As it turned out, I needed every one of those site visits and meetings to fully grasp the remarkable complexities of the Japanese audio industry. Going into the trip, I thought the answers to my questions would come quickly and easily. I met with founders, executives, designers, storeowners, importers, trainers, and factory supervisors. Still, with the help of my hosts, I packed in visits to corporate HQs, factories large and small, a museum dedicated to audio, several elaborate listening rooms, a “dojo” (training center), and a Tokyo high-end dealer. I allotted one week, which wasn’t enough time, but was the most I could spare. You can’t ask for more than that.Īnd so my Japanese audio odyssey began. Everyone I met was genuinely intent on helping me get the answers I sought. I can’t thank Technics and Esoteric enough for offering their time, people, facilities, and knowledge. As a bonus, both companies have spearheaded the changes I’d observed, making them valuable information sources. To my delight, not one but two firms, Technics and Esoteric, stepped up to support this project. So I began looking for a host company willing to guide me through Japan’s labyrinthine corporate structures (and city streets), arrange meetings, and handle other logistics. To cover all that ground, I’d clearly need considerable in-country support. Besides understanding why large companies were suddenly so interested in the high end, why established players were breaking out of their comfort zones, and why innovation had become not only permissible but encouraged, I hoped to learn whether there was some overarching technical or sonic philosophy that translates to a Japanese “sound.” I’ve been wondering for some time what’s behind these developments, and I knew that the only way to find out for sure was to visit Japan. In an industry that built its reputation on traditional design and quality production, placing such a high priority on technology represents a seismic shift. Consider the aforementioned Technics R1 Reference series, which deploys a bevy of technical advances to grapple with some of audio’s most entrenched challenges. Perhaps the industry’s most intriguing tack lies deep within the new components themselves: a focus on technical innovation. But when the companies involved have spent literally decades cultivating a much narrower market niche, such changes take on greater significance. In another context, these expansions would be business as usual. Esoteric simultaneously pushed further upmarket with its cost-no-object Grandioso series. Recently, all three of Japan’s high-end stalwarts-Esoteric, Accuphase, and Luxman-introduced lower-priced models. In 2013, for instance, guitar giant Gibson purchased TEAC along with its Esoteric subsidiary.Īnother area where Japan’s audio landscape has changed is market positioning. In the same timeframe, additional investment was coming from outside the country. These unexpected moves represented a dramatic increase in interest and investment in the high end from two of Japan’s largest corporations. Its inaugural offering was the $53,000 R1 Reference Series, pointedly launched in the hallowed high-end halls of the Venetian during CES. Shortly thereafter Panasonic, another company traditionally focused on the heart of consumer electronics, revived its premium Technics line, which had been dormant since 2000. At $27,000, this product was decidedly not intended for the masses. The first was in 2011, when Sony, that quintessential mass-market brand, released the SS-AR1 speaker. For a country whose culture encourages cautious evolution, there have been a whole lot of big changes in a short time. Something is definitely afoot in the Japanese audio industry.
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