2024 marks 50 years since Audio-Technica brought its very first headphone model to market. Over the course of the last five decades, the brand has established itself as a respected leader in headphone innovation, remaining committed to founder Hideo Matsushita’s mission of delivering “quality sound for everyone.”
In 1974, Audio-Technica launched the AT-700 series, its first foray into headphone production. Up until this point, the brand had become widely acclaimed for its innovative turntable cartridges, the result of Matsushita’s passion for analogue audio having witnessed the emotional reaction visitors had during his listening parties in Tokyo. With the ‘70s signalling a growing demand for portable listening, Audio-Technica brought this expertise in transducer technology to develop drivers capable of reproducing pure, natural audio on-the-go in the AT-700 range.
From there, in 1977, the ATH series was released, a line of dynamic over-ear headphones which laid the foundation for the award-winning ATH-M50 studio monitoring range launched 30 years later. The ATH-M50s quickly earned a reputation for their balanced audio and robust construction and following feedback from its loyal customer base, the brand subsequently introduced the ATH-M50x professional home studio headphones. Loved by some of the world’s biggest artists and casual listeners alike, these have become Audio-Technica’s best-selling headphones globally. Their wireless counterparts were released in 2018, retaining the range’s signature sound quality.
Audio-Technica has demonstrated equally impressive expertise in the in-ear headphone category. In 1982, the brand released its first in-ears, the ATH-mini3, alongside the iconic Sound Burger turntable for the ultimate ‘80s portable listening experience. Further down the line, the release of models like the ATH-CKS50s, along with the development of the brand’s own Quiet Point noise-cancelling technology and Solid Bass sound experience, helped Audio-Technica earn the title of the number one headphone brand in Japan. Since then, it has prioritised superior sound quality while refining the compact designs, advanced driver technology, long battery life, and enhanced noise-cancellation reflected in recent models such as the ATH-CKS30TW+.
Over the years, Audio-Technica has continued to celebrate its heritage, showcasing impressive Japanese craftsmanship by experimenting with different materials for its headphone housing. In 1996, its first wooden headphones, the ATH-W10VTG, launched. Their beautiful appearance and authentic sound quality firmly established the model as a winner with both critics and consumers. 17 wooden models have since been released which utilise a range of woods to achieve a natural sense of fullness and harmonics but also pay homage to ancient Japanese traditions such as the use of Kurogaki in the recent ATH-AWKG headphones.
Today, Audio-Technica’s entire headphone range is enjoyed by millions of consumers across the globe. Looking towards the future, the brand is particularly excited to continue expanding its analogue offering, especially with the resurgence of vinyl and home listening setups. Speaking to the 50th anniversary, President of Audio-Technica Kazuo Matsushita says: “Since 1974, we have developed various technologies to reflect the changes in the market – from the adoption of smartphones to the expansion of home studios – however, we have always remained true to our analogue core, as we still start every process in our HQ with a transducer. I look forward to the next 50 years of bringing quality audio to all.”