Audio-Technica has introduced new Narukami ultra-high-end audio products, including the HPA-KG Naru tube headphone amplifier and the ATH-AWKG closed-back dynamic wooden headphones. With a name taken from the Japanese god of thunder, Narukami products are designed to mimic meticulous Japanese craftsmanship.
The front and side panels of the HPA-KG Naru tube amplifier/preamplifier (SRP: US$108,000) are crafted from kurogaki wood, Japanese black persimmon wood with wavy black figuring. The metal mesh covering that protects the vacuum tubes is evocative of the pattern of the flat needles of the Ayasugi tree. The top of the HPA-KG Naru tube amplifier/preamplifier is styled to reflect the appearance of a KARESANSUI or dry landscape garden, representing water flows.
The HPA-KG Naru headphone amplifier/preamplifier employs four Takatsuki 300B power tubes with ECC83S gold pin small-signal tubes. It uses a dual-mono configuration and has a fully balanced drive design. It offers both balanced 4.4 mm and standard 1/4-inch headphone jacks.
The amplifier provides an impedance selector switch to match with a wide range of headphones. The internal components include amorphous-core silver-wire Lundahl input and output transformers for sonic clarity. In addition to serving as a headphone amplifier, the HPA-KG Naru can also be used as a preamplifier, offering balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs. Companion AW-KG Naru headphones are included with the HPA-KG NARU amplifier.
“We spent 10 years creating the HPA-KG Naru amplifier in an arduous process, working our way through 11 prototypes before settling on a design that met our high expectations,” says R&D Engineer Koichi Irii. “The lifelike sound of the HPA-KG Naru is a testament to the power of our human approach.”
The ATH-AWKG headphones (SRP: US$4,200) are handcrafted in Tokyo from rare kurogaki wood. The acoustic properties of the kurogaki housings contribute to the headphones’ sound quality. The hand-applied lacquer finish brings out the wood’s natural beauty, says Audio-Technica.
The ATH-AWKG features purpose-designed 53-mm drivers with Permendur magnetic circuitry. Each driver is equipped with a titanium flange and a 6N-OFC high-purity oxygen-free voice coil to ensure precise movement and optimum signal transfer. Audio-Technica’s exclusive D.A.D.S. Double Air Damping System provides smooth, accurate bass response, says the company The ATH-AWKG is designed for maximum long-wearing comfort, and is supplied with an additional set of ZMF Universe Hybrid earpads. The headphones are equipped with Audio-Technica’s A2DC jacks and two 9.8-foot detachable cables with 4-pin balanced and standard 1/4-inch jacks. It even comes in a presentation box with kurogaki wood accents.