Panasonic Refreshes Home Products

By Kyle Davi
BU News Service

LAS VEGAS — Panasonic took the stage on Wednesday at CES with the goal of reconfiguring your lifestyle. 

The company’s audio Technics lineup was revitalized last year to branch traditional analog and new digital technologies.

For 2017, Panasonic is looking to improve upon the line’s refresh with a turntable (SL-1200 GR), Loudspeaker (SB-G90), and Audio Amplifier (SU-G700).

What if you want to eat a meal while listening to your music? Panasonic answers that with their new Countertop Induction Oven (CIO). 

Panasonic’s CIO purports to be the world’s first Countertop Induction Oven.  It combines induction and double-infrared heating technologies to cook food in minutes, including one-pan meals.

Put steak or chicken in the middle and veggies on the side and the CIO can cook both, rendering them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The oven’s design also allows for grills, bakes, and re-heats with little to no preheating, saving you time when cooking meals.  Not to mention, it can be placed directly onto your countertop just like a microwave.

“The CIO is an example of food-tech innovation at its best. It delivers a quick, yet high-end and healthy cooking experience to consumers in a compact, easy-to-use design,” said Persia Tatar, Senior Marketing Manager for Panasonic.

The CIO goes for $599 and is available at shop.panasonic.com

Branching from the traditional 1200 G which launched last year, the Technics SL-1200 GR Turntable improves upon its predecessor.

The new drive motor directly spins the record, which provides a number of advantages. The company claims there is almost a complete absence of degradation from the record, and the device is more reliable over time because of fewer parts.

The turntable platter continues the improved experience by dampening vibration around the player.  In doing so, the record has a clearer sound.

Lastly, the newly designed tonearm allows for precision reading and tracking with the record.  The arm is manually assembled and adjusted by Japanese artisans.

Clearly a device meant for audiophiles looking for the best sound quality, this isn’t equipment for the streaming audio crowd.

The Technics SB-G90 Loudspeaker is designed to suppress any vibration the speaker creates itself, as well as outside vibration, presumably allowing for cleaner audio and better sound reproduction.

However, at almost 44 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 15 inches in depth, the speakers do take up some room.  They certainly are not suited for those living in small apartments.

The new Technics SU-G700 Integrated Amplifier’s JENO (Jitter Elimination and Noise-shaping Optimization) engine reduces the jitter created by large amounts of audio data that flow through the amplifier. By doing so, high-resolution sounds can be transmitted even if they have great dynamic range, allowing for detailed sound for any kind of music.

The aluminum case built around the amplifier is created in three separate components.  They are designed to eliminate signals between sections and circuits to create cleaner sound for listeners.

Weighing in at over 27 pounds, this amplifier is a beast.