What is K2

Fundamental Principles of K2

K2 does not tamper with sound quality to make it sound flamboyant, or exaggerate it. The aim of the development concept is to produce the same quality as the original music source, and the principle is to faithfully restore the sound that existed in its original form. The two keyphrases that were emphasized during development were “the original sound without any changes” and “restoring sound to its original state.” This principle remains unchanged for K2 even today.

Responding to changes in the environment and the way to enjoy music, “K2” will continue to evolve.

K2 Features

1. Technological innovation comes from uniting the technology of hardware and sensibility of software

K2 was co-developed by audio equipment engineers who make hardware, and studio engineers who create the software for sound production. A round of back and forth during the development stage took place where a studio engineer would evaluate a prototype designed by the hardware engineer on a trial basis, and the hardware engineer reflects the sound direction and improvements pointed out by the software engineer in a specific design, and the studio engineer would once again evaluate the sound quality.

By way of analogy, this is like cooking, where the best, freshest ingredients would be wasted if the end result wasnʼt tasty, but itʼs also true that taste isnʼt all that matters because the quality of ingredients is also important. So a perfect dish can only be created by having an experienced chef who is capable of carefully selecting the right ingredients, and improve the taste by having the dish evaluated in an objective manner. Sound quality goes through an identical process. If you donʼt actually hear a difference in sound quality, it is worthless no matter how ideal the theory, specs, circuitry or parts may be. Itʼs also important to remember whatʼs being evaluated is not just sound, but music. Professionals from all fields come together to continue developing K2 as it keeps evolving. At JVCKENWOOD Group, we have the ideal one-of-a-kind development environment, where software and hardware experts who are familiar with sound quality and how to transmit music collaborate.

2. Signal processing at time domain

Instead of using the frequency domain, which is applied in similar technologies that restore data lost during digitization using frequency data, K2HD Processing uses the time domain to perform signal processing. This method restores lost data by analyzing each peak in the time-varying waveform; it is a unique method that no other audio manufacturer has used in the past.

The sounds of many instruments are based on harmonics, much of which are lost during digitization. K2 Technology creats the artistʼs musical expressions and subtle timbre of different musical instruments by analyzing waveform signals based on the time axis. It is a technology that is only possible with K2, as it processes based on the time axis not the frequency domain.

Main technologies of K2

The name K2 Technology is a collective term for diversified K2 technologies.

For the purpose of improving awareness and easy recognition, the name K2 Technology is used to indicate the logo and technology names on all audio products and equipment featuring one of the K2 technologies.

Currently, products featuring K2HD Processing, which is the mainstream upconverting technology in K2, are also labeled as K2 Technology. Technology that started as the K2 Interface was expanded and further developed into a wide range of technologies for different applications including music production studios, the manufacturing process of music media, and built-in technologies for consumer electronics.

These technologies are divided into two main groups of “high-definition transmission technology” and “high-quality sound technology”.

Main technologies of K2