Audio-Technica celebrates 60 years
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Company founder Hideo Matsushita developed the first AT-1 cartridge on 17 April 1962 with the aim to bring the warmth of analogue listening to a wider audience. He was inspired by the depth of emotion he witnessed at vinyl listening sessions organised during his tenure at the Bridgestone Museum of Arts in Tokyo.
The success of the AT-1 and the AT-3 enabled him to expand the business, opening an HQ in Machida, where the company continues to operate today.
In 1974, Audio-Technica started producing headphones, adding microphones in 1978. When Kazuo Matsushita, son of Hideo, became president in 1993, the business continued to expand, opening offices throughout the world and developing products such as the modern VM series of cartridges, the ATH-M50x headphones and the AT2020 microphone.
Kazuo Matsushita comments: “It is an honour to provide a quality audio experience to millions of people throughout the world. What begins as a simple vibration - a subtle movement - results in an emotional connection, whether that be when listening deeply to an album or sharing your voice with the world.”
