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September 11, 2006
Home Electronics
New Product Announcement
KENWOOD Launches "HD30GB9" as a Flagship Model of "Media Keg,"
its Portable HDD Audio Player Series with High-Quality Sound Reproducing Features
Based on KENWOOD's Original Technology

KENWOOD realizes true-to-life and high-quality reproduction of sound which is almost identical to
the original sound by adopting "Supreme EX," a new technology to improve sound quality
that is a significant improvement over conventional technology
KENWOOD Corporation (President and CEO: Haruo Kawahara; Head Office: Hachioji, Tokyo) is pleased to announce that it will launch a new portable HDD audio player "HD30GB9" in late September, which has realized true-to-life and high-quality reproduction of sound that is almost identical to the original sound, by applying the newly developed high-quality sound technology "Supreme EX," as a flagship model of its "Media Keg" series.
  "Media Keg" is KENWOOD's portable digital audio player series that has high-quality sound reproduction based on KENWOOD's original technology and is proving to be a hit with customers.
Product name Type number Suggested retail price
(Main unit price)
Launch date
Portable HDD Audio Player
(30GB Model)
HD30GB9-B
(Pure Black)
Open price End of September
Project Background and Product Outline
Based on the uniform concept of "reproduction of original sound," KENWOOD is seeking to enhance its product lineup in the fields of home, portable and car audio products, and in anticipation of the diffusion of new media including flash memory and HDD, is now devoting its efforts to commercializing high-quality sound models that will befit the coming age of digital media.
  As a result of these efforts and initiatives, the company launched the portable HDD audio player series "Media Keg" (registered brand), which will include the versions "HD20GA7" and "HD30GA9" as "Sound Meister Editions." These special editions are for use with products to which the Sound Meister, KENWOOD's person responsible for sound quality matters, pays very close attention to the minute details. KENWOOD has won the support of its customers, including musicians and performing artists who are particular about sound quality, and has established its own unique presence in a severely competitive environment by making proposals, with its high-quality sound technology that only a devoted audio system manufacturer possesses, including mounting of the world's first digital amplifier (HD20GA7), adoption of the original patented technology "Supreme" that makes it possible to interpolate a high-pitched tessitura that is lost in the process of compressing CD music, reproduction of sound quality that approaches that of a CD, and adoption of KENWOOD Lossless technology (HD30GA9) that is capable of recording CD music on HDD, in its original sound quality.

The new model "HD30GB9" to be launched this time is one for which, as in the cases of past models, KENWOOD's Sound Meister has fully produced the sound quality features. We at KENWOOD have successfully given the model a finishing touch worthy of a flagship model for the portable HDD audio player "Media Keg" series, by adopting new technologies aimed at sound quality and improving its high quality sound reproduction features.
  The model is equipped with the newly developed "Clear Digital Amplifier EX" technology in its amplifier section. We have successfully realized high-quality reproduction of vibrant and clear sound by separating the pre-amplifier level and the power amplifier level that were previously combined in one-chip configuration. At the same time, we have also newly developed "Supreme EX," a technology that makes it possible to interpolate a spectrum of up to 44.1 kHz, far exceeding Supreme's previous spectrum (of between 14 and 22 kHz).  With these latest technological innovations built in, the model is capable of reproducing true-to-life sound that is almost identical to the original sound, giving such a sense of realism that users feel as if they are listening to a live music performance, not only with compressed music but also with music stored in the form of non-compressed WAV files and musical data acquired by KENWOOD Lossless, our original lossless compression system.
  In other sections of the model, we have adopted various technologies for enhancing sound quality, including "f-hole grand chassis," built on our vibration analysis technology, in the chassis section of the model, as well as a chip inductor in the coil section, which is aimed at preventing magnetic flux from interfering with other parts of the unit.
  Furthermore, "HD30GB9" has the new feature of mass-storage sound reproduction, which lets users readily enjoy an enormous library of music stored on HDDs, both at home and in-car, by simply using a USB cable to connect the unit and the HDD. It has become possible to enjoy music in a variety of situations by simply using USB cables.

As described above, KENWOOD, as the sole specialized manufacturer of acoustic systems in the fields of home electronics, car electronics and communications equipment (wireless radio equipment), is committed to opening up new frontiers in "sound entertainment" that will befit the digital/network age by realizing a new environment for seamless entertainment linking portable audio systems, home audio systems and car electronics through digital media.
Major features of “HD30GB9”
1.  The “HD30GB9” is able to reproduce highly pure and clear sound because of the newly developed digital amplifier “Clear Digital Amplifier EX” and its design that separates the pre-amplifier level from the power amplifier level.
2. Using “Supreme EX” technology, which can interpolate a spectrum of up to 44.1 kHz, far exceeding the previous model’s range of between 14 and 22 kHz, the new model is capable of reproducing sound that is almost identical to the original sound.
3. This model also adopts “f-hole grand chassis,” a technology that realizes clear and rich sound quality based on our vibration analysis technology.
4. The model uses the lossless compression technology “KENWOOD Lossless,” which is capable of storing music without impairing the sound quality and can restore original music data, resulting in reproduction of high-quality sound.
The KENWOOD Corporation is "Reaching out to discover, inspire and enhance the enjoyment of life" as part of its bold, new vision for the future. A leader in "Mobile & Home Multimedia Systems", KENWOOD is comprised of three business units (Car Electronics, Communications and Home Electronics), 11 domestic and 22 overseas subsidiaries around the world.
For inquiries regarding this article, please contact:
Public & Investor Relations Office, Corporate Relations Division, KENWOOD Corporation
TEL: +81 42 646 6724 FAX: +81 42 646 1440 E-mail:pr.qa@kenwood.co.jp

Or visit our website at https://www.kenwood.com/
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