In a previous post, I discussed the late great American magazine Audio, published between 1947 and 2000. Audio combined equipment reviews, listening tests, music reviews, and DIY tech into a single publication. It’s cessation has left a great absence in the American audio-scene that the internet has luckily filled (chicken or egg?).
MJ Audio Technology magazine is the closest Japanese equivalent to Audio. However, MJ has been in print since 1924 (!) and it is still being published. Amazing. Here is a brief history of MJ, taken from the DIYaudio listserve (member tiefbassuebertr):
“This magazine, founded in 1924 by Mr. Mitsugu Tomabeji, is one of the earliest and most influential radio magazines that I know. In the early years it was Radio experimenter’s magazine (Musen to Jikken = Radio and Experiments). The early publisher of this magazine was the currently brand ITO and the currently publisher now is Mr. Seibundo Shinkosha. In general this magazine is a DIYer magazine and is very technical but is full of great articles on electronics and speaker design, room acoustics, audio history, as well as reviews, news, show reports, etc.”
Even if you can’t read a word of Japanese, this is a great magazine to pick up if you are interested in audio DIY at all. Recent issues can be purchased at Kinokuniya in New York City. I would bet that the several Kinokuniyas on the west coast stock it as well.
Here is an example of a project from the 1033rd issue.
…Here we see a beautiful build of a Single-Ended parallel stereo amp which uses the very unusual 5998 twin-triode tube. This is a tube that I had not been aware of, as it was never intended as an audio tube by the manufacturer. Nonetheless, MJ has based this project around it. We are offered the tube data sheet…
A very clear and well-illustrated schematic,…
…Layout details,…
…And even chassis-fabrication guides.
Overall, the level of quality and attention-to-detail most reminds me of the old Mullard “Tube Circuits For Audio” book (also excellent). Finally, the technical performance specs, and listening tests. These listening tests generally seem to involve the singing and/or playing of pretty-yet-demure women.
This project is given much greater detail in the magazine than I am providing here, and in fact it is only one of several on offer in this issue alone. Check it out if you can.
8 replies on “MJ Audio Technology Magazine”
I have about a dozen issues of this and the similar Stereo Sound magazine. I don’t read Japanese but these are still worthwhile for the schematics and pictures.
The first anyone in the West knew of any of this was when Alan Douglas-who has written a great deal of useful stuff for the antique radio buff-wrote an article for Ed Dell called ‘Tubes in Japan”. Earlier I had read some passing references in David Manley’s brochure-with-privileges to the J-scene.
There is a store called Kinokuyina Bookstore that sells Japanese magazines and books in the US. They do not stock a lot of this stuff but can order it and usually have one or two copies of MJ each month. They have East and West coast stores, take MC/Visa and, will ship anywhere in the US.
It’s odd, but the Asian manufacturers/exporters take MJ and Stereo Sound for granted. I miss Audio, but Audio can’t hold a candle to MJ. MJ is like Audio+The Absolute Sound+Glass Audio+a legit music review magazine. I told the guys I’m dealing with that they need to translate their reviews they have in Stereosound and MJ, so Western readers can see what the Japanese guys are saying. They had never even considered doing it before I asked them “WTF gentlemen-san?”.
Agreed
The Japanese audio magazines are not intended for the goyjin. That’s why all the power transformers have single 100 volt primaries and as the earlier poster alluded to they don’t have any desire to share their little world with outsiders. Japanese audiophiles, unlike Western ones tend to be from the most nationalistic end of the political spectrum.
Nonetheless KK will sell you the magazines or you can subscribe. Pete Millett goes there every so often, see the relevant page on his web site.
Hello, I want to suscribe to RJ magazine. how can i do this ??
I have no clue. I buy mine at Kinokuniya on 6th ave in NYC. it’s about $40 per issue. c.
It must have gone up drastically, I was getting them mailordered from KK out west, either LA or Seattle. With shipping I dont think it came to $20 even.
Dear colleagues, do any of you know any page or deposit of the back issues of the Japanese MJ audio magazine?