Technics 60 Years Anniversary

A Journey of Music Rediscovery This year marks the 40th anniversary of the DMC World DJ Championships—a stage that has given rise to groundbreaking DJ techniques and bold new forms of musical expression, enriching music culture around the world. In this milestone year, Technics also celebrates its 60th anniversary. It’s a moment for us to express heartfelt thanks to the fans who have supported us through the years, and to reaffirm our commitment to passing on audio and DJ culture to the next generation.

Our philosophy is Rediscover Music.  In an era where high-quality music is more accessible than ever, we aim to bring fresh encounters with sound to people everywhere—through the technology and spirit we've cultivated over six decades. We believe in the power of music to connect, inspire, and evolve. That’s why we continue to partner with DMC and support DJs worldwide—to shape the future of music culture together.

The name “Technics” comes from “technology.” True to that name, the brand was born in 1965 out of engineers’ passionate belief that technology could drive the evolution of music culture. Over the past 60 years, Technics has introduced a number of world-firsts and best-in-class innovations—products that have not only shaped the industry but helped the brand grow into what it is today.

Since its inception, we have aimed to “faithfully represent sound expression of the creators and performers and deliver the best possible musical experience to listeners.” We remain perpetually inquisitive and curious, questioning common sense and pushing ourselves to go beyond the limits. Our goal is to contribute to the development of music culture worldwide. We will continue to move forward alongside those who love music.

We hope you are enjoying the journey…

1965

The genesis of the brand

Technics launched its first bookshelf-type speaker system, Technics 1. With the philosophy that “unless we improve acoustic characteristics, we can’t reproduce great sound,” Technics began releasing a series of products backed by extensive research and technology—rather than relying solely on engineers’ ears. Critically acclaimed, the Technics 1 became a commercial success, setting the tone for the innovations that followed.

1970

The Dawn of a New Era in Turntable Technology

The development of direct-drive turntables began with a desire from fans for a belt-drive player that would remain consistent even in freezing temperatures. This led to the development of a direct-drive system, where the turntable spins directly on the shaft of a low-speed motor. The result was the SP-10, the world’s first direct-drive turntable with unparalleled rotational performance and robustness…becoming the catalyst for the creation of DJ play. 

1975

Pivotal Time in the Evolution of Speaker Systems

The creation of the Technics 7 (SB-7000), the world’s first linear phase speaker, solved problematic phase characteristics and directional anomalies found in other multi-way speaker systems. Before this product, it was believed that human ears could not detect phase misalignment and misaligned sound waves coming from speakers. The Technics 7 proved this common belief completely wrong.

1976

Iconic Open Reel Tape Deck: A Symbol of 100 Years of Audio Innovation

In the 1970s, the open reel tape deck market was undergoing significant changes. Technics adopted an innovative approach by developing and commercializing a unique single-capstan closed-loop system that fully utilized direct-drive motors. The outcome was the RS-1500U that delivered high performance, including tape running stabilization and noise reduction.

1977

Pursuit for the World’s Best Amplifier System

To demonstrate its technological prowess, Technics tackled the challenge of developing the highest quality amplifiers to faithfully reproduce musical waveforms. The results were groundbreaking innovations, the SE-A1, a top-of-the-line ‘Class-A+ power amplifier,’ and the SU-A2 preamplifier with Class-A operation in all stages. These special amplifiers were built to order, with only one unit made per day. 

1979

Jacket-Size Turntable Inducted into MoMA’s Permanent Collection

The SL-10 jacket-sized turntable system was designed with an emphasis on functional beauty. It introduced several innovative technologies, including a newly developed linear tracking tonearm and the original T4P cartridge, to achieve its compact size. The Technics SL-10 quickly gained recognition as a masterpiece. It won numerous awards, including the Good Design Award in Japan. It was also honoured by being included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

1982

Driving the Digital Age from Its Genesis

1982 saw the introduction of compact discs, prompting Technics to develop a CD player utilizing all available technological advancements. Aiming for exceptional sound quality and user-friendliness, the SL-P10 set a new standard for future consumer optical disc players, including DVD and Blu-ray disc players.

1988

Vienna State Opera and Technics

The Audio Flat Panel (AFP) speaker was designed to capture the shimmering air and immersive experience of live music in a concert hall. After evaluating 80 different test models and conducting thorough computer simulations, the first unit of the AFP1000 was delivered to the Vienna State Opera, one of the world’s leading opera houses, where it was used for rehearsals by opera singers.

1988

Artwork that Produces Sound

The SST-1 twin-load horn speaker system utilized a unique acoustic design. Known for delivering authentic hi-fi sound from a form resembling a wind instrument, it achieved both functional and aesthetic excellence. Another permanent fixture of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

2000

The Original High-resolution Audio

The world’s first DVD audio player, the DVD-A10 was designed with a focus on high-sound quality in every aspect, including signal processing, materials, and vibration countermeasures. Since then, Technics has been committed to high-quality high-resolution playback technology.

2014

Rediscover Music – Rebirth of Technics

With the rise of compressed audio formats like MP3 and the decline of analog audio sources, the Technics brand was put on hiatus. However, the evolution of digital media and the introduction of Hi-Res audio formats prompted a revitalized approach to delivering a modern musical experience. Since then, brand new Technics has been dedicated to exploring new technologies in both the analog and digital realms.

Advancing Superior Sound through Digital Technology

To fully capture the rich sound detail of high-resolution audio sources, Technics developed a unique full-digital amplifier called the JENO Engine. Additionally, they created Load Adaptive Phase Calibration (LAPC) technology, which measures the characteristics of each connected speaker and corrects them for the ideal impulse response using digital signal processing.

Surpassing Conventional Analog Technology

As analog sound sources gained renewed appreciation, Technics developed a coreless direct-drive motor that dramatically improved sound quality by eliminating cogging, a common issue with conventional direct-drive motors. This innovation was perfected into a Direct Drive Turntable System, making it highly suitable for today’s music scene.

Integration of Digital and Analog Sound Technologies

Technics also began utilizing advanced digital control technology to improve sound quality produced by audio devices. ΔΣ-Drive (Delta Sigma) was developed in 2023. This drive can suppress slight rotational irregularities and minute vibrations by reducing distortion of the signal driving the direct-drive motor, enabling even higher sound quality in record playback. Model Based Diaphragm Control (MBDC) in the Wireless Speaker System SC-CX700 is a signal processing technology that generates distortion correction signals by simulating diaphragm movement.