Technics SA-AX7 Receiver Heralds A New StandardIn Listening

27-Jun-99

DVD-Audio has arrived, and Technics lets consumers get the most from this groundbreaking musical format with the SA-AX7 home theatre receiver. The SA-AX7 is only one of a line of Technics DVD-Audio-ready components. Each component meets the specifications of the next-generation audio standard and, when used together, listeners will reap the format's full benefits. Like its sister format, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio can pack a mountain of digital information on a CD-size disc. It's this unprecedented storage capacity that lets recording engineers include all the audio information that contributes to the richness and fullness of a live musical performance. DVD-Audio's potential is astounding. With a stereo mode sampling frequency of 192kHz - more than four times that of CD - overtones can be reproduced up to nearly 100kHz and audible digital artifacts disappear. DVD-Audio's 24-bit resolution, meanwhile, reduces noise below the practical limits of conventional amplifier circuits, providing a clean background for detailed music. ""Not all receivers will give listeners the full benefit of DVD-Audio,"" notes Alberto Reggiani, National Marketing Manager for Technics Home Audio. ""The primary benefit of DVD-Audio comes from the reproduction of subtle sounds and the frequencies on the edge of human hearing, and for that you'll need equipment that can reproduce nuance of music without any interference or distortion."" To deliver the full splendor of DVD-Audio - untarnished by amplifier circuit noise - Technics developed Variable Gain Control Amplifier (VGCA) technology for the preamplifier. Instead of the conventional method of attenuating the input signal and then applying fixed gain again, VGCA uses a feedback circuit to adjust the amplifier's gain for attenuation. This new Variable Gain Control Amplifier, says the company, keeps noise low under actual conditions of use. What's more, while an ordinary amp's volume control reduces signal-to-noise ratio to only 96dB, the VGCA achieves S/N of 110dB, giving listeners a canvas of silence upon which musical masterpieces can be faithfully reproduced. Reducing the noise floor also means a correspondingly wider dynamic range before bumping into the distortion ceiling. At 110dB S/N, VGCA opens the doors to a depth and richness of music rarely attainable outside of a live performance. Also, the SA-AX7 has a frequency response that extends to 100kHz, more than sufficient to encompass DVD-Audio's extreme high range reproduction capability. The DVD-Audio-ready receiver delivers an equal 100W (20Hz - 20kHz, 6 ohms, 0.9% THD) to all five main channels and the subwoofer of a DolbyÆ Digital or DTSÆ Digital Surround system, so sound level is seamless from the front to the rear or between the main and center speakers. Besides contributing to a lifelike listening experience, this configuration means there's no need for a separate subwoofer amp, either in the speaker or externally. The SA-AX7 delivers such high power efficiently and without heat build-up because of Class H+ amplifier circuitry. Rather than a single power supply, or ""rail,"" providing high power all the time, Class H+ incorporates two rails that share responsibility. The higher-powered rail kicks in only when needed, such as for loud scenes, explosions or musical spikes, with no noticeable switching noise. Class H+ also boosts dynamic headroom to 2 dB, with power to spare for accurate delivery of the most dynamic audio passages. Contributing to the receiver's ability to produce clean audio - particularly important when connected to a DVD-Audio player - are Technics' Ta-Ke II (tah-kay) Capacitors. Said to be proven in the lab and in the listening room, Ta-Ke audiophile capacitors use bamboo fiber for exceptional sound clarity and neutral yet powerful audio. The capacitor also features a spiral copper coil around the aluminum case, helping eliminate audible distortion while increasing high-range transparency, for an overall improvement in mid-high range fidelity. Besides 5.1-channel capability, the SA-AX7 can produce Dolby ProLogicÆ surround sound, for full enjoyment of surround-encoded TV broadcasts and videotapes. Other listening options include Dolby 3 Stereo and a choice of three center channel modes: normal, wide and phantom. There's also Sound Field Control, which simulates a variety of performance environments - such as Hall, Club and Theater - even with non-surround sources. Other features include a digital AM/FM tuner with 30 station presets; separate bass, treble and balance controls; S-VHS input, for routing DVD and Super VHS sources with optimum picture quality; a line-out subwoofer output for direct connection of an active subwoofer; adaptive subwoofer control for natural bass balance; and a deluxe universal remote which can operate a wide variety of audio/video components, including Panasonic and Technics DVD and DVD-Audio products.The SA-AX7 boasts large control knobs, including a rotary input selector, that make operation sure and accurate. Also contributing to its ease of use is a Help feature, which uses the front-panel FL display to indicate trouble areas and suggested fixes should there be any problems with the sound stream. If problems persist, holding the Help button down will reset the receiver to factory-set defaults.The receiver can accommodate five audio and four video sources. In addition to high-tech black, the SA-AX7 is available in an elegant champagne gold (SA-AX7N) that will lend a luxurious look to any system and stylistically match Technicsí DVA-A1 DVD-Audio player. The SA-AX7 home theater receiver will be available in September 1999, at a suggested retail price of $499.95. Consumers seeking more information on the company's products can call Panasonicís Customer Call Center at 800-211-PANA or access Technicsí home page at www.technicsusa.com.

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