Technics moving all turntable production to Malaysia


I haven’t seen this reported anywhere. Heard it first from a dealer and now have confirmed it with Technics directly:

All turntables, even the SL-1000R, are leaving Japan and moving to a new facility in Malaysia. Everything’s going under one roof. Technics is halted now and they’ll start up the new production line in Malaysia on April 1. 

If the product is the same then that’s what matters most, but this definitely marks the end of an era and I’m sure the reaction will be mixed.
notman

Showing 4 responses by lewm

Artemis, Japanese motorcycles (Honda and Kawasaki) made a mark for high quality and speed in the US by the early to mid 60s, which predated the influx of Datsuns and Toyotas that came in the late 60s/early 70s. By then”made in japan “ was no longer such a joke. Every guy wanted a 240Z. Basically, we are in agreement, give or take a few years. 
I am surprised no one else has remarked about it, but there was a time when "Made in Japan" was a common joke and a slur on the product, here in the US, probably for about 10-15 years following the end of WW2, when Japan was trying to get back on its economic feet and also rebuild its shattered infrastructure.  Japanese imports to the US in those days were characterized by tiny cheap facsimiles of the statue of Liberty, made of pot metal.  So, one needs to keep an open mind about quality and where it can come from.
I wonder how this new policy will play out in Japan itself, where there are more audio files per capita than maybe anywhere in the world that I have ever been. They still have stores that are reminiscent of New York City in the 1970s.You can buy an SP10R over the counter in some of their very large Department stores.