Headline news is the arrival of the company’s flagship SL-1000RE-S direct drive turntable system. This costs a cool $32,999, and has a legitimate claim to be one of the finest vinyl spinners on sale right now. Also arriving is the $4,949 Technics SL-G700E streaming SACD/CD player, the $2,749 SU-C700EG-S integrated amplifier and SB-C700AEB-W loudspeaker system, priced at $3,099. A spokesman says these are developed “for absolute harmony in terms of pure, accurate sound as well as looking stylish together.”

The Technics SL-1000RE-S turntable system follows in the footsteps of the classic SL-1000 of the late nineteen seventies, incorporating the latest SP-10R quartz-locked, direct drive motor unit in a bespoke plinth with a specially developed 12” tonearm. The deck has the best version of the company’s latest-generation coreless direct-drive technology, spinning an extremely heavy 7.9kg platter. A breathtaking wow and flutter figure of 0.015% is quoted, which is on the edge of what’s measurable. 

The bespoke base allows up to three tonearms to be fitted at the same time. The supplied S-shaped tonearm has a magnesium arm tube, precision bearings and OFC internal wiring. The heavy plinth is of multi-layer construction to reduce resonance, combining a 30mm aluminium top panel with a lower BMC (bulk moulding compound) section. 

As with the classic SP-10 mk3 that came before it, the SP-10R motor unit that forms part of the SL-1000R has a separate control unit. This houses the deck’s switching power supply and offers speed control – 33.33, 45 and 78RPM – with variable pitch. Adjustable motor torque lets users fine-tune the servo action to best suit their listening taste. Look out for a comprehensive StereoNET review of this exciting turntable soon.

The SL-G700E, so-called ‘Grand Class Network and Super Audio Player’, is a highly versatile mid-priced digital front end that streams audio, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, as well as spinning old school SACDs and CDs. The StereoNET Applause Award-winning machine exhibits fine build quality and real attention to detail as far as the audio electronics are concerned. The cast aluminium disc tray is an especially nice touch, in a world of DVD-ROM based plastic disc loading mechanisms. Native DSD playback is offered, as is MQA – plus a High-Res Remaster feature that upsamples lower resolution sources to 32-bit, 192kHz. A dedicated headphone stage with its own discrete DAC completes the feature-packed spec list.

The SU-C700EG-S integrated stereo amplifier sports fully-digitised processing that, Technics says, “delivers a pure and accurate signal to the speakers”. It boasts a high-rigidity aluminium cabinet and white LED illuminated level meters. Matching this is the SB-C700AEB-W bookshelf loudspeaker, with its flat coaxial two-way drive unit and highly finished gloss-white cabinet that’s been carefully designed, “to achieve the live music experience”. The components will be available in-store from July via selected Technics audio specialist retailers.

For more information visit Technics