Newark, NJ, birthplace of Hammond B-3 master Larry Young, guitar virtuoso Marc Ribot, poets Amiri Baraka and Allen Ginsberg, and conceptual artist extraordinaire Barbara Kruger (I shop therefore I am), is also home to Panasonic/Technics US.
Technics was founded in 1965 and the Technics 1 sealed, two-way speaker system was their first product. 1970 brought with it the Technics SP-10, the world’s first direct-drive turntable, the SL-1200 followed two years later and the rest, as they say, is hi-fi history.
So it was perfectly fitting to make the < 1 hour drive East to Newark to get up close and personal with the new Technics SL-1300G turntable ($3,299.95) and SC-CX700 Streaming Speakers ($2,999.95/pair).
You can read all about the SL-1300G in the related press release post and on the Technics website, but in brief the new generation Grand Class ‘table houses a number of updates/upgrades including a redesigned Coreless Direct Drive Motor system, a ΔΣ Motor Drive (Delta Sigma), and an active noise-cancelling power supply.
You may have read my review of the Technics SL-1210GR as part of the superfun Listening to 78s with Technics, Ortofon, Aurorasound, and Gold Note review and one thing you can say about any Technics ‘table, or the Technics SL-G700M2 Network/SACD Player (review), or the SU-R1000 Integrated Amplifier (review), and so on. . .is they are all built to a very high standard at prices that, if viewed in the hands of some other brands, appear to be missing a zero or two.
In a system that consisted of the Technics SU-G700M2 Integrated Amplifier driving a pair of Technics SB-G90M2 floor standing speakers (not pictured because my photos of them were lousy-apologies), spinning a 1970s-era Technics LP from their Audio Inspection series featuring Ray Brown, Shelly Mann, and Joe Sample, the sound was pure, clean, precise, and brilliant from the lowest end of Brown’s bass up to the upper registers of Sample’s piano. It also filled the rather large space the demo took place within with energy and ease.
I will also share that I am the proud owner of a lovely 1970s era Technics SP-15 that has the honorable task of spinning mostly 78s in Barn. Fun! with a capital “F”!
Next up were the new Technics SC-CX700 Wireless Streaming Bookshelf Speakers that are covered in Dinamica, a very soft suede-ish microfiber material, that comes in three colors: Charcoal Black, Silky Gray, and Terracotta. We listened to Terracotta.
The SC-CX700 are jam packed with loads of Technics tech including their full-digital JENO Engine (Jitter Elimination and Noise-Shaping Optimization) that is implemented in each speaker as they both house a pair of amps driving the Phase Precision Driver 4 coax drivers.
The business end of the SC-CX700 is busy with a Subwoofer Out, HDMI ARC for your TV, the aforementioned MM Phono input (with ground lug), USB-C, Ethernet, and Toslink inputs. That P/S Link Ethernet input is for hard wiring the pair together which brings their resolution handling capabilities up to 24-bit/192kHz as opposed to connecting them via WiFi with a 24/96 limit. I’d go without the extra wires if it was me. That wired connection also comes in handy for connection-challenged WiFi areas. You can also skip the Ethernet input and go WiFi if you so desire.
The streaming part of the SC-CX700s will be Roon Ready at launch in Late November/early December while they also support Google Chromecast and also via the free Technics app, offer access to Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music HD, and Internet radio.
I recommend a read through of the press release to learn more about all of the tech inside the DSP-endowed SC-CX700s like the new Model-based Distortion Cancelling (MBDC) technology, Smooth-Flow bass port, built-in EQ, and more. One benefit of an active speaker, warning: obviousness alter, is the ability to fine tune every aspect of enclosure, driver, output performance.
We listened to music, a Henry Mancini number that tickled like wedding champagne, as well as a bit of the soundtrack to Aquaman, a film I haven’t seen, and by most standards these small stand mounted SC-CX700s sounded powerful with delicacy, detail, and control that delivered Mancini and Momoa with equal aplomb. Color me impressed.
I’ll close by saying that I find it kind of fabulous that a historic hifi company with a long history nearly as old as me continues to innovate and offer exceptionally well made and highly engaging hifi at what I consider to be sober prices. Bravo Technics!
I’d like to thank my hosts Bill Voss, Technics US Business Development Manager, and Tetsuya Itani who joined Technics in 1980 and became their Chief Technical Officer and Chief Engineer, for an enlightening day.
Company Website: Technics