Denon, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment products, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010. In 100 years of significant and innovative “firsts,” Denon has continuously brought passion, artistry and the best of technologies to discriminating customers around the world, always providing them with a superior home entertainment experience.
Denon Background: Legacy of Firsts
In Japan in 1910, an American trader named Frederick Whitney Horn established a company called Nippon Chikuonki Shoukai (Japan Recorders Corporation). With his Japanese partners, he released the company’s first product: a single disc record and gramophone. The brand name “Denon” was born in the late 1930s and ever since has become synonymous with the development of groundbreaking technologies and products for consumer and professional use.
Noted Hirofumi Ichikawa, President Denon Brand Company: “Through creative passion and technical brilliance, Denon has delivered many groundbreaking firsts. We are now celebrating 100 years of history, and looking forward to the next 100 years. Denon has not only maintained focus through these years, but continues to be a driving force that helps revolutionize our industry. Our innovations have led to the development of entirely new product categories, with\ new ways of enjoying not only music, but movies as well, offering the best solutions for quality home entertainment. Denon does all of this with one simple and unwavering philosophy: to deliver exactly what the original artist intended, a superior audio and video experience.”
Throughout its century of innovation, Denon has built a strong Legacy of Firsts, including introduction of the first professional disc recorder (1939), the first sales of stereo records and stereo systems in Japan (1951) and invention of the first PCM recorder (1970), which marked the basis of today’s CD format. In 1982 Denon debuted another historical first – the first consumer-use CD player (DCD-2000). With the advent of home theater technologies, Denon again became the first to release a home cinema component supporting Dolby Digital/THX 5.1 decoding for enjoying the best in multi-channel content.
Underlying this Legacy of Firsts are three constants that have defined and differentiated Denon historically, and are a promise for the future: passion, artistry and technology.
Passion for Audio and Video
For Denon, the creation of audio and video products that can deliver the highest quality experience to consumers is a driving passion and the reason the company exists. Nowadays, as music has become more mobile and digital, quality becomes even more relevant. Denon is passionate about developing and leveraging technologies, so that in any format, customers can enjoy a purity of sound quality that will enhance their lives. Denon’s solution, whether it’s a simple Hi-Fi mini system or full home theater system, is to stir the listener’s soul and make the experience real and alive. Products are designed to reproduce at home the same air, energy and emotion felt on the stage, in the studio or at the theater.
Artistry
Denon engineers and employees are musicians and music lovers. They dream and imagine and work across a broad canvas of tools and technologies to design the most innovative new products. They also strive to create products of beauty and desire to reflect the taste and sensibilities of the future owners, to perfectly add to their living rooms and lifestyles. Everybody at Denon is dedicated to the artistry and the creativity of the products. All are working together to imagine the future and how to improve Denon products and customer service.
Technology
From the beginnings of compact disc to the rise of surround sound and now to mobility, streaming, and networking, Denon has not only evolved with technologies, but has been a leader and innovator that has developed and introduced these technologies to the world and made them accessible to consumers. Denon is proud of its products and wants its customers to be proud as well. Denon products begin as ideas. They are not just objects of metal that have been assembled, but rather, objects of care in which each detail has been labored over in order to perfect and optimize overall design and sound quality.
Become part of our Anniversary Celebration
Throughout the year Denon will celebrate its 100th anniversary at some of the world’s most important exhibitions. This is a monumental point in Denon’s history, so the company is inviting everyone to join in the celebration. To this end, Denon has launched a special Anniversary website, www.denon100.com, where people can learn all about the company’s “Legacy of Firsts,” and most importantly, the people whose passion for audio and video perfection drive everything Denon does. To further let our current and future Denon customers become a part of this celebration, Denon will release several limited-edition anniversary products later this year.
For further information on Denon’s 100th anniversary and other Denon news, please visit: http://www.denon100.com, http://usblog.denon.com and http://usa.denon.com.
History Timeline: 100 Years of Groundbreaking Milestones
1910: Nippon Chikuonki Shoukai (Japan Recorders Corporation) was established and commenced sales of Japan’s first phonograph
1939: Developed and manufactured Japan’s first professional-use disc recorder for NHK
1945: First recording of Japan’s Emperor Hirohito—his speech ending WWII recorded on Denon equipment
1951: Commenced sales of Japan’s first LP records
1958: Commenced sales of Japan’s first stereo records and stereo system
1964: Commenced sales of the legendary MC Phono Cartridge (still available today) for professional use
1970: First AC servo direct phono motor using pulse magnetic field detection for professional use
1972: Developed the world’s first practical PCM digital recorder for regular studio recording use, thus launching the digital audio revolution
1981: Developed the world’s first professional-use CD player
1982: Commenced sales of the world’s first consumer-use CD player
1987: Debut of world’s first CD cart player for professional use
1993: Debut of world’s first dual CD player for DJs with seamless looping and onboard sampler
1995: Launch of world’s first home theater system to support Dolby Digital decoding with Lucasfilm THX 5.1post processing
2000: Launch of world’s first DTS-ES discrete A/V components
2009: Launch of world’s first ‘universal’ disc (BD, SACD, DVD-A/V, CD) player
