Technics
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Technics' new flagship earbuds have larger drivers for improved sound quality
The new AZ80 gets fancy new diaphragms, while both it and its junior sibling now come with wireless charging.
Technics' iconic turntable gets a seven-color makeover for its 50th anniversary
Technics plans to only sell 12,000 units of the SL-1200M7L.
Technics boasts 50-hour battery life in its new EAH-A800 ANC headphones
50 hours of listening with active noise cancellation turned on? That's what Technics is claiming with its hi-fi-ready EAH-A800 headphones.
Technics debuts two new sets of wireless earbuds, including an ANC option
Technics expands its true wireless lineup with two new options, including the $229 noise-cancelling EAH-AZ60.
Technics made a black version of its SL-1200 turntable you can actually buy
After dipping its toes in the world of Bluetooth earbuds last year, Technics is back to releasing new turntables and audiophile equipment.
Technics EAH-AZ70W true wireless earbuds review
The Technics EAH-AZ70W true wireless earbuds do some things very well, but the audio quality can be hit or miss.
Panasonic's first true wireless earbuds are now available in the US
Panasonic debuted its first true wireless earbuds back at CES, offering three separate models with a range of features across the trio. The Panasonic RZ-S300W and RZ-S500W, along with the Technics EAH-AZ70W are available today, priced at $120, $180 and $250 respectively. Panasonic says the EAH-AZ70W will last for 6.5 hours with the included case holding two additional full charges.
The best true wireless earbuds we listened to at CES
The year 2019 was when true wireless earbuds became ubiquitous, so it makes sense that there were a lot of new models at CES. Those include new options from Audio-Technica, Jabra, JBL and more. I spent the week listening to new products from the companies that had working units to demo. Some of the more interesting ones, like Klipsch's T10, were on display, but there wasn't a functioning model to try. As CES draws to a close, I've compiled my list of the best true wireless earbuds I tried this week so you'll have an idea of what's coming soon and if they're any good.
Panasonic introduces its first true wireless, noise-cancelling earbuds
True wireless earbuds are obviously trending. At CES this year, we've already seen models by Harman Kardon, Jabra and Shure. Now, Panasonic and its Technics brand are introducing three more options: the Panasonic RZ-S500W and RZ-S300W and the Technics EAH-AZ70W.
Technics' SP-10R is its latest high-end throwback turntable
If you thought Technic's SL-1200 reissue was expensive, you haven't seen anything yet. Meet the SP-10R. Technics calls the throwback deck its "most premium turntable ever" and its 7kg (almost 15.5 pounds) brass, rubber and aluminum platter drives that claim home even further. "By optimizing the natural frequency of each ayer, external vibrations are thoroughly suppressed resulting in a beautifully clear and crisp audio experience," a very technically-worded press release says.
Technics has a new high-end HiFi setup, and it won't be cheap
Last year Panasonic resurrected the Technics brand and its legendary SL-1200 turntable. Now, the company wants to be your one-stop solution for all things HiFi, with a new model of the SL-1200, a pair of speakers and an integrated amplifier.
Technics' pricey SL-1200G turntable goes on sale this month
At IFA last year, Panasonic announced that it was reviving the iconic Technics brand with new turntables. After releasing a super limited special edition earlier this year, the company announced at IFA 2016 that the updated SL-1200G would arrive this month. What Hi-Fi reports that the new version is nearly identical to the SL-1200GAE that sold out in about a month, save for some design changes to the platter and the tone arm.
Technics explains why its new SL-1200 turntable costs $4,000
Back at CES, Panasonic's revived Technics brand pulled the wraps off of its new direct-drive SL-1200 turntable. While that announcement surely kicked up all sorts of feelings, the new gear comes with a steep price tag: $4,000. As many have noted, that's a dramatic increase from what Technics' turntables used to go for before the brand was discontinued. What Hi-Fi reports that new materials, including a new motor, and increased production costs are the reasons you'll need to empty your savings account to nab one later this year.
Panasonic's Technics revival has a new direct-drive SL-1200
During its CES 2016 press conference, Panasonic took some time out to talk about its new line of Technics turntables. This year it's releasing two versions of a direct-drive model: the limited edition 50th Anniversary Grand Class SL-1200GAE (limited to 1,200 units of course) and a non-limited Grand Class SL-1200G. In these editions, the reborn Technics says it even cured "cogging" with a newly developed coreless motor. There's no word on price, but the turntables should arrive in late 2016.
Panasonic is reviving Technics' legendary DJ turntables
Ask DJs about their favorite turntables and they'll frequently swear by Technics' SL-1200 -- even though it hasn't been made since 2007, the super-reliable deck is still the gold standard for vinyl spinners. If you're one of those enthusiasts, you'll be glad to hear that Panasonic is bringing Technics turntables back as part of a larger revival for the audio brand. Many of the details are still under wraps, but the turntable set will have a new direct-drive motor that should improve the audio quality. The gear won't show up until some point during Panasonic's next fiscal year (sometime between April 2016 and March 2017), but more development time is likely a good thing. After all, the SL-1200 thrives precisely because its makers were careful to preserve elements that worked well -- a rushed product could easily hurt more than it helps. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub.
Technics has a hi-fi music download service, too
In order to give its high-end audio wares the proper content to offer pristine listening, Panasonic's Technics brand is building its own hi-fi music store. Launching in the UK and Germany next year, Technics Tracks will serve up a library of 24-bit FLAC audio files, a number of which will boast a 92kHz sampling rate. In addition to the high-resolution selections, a collection of 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality tracks will be available as well via the service being tooled by 7Digital -- an outfit that operates a high-quality download repository of its own. Of course, Neil Young's Pono service and player are on the way as well, and with Tidal's recent launch, your high-resolution listening habit can now afford to be a bit more selective. When it arrives in Janurary, Android, iOS and desktop apps will be available for shopping and organizing cloud-stored music until you're ready to download.
Panasonic's bringing Technics back with a pair of high-end amps
Technics, Panasonic's high-end audio brand, may never have actually gone away, but it certainly fell out of the gaze of the mainstream. Now, however, the company feels that it's the time for the name to make a comeback with a pair of speaker-and-amp combinations that'll appeal to audiophiles everywhere. At the top end is a "Reference Series" R1, which comprises of a stereo amp, network audio control player and a pair of speakers. If your cash won't stretch that far, however, then you'll be able to shift down a gear with the "Premium Series" C700 range, which offers an amp, speakers, network audio player as well as - wait for it - a compact disc player. There's no word on what the company is going to be pricing this hardware at, but we'd assume that Technics won't sully its name with some budget devices. Still, it won't be long until we find out, since both ranges will land in Europe in December, with global sales coming in early 2015.
DJ Hero controller hands-on faceoff with an SL-1200MK2
Activision was kind enough to send over an early evaluation copy of DJ Hero, and while we haven't had a chance to dive deeply into the game yet, we thought you might want to see how the controller itself stacks up against one of our Technics SL-1200MK2s. As you might expect, compared to the legendarily tank-like construction of the MK2, the DJ Hero controller looks and feels exactly like the plastic game controller it is, although the wheel itself is nice and weighty and the buttons are pleasantly clicky. We definitely have some doubts about how this is all going to work when actually trying to mix tunes together, but we're eager to try it out -- in the meantime, hit the gallery for the full set of pics. %Gallery-72951%
