Technics Ottava S SC-C30
With Panasonic withdrawing TVs from sale in Australia, the company has more time to focus on the rest of its catalogue, which only recently welcomed Technics back into the country, although Panasonic had relaunched its mothballed audio brand elsewhere in the world several years ago. While most famed for its turntables, and its DJ-orientated direct drive SL1200 in particular, Technics always had a full range of component and system hi-fi. In its new incarnation, it seems focused on the premium audio segment, with three Premium Class Ottava Series units available, of which this SC-C30 is the junior member at $1149. Above is the similar but larger SC-C50 at $1429, these two being called Wireless Speaker Systems. Above them is the rather different Premium Compact Stereo System SC-C70 at $1649.
Equipment
Does the top model being called ‘stereo’ mean that this SC-C30 is, like a surprising number of popular wireless speakers, actually a mono speaker? No, as a channel test track quickly demonstrated, this is a true stereo unit for the midrange and treble drivers, plus a mono driver for bass, as we’ve seen on several others in this group.
The SC-C30 actually combines two separate cabinets in one, with a sealed enclosure hosting the 16mm tweeter and 65mm midrange driver for each channel at the sides, and a bass reflex enclosure for the 12cm bass woofer, which seems to be centrally placed. Further, the curved frontage makes the most of this stereo complement to angle the spread of sound effectively.
The overall design and build is impressive, from the fabric front (available in black or white-grey)
