Denon founded Onkyo?

[zumbo]

Denon. Originally founded in 1938. The name is short for Nihon Denki Onkyo.

Check out this link.

Rotel based in Hong Kong. Originally known as Roland. Oh, it's time for some deep digging. Lots of information listed on the above link.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Great Post

Excellent post, Zumbo. I thought I'd post the paragraph on Denon. They "merged" with Marantz in 2001, as well as McIntosh. I didn't know they were also involved with Mission, Dali, Arcam, and Infinity! Hmmm.

Denon
A Japanese manufacturer that curiously enough is best known in the west for their consumer audio and home theatre products but is better known in Asia as a supplier of professional audio products especially in the broadcast sector. Notable for selling the worlds first digital audio recorders and later the first hard disk recorder. Originally founded in 1938 as Nihon Denki Onkyo but soon became better known by the shortened form, but "Den-on" can mean "electric sound" in Japanese. The company was taken over by Nippon Columbia in 1963 and Denon absorbed what used to be the hardware arm of that company, it's for that reason that Denon still releases consumer electronics using the Columbia brand in Japan. Later became a part of the Hitachi group and likewise absorbed some of the audio product lines of that company, was re-established as a fully independent entry in 2001 but merged with Marantz in 2002 to form D&M Holdings but R&D and marketing remains separate from the mother company. Denon USA also acts as the NA distributor for Mission and Denon Japan acts as the distributor for Dali, A & R Cambridge (ARCAM), Infinity and Kimber Kable. Official homepage. US homepage.
Distributed in Malaysia by Hwee Seng Malaysia, in Romania by Lotus Telecom, in Singapore by Hwee Seng and in Switzerland by Koenig Apparate AG.

Here's the beef on the parent company:

D&M Holdings
The company that owns Denon, Marantz and McIntosh. Created in March 2002 by the merger of aforementioned Denon and Marantz companies with additional finace from USA based venture capitalists, what makes this merger unusual and the reason why the companies are listed seperatly is that they decided to keep the sales, R&D and management of the companies mostly separate but to rationalise and merge on the manufacturing and logistic side of things. The company bought MacIntosh from Clarion in March 2003 but that company is run separatly as well. Official homepage.

 

[SilverMK3]

I thought Infinity was a Harman company?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

They are. I should have said "distributor".

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Marantz isn't an American company any more? I thought they had regained control again. Or was that Sherwood?

Are there any American receiver companies?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

D&M Holdings Co.

Here's the site:

http://www.dm-holdings.com/eng/index.html

Like McIntosh, they still have locations in the US. Build quality supposedly hasn't changed with Marantz or McIntosh. You can get all three labels serviced right here in the midwest.

 

[zumbo]

Excellent post, Zumbo. I thought I'd post the paragraph on Denon. They "merged" with Marantz in 2001, as well as McIntosh. I didn't know they were also involved with Mission, Dali, Arcam, and Infinity! Hmmm.

I stubled on this doing a search to find out how Denon and Marantz were affiliated. Look up Alpine. Looks like they used to own McIntosh.

 

[zumbo]

Marantz isn't an American company any more? I thought they had regained control again. Or was that Sherwood?

Are there any American receiver companies?

I think Marantz has always been Japanese.

Harman Kardon is a product of the US. Don't mean it's made here.

Check out the link. Lots of information there.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I did check the link. There's some really good info there.

And this was on the Marantz site: More than any other person, Saul Marantz defined premium home entertainment. Driven by his passion for music and his accomplishments as a classical guitarist – accomplishments that led to a close friendship with Andres Segovia – he was never satisfied with the “hi fi” equipment of his day. So he built better; first in his basement, later in a factory. His talent for industrial design and his ability to infuse talented engineers like Sidney Smith and others with his vision resulted in legendary products. . That's what made me think it was American or at least European. Saul doesn't sound like a Japanese name to me.

 

[race4aliving]

Great thread, Thank's for the links to some really intresting histories. it been fun following the stories.

 

[azsoundman]

Marantz.. Yes American Roots!

OK I was there factory Rep for a few years.. Here's the deal.. Started as an
American company... Sold to Sony/Superscope ... almost went out of business.. bought back from the edge again by a group of investors as an American company, headed by Saul Marantz almost went BK.. sold name rights under licence agreement with funding and as a seperate division of North American Philips... still designed in USA.. sold US manufacturing and corporate facilities and all name rights to Denon Japan and formed the umbrella holding company
D & M holdings. The Reference product is designed and built in the USA.
Thats pretty much the long and short of it.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

OK I was there factory Rep for a few years.. Here's the deal.. Started as an
American company... Sold to Sony/Superscope ... almost went out of business.. bought back from the edge again by a group of investors as an American company, headed by Saul Marantz almost went BK.. sold name rights under licence agreement with funding and as a seperate division of North American Philips... still designed in USA.. sold US manufacturing and corporate facilities and all name rights to Denon Japan and formed the umbrella holding company
D & M holdings. The Reference product is designed and built in the USA.
Thats pretty much the long and short of it.

And which are their "Reference" product(s)?

 

[nav]

Are there any American receiver companies?

Sunfire is the one that immediately comes to mind for me.

 

[azsoundman]

American Receiver manufactures..

ck out the B & K website.. www.bkcomp.com

 

[Resident Loser]

Er...um...maybe not...

...onkyo seems to be the generic Japanese word for sound...least as far as I can tell...Nihon Denki Onkyo...Japan(ese)electric sound...

Onkyo was established in '46 as Osaka Denki Onkyo K.K....Osaka(a city)electric sound...

Denon still seems to be related to Hitachi(at least as per Hitachi's corporate site) as part of D&M Holdings, along with Marantz, McIntosh and others...

It's sorta' like everyone calls 'em jeeps...when there's really only one!

jimHJJ(...BTW, JVC stands for Japanese Victor Company...as in RCA Victor...)

 

[zumbo]

...onkyo seems to be the generic Japanese word for sound...least as far as I can tell...Nihon Denki Onkyo...Japan(ese)electric sound...

Onkyo was established in '46 as Osaka Denki Onkyo K.K....Osaka(a city)electric sound...

Denon still seems to be related to Hitachi(at least as per Hitachi's corporate site) as part of D&M Holdings, along with Marantz, McIntosh and others...

It's sorta' like everyone calls 'em jeeps...when there's really only one!

jimHJJ(...BTW, JVC stands for Japanese Victor Company...as in RCA Victor...)

Originally founded in 1938 as Nihon Denki Onkyo but soon became better known by the shortened form, but "Den-on" can mean "electric sound" in Japanese

This is why I asked the question.
Denon-1938. Onkyo-1946.
They both mean the same thing from the same word.

Nihon means Japanese.
Denki means electric light.
Onkyo means electric sound.

I guess they just used the same word to come up with their names. Oh well, we got our Japanese lesson for the day.

 

[nova]

Marantz isn't an American company any more? I thought they had regained control again. Or was that Sherwood?

Are there any American receiver companies?

How about B&K http://www.bkcomp.com/

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

How about B&K http://www.bkcomp.com/

Great stuff, but man get out your American Express! I compared the 507 to the Denon 5803 a year ago, and ended up getting the Denon 3805 after numerous listening tests, demos, and talking with high end audio shop managers. My budget was up to $2300 for a receiver, and I ended up getting more than I hoped in the Denon 3805 for under $800. I wouldn't change a thing (but man those are awesome deals on the Marantz units!).