JBL L100 VS 4312
https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/topic/special/1387281.html
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JBL L100 speaker is about 275,000 yen for one side alone and about 495,000 yen for a set of left and right pair.
As of 2022/10/20.
As of October 20, 2022.
JBL 4312M II BK [pair] speakers are about half the price of the above L100 speakers.
It is a good cost performance. However, if possible, we would like to have the JBL L100 with higher sound quality.
BK [pair] is about half the price of the L100 above, and is a good value for money.
Full Digital Mini Component SC-PMX900
As of 10/19/2022, the SC-PMX900 does not yet support MQA. However, there is a possibility that MQA will be supported in the future by upgrading the firmware.
We would like to ask Technics for an immediate response.
Aon CEO
Masahiro Ishizuka
090-7555-5011
MQA-CD player
Full Digital Premain Amplifier with MQA-CD Player
SA-C600 approx. 110,000 yen
https://kakaku.com/item/K0001416561/
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Full-fledged audio for 110,000 yen! Technics' SA-C600's capabilities
- Offer:
- Technics
February 21, 2022 07:00
With the spread of music distribution services and more time spent at home, many people probably listen to music on their laptops or listen to music on their smartphones and earphones at home. Now that we have come to listen to so much high-quality music, it's natural to think that we want to listen to it with high-quality audio equipment and full-fledged speakers! However, we were confronted with two hurdles: ``there is no place to put a huge component'' and ``full-fledged audio equipment is expensive''.
I wrote “was” in the past tense because this wall-breaking product has appeared. That is the all-in-one network CD receiver "SA-C600" (110,000 yen) and the small bookshelf speaker "SB-C600" (110,000 yen pair) to be released by Technics on February 25. Despite the high sound quality, both are compact and the price is kept down.
Therefore, let's approach the capabilities of the "SA-C600" and "SB-C600" in two weeks. This time from SA-C600. I brought both models into my home listening room and thoroughly checked their functions, usability, and their ability as amplifiers when combined with speakers other than the SB-C600.
The design that is small but strong. Can be connected to a TV or record player
The SA-C600 is a network compatible integrated audio product with a thin and compact chassis measuring 340 x 341 x 94mm (width x depth x height) and a digital power amplifier with a rated output of 60W (4Ω). It supports various old and new music sources such as CD, high resolution, and streaming, and if you have this one, you can enjoy music to the fullest by combining it with your favorite speakers.
Technics' audio products are developed in three lines, "Reference Class", "Grand Class" and "Premium Class" in order from the top series. The SA-C600 is a model that belongs to the "Premium Class" that achieves an affordable price while introducing the technology of the high-end model.
The first thing that cannot be overlooked when talking about the SA-C600 is its excellent design. A thin and compact chassis with a height of 85mm. Aluminum with a hairline finish is used for the top panel, where a top-loading CD drive is placed. It's an audio-friendly design that you can see the spinning CD while it's playing, and it's fun just to look at it.
By the way, the thickness of the aluminum is 3 mm, but this is a design element, and at the same time, it aims to have two effects: reducing the occurrence of internal vibration and improving sound quality by suppressing external vibration. You can feel the DNA of the audio manufacturer in these parts.
Another major feature is that it supports a wide range of old and new music sources. First, play the CD. Recently, music playback styles using streaming and smartphones have become the main style, but there are probably many people who want to listen to the precious CDs they bought in their youth with good sound again.
In addition, the main unit is equipped with a network function, and of course it supports streaming playback. It supports wired and wireless (Wi-Fi IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac) connections, and streaming services are compatible with Amazon Music, Spotify, and Deezer. By the way, "Amazon Music HD" up to 192kHz / 24bit is not supported at this time. Since it is said that "we are considering measures while watching market trends," we would like to expect responses.
Digital music files such as high-resolution files can be played from NAS or USB memory, etc. In addition to supporting Internet radio, FM radio, AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in is also compliant. In addition, although the codec is a general AAC / SBC, Bluetooth connection is also possible, so you can easily play audio such as YouTube by connecting to a smartphone, tablet, computer, etc.
Another point is that it supports MQA. MQA files downloaded from music distribution services can be fully decoded and played back. As mentioned above, it also has a built-in CD player, but MQA-CD high-resolution playback is also possible.
In addition, the great thing about the SA-C600 is that it has a lot of input terminals. Equipped with a phono equalizer compatible with coaxial digital/optical digital and MM type cartridges, it has a lot of content. You can combine it with a record player, or you can connect it to a TV and play dramas and movies through audio speakers.
A full-fledged amplifier section that incorporates the technology of high-end machines
So far, the SA-C600 is positioned as an all-in-one unit that can handle many sound sources, but what makes the SA-C600 more valuable is its thorough sound quality measures. There are quite a few technologies that have been slide-in from the products of the top series. Moreover, it consists of two approaches: "Sound quality measures by the audio circuit part" and "Under the digital domain like Technics".
First of all, I have to talk about measures to improve the sound quality of the audio circuit section, around the amplifier. It is equipped with the original full digital amplifier technology "JENO Engine", which can be said to be the specialty of modern technics amplifiers. This technology is composed of a very high-precision jitter reduction circuit and a unique high-precision PWM conversion circuit, and guarantees high musicality while producing high-resolution sound.
Also, despite the small body, it is also important to install the "Twin Power Supply Circuit System" that separates the power supply for the amplifier. It has two independent transformers, connects the dedicated transformer and the amplifier circuit at the shortest distance, and distinguishes it from other circuits to achieve low noise.
In addition, various unique technologies have been introduced into the small body, such as the "Clean Powered Clock Generator" circuit, which is based on the noise suppression technology used in the company's top-end record player "SL-1000R".
And various signal processing using the digital domain (digital audio signal domain) is also attractive. For example, the volume of low-frequency sound varies greatly depending on where the speaker is installed in the room, but it corresponds to the "Space Tune" function that optimizes it.
In addition, the "CD Hi-Res Master" function, which increases the amount of information from 44.1 kHz/16-bit CD data to the equivalent of high resolution, and the "Remaster" function, which brings sources that use lossy (compressed) formats such as Bluetooth and Internet radio closer to uncompressed lossless sources. -master” technology is also installed.
Attempting to use these audio processing technologies in the analog domain, such as the tone control of amplifiers, would result in considerable deterioration in sound quality. It's a technique typical of Technics, which specializes in digital audio processing.
As an all-in-one machine, operability is also taken into consideration. Equipped with physical buttons on the top of the main unit, and an organic EL display and touch buttons that display the operating status on the front panel. In addition to the dedicated remote control, you can also use the operation application "Technics Audio Center" that can be installed on iOS and Android devices. There are various scenes for playing music, but the usability of this unit that can make full use of these three seems to be high.
Check sound quality by connecting with floor type speakers in an audio environment!
But what about the all-important sound quality?
This time, I used the listening room on the 1st floor of my house, and combined it with the medium to large speaker JBL "L100 Classic 75" (750,000 yen for a pair) currently installed, in a pure audio environment, streaming, high-resolution files, and records. I also tried playing.
Installation work of SA-C600 is simple because it is an integrated type. After connecting the power cable and speaker cable, connect to the network wirelessly or via Wi-Fi, and install the operation application "Technics Audio Center" on your smartphone / tablet. By the way, the speaker terminals are solid, and I'm happy that the speaker cables can be firmly fixed. This area is also a part like a full-fledged amplifier.
During the installation, I was once again taken aback by the design and lightness of the SA-C600. The silver chassis, which inherits the straight-line design typical of the new Technics, matches not only the audio room, but also the living room. In addition, it is compact and has a chassis weight of 4.8 kg, so it is easy to install on a sideboard or furniture.
Start with basic CD playback. I listened to one of my favorite CDs, Mariah Carey's 1998 CD "# 1's".
Slide the transparent lid of the main body and fit the disc with a "click" sound. It feels like smartly opening the door of well-designed furniture, and when you put the lid back on, playback starts automatically. The rotating disc is beautifully illuminated, enhancing the atmosphere of listening to music. The manner in which the disc is set on the top panel until the sound comes out gave me the feeling of playing an analog disc.
The combined JBL speaker is a medium-sized model developed with the motif of "L100 Century" that appeared in the 1970s. No, if you think about it generally, it's a full-fledged and large 3-way speaker with a 300mm diameter woofer. At first, I was worried whether the small SA-C600 could compete.
However, that feeling ends in vain. The SA-C600 has a high-fidelity sound with modern descriptive power, and the driving power of the speakers was higher than expected. The mid-high range has a high degree of transparency, so the vocal details are sharp and the voice quality is charming. I'm happy that the low range comes out more firmly than expected. Above all, I was relieved by the faithful sound tendencies that lead to the company's high-grade amplifiers "SU-R1000" and "SU-G700M2", which I highly value.
Next is network playback. I started up "Technics Audio Center" installed on my iPad, and played the high-resolution file "Blowing Session" (DSD 2.8MHz), a masterpiece of Jazz, from the NAS installed at my house. You can hear the high groove sound that is typical of JBL speakers. The roar of the saxophone and the bass expression with a sense of weight are also excellently expressed.
For example, if you drive it with a huge amplifier that costs 1 million yen, which is ten times the price, you may be able to produce even more expressive power. However, the SA-C600 is 110,000 yen, and I'm very satisfied if I can produce such a groove with this small, all-in-one machine.
In fact, Technics' development team has a lot of music lovers. In the past, it was often said that the audio products of big Japanese companies lacked musicality, but that is not the case with the new Technics.
As an aside, you can play back digital music files on the SA-C600 by connecting an external hard disk/memory to the USB port on the front panel, in addition to playing back from the NAS I just tried. However, please note that the format of the USB memory is only FAT16, FAT32, NTFS format. If possible, I would like to expect support for exFAT, which is often used recently.
Also, since the rear panel has a USB-B input, you can enjoy so-called "PC audio" using a personal computer as a transport. It's like "anything goes".
Next, play a playlist of J-Pop hit charts from the streaming service Spotify. It doesn't have the absolute amount of information that the high-resolution file I just listened to, but above all, I'm happy that I can listen to music easily.
You can also play videos and music on your smartphone by connecting it to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It would be nice if it supported high-quality Bluetooth connection codecs such as apt X HD and LDAC, but if you're that particular about sound quality, you can listen to lossless sources such as high-resolution and CDs without any problems. deaf. It also supports AirPlay 2, so you can easily play it from your iPhone or iPad.
I would also like to mention the operation application "Technics Audio Center". This application has a black-based graphical user interface, and the series of operations from source selection to audition is smooth. Screen touch response is also good. Also, as mentioned earlier, basic playback instructions and volume adjustments can be made from the main body of the SA-C600 or the attached remote control, so the high operability that is essential for an all-in-one machine is also a passing score.
For those who want to enjoy analog records
Let's try the sound of the record. Technics turntable "SL-1500C" (110,000 yen) is available. It can be connected with a single RCA line cable and is really simple. The SL-1500C is equipped with a phono equalizer, but there are models that do not have a built-in phono equalizer on more expensive players and older players. The SA-C600 has a built-in MM equalizer, so you can't miss the ability to work with them.
Here, I put needles on old jazz such as Blue Note and Prestige that I own, and Aoi Teshima's "simple is best."
Both the SA-C600 and SL-1500C have physical buttons such as the power button on the top, so the series of operations such as setting the record, starting the turntable rotation, and setting the volume is smooth.
As for sound quality, the SL-1500C is famous as a record player with high sound quality and cost performance, and I was able to listen to many discs with better sound than I expected. The analog boom in the streets is getting hot, but the SA-C600 chassis is the same height as the SL-1500C and SL-1200MK7 used, so when installed side by side, the visual sense of unity is outstanding. If you can get the SA-C600, I would like you to try playing records.
"Space Tune" to adjust the sound quality according to the installation location
Finally, I tried the "Space Tune" function, which adjusts the sound quality according to the location of the speaker.
This function is "Free" that adapts when there is empty space on the front, back, left and right of the speaker, "Wall" for installing on the wall side, "Corner" for installing the small speaker in the corner of the wall, etc. "In a Shelf" for placing, a total of 4 presets can be selected.
As a test, I installed the L100 Classic 75 by the wall and tried the ON/OFF effect in "Wall" mode. To operate, press the [SETUP] button on the attached remote control to display the Space Tune menu. When it is turned off, the low frequencies tend to be boomy and swell, and the details of the sound tend to be lost, but when turned on, the boominess is greatly improved and the details become more realistic. In the old days, speakers were adjusted by moving them up and down, but this will be a powerful function in living rooms where furniture and speaker placement are limited.
These are easy presets, but if you use the "Technics Audio Center" installed on your iOS device, you can also use the "Measured" mode, which uses the iOS device's microphone to measure and correct more precise frequency characteristics. If you have an iPhone, you should try this.
Ideal for audio beginners
What I felt after the audition was that Technics put a lot of effort into this model.
Technics, which declared its revival in 2014, has been releasing middle-class products that appeal to audiophiles in particular over the past few years. After these developments, the SA-C600 was released as a model that was "fully awaited" at a lower price and easier for many people to obtain. do not have. In the past, it would not have been possible to create an audio product that packs so many functions into such a small body.
According to the development team, due to the thinness of the housing, there were restrictions on the placement of parts to avoid interference between the parts on the board and the CD unit. It is said that severe parts also came out. It seems that such problems were solved by ingenuity in component placement and heat dissipation.
The SA-C600 was able to achieve the contradictory elements of small chassis, multi-functionality, and high sound quality thanks to the evolution of devices such as amplifiers, the abundant development resources of Technics, and above all, the fruits of the efforts of the development team. I think so.
The top panel has touch keys on the front monochrome OLED screen instead of adding buttons on purpose to achieve both simple button operation and a sophisticated design. That's also the point. This time, we were able to drive large speakers excellently, so it's perfect for people who have speakers from a long time ago to upgrade to the latest audio. You can enjoy full-fledged audio systems that tend to be bloated with slim and good sound quality, so it is recommended for those who want to start a full-fledged audio hobby.
There is a feeling that "I praised it too much", but in fact, I can't find any fatal flaws, and I'm sure you will be very satisfied after purchasing it.
Next week, let's finally combine it with the small bookshelf speaker "SB-C600", which can be said to be a partner of the SA-C600. Please look forward to the sound of Technics Audio that you can get for a total of 220,000 yen.
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