Collection: Audio Technica

Audio Technica in India at The Revolver Club

Audio Technica is one of the most popular companies amongst the professionals working in the field of audio such as audio technicians, sound engineers, music directors, and composers. It started as a manufacturer of high-end phonograph cartridges. In India too, the trend is the same.

Lately, Audio Technica creates some of the best Hi-Fi and high-performance audio products such as microphones, mixers, wireless systems, headphones, and other electronic products that can be used professionally or at home. In the past ten years, Audio Technica has gone back to its roots by producing turntables. Some of its leading turntables are the Audio Technica AT LP60 and the Audio Technica LP60. The Revolver Club's online retail store is the ideal site for audiophiles who were wondering where to buy Audio Technica LP60 and other Audio Technica's high-quality hi-fi audio equipment.

Audio Technica was established in 1962 by Hideo Matsushita with one clear vision, "I believe in quality audio for everyone." This is the guiding vision and the favorite quote of one of the most reliable and technically expert entrepreneurs in the history of the audio manufacturing business. Hideo was 42 when he started Audio Technica, and he backed his start-up with a lot of experience and know-how of the hi-fi audio industry. He understood the need of the market for high-quality audio equipment that could complement the demand for high-performance audio.

So Hideo Matsushita decided that the first product that they will manufacture would be phonograph cartridges. From there, the journey of Audio Technica has been nothing short of extraordinary. After the Phono cartridges, Audio Technica got into manufacturing various products eventually becoming a backbone of the audio industry.

Audio Technica has been an integral part of some of the biggest live shows of the world such as the Grammy's, the CMA awards, the Summer and Winter Olympics, from 1996 to 2012. such shows are some of the most significant programs of the world. This is why only high-quality audio equipment is used for such events, and that's where Audio Technica excels.

Hideo Matsushita’s vision of good audio for everyone is now coming to fruition with industry-leading Audio Technica headphones that are being lauded not just by audio professionals in the industry but also hardcore audiophiles.

Audio Technica India (Audio Technica arm registered in India) has maintained a steady market share of the professional and consumer hi-fi audio products in India. The Audio Technica turntable LP120 is one of the best professional DJ level turntables available. Hence a lot of DJs in India had written to Audio Technica asking to know where to buy audio Technica LP120 turntable online in India. Audio Technica India has happily replied to the queries stating that the Audio Technica products are now available to buy online via various retailers one of them being The Revolver Club.

History of Audio Technica and Hideo Matsushita

Hideo Matsushita was a man of stability, focus and determination. He loved listening to music, and he loved the dynamic world of technology. He was expressive about his passion for music and for devices that brought music to the world.

He spent ten years working at Tokyo's Bridgestone Museum of Art. In his ten years, he couldn't stay away from his love of music. The Museum director was aware of Hideo's love and knowledge of music, so he urged Hideo to organize events of listening to music on Vinyl LPs. Hideo Matsushita successfully held vinyl records hearing events. During these years he had the chance to spend a lot of time with high-quality audio equipment. It was during this time he resolved that he will come up with his own products that will be better and cheaper than the ones available in the market.

So in 1962, he founded Audio Technica in a one-story rental barrack in Shinjuku. With just three employees in the beginning, Hideo started manufacturing their first product, an AT-1 Stereo cartridge. Within no time the team strength had grown to 20 people. The team worked late each night, and they only stopped working for having dinner at the ramen shop opposite the office.

Following the ten year stint at the museum, during which time he organised several successful LP listening programs, Matsushita struck out on his own, by establishing Audio-Technica as a way of making his beliefs and designs for easily accessible, quality phono cartridges a reality.

The debut product of Audio Technica was so revolutionary that the other companies around the world too showed interest in its design. Soon the design was internationally patented. This is because the design of the phono cartridge was completely different from others in the market as it duplicated the structure of the cutter head of the lathes used to carve out record grooves. The design is still used today and is called "VM".

The price of VM dual moving magnet cartridge was affordable, and at the same time, it delivered quality soundstage. This helped Audio Technica make many fans in Japan, and slowly the talks of the amazing company spread worldwide.

After all these years, now that Audio Technica hot got back into the production of analog audio products such as the Audio Technica turntable LP120 and the Audio Technica AT LP60, the reflection of supreme quality is noticeable.

Under Hideo's leadership, the company grew its market share in cartridges, which became Audio Technica's largest business segment through the 1970s and 1980s. Noticing the high demand for its products, Hideo decided to open up an arm in the US for the European and American markets. So in 1972, Audio Technica opened up a manufacturing facility in Akron, Ohio.

In 1974, Audio Technica released their first ever stereo headphones, the AT-700 series the foundation of the best studio headphones available in the market today including the legendary ATH-M50s.

In 1980s Audio Technica entered the consumer speaker market with the brands such as Signet and Design Acoustics.

Right from the start of the 90s the company went back to pro-audio products as it was more aligned with their market following of sound and audio technicians. They extended the product portfolio from output devices such as speakers, transducers and cartridges to input devices/sound recording devices such as Microcassette recorders, and in the 90s, the microphones.

Their portfolio of these audio products has since then been stable and secured with wireless microphone systems, studio monitoring headphones, and much more.

Hideo Matsushita passed away at the age of 93 on 5th March 2017 due to natural causes. But his vision lives on.

It was Hideo Matsushita's idea that the company should get back to selling analog audio products. Audio Technica took his words seriously and even though they have released some of the best turntables such as the Audio Technica AT LP60 for effortless music and Audio Technica LP120 for professional DJ level playback, they have released nine new turntables in CES 2019.

Awards and Accolades

Audio Technica has focused more on its technology than anything else. This is what has garnered respect for the high-quality audio equipment they have manufactured and has aided the efforts of numerous sound technicians and engineers around the world. This is why Audio Technica has made award winning a habit of sorts.

Starting the awards streak just three years after the company's inception, Audio Technica received an award from the prestigious Agency of Industrial Science and Technology for the tone arm package of AT-1001 in 1965.

In 1974 the AT-15E VM phono cartridge won numerous awards including the Stereo Components Grand Prix competition top prize in the phono cartridge category. In 1978 Audio Technica wins MITI Good Design Award for its headphones, ATH-7 & ATH-8.

In the 1980s Audio Technica was seen getting busy in widening its product range and making a lot of strategic moves such as moving the headquarters to Machida, Tokyo. Then it released a series of various product which called for the establishment of Audio-Technica Taiwan Co. Ltd.

Some of the notable awards received by Audio Technica in the following years are - Best microphone award for The AT4033 condenser microphone in1991 at the Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention and the outstanding technical achievement at the 24th annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (TEC) in the Wireless Technology category.

Audio Technica in India

Audio Technica India has a reputation amongst audio professionals and consumers alike. The legendary ATH-M50 has been their best selling headphone in India whereas their Audio Technica turntable LP120 has been the top choice for professional DJs.

At the consumer audio market, Audio Technica India has noticed that consumer audiophiles have given a warm welcome to the Bluetooth wireless version of ATH-M50 and at the same time the rest of the headphones models such as the ATH-M20, the ATH-M30, and the ATH-M40s have become best sellers at online retail stores. The Audio Technica AT LP60 has turned out to be the choice for those who prefer to listen to their music on a turntable.

Audio Technica India has also seen a surge in a number of music festivals and shows where Audio Technica's high-quality audio equipment has been used in India. Products such as wireless microphone systems, condenser microphones, studio monitor headphones, etc. have found a big audience in India.

Audio Technica India is proud to have received such a great response from a country with music at its heart. The team at The Revolver Club and other such online retailers are hopeful that Audio Technica will release more products in India so that the consumers and audiophiles in India have access to their amazing products. And so that they don't have to search too hard to buy Audio Technica LP120 and other such top Audio Technica products in India.