Company History

1946

The first step towards pure audio.

Osaka Denki ONKYO K.K. is established and begins manufacturing phonograph pickups. The CP-1000—the first product to bear the ONKYO brand—goes on sale. It retails for ¥300—this in a period when the average monthly income is ¥500.

1966

Selected as a “Best Buy” in Japan by Consumer Report “Kurashi no Techo”

The ST-55 tabletop separate-component stereo system starts selling. Its performance, sound quality, and no-frills functional beauty make it a runaway best seller. A boom in tabletop separate component stereo systems is triggered.

1968

The slogan "four amplifiers” scores a big hit.

The MC2200 multi-channel stereo is announced in the midst of a multi-channel stereo boom in Japan.

1970

ONKYO wins first prize in the preamplifier category at the first Stereo Component Grand Prix (Japan).

The Integra A725 preamplifier system starts selling. New technical methods are employed for 90% of the design process, making the A725 the first of a new generation of products. MITI awards ONKYO the G-Mark for design excellence.

1981

Automatic continuous playback, high-speed dubbing, and simultaneous mixing become available in consumer products for the first time.

The TA-W800—the world's first high-speed dubbing, double-cassette tape deck— start selling. Consumers are now able to enjoy a wide variety of tape-editing functions.

1985

The world's first CD player—the C-700—with optical data transfer is marketed.

This revolutionary CD player uses a method to link the digital and analog blocks by using optical switching signals to prevent digital signal interference. The result is an improvement in the sound quality of digital audio components.

1987

ONKYO gains a strong reputation in the United States as an AV receiver manufacturer.

The TX-SV7M AV receiver equipped with Dolby Surround decoding starts selling. The lineup of quality products is topped by the super-deluxe and best-selling TX-SV909PRO.

1992

Quest Integra and Quest Scepter marketed.

These products feature a new design concept and employ carefully selected materials and parts.

1993

World’s First THX™-Certified A/V Receiver Released

Onkyo joins forces with Lucasfilm to launch the world’s first THX™ certified A/V receiver, the two-channel TX-SV919THX. The Lucasfilm division later becomes known as THX Ltd, provider of the leading quality-assurance certification program in the home theater industry.

1996

World’s First THX™-Certified 5.1 Channel A/V Receiver Released

Onkyo builds on the THX relationship with the TX-DS939, the world’s first THX certified 5.1-channel receiver. This model makes a huge impact in the world of immersive home theater.

1998

Onkyo Micro Fiber (OMF) Appears in Speakers

OMF is first used to construct Onkyo speaker cones. The fiber is shown to be effective in absorbing surface vibrations while enabling a fast, accurate response.

2000

World’s First 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver with THX’s Surround EX

As Dolby Digital decoding enters the mainstream, the TX-DS989 pushes even further with THX Surround EX, which creates a truly immersive experience with effects steered behind the listener

2004

World’s First Fully Modular AV Home Network Receiver Introduced

With back-side slots for replaceable modules, the TX-NR1000 gives a glimpse of the potential for A/V receivers to be upgradeable, customized components. The TX-NR1000 is also one of the first receivers to include network connectivity, as Onkyo’s proprietary Net-Tune interfaces with HDMI and IEEE1394 modules

2007

World’s First Receivers Featuring Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD® Master Audio and HQV Reon VX Introduced

Representing the first generation of A/V receivers to handle both video and audio in high definition, the TX-NR905 and TX-SR875 decode studio master-quality sound using the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs. These two receivers are also the first to incorporate the video processing power of HQV Reon VX.