Panasonic uses IFA 2014 to announce the return of the iconic Technics audio brand, with its first products in 6 years-- the reference-class R1 and premium-class C700 systems.
Overseeing the brand's return is former Technics audio engineer and well known Japanese jazz pianist Michiko Ogawa. As Ogawa puts it, "[t]hrough the new Technics products we are striving to offer listeners the feeling of ‘rediscovering music’, by helping them to have such uniquely emotionally-engaging experiences-- ones that we seem to have lost.”
According to Panasonic the Technics products are based on what it calls "Technics Definitive Sound," a concept built on "Accurate Digital Technology" (ensures signal transmission with precise phase and gain characteristics), "Noiseless Signal Technology" (reduces noise) and "Emotive Acoustic Technology" (realises a clear sound image with ultra-high bandwidth and high dynamic range).
When it comes to the actual products, the first is the R1 Series. It consists of 3 reference-class components, namely the SE-R1 amplifier, the SU-R1 network audio player and the SB-R1 speaker system.
Meanwhile the premium-class C700 Series features four components-- the SU-C700 integrated amplifier, the ST-C700 network audio player, SL-C700 CD player and the CB-C700 speaker system.
The above mentioned Technics products should hit the market from December 2014.