Name: TEAC Reference380
Category: home audio system
Price: see below
Release date in Japan: August 25, 2008

Tokyo-based TEAC, a maker of professional and high-end consumer audio equipment, is renewing its presence in the consumer component stereo system market in Japan with a new "hi-component system", the Reference380. TEAC says the Reference series, already available overseas, incorporates the expertise of top European sound designers, and marks the first new TEAC consumer brand sold in Japan since the 10-year-old high-end ESOTERIC consumer line.

The black aluminum-paneled system has four main components:

* Analog amplifier (A-H380): 45W+45W, Signal-Noise Ratio 100dB (IHF-A), frequency response 10Hz-65kHz, Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 0.1%. JPY47,250.

* CD player (PD-H380): Also plays MP3 and WMA files on CD/CD-RW discs or USB drive. JPY42,000.

* Digital AM/FM tuner (TH-380): 30 AM/FM presets. JPY26,250.

* 2-way speakers (LS-H250): 2.5-cm silk dome tweeters, 13-cm carbon cone woofers, 50W. JPY31,500.

Included with the amp component are an iPod docking station to play your Pod tunes through the system, and a remote to control the amp, CD player, and docked iPod. 

The Reference line will appear at general electronics retailers and specialty audio shops. TEAC plans to introduce additional higher- and lower-end Reference branded components by the end of the year.

More info: http://www.teac.co.jp/audio/teac/ref380/ (Japanese)

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