14 DAY TRIAL // For all those of you that were around in the analog era TDK is one name that you certainly remember, so all TDK affectionados out there will certainly rejoice when hearing the company plans to reenter the US audio-equipment market in a big way in 2011, launching all sort of audio products, from turntables to AC/DC boomboxes.
These products will be marketed under the TDK Life on Record brand, all of them featuring premium finishings and delivering premium Hi-Fi quality sound, morphing the warm analog sound with modern digital technology, according to one company rep.
All the products will be available through select online retailers in January, brick and mortar distributors following to come in the spring.
Moving right to the slew of products that TDK has in store for 2011, I will start with the two AC/DC boomboxes the company plans to launch, both of them featuring an industrial design, 2.6-inch four-color screens that displays metadata, bar-type EQ display, capacitive back-lit touch controls, and rotary knobs with real-aluminum finish.
As far as sound is concerned, the top of the line unit comes with a three-speaker design for $499 while the smaller unit has “only” two speakers and will hit retail for $399.
An AM/FM tuner comes as standard in both units, the two models also supporting multiple audio sources, an USB port being included allowing to playback music from any smartphone or PMP device as well as an external hard-drive.
A three-piece AC-only Micro Audio System with a similar industrial design will also be part of TDK's upcoming foray into the US market, this coming with separate two-way speakers as well as AM/FM tuner, a slot-loading CD player, and 2x20-Watt amplifier.
As it is the case with the two AC/DC boomboexs, this features a USB port too, making it compatible with a wide range of USB enabled devices.
A forth product in TDK's line is the AC/DC Sound Cube Audio System that comes equipped with a FM radio tuner, 2x10-Watt Class D amplifier, this $299 model being designed in order to be placed in the center of the room in order to deliver a wide soundstage.
Next in line, we find two new turntables, both of these being belt-driven and coming with a embedded phono preamp as well as a USB output and included PC software to rip vinyl to MP3, a really nice addition if you ask me.
The units will retail for $299 and $399, their tornearms featuring an universal head making them compatible with a almost every type of standard cartridge that is available out there.
The seventh and final product in TDK's new US lineup is the $249 ST-800 pair of on-ear stereo headphones.
As Twice.com reports, the TDK brand has been out of the US market for years, although Imation (the company that now owns TDK) markets TDK-branded audio gear outside the US.