The Technics advertising tagline for its sound products is ‘Rediscover Music’ and while usually, advertising taglines don’t mean too much, when I first played the Technics SC-C50 those words were the first thing which came to mind. Suddenly I wanted to play music all the time – old songs, new songs, any songs. And every time I played a song, it was like I was hearing it for the very first time.
Why? Because the Technics SC-C50 provides such an immersive, total sound – it seems to hit you physically. Plus, there’s a clarity to the quality of the sound which usually only comes from super large audio systems. To get this quality of sound from what looks like a pretty large sound bar is incredible. It’s so compact it will sit comfortably on your coffee table – no wires needed – and stream anything you want from your phone. This is a modern sound system.
the sound to fill the space it’s in.
Exceptional sound quality, perfectly calibrated
When you play music through the SC-C50 Wireless Speaker System, it’s easy to forget Netflix and all the other shows you would normally be watching. Once you start playing music via the SC-C50, you get transported back to that time when all that mattered was music – the right artist, singing, playing – taking you to another world of music where nothing exists except that sound.
That’s what the Technics SC-C50 inspires and it would probably be the same from any premium, quality Hi Fi system. But the SC-50 is so compact and so easy to install, it’s got a lot going for it.
I trialled the SC-C50 and so I compared the sound from the SC-C50 to my own sound system which consists of Denon surround sound speakers, subwoofer and amplifier. While my system does provide a three dimensional sound experience, the SC-C50 matched this sound and even added to it with an amazing clarity of sound – the higher range of sounds were clearer and yet, still blended with the lower bass sounds.
So what are the models available?
The models in the Technics Premium Class OTTAVA Series lineup are:
Premium Compact Stereo System SC-C70: $1649 RRP (Includes a CD player. For a full review of this model, see here)
Premium Wireless Speaker System SC-C50: $1429 RRP
Compact Wireless Speaker System SC-C30: $1149 RRP
How do they provide this clarity of sound?
All three models have a feature called Space Tune which helps the systems deliver optimum sound for the space the system is set up in. You can select one of three preset modes to suit the location: Free; Near the Wall; or Near the Corner.
As well, a microphone built into the SC-C50 and the SC-C30 allows the unit to optimise the sound and an iOS device measures and compensates the frequency response with greater precision.
Technics’ supplies four JENO Engines to produce optimal performance, with superior sound imaging through subwoofer, midrange, and tweeter alignment.
In Hi Fi techno-speak, here’s more on why these speaker systems sound so good: LAPC measures the amp’s frequency amplitude phase characteristics with speakers connected to the unit, and performs digital signal processing to achieve the ideal impulse response. Parameters optimised for the low-frequency and high-frequency speaker load characteristics are pre-set in the LAPC computation circuit of the unit to realise ideal frequency and phase characteristics over the entire frequency range.
By harnessing these Technics technologies, you get to enjoy a full-bodied, warm sound with both the SC-50 and the SC-C30.
A compact body with powerful architecture
The arc-shaped body of both the SC-C50 and the SC-C30, houses three midranges, three tweeters and one subwoofer, while left- and right-angled speakers and a centre speaker create rich stereo imaging and crisp vocals. A ‘directivity-control horn’ eliminates mutual speaker interference to achieve wide directivity, and a coaxial midrange and tweeter ensure vertical directivity with less frequency disorder from the compact body.
Three 1.6-cm tweeters deliver high-res sound up to 50 kHz. This combines with a front-firing 12-cm long-stroke subwoofer and a straight, large-diameter, long port. A total of seven units in the rigid, glass fibre body produce powerful sound from the 3.1-channel amplifier.
Rediscover music Easy to stream whatever you want to listen to
When you’re using the SC-C50 or the SC-C30, you can stream everything from Internet radio, Spotify, and TIDAL. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay and DLNA. A ‘Favourite’ function provides easy access to radio stations and Spotify playlists so it’s easy to rediscover music you love.
The SC-C50 and SC-C30 have Chromecast built-in so they can stream what you like from your smartphone. They also work with Google Assistant, AirPlay and Deezer. They offer multi-room and stereo pairing.
Because the data is streamed directly from your phone to the main unit, there’s no degradation in sound quality. Using a number of Chromecast built-in speakers, the same song can be played in a few rooms rooms, or different music can be played from room to room, for multi-room entertainment.
We know it delivers the sound – what about price?
From our trial of the SC-C50, at first the price seemed a little high because I was assuming this is basically a large sound bar. But after using the SC-C50 you become aware straight away, that’s not what it is. Delivering exceptional sound quality, this speaker system is just that – an entire Hi Fi sound system.
So don’t be confused by the fact it’s condensed into a much smaller space. The SC-C50 is the real deal – it delivers sound that’s of such a high quality, it will literally make you ‘Rediscover music’ and yet, it suits the way we live. It takes up less space and is compatible with all our devices. It’s the type of sound system we want in our homes these days.
For more information on the Technics Premium Class OTTAVA Series lineup, you can take a look here. The systems are available at specialist audio retailers.