October 26, 2006
Home Electronics |
| New Product Announcement |
KENWOOD launches Compact Hi-Fi System which Enables Digital Connection
to Digital Audio Players, USB Equipments and SD Cards
To Realize One-Touch Quad-Speed Recording without Using PCs
from CDs to Various Digital Media
First Time Equipment of Proprietary Technology "Supreme", on System Stereos, which
reproduces compressed music at a sound quality that is almost identical to that of a CD |
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KENWOOD Corporation (President and CEO: Haruo Kawahara; Head Office: Hachioji, Tokyo) is pleased to announce that it will successively launch the compact Hi-Fi system "UD-A77" and "UD-A55" as well as the CD receiver "RD-UDA55".
The compact Hi-Fi systems are equipped with a USB host function* and SD card slots, and these systems are able to reproduce compressed music at a sound quality that is almost identical to that of a CD with KENWOOD's original high-quality sound technology "Supreme," as well as realize one-touch quad-speed (4x) recording to DAPs, USB equipment and SD cards. |
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| Product name |
Type number |
Suggested retail price
(Main unit price) |
Timing of launch |
Compact Hi-Fi system with USB,
SD, CD and MD |
UD-A77
(M: Wood pattern
S: Silver) |
Open price |
Late October in Japan |
Compact Hi-Fi system with USB,
SD and CD |
UD-A55
(M: Wood pattern) |
Open price |
Late October in Japan |
Receiver with USB,
SD and CD |
RD-UDA55 |
Open price |
Late November in Japan |
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| Project Background and Targets - Progress of "Seamless Entertainment" through Digital Connection |
Based on the uniform concept of “reproduction of original sound,” KENWOOD has commercialized various audio products since its founding, making the most of its high-quality sound technologies. In anticipation of the diffusion of new media including flash memory and HDD, it is now devoting its efforts to developing audio products that will befit the coming age of digital media in the fields of home, portable and car audio products, by uniting high-quality sound technologies it has fostered over a long time and state-of-the-art digital and network technologies.
In practical terms, the company is striving to materialize “Seamless Entertainment,” which makes people enjoy a massive amount of music data, recorded on DAPs, in high-quality sound anytime and anywhere, by pushing forward with the networking of home, portable and car audio products.
Equipped with a USB host function and SD card slots, the new home audio products will realize the connection to DAPs networks, which has predominantly been analogue, into a digital connection. They will also be compatible with SD cards, which have become remarkably widespread. As a result, the new models can not only reproduce compressed music, saved on rapidly spreading DAPs, USB flash memories and SD cards, at a high sound quality that almost identical to that of a CD, but they have also made it possible to easily record music at high speed from CDs to these pieces of digitally connected equipment and media without using personal computers (PCs).
The company has been marketing car audio products equipped with a USB host function since this spring, and the launch of the “UD series” enables users to enjoy music data saved on DAPs, USB flash memories or other media in the same high quality sound both at home and in cars.
There is a variety of media on the market, and KENWOOD will aim to acquire new audio users who use digital media and to revitalize the market through the launch of the “UD series”. We will pursue further progress of “Seamless Entertainment” by developing systems that are compatible with various types of media. |
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| Product Outline |
Equipped with USB, the "UD series" has successfully digitalized networks with a variety of DAPs, which previously used analogue connection in general. The series is also equipped with SD card slots for compatibility with SD cards, which are becoming remarkably widespread. The "UD series" is home audio for the new media age, which has realized networks with DAPs, USB equipments and SD cards.
KENWOOD’s “UD series” will offer two major advantages to audio users.
Firstly, it will offer them an easy and high-speed way to digitally record music. Users will no longer need to import or download music using PCs or cellular phones. Instead, they will be able to digitally record music from CDs at quad speed (4x) on DAPs of Mass Storage Class*, USB flash memories or SD cards (sold separately) that are inserted into the SD card slot. Also, the new series will be able to record from MDs* or the radio. Thus, the players are capable of recording music in a variety of ways.
The other merit is seamless music reproduction. The new models reproduce compressed music data recorded on DAPs connected via USB, USB equipment or SD cards without degrading the quality of the original music data. The new models record data in digital form by conducting highly precise arithmetic processes with a high-performance digital signal processor (DSP) installed in the main unit. The adoption of KENWOOD’s proprietary high-quality sound technology “Supreme,” which makes it possible to interpolate a high-pitched tessitura that is lost in the process of data compression, also enables the new models to reproduce sound quality that is almost identical to that of a CD.
The new system stereos have also realized natural and true-to-life music reproduction by adopting a high-performance DSP, which realizes reproduction of music faithful to the original sound; by having a completely discrete structure based on “differential two-stage amplification”; and by using original components and technologies.
As described above, KENWOOD, as the sole specialized manufacturer of acoustic systems in the fields of Home Electronics, Car Electronics and Communications Equipment (wireless radio equipment), is committed to opening up new frontiers in “sound entertainment” that will befit the digital and network age by realizing a new environment for seamless entertainment linking home audio systems, portable audio systems and car electronics through digital media. |
| * |
USB host function: A function to control peripheral equipment connected to USB terminals as the “parent” |
| * |
Mass Storage Class: Standard of USB equipment that can be recognized by PCs (or equipment with a host function) as external storage devices without using special drivers or application software |
| * |
Only UD-A77 is equipped with an MD slot. |
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| Main features of UD-A77 and UD-A55 |
| Recording functions |
| 1. |
Capable of quad-speed (4x) recording of high-quality sound directly to digital players and USB memory devices |
| 2. |
Capable of recording from MDs to digital players (UD-A77 only) |
| 3. |
Capable of storing favorite music on SD cards and allowing users to listen to the music for a long time |
| 4. |
Easy one-touch operation for recording to digital audio players and SD cards |
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| Sound quality technologies |
| 1. |
High-performance DSP and discrete differential power amplifier, which realize reproduction of music faithful to original sound |
| 2. |
Original tessitura interpolation technology Supreme, which makes it possible to estimate and interpolate a lost high-pitched tessitura |
| 3. |
Applephone tweeter, which realizes reproduction of optimum sound fields |
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| The KENWOOD Corporation is "Reaching out to discover, inspire and enhance the enjoyment of life" as part of its bold, new vision for the future. A leader in "Mobile & Home Multimedia Systems", KENWOOD is comprised of three business units (Car Electronics,
Communications and Home Electronics), 11 domestic and 22 overseas subsidiaries around the world. |
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| For inquiries regarding this article, please contact: |
Public & Investor Relations Office, Corporate Relations Division, KENWOOD Corporation
E-mail: pr.qa@kenwood.co.jp TEL: +81 42 646 6724 FAX: +81 42 646 1440 |
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