Pioneer

Pioneer is one of the oldest Japanese electronics manufacturers, starting business in 1937 by Nozomu Matsumoto in Tokyo. In the 1960's came a slew of hifi separates which were well reviewed in the press and sold very well.

In the 1970's Pioneer added in-car audio to it's range. Home cinema was growing in the 1980's and Pioneer were at the forefront of cutting edge laser disc technology, launching the first commercial laser disc player in 1981. In the mid-1990's the first Dolby surround receiver was launched, whilst the late 1990's saw the first DVD players start shipping.

The new millenium saw Pioneer launch a very successful of plasma TV's which had a very good reputation for black level and excellemt picture quality. Blu-ray disc players followed in 2008. TV production ceased in 2009 due to unsustainable losses in this competitive market, and Pioneer re-focussed on it's core competance of high quality sound. Since then, a range of innovative iPod docks, AV receivers, and Blu-ray players have spearheaded the range.