May 1966
Concert Junior ST-55 Released
A key product in the Onkyo lineage was the ST-55—a “desktop separate” audio system that was totally unique at the time. Thanks to its superb engineering and sound quality, the product was nominated as the “No.1 Stereo Product” by Kurashino-Techo magazine and gained instant popularity.
December 1967
E-83A Speaker Leads to Development of Scepter Series
Stereo Sound magazine evaluates Onkyo’s first E-83A 3-Way speaker featuring a massive 30 cm woofer as one of the best of 33 selected products in its March 1968 issue. The speaker, which dazzled reviewers, was the forerunner to Onkyo’s famous Scepter series.
March 1968
Scepter Driver Series Debuts
The core concept for the development of the Scepter speaker series was the accurate reproduction of any audio source. To this end, Onkyo included a low-distortion horn tweeter that helped produced a pure, easy-to-enjoy sound. This speaker shaped the ideal that continues to inform Onkyo product design today: striving for the pure enjoyment of sound.
September 1968
First Multi-amp Stereo Product Released
September 1968 marked the date Onkyo brought audiophile-grade sound to the mass market with the release of the quad-amp MC2200, cementing its commitment to bringing the highest possible sound quality to as many people as possible.
September 1969
Introduction of the Integra Series
The introduction of the Integra Series was a landmark in Onkyo’s history. It exemplified the company’s desire to amplify the input signal with the utmost fidelity while preserving the true dynamics of the recording. This series helped form the cornerstone of Onkyo’s amplifier design.
December 1970
Integra 725 Strikes Gold
Onkyo again broke new ground with the release of the iconic Integra 725 amplifier. At the time, the industry standard for phono overload was 100 mV, but the company managed to extend this to 200 mV—and the increased margin resulted in magnificent sound clarity
1970
First Onkyo Headphones Released
Onkyo’s current range of headphones/earphones has a linage that stretches back some 40 years to the H-01A, which debuted in 1970. These headphones featured a big dynamic driver in a tough plastic housing, and they actually performed something like a compact loudspeaker. Maximum input power was 500 mW and frequency range was impressively wide at 30–13,000 Hz.
1970
Scepter120 Released
The Scepter120 4-Way speaker system was based on the original Scepter Series. This high-end speaker featured a large 30 cm woofer, a horn squawker, and tweeter/super tweeter with acoustic lens all housed in a 120-liter sealed enclosure. In contrast to bookshelf-type speakers, this speaker employed a 40 mm-thick baffle and multiple terminals to allow the user to switch between different amps more easily.
March 1971
First 4-Channel Stereo X-1 System Debuts
Stereo systems in the early ’70s mainly consisted of three separate components—the source/amp and a pair of speakers. Onkyo was among the first to introduce a second pair of speakers for “surround” quadrophonic sound September 1971
Company Name Changes
Company name changes from Osaka Onkyo K.K. to Onkyo Corporation.
with its 4-channel X-1 system.
1972
Iconic Integra 931 Released
The Integra 931 power amplifier was part of the Integra 725 system and attracted considerable attention with its steam-locomotive-like design featuring exposed transformer and heat sink.
July 1972
Onkyo Europe Electronics GmbH Established
In July 1972, Onkyo established Onkyo Deutschland G.m.b.H Electronics in Munich, Germany. This company was created to orchestrate product exports to Europe and fine-tune sound quality for that market.
November 1972
Headquarters Relocated
Company headquarters are relocated to 2-1 Nissin-cho, Neyagawa City, Osaka, and the Acoustic Technology Research Center established.
1973
Intec 405 Showcases Quadrophonic Sound
The Intec 405 stereo system incorporated a 4-Channel decoder to play the nascent quadrophonic audio format popularized by bands such as the Allman Brothers and Pink Floyd. The amp could automatically read three 4-Channel-type recordings (CD-4/RM/SQ).
1973
CP-80M Record Player Released
This carefully engineered direct-drive record player was powered by a DC servo motor and incorporated select materials for the cabinet and insulator, m1974
Speaker Catalog Featuring Scepter Series Released
An abundance of Onkyo speakers were showcased in a new catalog released in 1974. All represented the pinnacle of technology developed by Onkyo since its formation, and each model allowed the user to enjoy the maximum possible audio quality according to his or her budget.
aking it resistant to internal and external vibrations.
April 1975
License Series Component System Released
Onkyo released the License201, License301, License501 in 1975 to wide acclaim due to their exceptionally good sound quality and stylish design. At the time, the market was trending back from separate to integrated systems.