[CEATEC 2014] Bigger isn’t necessarily better, but this does not mean that the re-invigoration of the Technics brand is less than welcome, especially when they have put forward their best foot in the form of the R1 Reference System. What makes it all the more significant is the fact that this is the first new Hi-Fi product from the highly respected Technics brand name in half a dozen years, and so to make a bold and assertive statement is but all the more important.
The Technics Reference Class R1 system will comprise of three different components, namely a stereo power amp, a network audio control player and a speaker system. The amp will make use of a JENO Digital Engine in order to do away with nuisances such as jitter while making sure that any extra noise is nipped in the bud, while the presence of Load Adaptive Phase Calibration (LAPC) ensures flat amplitude-phase frequency delivery.
There is also a GaN MOS-FET driver that paves the way for high speed switching all the while keeping signal loss low, accompanied by bi-wiring speaker terminals, a proprietary digital link input, an analog RCA input, an analog XLR input and a silent linear power supply.
Signal degradation remains kept between the integrated pre-amp and the external amp low, while noise isolation architecture and low-noise transformers let your ears enjoy a jitter-free, stable performance. The amp as well as the network player are by no means petite in size, with the reference speakers measuring 408 x 1,260 x 522 mm (16 x 50 x 20.5 in) while sporting an arresting piano black look that just tempts you to leave your fingerprints all over the place – along with your heart with it.
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