Accuphase

Accuphase Laboratories, Inc. (originally known as Kensonic Laboratories, Inc.) is a Japanese high-end audio equipment manufacturer founded by former Kenwood engineer Jiro Kasuga in late 1972. Kasuga was not happy with the views of Kenwood relating to the follower of their High-End Supreme 1 unit (1967). He hired some engineers from other prominent brands (Marantz, Luxman) and started Kensonic. However, Kenwood had a share in Kensonic. Some other connections in the early years of Accuphase exist as well. If you compare the parts used by Kenwood and Kensonic throughout the latter's early years, the familiarities show quite easy: knobs, buttons, tuner dials and the general direction of the design. Accuphase's early PCB's are tagged KENSONIC, too, and the early units bore a proud KENSONIC on their frontplates as well. Until the mid-1990s, Kenwood still owned part of Kensonic. It also seems that Accuphase engineers may have had a hand in the engineering of Kenwood's last high-end series (L-A1, L-D1 and LVD-Z1).