CD players Technics SL-PS840, SL-PS860 and others

The Technics brand was created by the Japanese corporation Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic Corporation) specifically in order to develop premium audio equipment and successfully compete with companies such as Nakamichi and others.

In 1971, Matsushita spun off Technics as a specialty brand producing high-end hi-fi components. The name "Technics" is derived from the word "technology" (technology).

SX-601

In 1963, the Technics SX-601 electric organ appeared, developed jointly with the National Electronic Organ Company (Panasonic group) and the Ace Tone company, which was the predecessor of the Roland Corporation.

However, Technix's very first product for the consumer electronics market was the EAB-1204 Hi-Fi speaker system, which appeared in 1965 and was sold in the Japanese domestic market.

Technics 1

These were solid two-way bookshelf speakers with a closed case, nicknamed “Technics 1” and, in fact, became the first cornerstone in the solid foundation of the legendary brand.

The model was equipped with a 12-cm mid/bass driver with a large magnet, a horn tweeter with a rigid membrane made of polyester film, had a well-developed bass and was distinguished by a smooth amplitude-frequency response. Later the speakers were sold under the brand name SB-1024.

10A

In 1966, mass production began of the first tube preamplifier, the Technics 10A, which used two-stage negative feedback circuitry, featured low distortion and a wide dynamic range, as well as the first unique tube power amplifier, the Technics 20A, with OTL circuitry (transformerless output), complete 20 50HB26 pentodes. In the same year, the 100P vinyl turntable was released with a belt drive and a somewhat non-standard solution for that time - a unique tangential tonearm.

20A

In 1968, the Technics 30A preamplifier was released, boasting extremely low distortion and improved signal-to-noise performance thanks to SEPP technology. In addition, the model had an RIAA correction circuit that was innovative for that time.

Released in 1969, the Technics 50A was the company's first transistor integrated amplifier and, in fact, marked the transition to transistor audio technology. The model used proprietary OCL (Output Capacitor Less) technology, which provided for the absence of capacitors at the output, which made it possible to obtain a more linear frequency response.

Direct drive

The Technics brand gained worldwide recognition for its simple but highly effective invention, the Direct-Drive (DD) turntable, developed by Matsushita's in-house electronics engineer Shuichi Obata.

SP-10

The first such model was released in 1970 under the brand name SP-10 - as a result, it was even used on radio stations. The main advantages of direct drive over standard belt drive were smoother and more stable rotation of the disk, minimal noise and vibration, as well as a more durable and reliable design.

RS-275U

In 1970, the RS-275U cassette deck went into production, which used a wear-resistant HPF (High Pressing Ferrit) ferrite head with adjustable bias current and an adapted direct drive system to reduce the detonation coefficient.

In 1971, Technics built on its success with the release of the SL-1100 vinyl turntable, which featured a powerful electric motor, high reliability, and high-quality sound. The model was chosen by hip-hop musicians - in particular, the popular DJ Clive Campbell, known as Kool Herc, who used the player for his first sound system, which he assembled after emigrating from Jamaica to New York.

In 1971, a team of Japanese engineers led by Shuichi Obata developed perhaps one of the most famous turntables in the history of Hi-Fi - the SL-1200.

In 1972, the model appeared on store shelves and soon acquired cult status not only among lovers of high-quality sound, but also among hip-hop DJs. The record player was used as a musical instrument by the giants of the New York hip-hop scene of the 70s - Grand Wizard Theodore and Afrika Bambaataa.

SL-1200 MK6

The SL-1200 electric motor was highly reliable and maintained excellent speed. The model made it possible to effectively use “scratching” - a basic DJ technique that provided a special sound effect obtained by manually pushing the disc back and forth or back and forth during playback.

The most popular among DJs was the SL-1200 MK2 modification (1979), equipped with the Pitch Control function for varying the speed/tone, implemented using a special slider mechanism - a fader. The SL-1200 has been used in DJing to this day and has inspired many imitators.

Technics History

Technics was introduced to the world in 1965 as a brand of premium acoustics sold in the Japanese domestic market by Matsushita. In subsequent years, the brand gained cult status thanks to its unique engineering achievements, which were used not only in hi-end models, but also in the company's budget products.

1957

The brand's history began with the arrival at Matsushita of a young engineer, Shinichiro Ishii, who had just graduated from the Faculty of Communication Engineering at Tohoku University.

Mr. Ishii with his developments

Upon joining the company, he developed the National 5HH17 horn tweeter, which had unprecedented characteristics at that time. It was released as a standalone speaker and became a hit. The company decided to further enhance the brand's reputation with a speaker system that included the 5HH17.

1960s

The first model of the new brand was the Technics 1 2-way closed speaker system, released in 1965. Despite their compact size, the speakers reproduced low frequencies comparable to standard floor-standing speakers. The speaker was equipped with a 12 cm woofer and a 5HH17 horn tweeter.

The speakers were highly praised by buyers and demanded amplification for them. The following year, 1966, Mr. Ishii introduced his first 10A preamplifier and first 20A power amplifier, which used twenty 50HB26 tubes as the output stage (10 tubes per channel) and a transformerless OTL circuit, which was exceptional for that time. Excellent frequency response, high output power and low distortion surprised the world.

The pair received excellent praise for the sound quality, but on the other hand, a letter of criticism about the design was received from the audio critic of the time, Mr. Fuyuki Segawa. Shinichiro Ishii listened to the critic's comments and invited him to participate in the work on the appearance of the next 30A amplifier.

While the Technics 10A's design was criticized and called "homegrown", Mr. Segawa's comments helped take the brand to a whole new level. Thus, Technix became a carrier not only of technology, but also of excellent appearance, and blossomed as a truly great audio brand.

In 1969, the first 50A transistor amplifier appeared, its new OCL circuit (amplifier with direct output without capacitor) was ahead of its time and later became the main model for building transistor amplifiers for many companies. Although Segawa also worked on its appearance, its design with black acrylic panels and internal lighting was not as warmly received, as it looked too much like McIntosh.

That same year, a prototype Direct Drive or DD turntable was completed, but it was an expensive device and Ishii was unsure whether such a product could be sold. However, Mr. Ishii was fascinated by the new product and offered to show the prototype as an unusual "technical highlight" during the release of the 50A amplifier to see the reaction of the world community. As a result, DD received enthusiastic responses that exceeded all expectations, and it was decided to put it into production next year.

1970s

The year 1970 was a real milestone not only for the company, but for the entire industry as a whole. Technics creates the world's first direct drive turntable, the SP-10 , which has had a huge impact on the audio industry and has become a major driving force for the brand. This table had a significantly lower signal-to-noise ratio than most turntables of the time. And although it was very expensive, the Technics name became known throughout the world thanks to the SP-10.

Technics SP-10 MK2

Two years later, a surprising turn in the long history of sound recording takes place. In 1972, the Technics SL-1200 budget turntable appeared, the most iconic turntable in the world, revolutionizing the music industry. This is the only device for playing music that itself becomes a musical instrument and gives rise to an independent genre - Turntablism.

The Model 1200 was produced for many years until 2010 and is considered one of the most durable and reliable turntables ever made. The Technics SL-1210 turntable is on display at London's Science Museum, representing one of the technologies that has shaped the world in which we live.

In the same year, Technics introduced its first cassette deck with auto-reverse RS-277US, and a year later its first deck with three heads RS-279US.

With the growing popularity of amplifiers and turntables, the popularity of speakers is beginning to decline. To bring Technics speakers back to the top, Mr. Ishii begins to solve the problem of phase matching of speakers.

In March 1975, the famous SB-7000 appeared, the world's first linear bass speakers with excellent sound localization. Their design markedly changed the approach to speaker design and was later adopted by other manufacturers to varying degrees.

The company later released several more models of bass-linear speakers, including the famous uncompromising SB-10000. Their 46cm woofer was housed in a 300L enclosure, while the midrange and tweeter were housed in separate horn designs to provide wider directivity characteristics.

The year 1976 was marked by the release of another legend - the RS-1500U reel-to-reel tape recorder, one of the best household tape recorders in audio history. The closed path in it is formed by one capstan with two pressure rollers and one reversing roller, equipped with a strobe light for visual confirmation of speed deviation.

Based on it, several different modifications were released.

In 1977, Technics released its monster with giant dial indicators, one of the best transistor amplifiers in the world SE-A1 . It worked in class A+, its power was 350 W per channel and it weighed an impressive 51 kilograms. Its price was 1 million yen!

The kit included a pre-amplifier SU-A2 costing 1,600,000 yen (for comparison, the Accuphase C-240 pre-amplifier cost 395,000 yen). Operating in Class A, the SU-A2 was completely free of switching and crosstalk distortion, and had a high signal-to-noise ratio.

This pair became the founder of the series and more affordable amplifiers with large dial indicators were produced in subsequent years, becoming one of the main symbols of Technics.

1980s

Although the company was originally founded as a hi-end company, by the early 1980s Technics offered a full range of equipment from high-end hi-end to budget models.

1982. The company's first CD player, the SL-P10, is released. The compact disc in it was driven by direct drive from a specially designed subminiature motor. The player's circuitry consisted almost entirely of its own latest microcircuits. To correct errors in the digital signal circuit, a unique proprietary system of super-decoding algorithms was used.

The company made unusual speakers again in 1985. This time, the SB-RX series was a coaxial planar two-way speaker system with a flat-diaphragm tweeter built into a woven carbon fiber midrange/woofer with the same flat-diaphragm.

This allowed for an ideal point source of sound, eliminating the problem of frequency response distortion (resonator effect) that is inevitable when using cone speakers.

Technics continues to release interesting CD players. Super performance when it was released in 1986, brushless motor, cool FF-1 laser, vibration isolating sandwich chassis and all that. All this is the famous “cash box” of the SL-P1200.

And in 1988, even more strange and spectacular SST-1 columns with complex labyrinths appeared. The double horn housing is made from a composite material developed by NASA. This unique shape was computer modeled and constructed using a unique acoustic method.

In 1989, the last hi-end transport SL-Z1000 and its 1-bit DAC SH-X1000 were released.

1990s

In the early 1990s, Technics released a pair of 7000 series amplifiers and, by and large, stopped producing hi-end equipment, concentrating on products in the mass segment. By the end of the decade, Technics equipment could no longer withstand the competition. In 2002, the Technics brand was discontinued in the US and Europe.

However, the brand was still popular in the post-Soviet space and Matsushita equipment was supplied there under the Technics brand until October 2010, and then the brand was finally discontinued.

During its existence, the Technics brand produced various equipment from monstrous receivers to audio cassettes. And all this is united by the magic of the brand, which has won tens of thousands of loyal fans of the brand around the world.

In 2015, Technics was revived with the advent of a new line of hi-end equipment, but has not yet achieved great fame and remains in the shadow of its past.

Legends of the "golden" era of Hi-Fi

In 1972, Technics surprised the world with its flagship high-end tandem, consisting of the reference Technics SU-10000 preamplifier and the SE-10000 terminal with VU indicators, which provided power of 200 W per channel at 8 ohms.

SU-10000 and SE-10000

Both devices had premium components, well-shielded power supplies, stainless steel cases with tool-free top covers, and were distinguished by a strict, neat design.

In 1972, the first cassette deck with auto-reverse Technics RS-277US was introduced, and a year later sales of the first cassette deck with three heads RS-279US began.

SB-1000

In 1973, the model range was expanded with the three-way bookshelf speaker system SB-1000, which was equipped with a low-frequency driver with a three-layer sandwich diffuser and a very powerful magnetic system. The tweeter and midrange driver had dome membranes - titanium and composite, respectively - and the speaker itself weighed as much as 52 kg and had a well-damped body with 36 mm three-layer walls.

SL-1300

In 1974, the SL-1300 vinyl disc player with direct drive and fully automatic control mode appeared on the shelves of specialized stores.

SU-8600

A year later, the SU-8600 integrated stereo amplifier was released, which had a distinctive metal front panel with rack-mount handles and impressive low dynamic distortion.

SU-9600

At the same time, the SU-9600 preamplifier and SE-9600 power amplifier (2 x 110 W at 8 Ohms, 0.02% THD) appeared in characteristic black cases, borrowing technologies from the “ten thousandth” series.

In 1975, another future legend was added to the Technics speaker line. The 3-way speaker system SB-7000 (Technics 7) with a phase-linear response consisted of three separate sections. The speakers in the SB-7000 are not installed in the same plane, like most speakers, but are slightly shifted relative to each other, which made it possible to ensure that they are in phase and match their sound as accurately as possible.

SB-7000 (Technics 7)

In fact, with this design, the acoustic radiation centers of the speakers are located in one plane, and not their suspensions. Such a technical solution promised a significant improvement in directivity characteristics, providing a wide stage and excellent localization of sound sources in space.

In the lower section of the speaker with an acoustic design in the form of a Helmholtz resonator there was a 350 mm woofer with a composite diffuser (cellulose + aramid fiber), in the middle there was a 120 mm midrange driver with a diaphragm made of a similar material, and in the most compact upper section there was a built-in 32mm tweeter with powerful magnet and impregnated silk dome membrane.

RS-690U

In 1976, an unusual three-head cassette deck RS-690U (aka RS 9900 in the export version) of a non-standard design appeared, which had a Dolby noise reduction system on board and consisted of two blocks: a three-motor cassette transport and an amplifier.

RS-7500U

At the same time, the production of the RS-7500U deck began, designed for playing Elcaset audio cassettes, which were larger in size than conventional compact cassettes and had a wider film that moved at a higher speed of 9.53 cm/s (twice as fast as a regular cassette ) and guaranteed better sound. However, the Elcaset format developed by Sony did not last long. In 1979, the production of such cassettes was curtailed.

RS-1500U

In 1976, a three-speed (38, 19 or 9.5 cm/s) reel-to-reel stereo deck RS-1500U was released - the first sign in the series of famous Technics reels. The device had a highly efficient transport mechanism, which was built on the principle of the so-called “isolated loop” (Isolated Loop) with one capstan, a pair of pressure rollers and one reversing roller.

SE-A1

The mechanism used high-precision quartz stabilization of the capstan rotation speed, all parts had minimal tolerances and were of high quality, and deviations from the standard belt speed were visually controlled using a strobe light. Thanks to this design, minimal parasitic amplitude modulation (PAM) and precise operation of the tape drive mechanism (TDM) were ensured.

SU-A2

In 1977, the SE-A1 stereo power amplifier was released with an unusual design for that time, which operated in class A+, had a “dual mono” circuit topology with a separate power transformer for each channel, weighed 51 kg and produced an impressive 350 W per channel at 8 Ohm.

SA-1000

One of the characteristic features of the SE-A1 was the large pointer VU indicators. The SE-A1 final amplifier was an ideal tandem with the SU-A2 preamplifier, which was produced at the same time, which operated in A-class.

In 1977, the SA-1000 receiver with an FM/AM tuner on board went into mass production, boasting an impressive power of 330 W per channel and a harmonic distortion coefficient of 0.03%.

SB-10000

The same year was marked by the release of one of the most successful Technics acoustic systems - the 3-way phase-linear model SB-10000, which continued the evolutionary line of its predecessor SB-7000.

SB-F1

The tweeter, equipped with a boron membrane, and the midrange driver were installed in aluminum horns with a carefully calculated geometry, guaranteeing a polar pattern of 150°, and the 460 mm bass driver was housed in a 300 liter bass reflex enclosure. The model had a high sensitivity of 95 dB and weighed 140 kg, and it took Technics five whole years to develop and fine-tune it.

RS-M85

In 1978, compact bookshelf speakers SB-F1 with aluminum bodies, 100 mm midrange/bass drivers and 13 mm horn tweeters appeared. In the same year, the RS-M85 cassette deck was released in a slim body with a powerful compact electric motor and a special servo system that controlled the rotation speed and worked in conjunction with quartz stabilization of the capstan rotation speed.

SL-10

In the late 70s, the original SL-10 compact turntable was released, which was equipped with a square table, had a tangential tonearm and was a fully automatic direct drive design: you just insert the vinyl disc, close the lid and press a button. Thanks to its innovative concept and design, the model was exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Technics SB-7000

A LITTLE HISTORY. Matsushita concern (founded in 1918) (produced an incredibly wide range of products: household, kitchen, audio, video equipment, communications equipment, and even ships and airplanes). Also, the Matsushita concern is one of the most significant manufacturers who made the greatest contribution to the development of all audio/video equipment and acoustics in particular. Even then, in 1918, the founder of the company, Konosuke Matsushita, formulated one of his famous business principles: in order to penetrate an already established market, you need to do everything 30% better and 30% cheaper. Konosuke Matsushita always believed that the hi-fi hobby should not be the privilege of only a solvent minority with sufficient funds. Therefore, it was decided to meet the coming boom of the HI-FI era (1970-1980) fully armed. For this purpose, the best engineers and designers were selected, high-tech laboratories and research centers were created, and thus the Technics company was born.

Description

TECHNICS: after generations, without changing the philosophy. Technics SB-7000 vs Technics SB-M1000.

As for the speakers, at that time they were far behind the other components in sound quality, in connection with this it was decided to create an institute of acoustics that would study not only acoustics, but also psychoacoustics, as well as the influence of sound on human consciousness.

Technics engineers have conducted extensive research into the waveforms of various musical instruments and performers' voices. The Technics research team developed a special measurement method that could be used to evaluate the actual reliability of the sounds reproduced by speaker systems. Using precision measuring instruments, an entire piano concerto was analyzed and recorded on magnetic tape. Comparisons were made between the shapes of the “live” signal and what was obtained at the output of various speakers, this helped solve the problems of sound reproduction reliability. Thus, it was discovered for the first time that time delays in the arrival of signals from various loudspeakers in a multi-band speaker system have a negative impact on sound quality. It was also established what effect various materials of the sound absorber and speaker housing have, which materials for diffusers are more natural for human hearing, and much more.

Technics SB-7000 custom version, the body is covered with valuable wood veneer, the diffusers are painted black.

All legendary Technics speakers were developed in the era of progress and the heyday of Hi-Fi (1975-1980); in 1983-1984, the Institute of Acoustics was reduced. Now Technics engineers used early developments to create new speakers (fortunately there were a lot of them), this is also true for the “freshest” speakers released under the Technics brand - Technics SB-M1000. In 1989, with the death of the founder of the corporation, Konosuke Matsushita, large-scale reforms began at Matsushita Electric, during which the shareholders, under the influence of investors (who only care about maximizing profits), decided to abolish the institute of acoustics (up to the sale of the building with a unique anechoic chamber) and bring the Technics brand into a more accessible and mass-market niche. Most of the funds previously allocated for the development of new technologies and improving the quality of production processes were directed to advertising and marketing, which subsequently negatively affected the quality of products and the brand image. But, I would like to note that for the Japanese domestic market in the late 1990s and early 2000s, very worthy things were produced in small batches, for example, amplifiers Technics SE-A7000, Technics SU-C7000 (see corresponding tabs), exclusive acoustics Technics SB-M10000, this was done by a small hand-assembled workshop in Osaka.

Technics SB- M10000, to buy them, you had to make a 100% prepayment and wait six months.

So, the Technics SB-7000 is, so to speak, the speaker (there is, of course, also the Technics SB 1000, but this is a separate topic), with which the triumphant history of Technics brand acoustics began, and the Technics SB-M1000, the speakers on which, the Technics brand sank into oblivion fly. Despite the fact that these speakers share more than 20 years of technical progress, they have common roots and correspond to one of the main principles of the founder of the Matsushita corporation: “you need to do everything 30% better and 30% cheaper than competitors.”

Technics SB-7000 (Technics - 7)

Design. Premiere - 1975, the world's first phase-linear speakers, the price in 1977 per pair was around $700 (USA, Europe) or 100,000 yen per piece (Japan). The price also varied depending on the type of finish; there were very exclusive custom options, even in red and orange. For those times, the amount of $700 was quite significant, but this was not the money for which you could buy first-class acoustics. The closest competitors were either much more expensive or significantly inferior in sound quality. That is, the Matsushita corporation was able to provide high-quality sound to a wider range of people and also make a good profit from it.

How was this achieved?

— First of all, these are ingenious design developments carried out at the Institute of Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of the Matsushita Corporation. During the experiments, Technics engineers created a unique measuring tool - a shift register, which was a circuit for compensating the delay of the audio signal. With its help, it became clear that the principle of mounting all loudspeakers of an acoustic system in the same plane was incorrect. As a result of long-term measurements using a shift register, due to the spatial separation of the loudspeakers in the vertical plane, it became possible to place in the same plane not the suspensions of the speakers, but the acoustic centers of radiation, which led to the achievement of in-phase radiation from all loudspeakers installed in the speakers.

For the first time in the world, composite cones based on cellulose with aramid fibers, used in the Technics SB-7000 at midrange and bass, were used as a diffuser material. A head with a powerful strontium magnetic system and a silk dome with an increased diameter of 32 mm was used as a high-frequency tweeter.

The weak point of the Technics SB-7000 is the electrolytic capacitors in the isolation filters; they are often replaced with high-quality film, and the sound quality is not long in coming.

This begs the question of why such a high-tech product then had a fairly low price. The answer lies in the same institute, which was engaged not only in improving the sound characteristics of speakers. Large-scale work was carried out to select the cheapest possible (Japan has no mineral resources, and all raw materials were bought mainly in the USSR for dollars) materials for the manufacture of equipment. Specifically, in Technics SB7000, inexpensive chipboard was used with the addition of production waste. The bass and midrange speakers used stamped rather than cast baskets, the filters were assembled using inexpensive (but high-quality) electrolytic capacitors, the inductors had ferrite cores (which, of course, by modern standards is not ice), which helps save on copper wire, and more. But everything was calculated so that this “saving” had practically no negative impact on the sound, and so that these inexpensive materials were better and more durable than the more expensive ones used by competitors, for example, PU suspensions were used, which do not age like polyurethane foam or textile.

Technics SB-7000. The Technics EAS-35PL05S woofer, despite the stamped basket, is designed like everything ingenious, simple and correct.

The Technics EAS-12PM70S mid-range speaker is nothing more than a smaller copy of the low-frequency speaker. Despite the medium-sized magnets and uncooled core, the speakers installed in the Technics SB-7000 have a huge overload reserve; thanks to the high-temperature voice coils, it is almost impossible to burn them out.

In the mid-1970s, when sound sources reproducing the frequency range above 20 kHz could be counted on one hand, frequencies above 20 kHz were not so relevant. Even today in the digital age, these tweeters can be a plus for some people, they do a good job of softening the harsh sound of the digital (or amplifier, depending on the specific system), and thanks to the large diameter dome, they provide excellent attack and soundstage size. But on most Technics SB7000 tweeters, the dome impregnation has dried out over 30 years, causing the sound to become dull and dry. Of course, we (stereotest.ru) easily solve this problem, we have in stock impregnation as close as possible to the original one, and if the fabric structure is damaged, we can replace the dome (click, aluminum, titanium).

Technics SB-7000. Tweeter Technnics EAS-6KH70S disassembled. Often, due to age and overload, the coil is torn from the dome, the impregnation falls off from the dome itself, and only after qualified restoration the sound returns to the original one.

Technics SB-7000. The body (18 mm chipboard) is not very thick (even the circles of cut chipboard from under the speakers were not thrown out, but used on the stiffening ribs). An acoustic design that is quite rare today is a Helmholtz resonator (a version of a bass reflex).

Despite a number of difficulties in the calculation method, the Helmholtz bandpass resonator has certain advantages over the phase inverter.

Firstly, overall dimensions and efficiency.

Secondly, the degree of dedamping characteristic of a resonator at the lowest frequencies is by no means as dangerous for the head as in a bass reflex.

Thirdly, and we have already talked about this, the “self-criticism” of the bandpass resonator regarding the harmonics generated by distortions also adds gold coins to its piggy bank.

In general, when developing the Technics SB7000, engineers took everything into account, and they looked far into the future, as a result, Technics provided for independent modernization. Each owner, for an additional fee, based on his taste preferences, could purchase additional tweeters and filter elements. Below are some tweeter models:

Technics EAS-10KH50: cobalt magnet, 700Hz ~ 23kHz; Technics EAS-12KH100: titanium diaphragm, massive magnet (1.5kg, 19000 gauss, 59000 maxwell) Fe-Co alloy, 1.2kHz ~ 30kHz; Technics EAB 5HH10, horn design, own filter; Technics EAS-10TH1000, ribbon tweeter, 4kHz～150kHz; And of course, one of the best tweeters in the world - Technics EAS-10KH501, only it uses a diaphragm made of pure boron (they could not make large-scale production, because boron processing is a very labor-intensive and expensive process), cobalt magnetic system (2, kg, 18000gauss, 130000maxwell), 700Hz~36kHz.

Technics SB-7000

Stated characteristics:

• Configuration: Linear, 3 emitters, 3 bands
• Woofer: 35 cm, aramid fiber composite
• Midrange driver: 12 cm, aramid fiber composite
• Tweeter: 3.2 cm, impregnated click
• Frequency range: 40…20,000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 93 dB/W/m
• Nominal impedance: 6 ohms
• Crossover frequencies: 700/4000 Hz
• Maximum sound pressure: 115 dB
• Maximum allowed power: 150 W (Music)
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 845x480x410 mm
• Weight: 36 kg

Sound. The acoustics are very different in design and parameters, especially the big difference in sensitivity. When switching from one speaker to another, I had to adjust the volume on the amplifier each time. But, despite such “differences” between the tested speakers, in general, their sound signature is similar, apparently the developers were striving for one ideal, which cannot, for example, be said about Technics speakers with cellular flat diffusers, there apparently was a different ideal. No, of course there is a difference in sound, but the performance style is the same, the acoustics are soft, melodious, ideal not for monitoring, but for long-term listening with an emphasis on the music as a whole, and not on its component parts.

When instantly switching from the Technics SB-7000 to the Technics SB-M1000, the sound of the 1000x seems more analytical, neutral, restrained, smaller in scale, with elastic bass, accentuated on the lowest overtones. The Technics SB-7000 seem more free and rough, but also more emotional, with almost limitless dynamics, the bass is more energetic, larger, but there is no such elasticity, especially in the lowest overtones, where the bass of the 7000x is a little smeared.

The treble from both pairs of speakers is very soft, a character ideal for digital sources. Especially recommended for high-resolution digital (DVD-A, SACD, DSD, 24/192) Technics SB-M1000, their high frequencies are very airy and at the same time soft. But the HF Technics SB-7000 is more dynamic and large-scale than that of the 1000x. For the taste of most of our listeners, both pairs of acoustics lack high frequencies (relative to the rest of the range). This feeling most likely arose after listening to acoustics with a fairly massive top a couple of weeks ago - Diatone DS 3000 and Onkyo Monitor 2001...

When the Technics SB-7000 is correctly placed in the room, the sound is completely unrelated to the speakers, the stereo effect zone fills the entire room. If you leave the listening position and move around the room, you get the feeling that you are walking between the performers in an orchestra, the instruments are so clearly localized, the spatial effect is preserved even if you are to the side and behind the speakers! The Technics SB-M1000, of course, does not have such fantasy (the advantages of the phase-linear three-dimensional design are undeniable), but the 1000e, in its three-dimensional capabilities, is also very impressive even in comparison with other, more expensive speakers (except, of course, the Technics SB-7000). If you listen to the 1000s with your eyes closed, you cannot say that the design of the speakers is 4-way, maximum 2 bands, all sound sources are precisely localized in space, what is especially striking is the depth of the stage, which goes far beyond the back wall of the room where the speakers are installed. By the way, despite the bipolar radiation of the DDD bass section, the Technics SB-M1000 do not have any special restrictions on placement; we placed the speakers almost close (25cm from the wall) to the rear wall and the bass did not hum.

I would also like to note that the Technics SB-M1000 for the Japanese market sound different than the same speakers for other markets. The main differences, as expected, are in the high-frequency and low-frequency regions; they are associated not only with economy (all the best for Japan), but also with regional taste preferences. In the mid-to-late 1990s, during the reign of the compact disc, speakers with a soft sound in the high-frequency range became increasingly popular, and a large assortment of textile high-frequency domes appeared, which, as they said, soften the “hard” sound of digital phonograms. Also, with the advent of home cinema, increased bass output was required. All this “fashion” came from Europe, so Technics did what they wanted for the European market - acoustics with softened high frequencies and raised bass. Japanese Technics SB-M1000 sound more evenly - there is less rise in the bass, but it is smoother, more detailed and deeper. The Japanese market would not accept dull high frequencies; listeners there were spoiled by the sound of monitors produced in the 1980s. Therefore, the “Japanese” Technics SB-M1000 has high frequencies with greater resolution, although not the same as in monitors of the 80s; in general, in our opinion, the sound is balanced and close to the “golden” mean.

Summary. Despite the difference in age, technological progress, fashion, political processes, economic crises, Technics brand acoustics have remained one of the most high-tech and at the same time accessible to consumers (principles laid down by the founder of the Matsushita corporation, Konosuke Matsushita). The Technics brand guarantees that its product is cheaper and better, and the cost is adequate to the cost of production. It’s also nice to realize that despite everything, the signature musical sound has been preserved, delivering pleasure even after long listening sessions. Both pairs of speakers are capable of compensating for the harshness of any digital formats and giving them rich analog sound.

Technics SB-7000.

Pros: large-scale powerful sound, wide polar pattern and excellent stereo panorama, high overload capacity (in reality, in peaks the speakers can withstand power 25% more than declared). Extremely wear-resistant materials (for example, speaker surrounds are almost as good as new 35 years after production)

Cons: The lowest bass is slightly blurred, there is not enough air at the highest frequencies.

Technics SB-M1000.

Pros: uncolored, clean, sound with deep, elastic, accurate bass, excellent three-dimensional characteristics (after the SB-7000 of course).

Cons: Liquid design of the tweeter, as a result of which there is a lack of HF dynamics in the version for the European and American markets. The disadvantage of both versions is the rather low sensitivity, which increases the requirements for the amplifier.

80s, first CD player

The Technics brand was conceived as a brand of high-end audio components, but in the 80s the arsenal already included a wide range of audio products for every taste, including budget models.

SV-P100

In 1981, the SV-P100 digital cassette recorder was released with a tape mechanism for VHS video cassettes, on which, in fact, audio recordings were made. The received signal was recorded in PCM format. Three LSI processors were used for digital signal processing, D/A and A/D conversion. In fact, the model was the forerunner of DAT tape recorders.

SB-M1

In 1981, Technics introduced the SB-M1 (Monitor 1) 4-way speaker systems, which used dynamic honeycomb drivers called Honeycomb Disc Drivers. The use of such rigid honeycomb membranes aimed to eliminate the distortion typical of conventional cone diffusers.

Thanks to honeycomb diffusers, a linear phase response is ensured, facilitating precise localization of musical images in space, excellent damping is guaranteed and the amplitude of the piston movements of the membrane is expanded. The speakers had a frequency range from 25 Hz to 38 kHz and provided a frequency response deviation within 1.5 dB in the band from 150 Hz to 15 kHz. The sensitivity of the SB-M1 was 94 dB, and the maximum input power reached 350 W.

SL-P10

1982 was a landmark year for Technics, as it was then that the first CD player, the SL-P10, was introduced. New LSI processors and proprietary microcircuits were used in the circuit topology. The device weighed 10 kg and 99% consisted of elements produced by Matsushita.

The model had compact dimensions, a pleasant design, had vertical loading of the disk and an easy-to-read display showing the structure of the disk. Steel and glass were used as drive materials, and a 16-bit AN6808 converter was used to convert the digital signal. On the front panel there was a special red LED diode that displayed the position of the laser head in relation to the CD.

Tetsuya Itani

Japanese engineer Tetsuya Itani, who joined the Matsushita department in 1980, took part in the development of the SL-P10 CD player. Tetsuya is now one of the most influential consumer electronics engineers in the world. He participated in the development of CD, DVD and Blu-ray players for Panasonic, and also took part in the creation of the HDMI standard. Itani currently serves as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Engineer at Technics.

“I joined Matsushita Electric in 1980, and my first assignment was to develop a prototype CD player for the Technics sub-brand,” says Tetsuya. — The first CD player Technics SL-P10 was released in the fall of 1982. At the time, I was a software engineer designing a central processing unit (CPU), so I had a lot of patents on CD player control protocols.”

SL-P50P

Itani says about his passion for hi-fi: “In 1968, my father bought a desktop stereo system. I liked the way it reproduced Japanese pop music, so I became interested in quality sound. I got my first Hi-Fi in 1975. I made all the components myself. I installed Toshiba chips in the preamplifier, and NEC 50CA-10 tubes in the power amplifier. For the sound systems, Technics speakers were used.”

SL-XP7

In 1984, the professional-grade SL-P50P CD player was introduced, which was equipped with a CD drive with a special suspension that protected it from the influence of external vibrations, and also had one 16-bit DAC per channel. On board there were balanced XLR outputs, a control speaker for monitoring and a fader. The model was positioned as a device for DJs working at a radio station.

In 1985, Technix launched its first portable CD player, the SL-XP7, with a compact square body that weighed 520 g and could operate for up to 4 hours on a single battery charge. The model was equipped with a DD (Direct-Drive) brushless electric motor, used a Burr-Brown PCM55HP DAC, had excellent functionality, allowed you to program playlists (up to 15 tracks in memory) and could compete in sound quality even with stationary CD players.

SU-V80

At the same time, the production of the SU-V80 integrated amplifier began. The model used the so-called class AA circuit topology. In accordance with the class AA developed by Technics, such a device has a current amplifier section (the main power amplifier), on which the speaker systems are loaded, and a voltage amplifier section, which operates in parallel, but in a highly linear mode - i.e. without load.

At the output of the power amplifier there is a measuring bridge, where the signals from the power amplifier and the voltage amplifier are compared. In this case, the output signal of a power amplifier loaded with speakers is cleared of distortions by subtracting them from the total signal, and the standard for comparison in this case is a voltage amplifier operating in parallel.

The model had a high-current 300 VA power transformer mounted on a three-layer anti-vibration suspension and fast electrolytic capacitors that minimize noise. Class AA circuitry was also equipped with the SU-A200 preamplifier, released during the same period, which had an MM/MC phono preamplifier.

SE-A100

Among the components produced by Technics in the mid-80s, we can highlight the SE-A100 final amplifier with traditional large, highly sensitive dial indicators and a circuit topology corresponding to AA-class (separated voltage and current amplification sections operating in parallel), which provided 170 W per channel (8 ohms) and had a record low harmonic distortion coefficient of 0.0009%.

The circuitry was a symmetrical, "dual mono" design, with the channel boards physically spaced on opposite sides of the case, and the total capacitance of the ten electrolytic capacitors was 92,000 µF. As a result, it was possible to significantly reduce distortion.

SB-RX50

Under the Technix brand, a small two-way speaker system SB-RX50 with a coaxial driver was released. The driver was a 240mm midrange/bass driver with a flat rigid carbon fiber honeycomb cone and a powerful double magnetic system, in the center of which a 28mm tweeter with a flat epoxy-mica membrane was integrated. Such a driver made it possible to obtain a purer sound than conventional cone speakers (the resonator effect was eliminated), and also represented an analogue of an ideal point source of sound.

SU-V100D

In 1987, the SU-V100D integrated amplifier with a built-in DAC appeared. The model had a “dual mono” circuit design with a separate power transformer for each channel, wound with OFC copper wire.

The device was equipped with 18-bit Burr-Brown PCM56 DACs, used a digital filter with 4x oversampling, class AA circuit design, and delivered 150 W (6 ohms) of power per channel with a low distortion factor of 0.002%.

SV-D1000

Thanks to an automatic sampling frequency switching circuit, 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz were supported. In addition to the usual line inputs, the amplifier had digital coaxial and optical connectors. At the same time, Technics introduced the SV-D1000 full-fledged digital DAT deck, equipped with an amorphous head and a well-damped body.

SB-AFP1000

In 1988, the unique SB-AFP (Audio Flat Panel) series was introduced, which included the SB-AFP10, SB-AFP100 and SB-AFP1000 models. The smallest of them (SB-AFP10) had four bands, was equipped with five speakers, had a frequency range of 35 to 40,000 Hz and weighed more than 70 kg.

Thanks to the use of emitters with flat diffusers, the panel depth was only 48 cm. Such a speaker provided large-scale dynamic sound with a wide surround stage and could cope with the sound of large rooms, and its older brother SB-AFP1000 was installed at the Vienna State Opera.

SST-1

In 1988, Technix developed unique 2-way speakers SST-1 with a special acoustic design - an acoustic labyrinth. The SST-1 speaker had two such labyrinths, which were essentially reverse-loaded horns and were calculated using a computer modeling system.

The speaker housings were made from a special composite that was used by NASA. Their unusual shape resembled the curves of wind instruments. The design of the SST-1 turned out to be so unusual and self-sufficient that these speakers were exhibited as exhibits at the New York Museum of Modern Art.

SL-Z1000

By the late 1980s, Technics had developed one of its finest CD players, the SL-Z1000, which was essentially a CD transport designed to be paired with a separate external D/A converter, the SH-X1000, using MASH technology. (Multi-stAge noise SHaping), which was based on the pulse width modulation method. During the development of the player, the main emphasis was on ensuring maximum vibration resistance.

The model weighed 20 kg, and its body and internal layout of elements were calculated at the Tokyo Institute of Seismology using computer modeling methods. Thanks to the internal symmetrical design, an ideal weight balance has been achieved.

SH-X1000

Special insulators were installed in the steel case using a special non-resonant TNRC compound, which helped reduce the amplitude of vibrations of the boards. The well-damped side and top panels were 2mm thick - in addition, the sidewalls were reinforced with decorative wood panels.

The aluminum facade had a thickness of 8 mm. The entire disk drive, including the tray, was also made of metal, equipped with a high-quality glass lens and equipped with a proprietary high-torque brushless DD electric motor. Separate transformers were used to power the mechanics and digital circuits. The player was connected to the DAC via “optics”, and the total weight of the entire structure was 40 kg.

CD players Technics SL-PS840, SL-PS860 and others

In 2022, in a world filled with various DACs, owning an CD player seems like a temporary anachronism, a paradox. And not at all because the CD format is outdated in sound. Despite the amazing parameters of modern formats - DSD1024, PCM1536, in terms of sound quality the standard 44.1 kHz 16 bit still satisfies all imaginable desires, except with one “but” - you must have fundamentally high-quality audio equipment.

If you look at the construction of modern DACs, their architecture, as strange as it may seem, has become simplified. With the advent of DAC chips, which began to provide amazing parameters by default, the developers simply gave up, why invent something, strive for perfection, isn’t it easier to just wait a little for the next chip that will add a new digit after the decimal point. What unique new solutions can be found in stationary DACs today? New delta-sigma chips with better characteristics and a banal output on operational amplifiers - that’s all that developers are pampering today. The numerous filters that the DAC can use are only the merit of the specific chip in which these filters are built - just sit and point your finger at the remote control, switching them. If you want more - and here without revelations - the output on the operational amplifiers is replaced with a discrete one. You can also do magic with discrete ones by developing a circuit without feedback. Love steam punk and please - ancient R2-R technologies in a new guise on FPGAs or so-called gate arrays. This is perhaps the entire arsenal that the industry uses today in tsapo construction. Even upsampling has recently begun to be used reluctantly, because modern formats themselves have a high clock frequency and an excessive number of bits for home listening. And the developers don’t seem to deprive you of such opportunities, but they don’t make much sense anymore. For example, the well-known DAC from the Wadia company - 121, converts any incoming digit with its internal processor technology into a format of 1 million 400 thousand hertz 32 bits - it’s already becoming a little more interesting, don’t you agree?

Or the DAC from the Russian company Digilab 202 also has an oversampling chip on board and you can listen to the CD format with increased (artificial) characteristics. When oversampling, to my ear the sound becomes less sharp, with a touch of shroud, but in NOS mode it acquires greater sharpness and liveliness, but all this is of course relative to specific DAC models. But if you gasped at the words 1.4 MHz 32 bit on Wadia, let alone on some old SDs, then I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you - such parameters have been available to the industry for a long time. For example, the Kenwood DP-7090 CD player model with 8 PCM1702 chips on board, released in 1997 (24 years ago), shows the inscription 32FS 22 bit on the front panel.

What 32FS means is a 32-fold increase in frequency from 44100 hertz. 44100*32=1,411,200 Yes, we got the same 1 million 400 thousand hertz that Wadia flaunts, but in a much cheaper player - 69,800 Japanese yen (about $700). Kenwood claims to increase the bit rate to 22 and an impressive signal-to-noise ratio of 120 dB (and today many devices boast figures of 110-115 dB). Of course, 120 dB is far from a record. For example, the Panasonic SU-MA10 amplifier, which has a built-in DAC on board using MASH technology, produced 140 dB in 1989.

To achieve such cosmic values ​​and a circuit called Digital Direct Drive, which is why the unique explanation appears on the front panel, there were no options for adjusting the sound. Therefore, the essence of DDD was to change the conversion coefficient in the I/U converter, which made it possible to change the volume without worsening the signal-to-noise ratio.

But let’s return to the SD, as you can see, although the figures for the characteristics of modern devices are amazing, all this happened before. Let's take for example the slightly cheaper Kenwood DP-5090 CD player, released in the same 1997. At a price of 50,000 yen (~$500), using an extremely interesting KAN05 chip, which in fact was not a DAC chip itself, but only allowed for the implementation of an extremely interesting method, thanks to which the parameters reached 24 bits (more than 7090), also offered resampling up to 1 million 400 thousand hertz.

Having not so perfect DAC chips, companies in the 90s used unique solutions that allowed them to get incredible results, in other words, earlier wolves were more toothy, which is of interest to lovers of high-quality sound. Unusual solutions and rare chips converge at one point, so owning an CD player today does not seem so unreasonable. Various companies offered their own solutions - Victor used a very sophisticated scheme for getting rid of jitter called K2 due to the fact that the two leading engineers who developed this technology had last names starting with the letter K.

Yamaha used both its own chips and chips from other companies, for example the well-known MASH technology (chip) from Technics. MASH stands for Multi-stage Noise Shaping - multi-stage noise shaping. I had a chance to listen to, for example, the Yamaha CDX-1030 CD player using MASH technology and it was really beautiful and decent sound in its level of equipment (mid-range and pre-top Hi-Fi). In the old days, Technics/Panasonic was a very influential player in audio - think about their reel-to-reel tape recorders, such as the Technics RS-1500U, 1700, etc., or the Technics SL-1200 turntable.

Technics also produced iconic CD players - the unusual SL-P1200, and the fantastically beautiful SL-P2000 (¥ 200,000, 1992).

These were excellent devices, but they were also impressively expensive, which is not affordable for everyone, so we will touch on interesting devices in the lower price range, namely the Technics SL-PS840 and Technics SL-PS860. These models are essentially the top models in their lines, above them only devices from the premium segment - 900 and 2000. And despite the similarity of names, these models are not similar. Let's start with the fact that the Technics SL-PS840 CD player is filled with MOS FET transistors in the proprietary class AA, which gives a thick, rich sound. The Technics SL-PS860 model uses bipolar transistors, but operates in pure class A. It is also worth noting that the 860 model was produced only for Japan, it is an exclusive, which tried to surpass the sound of the 840 model, which was sold both in Japan and in other countries. The MASH chips in the devices were also different. The 840 had an MN64761 MASH chip. This chip, according to Vasiltek’s classification (albeit quite old), was characterized by him as “MN64761 - 1 bit, MASH - the best from Panasonic.” MN is an abbreviation for the name of the company - remember that both Panasonic and Technics are only trademarks of Matsushita National. Let me remind you a little history (taken from wikipedia): “In 1918, Japanese businessman Konosuke Matsushita founded the Matsushita Electric Factory, which began producing electrical sockets and plugs. In 1927, the National brand was introduced, under which the plant began producing bicycle lights. In 1931, the product range was replenished with radios and dry galvanic cells, etc...” The Technics SL-PS860 player had a different chip on board, but also MASH - MN64733. Vasiltek also described it as “MN64733 – 1 bit, MASH – the best from Panasonic.” I would like to note that Vasiltek reported that he wrote the plate describing the DAC a very long time ago, so since then, of course, opinions about the sound of the chips could have changed, keep this in mind.

At prices the 860 model was more expensive. The Technics SL-PS840 was priced at ¥49,800 (+sales tax), while the Technics SL-PS860 was priced at ¥54,800. Below I will provide a translation from Japanese for the Technics SL-PS860 model. The CD player is equipped with high-quality S-advanced MASH/Class A DAC audio technology, and virtual battery power. The S-advanced Class A/MASH DAC is part of the digital-to-analog conversion. This circuit has the 3-LSI S-advanced MASH configuration and two Class A PWM output ICs adopted in higher end , and is improved by incorporating 4th order noise shaping circuitry and digital reduction circuitry in the advanced MASH. The output PWM IC of each LSI part of MASH and the left and right channels are separated by dividing the LSI into 3 chips, which avoids the influence of digital noise and reduces crossover distortion between channels. The PWM output section has been changed from conventional C-MOS (in the former 840) to bipolar in the SL-PS860 to reduce the generation of through-current due to the sudden change in current at the point where the pulse shape changes, causing the PWM signal to overshoot or undershoot. The new circuit stabilized the pulse peak value and realized an ideal PWM output.

Additionally, clock jitter is suppressed by placing the crystal oscillator circuit close to the D/A converter. The virtual battery operating circuit is part of the power source - the field effect transistor element is included in the power supply circuit, the noise mixed in the audio circuit with the noise of the AC power supply, and the generation of the reference power supply is cut off by the charge side of the capacitor, and the noise is mixed in the audio signal. The digital servo drive makes changes to the operation, automatically adapting to the quality of each disc.

The silent mechanism is used, the disc tray is extended to 140mm, the mechanism is located in the center with good weight balance. In addition, TNRC multi-layer metal and BMC structure is used, resulting in reduced vibration from the outside. The SL1, a superbly quiet mechanism, provides sound clarity while suppressing mechanical resonances. In addition, silent operation is achieved through the use of an ingenious swing arm drive system.

The class AA circuit is adopted as a linear circuit, and the ideal class A operation is realized. THCB (Technics Hybrid Construction Base) acquires excellent vibration damping characteristics through the combination of a steel plate and a viscoelastic body, and four large isolators reduce internal and external vibrations. In addition, the vibration of the mechanism is suppressed by placing the optical deck mechanism in the central part, with good balance of weight and buoyancy with a double isolator. There is an optical output. There is a function to turn off the display. The line output connector is gold plated. Comes with wireless remote control.

Device characteristics:

In my opinion, the 860 model looks extremely interesting for a Hi-Fi equipment researcher. CD players 840 and 860 were not released simultaneously. The SL-PS840 came out in 1992 and the SL-PS860 in 1994. The Technics SL-SP840 was a cheaper model. On the website audio-heritage.jp Technics SL-SP840 is described as follows (translated from Japanese):

The CD player uses a virtual battery and an advanced MASH/1-bit DAC. Virtual battery operation is adopted as part of the energy source. This power supply circuit is a circuit designed to take maximum advantage of MOS-FET characteristics to achieve high quality audio by reducing noise from the power supply and digital circuitry. To reduce the negative impact on sound quality due to external vibration, the newly developed THCB vibration isolation design is used. In this design, external vibration is suppressed by the effective combination of a steel plate and a viscoelastic body.

The newly developed advanced 1-bit MASH DAC is adopted as part of the digital-to-analog conversion. The noise component is cut off by the differential circuitry of the 8DAC, and a high signal-to-noise ratio is achieved, resulting in low distortion and high linearity. In differential circuit, we achieve high precision and high precision reproduction. A digital servo is present for better reading of each disc. In this circuit, current flow is minimized and servo current ripple is reduced by adjusting to an appropriate and stable servo value according to the CD condition.

SL1 is located in the loading mechanism. The disc tray is made of TNRC, which has excellent vibration damping performance, and the original swing arm drive system ensures smooth operation. The class AA circuit is adopted as a linear circuit, and accurate waveform transmission is realized, which is not affected by the load. High quality carbon film sound resistor which used non-magnetic material cover is adopted as a resistor. In addition, the sound quality is improved by using an electrolytic capacitor and a polypropylene audio capacitor. There is a digital optical output terminal. Line output terminals are gold plated. The display can be turned off so as not to affect the sound ! Comes with wireless remote control.

As you can see, we looked at two quite interesting devices that deserve curiosity. I will definitely tell you about the sound of the Technics SL-SP860 in future materials, but for now you may be curious what happened to the Technics company, why did it fall so rapidly, like Icarus, from heights beyond the reach of an ordinary mortal?

I found the answer to this question both in Japanese periodicals and in the revelations of Japanese audio equipment repairmen who write blogs. The bottom line was this: many companies used MASH chips from Technics, and when properly implemented they were very good-sounding chips, but Technics behaved incorrectly towards its partners by refusing to provide the latest chips. Technics/Panasonic thought it would be prudent not to provide competitors with the latest MASH technology chips, installing them only in their branded CD players. Competing partners - Yamaha, Sansui, Dual, JVC, NAD, Onkyo, Teac, etc., from a certain period of time began to offer only outdated chips, which, of course, did not suit anyone and led to a mass exodus - an urgent acceleration of the development of their chips and the refusal using the famous MASH. That is why in Yamaha models we see such leapfrog with chips in the model range. For example, the Yamaha CDX-1020 model was released on two PCM58, 1030 on MASH, but just in time for the release of 1050, a chip from Yamaha itself arrived, which they were finally able to create, also due to the abandonment of Technics chips.

The second reason for the fall was the negative attitude towards the company, which arose due to an unsuccessful element base - many models, for example amplifiers, had strong heating and insufficient radiator area, and the fans installed as standard did not save them - this caused earlier failure of the equipment due to incorrect temperature conditions, microcracks in boards or soldering, and failure of capacitors of one popular brand, which was used most often in Technics equipment. Also, MASH's reputation was tarnished by the sheer number of very cheap CD players that used the most primitive playback schemes, which is why they earned the reputation of not very good-sounding devices. As you can see, many factors led to the collapse, which does not negate the fact that despite the excessive promotion of the most budget equipment, and the unwillingness to provide partners with new chips, the Technics company also produced true diamonds that still shine dazzlingly brightly in the horizon of high-precision audio.

90s

In 1990, the company released a more affordable CD player, the SL-PS70, which featured a one-bit MASH DAC, a centrally located disk drive, and excellent microdynamics. The model provided reliable protection from the influence of external and internal vibrations and used circuits corresponding to class AA.

SL-PS70

In 1991, the premium cassette deck RS-B900 was introduced, which had a proprietary cassette deck with two capstans, made in a “closed loop” type, a reliable DD electric motor with high torque and had three heads. Thanks to this tape transport mechanism, constant tension of the magnetic tape was ensured, which minimized detonation and noise.

RS-B900

A proprietary TNRC compound was used to dampen the body, and the side panels were made of wood. The deck had Dolby B/C and DBX noise reduction systems, a Dolby HX-Pro dynamic magnetization system, could work with any type of magnetic tape and had a motorized drive for closing the cassette cover.

SL-P2000

A year later, the reference CD player SL-P2000 with an improved S-Advanced MASH DAC, which allowed for a dynamic range of 145 dB, went into mass production. The model used an interesting technology: the slightest interference and noise from the power supply and digital circuits was eliminated using a special circuit with a so-called “virtual battery” (analogous to an electronic choke).

The power supply used a high-efficiency R-core transformer and large aluminum electrolytes from the Master series. In addition to the standard set of outputs (RCA and optical), the device also had balanced connectors.

SU-C7000

In 1992, the Technics SU-C7000 preamplifier was released - it used class AA circuitry and a unique circuit with a built-in battery, which was intended to separate the power supply (PSU) and signal circuits in order to minimize noise and eliminate interference entering the audio path from networks. This battery could last about four hours.

After it was discharged, it automatically switched to a regular power supply, powered from an AC mains, and in the meantime the battery began a new charging cycle. The power supply used an efficient R-core transformer. The SU-C7000 chassis had a multi-layer structure and provided effective vibration protection.

SE-A7000

In pair with the preamplifier, a final amplifier SE-A7000 was released with class AA circuitry, MOS transistors at the input and bipolar transistors at the output. The power supply was equipped with 10 electrolytic capacitors from the Master series with a total capacity of 75,000 μF; the “dual mono” principle was used in the circuit topology.

The model's body had a champagne color, thick panels, wooden sides and a pair of traditional dial indicators with switchable backlighting. The amplifier produced 170 watts per channel at 8 ohms and weighed 38 kg.

RS-AZ7

In 1995, the RS-AZ7 mid-range cassette deck was released, equipped with an amorphous Amorphous-Z head. The model also featured Class AA circuitry, a "virtual battery" circuit to reduce distortion, and an ATC (Auto Tape Calibration) feature that recorded a test signal to automatically set the required bias current and recording level.

The chassis features an anti-vibration Technics Hybrid Construction Base and a centrally mounted cassette deck for precise weight balance and minimal vibration. The model had a good price/quality ratio and was very popular.

1995 also became a landmark year for the Technics brand thanks to the release of the 4-way floor-standing speaker system SB-M10000, which was equipped with 12 speakers and belonged to the High End class. The low-frequency section of one such speaker used four passive 270 mm radiators and four 220 mm woofers.

SB-M10000

The lower mid frequencies were handled by a pair of 180 mm drivers with composite mica-based diffusers, the upper midrange were given over to 60 mm speakers with mica domes, and the high frequencies were voiced by a 25 mm tweeter with a graphite dome membrane, which raised the upper limit of the frequency range to 100 kHz.

The speaker weighed 160 kg, had a multi-layer natural veneer finish and a reliably damped body. Essentially, the SB-M10000 consisted of two parts-blocks that were installed on top of each other - and each of these blocks was connected to a separate amplifier.

Woofers and passive radiators were installed in a special way (acoustic design of the “bandpass” type) in the very top and bottom parts of the housing. Such a system received the abbreviation DDD (Dual Dynamic Driver, i.e. “double dynamic driver”).

Rebranding and revival of Technics

In 2000, the DVD-A10 DVD player appeared, equipped with a DAC with a resolution of 24 bit/192 kHz, and the following year the production of the multi-channel AV receiver SA-DA20 began, which had on board proprietary amplifier modules with VGCA (Variable Gain Control Amplifier) ​​technology , “controllable gain amplifier”), minimizing noise and improving sound dynamics.

MOS transistors were installed at the output, and the chassis was reliably protected from vibrations using proprietary THCB technology. The model supported Dolby Digital (AC-3), DTS, Dolby Surround Pro Logic codecs and provided a power of 100 W (6 Ohms) per channel in stereo mode.

DVD-A10

In 2002, Matsushita Electric rebranded its products and essentially eliminated the Technics name, leaving it only in certain sectors. “There were two main reasons for this,” recalls Tetsuya Itani. “Firstly, the market has switched to using compressed music, so the focus of audio products has shifted from hi-fi to conventional portable devices, and the Technics brand could not cope with competition in this sector. At that time, the decision was also made to focus on the Panasonic brand and discard all other names. We stopped the National brand in Japan at the same time as Technics.”

However, the audio equipment supplied by Matsushita to the countries of the former USSR at that time still retained the Technics nameplate on board. In 2007, the sixth reincarnation of the cult player SL-1200 was released, which was labeled MK6, and already in 2010 the Technics brand was completely abolished.

Michiko Ogawa

In 2014, the brand was restored again. The revived Panasonic division was headed by professional pianist Michiko Ogawa. Tetsuya explains his reasons for returning to Technix: “With the development of new technologies, high-resolution audio formats have become widely available. We found that people were starting to reconsider their view of sound quality and become interested in hi-fi again.

Around the same period, we developed our Class D amplifier technology, which was good enough for hi-fi applications. "In addition, Panasonic's mono-brand policy has changed, and senior management has agreed that the Technics name, as well as its history, is a better fit for the specialty audio sector than Panasonic."

Philosophy of sound

The revived Technics brand remains true to its traditions. “We will never give up the desire to achieve maximum capabilities in conveying the very essence of music,” this is how Technix now describes its philosophy, emphasizing that in order to achieve its goals, the brand’s engineers will constantly improve innovative technologies and the design of their equipment .

SB-R1

Currently, the brand’s products are divided into three classes: the top reference Reference Class, the grand class Grand Class and the more budget premium Premium Class.

The flagship R1 reference line includes the 3.5-way SB-R1 floor-standing speakers, the 54kg SE-R1 stereo amplifier with dial indicators and 150W (8 ohms) per channel, and a network player with functions preamplifier SU-R1.

SU-R1

In addition, Technics produces components of the Grand Class G30 series (an amplifier with network functions and a music server) and Grand Class G700, the budget C700 series, headphones, vinyl players of various classes (including the legendary SL1200 model in several versions) and other audio equipment .

Tetsuya Itani describes what makes Technics different: “We are different in many ways. On the technical side, we are part of Panasonic and can use a wide range of proprietary technologies and materials obtained from the development of AV components and other electronics.

Grand Class G30

We have a global marketing network that helps organize the distribution of our products and their service. We are also in a good position due to brand recognition, which allows us to collaborate successfully with the music industry. We are working with the Berlin Philharmonic and Abbey Road Studios."