David Value tries out this Japanese large’s newest ‘Grand Class Community Audio Amplifier’ for measurement…
Technics
SU-GX70 Streaming Amplifier
£1,699.99 RRP
Again within the nineteen seventies, eighties and nineties, Technics was a everlasting fixture on the cabinets of hi-fi sellers – and, after all, bought its iconic SL-1200 turntable by the truckload to DJs and nightclubs. The model turned so common that it nearly turned synonymous with a sure sort of separates hi-fi. When you advised your pal down the pub, “I’ve received a Technics”, it did not want any additional rationalization – probably maybe except for answering his query, “does it go actually loud?” within the affirmative…
Like many Japanese manufacturers, Technics began to lose curiosity in separates hi-fi firstly of the brand new millennium. The magic of AV and/or residence theatre exerted a type of cosmic magnetic pull, quite like that of the Moon upon the Earth, and this firm and plenty of of its friends progressively edged away from two-channel separates hi-fi, leaving solely the SL-1200 to take in residual demand. By the tip of the last decade, this too was gone – the presses used to die-cast its aluminium higher construction apparently having worn out on account of age.
After some severe excited about life, the universe and every little thing, the Technics model moved again into the two-channel sphere in 2014 with a vengeance – beneath the guiding hand of its (then) Chief Technical Officer Tetsuya Itani, who joined the corporate again in 1980 – earlier than even Compact Disc had been launched. He received the unique turntable staff again collectively, most of whom had retired, and rebooted the SL and SP collection of quartz-locked, direct drive report gamers – and did it brilliantly. After that, the corporate has centered largely on amplification, and we have seen a brand new technology of digital amplifiers, the like of which no different producer is doing, plus the occasional digital supply element.
The Grand Class SU-GX70 you see right here merely follows on with the corporate’s ongoing roll-out of Technics amplification merchandise. Costing about thirty p.c lower than the SU-G700 M2 I reviewed a yr or so in the past, it is a community streaming tuner/amplifier quite than the latter’s easy built-in amplifier standing. It makes an attempt to do greater than its costlier and bodily bigger brother for much less. The query, then, is whether or not it succeeds and to whom does it attraction?
As its pricing and feature-set counsel, the SU-GX70 is geared toward extra generalist purchaser who needs the center of a streaming system in a single neat, slimline field. The SU-G700 M2, by the best way, had fairly a distinct potential buyer in thoughts. In its case, it was going for a traditional, old-school Technics amplifier purchaser from the previous. That meant the amp needed to be bodily massive, loaded to the gunwales with expertise and have huge quantities of energy relative to its worth rivals. The client for the ‘GX70 needs one thing altogether extra discrete, nevertheless, and one thing that is much better at multi-tasking.
UP CLOSE
The producer describes this as “a high-spec streaming amplifier, combining the sonic genes of the acclaimed parts assortment with a wealth of connectivity choices, together with HDMI ARC for the primary time.” It does not come as an entire shock that the press launch does not get very far earlier than the phrase “hub” is talked about! The SU-GX70 is claimed to mix Panasonic’s experience in video sign remedy with Technics’ proprietary full-digital amplification expertise.
The mixture of streaming and the supply of HDMI ARC locations it on the coronary heart of a two-channel residence leisure system, the type that is common in Japan with its comparatively small dwelling areas – particularly for city metropolis dwellers dwelling in eight-tatami residences. It makes the SU-GX70 a form of audio-video crossover product which will have much less attraction to Western audiences with more room – though it is undoubtedly true that newbuild homes and residences appear to be transferring nearer to Japanese dimensions, quite than the opposite means spherical!
Regardless of its video integration – which might be of big utility to some, however not, I believe, to most – Technics needs to reassure ‘actual hi-fi’ followers that it is a pukka audiophile product. So, it incorporates a number of connectivity and performance for a slimline (430x98x368mm, HxWxD) and pretty gentle (6.6kg) machine. You get a transferring magnet phono enter (2mV, 47k ohms), two analogue line inputs, one USB-A and one USB-B digital enter, two TOSLINK optical digital ins, one coaxial digital in. There’s the aforementioned HDMI ARC, one analogue preamp output, a headphone output, plus loudspeaker outputs.
Information supported embody all the key ones, as you’d count on – WAV, FLAC, AIF, AAC, MP3, ALAC and DSD. The amp handles PCM as much as 32-bit, 384kHz decision and DSD as much as 11.2MHz, plus MQA; AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth are commonplace. The tuner part contains DAB, DAB+ and FM. So far as the streaming facet goes, it affords easy and direct entry to Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz, and Amazon Music HD by way of the Chromecast platform.
The SU-GX70’s amplifier part is principally a scaled-down model of that seen within the SU-G700M2 – full with its so-called JENO Engine, Load Adaptive Section Calibration, and House Time. To be taught extra about these, please consult with my StereoNET evaluate right here. Suffice it to say that it places out a claimed 2x 40W RMS into 8 ohms and 2x 80W RMS into 4, which is way decrease than that of its greater brother and quite underlines its meant objective in life. The producer says {that a} twin energy provide has been fitted for a excessive signal-to-noise ratio, and there is a ‘Clear Energy Clock Generator’ as seen in Technics’ personal Reference Class parts for the very best jitter efficiency.
Within the flesh, so to talk, the SU-GX70 is a really engaging and neat little factor. Regardless of being inbuilt Malaysia, it has the slick, precision really feel of any element you’d count on that is made in Japan. The brushed aluminium fascia and crisp show confer an actual sense of high quality, and the pressed metal case is nice sufficient to not draw consideration to itself. The switchgear feels gentle and clean however has a optimistic motion – simply as you’d count on from a Technics product. There is a alternative of each silver and black finishes.
The draw back is that the modestly-sized show is not the best to learn, and the menu system is not the slickest to navigate. It isn’t unhealthy, however we’re a good means away from Apple-style ergonomics right here – and that is typically the place Japanese merchandise fall down. Maybe it is the value you pay for attempting to combine so many options right into a small field? Nonetheless, there’s all the time the app and the distant management feels fairly stylish – so general, the SU-GX70 seems to be fairly a pleasant factor to reside with. Different provided equipment embody an indoor DAB aerial and a decently written proprietor’s guide.
THE LISTENING
This can be a polished and clean-sounding amplifier and one which’s extra highly effective than its specs counsel. Certainly, it has a fairly ‘pristine’ type of sound, because it makes just about any recording look like it is a slick, refined factor. This may be each good and unhealthy, relying on what you are listening to and, certainly, your viewpoint. Probably the most putting facet of the SU-GX70 is simply how well-behaved it’s – whether or not you are enjoying the nineteen-seventies grunge of The Ramones or the eighties magnificence of Sadethere’s by no means something to offend you. Tonally clean and spatially spectacular, there’s a lot to love.
That is particularly the case in Pure Amplification Mode, by the best way – which powers down the community performance and HDMI circuits, in addition to the 2 antennas on the again panel. When this mode is chosen, the sound will get cleaner and extra three-dimensional, with slightly extra lustre and element – though it is a pretty delicate sensation. But whatever the mode setting, there’s nonetheless a way that Technics has gone for extra of a generalist quite than a specialist viewers with the SU-GX70 – it is much less laser-focused on audiophiles than its greater brother, for instance.
This little amplifier is nice however not sensible within the sonic stakes, then. It’s a lot much less of a bruiser than the SU-G700 M2 and usually extra vanilla in its voicing. But that does not make it worthy of condemnation, as it is also rather a lot cheaper and has extra performance. Take the SU-GX70 on these phrases, and it’s totally endearing. For instance, with the traditional early eighties rock of Flip It On Once more by Genesisby way of my Cyrus CD Xt Signature CD transport, the Technics acquitted itself effectively. It majored on the tune’s distinctive bass guitar and drum kit-powered groove that makes issues so satisfying.
I discovered myself quite awed by Phil Collins‘ stick-work, this amplifier capturing lots of the musical nuances happening and pushing them out via my NEAT Majistra standmount loudspeakers with aplomb. From reminiscence, I would say that that is no less than nearly as good as Primare’s I15 Prisma, which is an in depth worth rival to the Technics and really comparable when it comes to performance. Really, the GX70 could even be slightly gutsier, because it seems to carry on higher throughout musical climaxes and sounds subtly stronger within the bass, too. Tonally, it is on the ever-so-slightly heat facet of impartial, making it match for coarser-sounding funds loudspeakers – nevertheless it has nowhere close to the quantity of euphonic colouration you get from a valve amplifier, after all.
It is solely while you put this amplifier up in opposition to extra ‘centered’ competitors that it’s discovered missing – and that is probably not honest as you find yourself evaluating this hi-fi equal of an SUV to a sports activities automobile. The post-millennial funk of Daft Punk‘s Get Fortunate came to visit very effectively whether or not streamed, performed off my NAS drive, or by way of a direct digital enter from silver disc. The Technics made a pleasant noise, with smattering of element, plus it had the flexibility to let the listener comply with the fantastic interaction between bass guitar and rhythm guitar with relative ease. But, while you attempt to peer extra carefully into the combination, issues get slightly opaque. The SU-GX70 appears to spherical issues off a bit, making the music not fairly as crisp and express correctly. The impact of that is that it does not actually tug at your heartstrings as a lot as you would possibly want.
That is much more obvious while you wheel in some ‘massive weapons’ at this worth level or shut by. The lately reviewed Moon 250i V2, for instance, appears to have a extra pure tonality, higher focus and grip, as does the Naim Nait XS 3. Each of those aren’t a patch on the flexibility of the Technics, by the best way – so followers of the latter two amps must pay additional for a number of the issues that the Japanese amplifier does as commonplace, not least community streaming. All this makes for a barely matter-of-fact sound from the ‘GX70, in absolute phrases – one that’s not at all unhealthy however simply lacks uncooked emotion. For instance, the pounding synthesiser bassline of New Order‘s World In Movement wasn’t as dextrously dealt with as a few of this amplifier’s extra minimalist, centered rivals can handle.
Its greater and barely dearer SU-G700 M2 brother sounds clearly extra impactful and spacious. Once I reviewed it, there was a way of it taking my loudspeakers by the scruff of their necks and shaking them. This newer and smaller Technics amp lacks such brio and is extra genteel. It is a character trait that is evident throughout every little thing the SU-GX70 performs; it is all the time tidy, well-ordered and spectacular however does not fairly stir the soul. In equity, contemplating the type of system this amp may be requested to fit into – which might not be the final phrase in refinement – its smoothness may very well be a jolly good factor.
THE VERDICT
The brand new Technics SU-GX70 is much less of an enormous killer within the sonic stakes than its greater brother, however focusing in on that is absolutely to overlook the purpose. It nonetheless sounds very respectable and is means higher than the type of funds all-in-one methods that potential purchasers of this may be upgrading from. Though its producer calls it a ‘community amplifier’, it is extra of a ‘one-box system’ in its performance and adaptability. Checked out this fashion, it affords an terrible lot for the cash and is definitely tailor-made very effectively for a sure sort of purchaser who needs high-quality construct, versatility and relative ease of use as a lot as respectable sound. While it may not be the best audiophile discount on the town, judged by these wider standards, it’s a sure-fire winner.
