Technics Ottava: This all-in-one audio system is a great entertainer

Compact in dimensions but not in features and performance, the Technics Ottava f SC-C70MK2 is a next-generation all-in-one sound system infused with a most congenial and accommodating spirit. A personality kid with lots of pizzazz, almost jukebox-like in its bubbly effervescence, the Ottava f is tuned to bring out the entertaining best in almost anything you throw at it via hard goods (CDs), streaming services, broadcast radio, and outboard devices, too.

A musical term, the Italian “ottava” means “at an octave higher or lower than written,” and the f is for “forte”—fitting descriptions for this overachieving music system that likewise scribbles outside the lines, confounding expectations for what an all-in-one music box can deliver.

Even before you turn it on, the stylish looks and solid build make a strong first and lasting impression in this thousand-dollar bundle of goodness. There’s so much to like here: the premium-grade brushed-aluminum top and gray-finned front; the tactile hands-on operation, with top-mounted physical buttons for power and volume; and the flush, touch-sensitive transport and mode buttons. Adjacent is an innovative swing-around cover exposing the CD player. Made of thick, smoky Plexiglas, the lid