Audio Video News

We've got an especially interesting tidbit of brand news to share: Onkyo—one of the classic names in consumer electronics since 1946—just announced a brand identity refresh, setting the stage for what it calls a modern era of design and innovation. This update isn’t just window dressing; it’s part of a rebranding push that aims to engage music lovers, movie buffs, and avid gamers alike, showing that the company’s looking firmly forward.

From Bicycle Shop to Audio Pioneer
In the 1940s, a gentleman by the name of Takeshi Godai took his engineering and entrepreneurial chops, honed in his family’s bicycle shop, and set out to build something new in audio. That eventually became Osaka Denki Onkyo Company—Osaka Denki meaning “Osaka Electric” and Onkyo meaning “sound harmony.” By the 1970s, the company was producing audio gear in Japan, boosting employment in the post-war era, and overall living up to its “sound harmony” ethos. It made enough progress that by its 25th anniversary, it took the Onkyo name officially.

A New Chapter under Premium Audio Company
Although Onkyo faced organizational and financial hurdles in recent years, a 2021 acquisition by Premium Audio Company and VOXX International Corporation helped realign the brand. PAC owns approximately 75% of the joint venture and manages product development, engineering, sales, marketing, and distribution, while Sharp handles manufacturing and supply chain manageme.

It’s a solid approach—pooling together 59 engineers who collectively have centuries of experience—crafting next-gen gear for a fanbase that spans far beyond just the “hi-fi” crowd. If you’ve followed the chatter online, you’ll see Onkyo’s been busy modernizing its AV receiver lineup with immersive formats and the latest connectivity. In other words, it’s keeping up with the times.

Refreshed Logo and Marketing Aesthetic
Onkyo’s new logo is designed to strike a balance between heritage and new possibilities. Expanded spacing across those familiar letters is meant to symbolize the cinematic feel that’s so key to home theater. Pair that with the use of Roboto Condensed as its new marketing font—simple, clean, and minimal—plus a modern color palette (dark blue, blue-green, soft green, and black), and the result is a brand identity that feels fresh yet still Onkyo-like. They’ll keep using “Powered by Onkyo” in collaborations like the Flexus Sound Systems with Klipsch, which is cool because brand partnerships are often a sneak peek into the bigger story.

Onkyo adds that its long-standing ties with Dolby and other key technology providers remain firmly in place.

Entertainment Collaborations and Future Products
Another angle Onkyo’s exploring is entertainment tie-ins, like a sponsorship with Marvel Television content on Disney+. Love it or not, that sort of cross-promotion can really get a brand in front of new eyes, especially on social media. The company plans to share more info about upcoming speakers and advanced electronics at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, so mark your calendars. This rebrand sets the stage for it to expand into broader markets while maintaining that AV receiver pedigree.

Building on Heritage, Aiming for Innovation
At the end of the day, Onkyo is looking to reinforce its legacy in audio—particularly receivers—while also growing in wider home entertainment spaces. If you’ve been following Onkyo over the decades, you know it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but this pivot seems to signal a renewed commitment to design, engineering, and forward-focused product development. For more details, click here and hop on over to onkyo.com for the official word and updates on what’s coming next.

It’s always refreshing to see a brand strike a chord between legacy and fresh thinking.