ANALOGUE SOUND WINS NEW GENERATIONS

– Many are unsure about selling turntables, so we teach them the basics, how a turntable works, says Mats Cederholm of Audio-Technica Nordic.

At the end of April, he will meet more than a thousand Power employees at the PowerUp CE training fair.

– In addition to explaining what makes sound come out of the turntable, we show the differences between our various products, Cederholm tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

– Is this something you in the Nordics have come up with, or is it something Audio-Technica’s head office in Japan has devised?

– Generally speaking, the entire company, both in Japan and Europe, talks a great deal about analogue audio. Since then, we have adjusted our training here in the Nordics based on experiences from previous years, says Cederholm.

He says the aim is to make technical knowledge easy to understand, without becoming too technical.

– If the salesperson feels confident, they sell our products more easily.

The company’s first speakers

Audio-Technica is now launching its first speakers, the AT-SPX3, which are available in black or white.

– We want to give customers a complete solution, with a pair of active speakers. They came onto the market about a year ago and cost NOK 2,500 per pair, says Cederholm.

– What about the sound quality?

– I would say it is a competent sound. There are always limitations when you have active speakers as opposed to a pair of passive ones with an amplifier, but it is absolutely a fully adequate sound. If you have the system at home in a not too large room, the speakers perform more than well enough.

Cederholm believes the LP-70 turntable is a natural starting point for a complete solution.

– The turntable is priced at NOK 3,500, so you have a complete system for around NOK 6,000, says Cederholm.

The two products are designed to match each other, both in colour and in style.

Growth across Europe

– How would you describe the development in interest in analogue sound?

– It is increasing, and what is fun is that it is a younger generation, used to streaming and Spotify, that listens to analogue and hears that it is a different sound. I would not call it better; there is also good high-resolution digital music, but analogue sound is more authentic and provides a different experience. The whole vinyl-listening experience is a process. You take the record, place it on the turntable, look at the cover and sit down and listen from the first to the last track. Many people appreciate that process, says Cederholm.

He sees no signs that interest is levelling off.

– There is steady growth, still rising, and we see the same trend across Europe.