TECHNICS SU-G700M2
£2199 / technics.com
There’s a certain old-school charm to buying a classic stereo amplifier these days. So why not really lean into it? Technics certainly has with the design of the SU-G700M2.
Those dual light-up VU meters… that elegant but reassuringly giant metal casing, cutting such a confidently severe figure in silver. Were it not for the little display on the front, you could probably convince someone this thing was made in the ’70s.
Some of Technics’ usual approach to features bleeds into this style too. You won’t find Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Spotify Connect in this beautiful lump of aluminium. Extras are purist picks like a Class AA headphone amplifier and a quality phono stage, to let you plug in a record player.
Sure, you can connect a stack of analogue and digital sources, and hook up your PC using the USB port. But you may end up wondering why the SU-G700M2 belongs in 2022, let alone how Technics managed to come up with a new version of it in the last 12 months.
Well, the insides of this amp are much less old-school than you’d probably guess. This is a pure digital amplifier. In classic designs, digital signals would be converted to analogue before hitting the main circuit. But here anything not already digital is turned into tasty 1s and 0s using Burr-Brown PCM1804 converters.
Yes, this amp only deals in digital. That means none of the warm colouration some hi-fi heads get so excited about, just a confident and transparent – and entirely epic – sound output. It shares significant chunks of its tech with the legendary Technics SU-R1000, which will set you back seven grand.
And unlike so many areas of tech, this stuff won’t age like this month’s Bluetooth standard or a streaming service app that will break once it stops being updated. We’re talking about the ‘silent hybrid’ power supply and LAPC, which improves the linearity of your speakers’ frequency response.
Timeless tech? Perhaps, but we have to admit we’re 50% here for all that silver bodywork and those lovely VU meters.
● 70W+70W Class D ● USB, 2x optical, 2x coaxial, 2x analogue line in, phono ● 430x428x148mm, 12.6kg
NOW ADD THESE… HifiMan Edition XS
For when everyone has gone to bed, or doesn’t want to listen to your nonsense, get a quality pair of headphones like the Edition XS. These are ultra-comfy planar magnetic cans. Their open-back design makes them useless for the outdoors but they are famous for their epic sound and separation. £479 / hifiman.com
ALTERNATIVELY…
Cambridge Audio provided the first ever amplifier for countless CD fans back in the pre-streaming days. And guess what? It still plays that same role in 2022. The AXA35 is a sturdy, decent-looking amp with 35W per channel and a built-in phono stage for record players. There’s an even cheaper 25
