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Technics SL-G700M2 Network Super Audio CD Player – The Second Generation

It is the latest generation of a so-called multi-format player, which the Japanese specialist Technics now presents with the new Technics SL-G700M2 Network Super Audio CD player. This player follows in the footsteps of the Technics SL-G700.

Technics SL-G700M2 Network Super Audio CD-Player, the name alone clearly shows that the latest offspring of the Japanese high-end hi-fi specialist Technics is an extraordinary system that offers a multitude of possibilities for playing a wide variety of content. It is also clear from the name that we are dealing with the successor of the Technics SL-G700, whereby according to the manufacturer, the latest generation can boast a multitude of technical innovations as well as further improved sound quality.

Technics SL-G700M2 – One for all

The most exciting thing about the new Technics SL-G700M2 is, of course, that you don’t have to choose between a streaming solution or a CD or even an SACD player, but simply get all these possibilities in one elegant unit. This appeals primarily to users who want to continue to rely on an extensive collection of sound carriers, but who at the same time want to take advantage of modern streaming solutions.

The heart of the new Technics SL-G700M2 is therefore first of all a drive that can play back audio CDs as well as Super Audio CDs, and this with the highest precision, as has always been the case with solutions of the Technics brand. It should also be mentioned that besides CDs and SACDs, so-called MQA CDs can also be played.

Pure Disc Playback for best sound quality

A special feature of the Technics SL-G700M2 is that it features Pure Disc Playback mode, whereby all circuit blocks except those relevant to CD or SACD playback are deactivated in order to achieve maximum sound quality.

In addition, there is also a streaming client, whereby the integration into the network can be carried out either via a proven RJ45 Ethernet interface and thus cable, or via the integrated WiFi module in accordance with IEEE 802.11ac.

Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2…

First and foremost, the streaming functionality of the new Technics SL-G700M2 is based on the support of Google Chromecast as well as Apple AirPlay 2, which means that you are already well equipped to access not only your own content, but also almost all relevant streaming services. In addition, services such as Spotify, TIDAL and Deezer are directly supported.

In this context, it should also be mentioned that integration into the respective smart home platforms of Google and Apple is possible via Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2, i.e. Google Home and Apple HomeKit, including the voice controls Google Assistant and Amazon Siri.

Hi-res audio in best quality

The new Technics SL-G700M2 is able to play back audio data encoded in Linear PCM up to 32 bit and 384 kHz, namely as WAV or AIFF, in FLAC and ALAC at least up to 24 bit and 384 kHz, as the data sheet reveals. DSD is supported up to and including DSD512, and of course one has to list data encoded in MQA in this context, which the new Technics SL-G700M2 can play back.

USB DAC for even more flexibility

Another exciting option is available via a USB-B port, as this allows the Technics SL-G700M2 to be connected to a PC or Mac and thus used as an outstanding audio interface.

Directly on the front panel there is also a USB port for the integration of appropriate storage media and external sources. It should also be mentioned at this point that the D/A converter is also available via an optical as well as coaxial S/PDIF interface.

Bluetooth for direct connection of mobile devices

If you want to connect smartphones or tablets to the Technics SL-G700M2 in the simplest way possible, you can of course do so via Bluetooth, which means that the network infrastructure is not required.

High-precision transducer unit in three stages

It was the declared aim of the developers to achieve a perfect phase and an ideal impulse response, Technics explicitly states this, as these are characteristics that are indispensable for a lifelike music reproduction with a realistic sound stage.

For years, Technics has been focusing on this area, and in 2014, the company introduced the Technics SE-R1, a solution that uses LAPC (Load Adaptive Phase Calibration), an industry-leading technology. These efforts were continued with technologies such as Technics Space Tune and Technics Phono Response Optimiser, which can be found in many of the brand’s products, depending on the product and class.

Of course, these technologies should also be found in the latest generation of the Technics Grand Class digital multi-format player, the new Technics SL-G700M2.

Thus, the player is equipped with a high-precision D/A converter, which works with highest accuracy and passes on signals to an amplifier. The converter unit is constructed in three stages, namely a coherent signal processing, the actual high-performance D/A converter in dual-mono configuration, as well as a special, discrete amplifier circuit, as the manufacturer explains.

The coherent signal processing ensures that the reproducibility of the impulse signals is improved by minimising amplitude and phase deviations that occur during the D/A conversion process, thus achieving a clearer sound image. This technology is used for signals in Linear PCM, whereas DSD is fed directly to the DAC.

As already mentioned, the actual D/A converter uses a so-called double-mono configuration, whereby DACs of the type ESS ES9026PRO are used. The completely symmetrical design is intended to reduce mutual interference and once again contribute to guaranteeing clean signal processing, free of interference.

The discrete amplifier circuitry is also designed with this in mind, which the developers consider superior to concepts based on ICs, especially since they use low-noise transistors and thin-film resistors that are supposed to guarantee very linear, faithful reproduction and make even the smallest details appear clear and transparent, as the manufacturer himself puts it.

Multi-stage silent power supply

According to Technics, the power supply is essential for the highest sound fidelity. In the case of the new Technics SL-G700M2, it is not only very low-noise in principle, but also features active noise suppression and is described as a high-speed switching power supply.

As with the reference class amplifier, the Technics SU-R100, a switching power supply with a clock rate of 300 kHz is used, which minimises disturbing influences on the music signal and guarantees an extremely responsive and stable power supply.

The control circuit does not use standard ICs, but once again discrete, selected components that have been chosen on the basis of intensive listening comparisons for a sound image that is true to the original.

The already mentioned active noise suppression in the power supply is achieved by so-called current injection, a technology newly developed by Technics, in which unwanted noise components are eliminated by injecting a phase-inverted current.

Ultra-stable cabinet with decoupled chassis

Technics shows just as much attention to detail as in the construction of the circuitry in the construction of the housing of the new Technics SL-G700M2, whereby one even speaks of an ultra-stable housing, the construction of which is divided into four sections. Power supply, digital interfaces, analogue circuits and the drive unit are completely decoupled. Mutual interference is thus avoided to begin with.

Special attention has also been paid to the drive unit, with a triple-nested chassis construction that guarantees error-free reading of optical data media and prevents vibrations from being transmitted to the periphery of the drive unit. It goes without saying that the new Technics SL-G700M2 features a particularly stable disc drawer, made of die-cast aluminium, which is characterised by a high degree of vibration damping and thus also contributes to high-precision playback.

The cabinet itself is made of 3 mm thick aluminium, the front even has a thickness of 7 mm. The surface is finely brushed and thus conveys a particularly noble character.

Prices and availability

According to Technics, the new Technics SL-G700M2 will be available in specialist shops as early as November 2022. The company quotes € 2.999,- as the recommended retail price for this Technics Grand Class solution.

Getting to the point

It is a solution that is supposed to meet even the highest sonic demands, this is how Technics describes the latest solution of the Technics Grand Class, the new Technics SL-G700M2. What is remarkable here is the attention to detail that the developers have put into all aspects to achieve an outstanding sound quality, but also the fact that this is a digital multi-format player that can play audio CDs, MQA CDs and Super Audio CDs, and at the same time functions as a flexible streaming client, thus combining everything that can be expected from a modern source device.

PRODUCTTECHNICS SL-G700M2 NETWORK SUPER AUDIO CD-PLAYER
Price€ 2.999,-
BrandTECHNICS
ManufacturerPanasonic Corporation
DistributionPanasonic Deutschland – Eine Division der Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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