In celebration of its 60th anniversary, Audio-Technica has announced the introduction of a limited-edition version AT-MC2022 dual moving coil stereo cartridge and ATH-W2022 closed-back wooden headphones, in addition to the creation of a special anniversary donation program in support of its longstanding relationship with Playing for Change (PFC), a global movement created to inspire and connect the world through music.
“It is an honour to provide a quality audio experience to listeners worldwide,” states Audio-Technica president Kazuo Matsushita. “What begins as a simple vibration – a subtle movement – results in an emotional connection. We believe in realizing the full potential of sound that creates connections and enriches lives.”
The AT-MC2022 phono cartridge is designed to combine visual appeal with musical realism, incorporating a unified stylus and cantilever made from a single lab-grown diamond. This construction is intended to eliminate the distortions that can result from the conventional design of a stylus bonded to a cantilever, resulting in a purer transmission of the vibrations from the record groove. The stylus has a line contact geometry for improved tracking ability and resolution along with a high degree of transient response.
In celebration of the company’s 60th anniversary, the AT-MC2022 incorporates design accents inspired by traditional shippo (Japanese cloisonné) enamelling. It comes with a walnut presentation case with an engraved 60th-anniversary logo and individual serial number.
The ATH-W2022 made entirely in Japan, offers both Sakura (cherry blossom) and hou-ou (phoenix) designs, hand-painted on the left and right earcups, respectively. The earcups are composed of traditional Mizume (Japanese birch) using traditional Echizen urushi (lacquer) and maki-e (lacquer) techniques, and the right earcup incorporates an inlaid mother-of-pearl within the hou-ou design.
The headphones also incorporate a host of the company’s latest manufacturing technologies. The centre dome of the 58 mm driver diaphragm is made from 30-micron-thick pure titanium for improved reproduction of the mid-high range with maximized high-frequency characteristics as well. The headphones also utilize a newly designed magnet circuit that incorporates a pole and yoke structured from laminated pure iron plates to reduce back electromotive force (back EFM). The headphones are housed in a custom wood storage case featuring a paulownia lid.
As the exclusive microphone and headphone sponsor of Playing for Change since 2018, Audio-Technica has been providing global support and equipment for PFC and the PFC Band, in addition to advocating for PFC at events year-round. In honour of this year’s anniversary, Audio-Technica U.S, Canada, UK and Europe will donate a percentage of its 60th Anniversary product sales to the Playing for Change Foundation through March 2023.
