Audio-Technica Turntables: Japanese audio brand celebrates 60 years of vinyl records

Digital music may be the standard for most homeowners today, thanks to the ease and convenience of downloading MP3 files, but hardcore music lovers will argue that listening to analogue music played using vinyls remains the true way to appreciating great quality sounds.

Founded by the late Hideo Matsushita in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in 1962, Audio-Technica is a Japanese audio brand popular among audiophiles, and best known for its range of premium analogue music players.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2022, the Audio Technica bears testament to the everlasting popularity of vinyl music recordings.

Assistant marketing manager at Audio Technica SEA, Wee Cher Young, also reveals what the company has done to overcome trends over the decades.

Audio Technica in the Digital Age

How has Audio Technica managed to survive the digital age?

Part of our success comes from our philosophy that we need to put our customers first. So understanding and listening to customers is very important.

Our products need to meet their needs whether it is about audio quality, design or aesthetics. We show our confidence in our products by staying true to our belief in the superior quality of analogue music, and assuring customers that they are making a wise investment, which becomes evident when they experience the difference in sound quality themselves.

This has helped to bolster our core product offerings, but aside from that, we are also mindful to introduce our brand to music lovers who still prefer their music in a digital format.

Audio-Technica widened its product categories and offerings, such as headphones and earphones, to satisfy consumers in this category.

At the same time, we are constantly looking for the next trend and innovation, along with R&D, to create the next impressive product.

Audio Technica Turntables

For an average homeowner, how can we appreciate analogue audio players?

First off, get yourself an Audio-Technica turntable. Models such as the AT-LP3XBT and AT-LPW50BT-RW are perfect for homeowners with their Bluetooth capabilities to pair with any Bluetooth speakers you have at home. Secondly, get your favourite music vinyl records.

Thirdly, just plug, play and enjoy.

Vinyl Records & Turntables Making a Comeback

There is growing interest for vinyl recently. Why is vinyl making a comeback?

The revival at this point is due to the resurgence in popularity of vinyl records, as consumers are looking for a more immersive and tangible listening experience.

One reason why vinyl records are making a comeback is due to the better sound quality it provides. Digital formats like CDs and MP3s are compressed, which would result in some of the audio data being lost in the conversion process.

Vinyl records are analogue recordings and don’t go through the same type of compression, so they sound closer to the original performance. Besides that, a number of famous and well-known artists, such as Adele, Luna Shadows, Lana Del Ray and Bruno Mars, are also releasing their music on vinyl again.

Classic Vinyl and Turntable Tunes

What music genres best complement the vinyl and turntable experience?

There is no specific music, genres or musicians. Always go with the music you love.

My personal favourite tunes to test out analogue players are ‘Hotel California’ by Eagles and ‘Hawaii-Five-O’ by The Ventures as both songs cover a wide range of tones, music colour, instruments and vocals.

Audio Technica New Turntable (AT-LP2022)

At Audio-Technica, our commitment towards a human-centered analogue philosophy has never changed and we are more determined than ever to create the next generation of products and services that will enrich our society.

The Dual Moving Coil Stereo Cartridge (AT-MC2022, €10,000) is the result of 60 years of phono cartridge research and is the key product that stands us out from the rest in the industry.

Phono cartridge is the part of the record player which converts information within the grooves of the vinyl record into an electrical signal that can be amplified to produce sound.

The highlight of the cartridge is its unified stylus-cantilever, which is formed from a single lab-grown diamond. This unique construction eliminates the distortion caused by conventional bonding of stylus to cantilever, allowing for a purer transmission of the vibration from the record groove to the coils. This innovative moving coil cartridge produces a sharp, vibrant soundscape that lets you hear and feel every detail of your music.