Onkyo Announces Rebirth As A Major Brand In Consumer Electronics

Good news is in short supply today but one press release caught my eye today announcing the rebirth of one of audio’s most venerable brands. Onkyo, a leader for so long in premium consumer electronics is today unveiling a bold new vision for the brand’s future. Today, Onkyo has recommitted itself to raising the bar for technology and home entertainment to deliver innovative solutions that the company hopes will captivate music, movie and gaming enthusiasts across the globe.

Onkyo’s founder, Takeshi Godai, embarked on building the iconic brand from the humble beginnings of his family’s bicycle shop. Takeshi watched his father closely and learned the art of engineering and developed the skills to run a successful company. At the time, the Godai family bicycle company employed a young entrepreneurial spirit, Konosuke Matsushita as an apprentice. In later years, Takeshi and Konosuke would cross paths again when Konosuke hired Takeshi to work in his company, the Matsushita Electric Industrial Company, which went on to become the consumer electronics giant Panasonic.

Takeshi’s tenure at Matsushita Electric was a time of innovation and a commitment to excellence. However, Takeshi had a vision to forge his legacy which drove him to start the Osaka Denki Onkyo Company in 1946. By the early 1970s, he had successfully improved Japanese craftsmanship, stimulated economic growth and promoted post-war employment opportunities in a recovering nation. On the eve of its 25th anniversary, Takeshi gave his company a shorter name: Onkyo.

The word “Onkyo” means “sound harmony” in Japanese. With Onkyo, Takeshi created audio solutions that transcended mere functionality. The company’s philosophy was an unwritten pact with enthusiasts and connoisseurs to make every product with the Onkyo name a byword for precision, elegance and a passion for regenerating sound with powerful accuracy.

In 2021, Premium Audio Company and Voxx International Corporation acquired Onkyo Home Entertainment Company as its largest shareholder, investing in its research and development in Osaka with all engineers and manufacturing in place. Premium Audio kept Onkyo going with its range of AV receivers and other audio technologies.

Now Onkyo is being reborn with its original sense of harmony and minimalism. Onkyo’s new presence aims for a tone that’s serious, professional, confident and polite, in true Japanese style. It wants to maintain humility and respect for its audience with a mantra that aims to avoid over-embellishment letting consumers connect emotionally with the brand and its products.

Within the walls of Onkyo Osaka headquarters, the all-new global Premium Audio Company Technology Center (PACTC) has been established as more than just a facility The company says it will be a hub for innovation where engineers, technicians and marketing teams will collaborate to develop the next generation of audio products. Combining the brand’s rich history with innovative technology, Onkyo says it will set new benchmarks in sound quality and performance. From this new center, Onkyo is planning on delivering high-performance audio products to consumers created by a core team of 59 dedicated Onkyo employees who intend to leverage their deep knowledge and expertise to create new products, building on the Onkyo legacy while pushing the boundaries of audio engineering.

Coinciding with the new Onkyo is a brand-new look and feel intended to attract modern and tech-savvy consumers. The new Onkyo logo intends to mark a clear beginning of the brand’s new era. The reimagined logo retains Onkyo’s brand equity while updating it with more modern kerning with a forward-looking design. The new typography uses the sophisticated and sleek Roboto Condensed font designed to resonate with today’s consumers.

Technology Partnerships – Powered by Onkyo is a theme that will be rolled out in PAC-owned Klipsch products, equipped with Onkyo-engineered electronics. The aim is to elevate the Onkyo brand to be a reference audio name with even more co-branded endeavors. One exciting example is Onkyo’s collaboration with Klipsch on the Flexus Sound Systems powered by Onkyo.

Onkyo will be working with important partners such as Dolby, dts and THX, using technology like HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Google Cast, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Spotify, Pandora, Roon, Dirac, IMAX Enhanced, TuneIn, Works with SONOS, Qualcomm aptX HD, Savant, domotz, Elan, Crestron, AURO 3D, Over C Pro, Luxul ProWatch, URC, Control 4, Josh ai and others so that Onkyo products have the latest features and enhancements.

Onkyo has also announced collaborations with iconic names in entertainment, including several Marvel Television titles on Disney+ to ensure Onkyo remains at the forefront of home entertainment. Onkyo was the official home audio system of Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along,” now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Alongside this rebranding, Onkyo is curating content that highlights the power of technology with real-life applications that enhance daily living. Onkyo says its collaborations will extend beyond product partnerships as the company teams up with creative influencers, renowned artists and industry leaders to create campaigns that resonate across social media and digital platforms.

While Onkyo is synonymous with home theater AV receivers today, the company has ambitions to reach far beyond that market. It has announced the development of an entirely new range of products designed to cater to both everyday audio consumers and high-end, premium hi-fi listeners.

New Onkyo products will include a return to the home speaker market and advanced specialty electronics. Onkyo’s new home speaker series and an electronic separate series will be announced at CES 2025, in Las Vegas.

This announcement follows a few fallow years for a brand that had a huge presence in the audio-visual and hi-fi markets. Onkyo has always made excellent products and this renaissance of such a venerable audio brand is a bold move in a market that is struggling to capture the imagination of younger consumers who often favor convenience over high-end audio separates. It will be interesting to see what Onkyo comes up with but there is no doubt a large reservoir of goodwill for the brand.