIO existed from 1984 it is now known as ONIX DNA in England . It was created and based in the UK, and the company designed,manufactured and sold high end electronic audio equipment. In September 1990 a new legal entity was created to take over the trading activities of ONIX AUDIO that created the original brand ONIX . Between 1984 and 1990 Onix Audio produced a range of hi fidelity amplifiers, tuners and accessories that by 1990 were exported to 28 countries, including Japan, Singapore, Germany, and other key audio markets.
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History
Of the original partners, Tony ( Anthony ) Brady and Adam Worsfold had become friends while working side by side at Thorn EMI and attending technical college from 1977 to 1982 under a Thorn EMI apprenticeship full-time Contract. Onix Audio started assembly of the ONIX brand of Onix hi-fi in Brighton England in 1984, two years after a small number of unlabeled and unbranded head amplifiers ( No brand Name printed on them or used to sell them ) had been sold to niche dealers in the UK by Craig Hill via Brighton HiFi where he worked with his father. These early units had been assembled in Tony Brady's bedroom after an initial design at the end of 1982 while Tony and Adam were still contracted to Thorn EMI under their apprenticeship agreements, so these units can not be considered of any commercial importance as no reference or content of these units exists . Tony and Adam left Thorn EMI in July 1983 one year after completion of their training . In 1984 Tony Brady, Adam Worsfold, and Craig Hill became ONIX AUDIO as it was known after the first bank account was opened with Barclays Bank in Brighton to begin actively trading. Adam Worsfold soon bought Craig Hill's share of the Onix Audio partnership in 1985, after Tony Brady resigned from the partnership due to a disagreement with Craig Hill. Adam Worsfold then became the sole trader ( owner ) of Onix Audio from 1985 to 1990, with Tony Brady agreeing to continue to assist him and work on a contractual basis. This being from 1985 to 1990 after Craig was no longer involved. In 1988 the trade mark ONIX in class 9 ( Reproduction of Sound and Images ) covering use within the UK was successfully registered by the UK trade mark office. It was registered by Adam Worsfold in his personal name and had validity within the UK and Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) this trade mark has since been returned to Adam Worsfold after a lengthy legal dispute with Shanling Digital Technologies of China and covers all countries within the EU.
The first real commercial branded amplifier with the name ONIX on the front that the company produced was the ONIX AUDIO OA-20 in 1984. This amplifier became one of the forerunners of a new generation of hi end amplifiers, capable of delivering a high power output due to a high capacity traditional toroidal power supply. The OA-21 was the next model added, this model having a pre-amplifier sub board with similar characteristics as the previous one but with superior component quality and power output, as well as the introduction of a moving coil (MC) and moving magnet (MM) alternate board change option. In addition the OA-21 was fitted with a supply connector on the back that accepted the powers supply option called a SOAP (Special Onix Audio Power) that was introduced by Onix in 1985.
With the success of the OA-21 amplifier and the OA-20, Onix Audio released an improved OA-20 called the OA-22 that included two CD inputs to allow for the wave of high output CD players of the time. All products in the meantime were continuing to be developed and evolved and an FM tuner (radio), the BWD-1, designed by Tony Brady, made its debut in 1987. The Onix BWD-1 provided a compromise between cost, musical integrity, and quality performance.
Onix Audio continued to upgrade their product lines and developed a new dedicated pre-amp called the OA-24 in 1989. In the same year a new updated version of the power supply SOAP 2 and other models including the OA21s that had electronic speaker short protection were introduced. In 1990, the OA-401/40 watt and the OA-601/60 watt stereo amplifiers were added to the product range.
In late 1990, the trading activities of Onix Audio, owned by Adam Worsfold as a sole trader for six years - were sold to a newly created UK legal entity called OEL Ltd. Adam Worsfold retained a 65% shareholding of the new company along with the Trade Mark ONIX, entrepreneur Michael O'Brien held 35% of the new created entity. This new limited entity was incorporated in September 1990 specifically to take over the trading activities of Adam Worsfold as a trading proprietor t/a Onix Audio . In 1991, just months after incorporation of OEL Ltd, Michael O'Brien offered to buy the 65% shareholding owned by Adam Worsfold. Adam Worsfold sold his shares to Micheal O'Brien so he could leave the company in July 1991. OEL Ltd later became a subsidiary of Swisstone Electronics Ltd, a company owned by O'Brien. OEL Ltd changed its name to Kendal Electronics Ltd in January 1997 and was subsequently liquidated and dissolved in February 1997, by Andrew White of Moores Rowland in Brighton Sussex.
Design characteristics
The Onix Audio/Onix Hifi and Onix Amplifiers were characterized by a minimalistic, simple, slim design, without visible screws on the casings. The amplifiers housed unusually large power supplies and were constructed using high quality components. Onix cases were always made from aluminium. They used a powder coat finish in matt black, and the front was originally in the same finish with a screen print word ONIX. In 1987, Onix changed the finish of most products to a brushed anodized finish, as well as making subtle cosmetic and electronic changes to the overall original design.
Onix Audio and Onix Amplifiers became known for their longevity and excellence in construction, with an ability to deliver a sense of power and rhythmic drive along with clearly defined sound quality. Furthermore, adding an authoritative body and weight to music.