Technics Brand to Return to Deliver Emotionally-Engaging Sound and Musical Experiences

Panasonic Corporation today announced that it will launch its audio products under the Technics brand name again, reviving its brand long synonymous with high-quality hi-fi sound to deliver richer, emotionally-engaging sound and musical experiences. New Technics-branded hi-fi audio systems will be released first in the European market in December 2014 and later in other parts of the world.

The Technics brand was used for Panasonic's hi-fi audio systems that were marketed around the world from 1965 to 2010. The brand name was coined from the word "technology" that faithfully reproduces original sounds, and symbolized Panasonic's commitment to the creation of high-quality audio.

The Technics brand debuted in 1965 with the launch of the Technics 1, a closed-type two-way two-unit speaker system*1. In 1970, Panasonic, then known as Matsushita Electric Industrial, released the Technics SP-10, the world's first direct-drive*2 (DD) turntable, and followed that up with a wide array of high-quality audio products, including control amplifiers, power amplifiers and CD players, which enjoyed strong support among audio aficionados around the globe.

As the company was renamed Panasonic in 2008, audio products were united under the Panasonic brand. The Quartz Synthesizer DD Player*3 SL-1200MK6, released in 2008, was the last audio product under the Technics brand and its production was ceased in 2010. Meanwhile, Panasonic's sound technicians continued their pursuit of the ultimate sound reproduction with passion and commitment, developing new technologies along the way. In particular, Panasonic focused on the research and development of new digital audio technology, using highly-advanced, cutting-edge digital signal processing technology. Nowadays, audio fans are demanding equipment that delivers more realistic, high-quality sound, as music has become part of their lifestyles, with the way they enjoy music becoming more diversified as well as the increasing availability of high-resolution audio*4 that offers quality surpassing that of CD.

As its 50th anniversary comes up in 2015, the Technics brand is about to be reborn, through many years of evolution, as the quintessential mix of Panasonic's traditional sound technology and advanced digital technology.

Through the new Technics, Panasonic will bring to discerning music and audio fans around the world a whole new level of wonder and inspiration by delivering authentic sounds, true to the artists' original intention.

For more information

• Video : Technics Reborn
• Video : Rediscover Music
• Technics Website
• Technics Facebook @technics.global
• Technics Twitter @technics
• Photo:Panasonic IFA 2014 Official Press Conference
• Panasonic IFA 2014 Press Kit

Notes:
*1: Small high performance speaker system with a 12cm 12PL50 woofer for reproducing rich bass and a high performance 5HH17 horn-type tweeter
*2: Drive system with the axle of the motor connected directly to the turntable, enabling low speed revolution without vibration
*3: Method for controlling the revolution speed of turntables through precision crystal oscillation
*4: Audio with a higher resolution than that of CD
[High-resolution audio defined by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA): Either one of sampling frequency or quantization bit rate must be greater than the audio CD specification (44.1 - 48kHz, 16bit), with the other equal or greater than the CD specification (LPCM conversion).]

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