Although far from a beginner, Technics has not been very prolific when it comes to speakers in recent decades. The manufacturer has distinguished itself more on monobloc models like the SC-C50 or the all-in-one SC-C70MKII. A new product, the SC-CX700 duo battles on the lands of the queens of the genre, namely the LS50 Wireless II from Kef. If differences are present, the two models have many characteristics in common, hence a fairly logical competition.
Not too bulky, relatively worked on the shape, the SC-CX700 are intended to be very versatile. In addition to their connected dimension, they have fairly rich wired connectivity and an app that allows a certain number of settings. But the supposed advantage of the whole thing lies in the sound architecture which, as with Kef, is based on an ambitious coaxial transducer.
Price and availability
The Technics SC-CX700 have been available since October 2024 at a price of €2,499. There are three variations of the product: terracotta (tested version), charcoal black and silky gray.
Test condition
We tested the speakers under firmware version 1.03.03.00 with the Technics Audio Center app in version 2.6.1.
Wireless connectivity & broadcasting
Despite looking quite stripped down and minimalist, the Technics SC-CX700 ticks just about all the boxes for full-featured active speakers. This stereo set is based, as on most modern products, on two active speakers, including a main speaker. The first accommodates the connections and connectivity, and transmits the (digital) signal from the second channel to the second speaker. This transmission takes place via a lossless and low latency wireless exchange, or via a wired RJ45 interface, supposedly more stable. In practice, we fortunately did not experience any problems in wireless mode, such as desynchronization between the two channels.
If the emphasis is on the connected dimension, it's difficult to want more on the wired side. In addition to the usual optical and USB-C inputs, the main speaker includes an HDMI eARC interface, a mini-jack line input and a stereo RCA connector that can be used as both a line input and MM phono input (moving magnet cartridges). The Technics are thus among the rare active speakers on the market to have a preamplifier for a vinyl turntable. Finally, we must not forget the presence of an RCA output for external subwoofer. Finally, all that is missing here is a USB-A input for reading files on a stick.
Connectivity is not left out with the integration of Bluetooth/wifi chips and an Ethernet interface. The latter two open the door to fairly broad compatibility: Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon Ready. The dedicated app, called Music Center, extends this compatibility to most streaming services, including Deezer, Amazon Music and Qobuz.
User experience
Orders
If the smartphone remains the main control device here, the dedicated remote control already provides access to all the classic controls (volume, input selection and navigation). On the other hand, Technics took the trouble to place a small interface on the main speaker, but it barely offers the minimum service. It is only possible to turn on the speaker and change the volume.
Finally, the light indications are limited to a display of the status (on/off/connected) and the selected input. The diodes associated with each input being placed on the upper plate, such an indication is most of the time invisible to the user.
Application
Associated with the manufacturer's various connected products, Audio Center is not a perfect application, but it remains accessible and sufficiently rich in terms of settings. A bit austere, it separates uses from adjustments very well. Streaming sources and services are grouped in their dedicated tab, as are the sound options.
Concerning said sound options, Technics does not offer the most complete (no equalizer), but already does a lot: bass and treble adjustments, right/left balance, sound adjustment according to the placement of the speakers , acoustic calibration, volume limiter, etc.
It should be noted, however, that while the experience was generally trouble-free, it was marked by a bug, obviously rare, but potentially disabling. Under the Android version of the app, pairing and updating speakers is done without a hitch, but entering the SC-CX700 settings systematically causes Audio Center to crash, even with the recent update. The solution was then to first go through the iOS application in order to initialize the product (notably the Chromecast), initialization which then eliminates any crashes on the Android side.
Audio
Very interesting, the acoustic architecture of the Technics SC-CX700 clearly matches that of the Kef LS 50 Wireless II, since the manufacturer opts for a so-called coaxial and coplanar transducer. Each speaker thus accommodates a 19 mm diameter annular tweeter with central cone, surrounded by a 15 cm annular woofer. Everything is powered by two in-house JEMO technology amplifiers: 60 W for the woofer, 40 W for the tweeter. As a reminder, JEMO amplifiers are FDA type, that is to say digital. Finally, Technics supports amplification with its MBDC (Model Based Diaphragm Control) circuit, which optimizes the control of each membrane.
Far from being enemy brothers of the Kefs, the Technics nevertheless stand out on several points. Here, the slightly descending balance of the LS50s does not go by the wayside, but the SC-CX700s develop a more expressive general character. Without being unbalanced, this duo offers a rather lively sound with a slight emphasis in the low-mids and slightly recessed highs, but made up for by slight sparkles.
The strength of the speakers (in our opinion) comes above all from the extension in the low end of the spectrum, quite impressive for such a format. Not exempt from slight overflows, this frequency range is nonetheless of great breadth. Unlike the slightly too timid Kefs, the SC-CX700s don't give the impression of lacking anything, particularly on films.
If the very detailed mids are impeccable, we can note a small gap between the mids and the highs, a characteristic which probably comes from the separation between the tweeter and the woofer. In fact, some of the treble is recessed, although this does not really translate as a lack or excessive sweetness. Above all – and this constitutes one of the limits of the product – some distortions are present in the register, resulting in small inaccuracies here and there, which do not really allow us to feel the calm side that the signature would suggest. In addition, a small late peak counterbalances this adjustment with a slight boost in clarity.
Small inaccuracies aside, the sound quality of the SC-CX700 clearly ranks this set at the top of the basket. More successful than the Kef Wireless LS50 II in the bass, less linear and controlled in the high end, they demonstrate a very good level of detail and excellent dynamics. The particularly wide soundstage takes full advantage of the coaxial topology which provides wide, but above all very uniform, dispersion. Finally, it is difficult not to praise the sound power, sufficient for the majority of living rooms and listening rooms.
