Company & History

・Around the same time as broadcasting and telecommunication, electrical recording technology was established in Western Electric and Bell Laboratories. After this, vinyl records enjoyed their golden age.

・Shortwave, broadcasting and electrical recording was the latest topic of the technology at that time.

・At that time, the electrical recording was called “new recording”. But carbon microphones was mainly used for recording. Highly-reproducible and large sound could be recorded, but the sound quality was low. The sound could not satisfy performers and engineers.
In such a period, condenser microphones were invented. The wonderful specialty and linearity attracted worldwide attention. This method is still considered as the technology which enables high quality recording now.

Master discs at the time were called wax discs. Wax discs were made of soft material such as wax and were directly cut.

Recording was a severe task because it could never be done again. 

To monitor recording, 2 recording machines of the same condition must be used to simultaneously cut 2 wax discs. And master discs for monitoring were played with a pickup of 10 grams on it (mainly moving iron type). Because it was impossible to damage soft master discs, recording took time and effort.
So Naotake Hayashi change the material of paying needle from steel to magnet and invented a ultra-light cartridge which detects magnetic flux. This cartridge worked when some grams of needle pressure was applied (this cartridge would evolve into MM type cartridge). Only 1 recording machine was required because soft master discs were not damaged.

Certificate of appreciation, Chinese company gave to Naotake Hayashi when he left the company (length 100cm, width 50cm)

創業

Founder (the first president) Naotake Hayashi

The business was recording using wax discs (master discs for 78rpm records), production of metal masters (plated wax discs), providing recording technology such as soundtrack recording of talkies, developing related audio equipment etc.

Showa Kouon relocated to Zoshigaya Missionary House. (American missionary built in 1907 and lived until he was repatriated in 1941. It is a two-story wooden house with about 1000 square meter garden.) This building was used as a head office until 1982.

This missionary house was registered as a tangible cultural property of Tokyo when STAX (Showa Kouon) relocated to Miyoshi-cho, Saitama prefecture and is owned by Toshima-ku.
For 38 years until the relocation, Showa Kouon gradually shifted the business from recording technology to development and production of audio equipment and built Nerima factory in Nerima-ku and Technical research center in Miyoshi-machi, Saitama (later it would be a head office).

STAX brand launch

“STAX” brand launched.

The brand name of high-frequency condenser microphones, “STAX” was used as the company name and “STAX” has been the symbol of the brand and products until today.

Both head office and the factory were combined into the former Technical research center building. STAX started the full-scale audio equipment manufacturing. STAX manufactured not only electrostatic equipment but also a full range of audio equipment (amplifiers, CD players, DAC etc.) as an audio comprehensive manufacturer.

In Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Tokyo office was established as a show room.

STAX was highly appreciated abroad (mainly in Europe) and 70% of sales was for export. STAX brand reached its peak.

 Change of President

The founder president, Naotake Hayashi was replaced by Takeshi Hayashi (his son).

In both Japan and USA, the audio boom was gone and Japanese government determined “audio industry is in structural recession”.

As Japanese yen went up against U.S. dollar, high export ratio became a burden on the management. STAX shifted to Japanese market.

Supported by many fans of condenser headphones, STAX developed condenser headphones SR-Ω and high-end driver unit SRM-T2.

Because of the rapid appreciation of the yen and high export ratio, profitability suddenly went down. In November, STAX announced the suspension of business. The bankruptcy of the leading, old-established audio company had a big impact both domestically and internationally.

Founder (the first president) Hikoya Takahashi

In the creditors’ meeting of STAX Limited, the foundation of the new company and the accession of the brand were approved.

The volunteers of former employees (10 members) re-started manufacturing in the same office building (paying rent to the creditors).

STAX Limited relocated from the office building of STAX Co., Ltd.

Change of President

The founder president, Takahashi was replaced by Yozo Meguro (due to death).

Because of City Planning Act of Miyoshi-machi

Because of the old age of resident Yozo Meguro, STAX Limited joined EDIFIER group.

EDIFIER TECHNOLOGY: Audio manufacturer in Shenzhen, China, listed with Shenzhen Stock Exchange, number of employees: about 3 thousand.

STAX adopted the full-scale clean room and industrial robots and renewed the office building and production facilities.

Change of President

Yozo Meguro was replaced by Yoshimoto Nakata.

STAX brand 80^th anniversary

・SR-300 Limited ・SRM-353X BK ・SR-009BK