New Technics OTTAVA S SC-C50 Premium Wireless Speaker Launches at IFA 2018

September 6 2018, 02:00
A major highlight of Panasonic's press conference at IFA 2018 was the new Technics OTTAVA S SC-C50 compact wireless speaker, a new premium design, with state-of-the-art connectivity and a powerful, refined sound, free from restrictive sweet spots. Apparently the OTTAVA was already unveiled earlier at the High-End Audio Show in Munich this year, but that only shows why IFA is an important trade show for some brands and categories of products. In Berlin, the new design had all the deserved spotlights.
 

In spite of its compact size, the exquisite-looking Technics OTTAVA S SC-C50 Premium Wireless Speaker produces a refined and coherent sound capable of filling a substantial space thanks to acoustic innovations developed by Technics’ experts. And, with Technics’ Space Tune room calibration technology built-in, there are no restrictions on where the SC-C50 has to be placed in order to get the best sound – the user can choose exactly where they want the speaker to be.
 

In terms of design, the SC-C50's elegant arc shape is finished in alluring aluminum, which enhances the performance thanks to its vibration-eliminating rigidity. Users will also appreciate the unit’s beautiful OLED display with touch-sensitive controls. The thick aluminum top panel increases the rigidity of the chassis, and the iconic OLED control is surrounded by ring keys for easy operation. Rear louvers add further elegance while enhancing the function of an internal heat-reducing mechanism. And the beautiful arc form, which helps to eliminate unwanted vibration in the chassis, incorporates acoustic technology to achieve a wide sound stage.

The sound produced by the 3.1-channel SC-C50 is optimized by the use of four Technics’ bespoke JENO (Jitter Elimination and Noise-shaping Optimization) processors. These are used to manage the subwoofer, midrange and tweeter channels, resulting in perfect alignment of each channel in terms of their signal timing, which is critical for preserving the quality of digital audio. Combined with Technics’ Space Tune room optimization technology, the SC-C50 produces a sound image that is perfectly balanced regardless of the shape and layout of the listening environment or the placement of the speaker unit.
 

The SC-C50 also features LAPC or Load Adaptive Phase Calibration, which measures the frequency and amplitude of sound that is characteristic of the amplifier, and performs digital signal processing to achieve the ideal sound wave. The amp’s circuitry contains pre-set values for optimizing the entire frequency range.

The arc-shaped body houses a total of seven speaker drivers. Three midrange speakers are each paired with an upper-range tweeter and configured respectively in left-angled, right-angled and centre positions. These are complemented by a single subwoofer to create rich stereo imaging with crisp vocals. The use of a ‘directivity-control horn’ enables the SC-C50 to broadly and precisely disperse its sound without mutual speaker interference whilst a coaxial configuration, whereby the midrange driver and tweeter radiate sound from the same axis, ensures sound is accurately directed vertically.

With a hefty 100W of amplification powering the SC-C50's 3.1 channels, the compact unit is capable of delivering a coherent, room-filling sound, even at higher volumes. Each of the model’s three 1.6cm tweeters are capable of reproducing high-frequency, high-resolution sounds up to 50 kHz; way beyond the 20kHz reach of ordinary tweeters. The subwoofer is a front-firing 12cm long-stroke unit with a straight, large-diameter, long port that delivers smooth, punchy bass sounds. The unit’s chassis is made from ultra-rigid, glass fibre that resists vibration and thus prevents internal interference.
 

To ensure the SC-C50 delivers excellent sound regardless of the room conditions or the listening position, Space Tune calibrates the listening environment to optimize the sound to the space. Three pre-set modes are available, each one tailored to a different mounting location, while for greater refinement a microphone built into the main unit allows the sound output to be optimized at the touch of a smartphone app.

A wide variety of music sources can be effortlessly played back thanks to the SC-C50’s state-of-the-art wired and wireless connectivity with built-in Google Chromecast and support for major music streaming services, with the data streamed directly to the SC-C50 from the network router. Bluetooth streaming from any device supports AAC and SBC profiles. Using a number of Google Chromecast built-in speakers, the same song can be played in several rooms, or different music can be played from room to room, for multi-room entertainment. If a Google Voice-activated speaker is included in the same network, Google Assistant can be used to operate music playback and other features.
 

In addition to USB playback and analogue and optical inputs, which support high resolution audio sources up to 24-bit/ 384kHz and DSD 5.6MHz, the SC-C50 supports Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Spotify, Tidal and playback over a network (with support for WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands), ensuring compatibility with a diverse range of music sources in a single unit. Up to nine sources can be pre-set using the dedicated source buttons on the unit. These include Internet radio stations, Spotify playlists and tracks from a USB-connected source - a highly convenient feature to instantly listen to any source without needing to use an app.
www.panasonic.com/global
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