The Eclipse TD 508 and TD 512 monitor systems, based on Time Domain principles, were launched in Japan in April 2001 (where they received a Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation award) and shown publicly in Europe for the first time at the Hi-Fi Show in London in September. Following the immediate success of the speakers in Japan, public reaction at the Hi-Fi Show, and recording industry response at a number of private studio demonstrations, the board of Fujitsu Ten Ltd, Japan took the decision to establish a UK operation. Based in west London, Eclipse TD (UK) Ltd is headed by managing director Hiroshi Kato.
Commenting on the new venture at a reception at Abbey Road Studios held to mark the launch of the UK company, Mr. Kato told us: "This is the culmination of a long term process of design and evaluation in which the people here in the UK have been closely involved, in co-operation with the design team in Japan. We have been active in evaluating the speaker design in the field, on recording sessions and with leading recording engineers and studios.
Several leading studios and engineers are already evaluating the Eclipse TD 512 in critical monitoring applications, including Gary Thomas, chief engineer at Angel Studios, Videosonics, and the major new Sphere Studio complex in south London.
(Ruth Rossington)
