Spinning and scratching since 1965, Technics is synonymous with DJ culture, producing loads of turntables over the decades for superstar DJ’s. The brand gathered dust for the last four years, but Panasonic has resurrected it from the beyond the grave - probably because of people’s growing preference for high-resolution audio over tinny MP3 ear-abusers.
There was no mention of turntables at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin. Instead the Japanese company unleashed speaker systems, amplifiers, controllers and CD players, for the musically strung-out masses. In December, we’ll see the first new Technics Hi-Fi products in six years: the result of audio boffins beavering in labs.
Technics director, jazz pianist Michiko Ogawa, said the products are based on decades of audio tech development. Some musicians just want to see a return of the SL-1200 MKII, the turntable credited for inventing hip-hop and the industry standard for DJ’s since 1979.