Mrppv
Member
- Thread Author
- #1
There’s no practical way to have a two speaker setup in my painting studio that would make sense. Plus, I move around while working, so a true stereo situation is impossible. Mostly I just want to play music while I work, and for it not to sound like crap.
For years I’ve used a Geneva M all-in-one system, set off to one side. The Geneva line (they made different sizes) was pretty slick, and they looked and sounded good, with four drivers and four amps. My model had a CD player, FM tuner, iPod dock -still use my 60 gb 5th gen iPod! - and an AUX in. A remote, but no streaming, wifi, etc.
I heard about Technics’ new Ottava system and the ability to have internet radio as well as play from an attached USB drive got me interested. Plus it has CD, a radio tuner, streaming capability, bluetooth, wifi, some room correction, a mobile app, plus optical and AUX inputs. (Not surprisingly, no iPod dock… could connect it through the AUX, although no power charging that way.)
So I got the Ottava f SC-C70MK2, to use its full name. Below it sits, next to the outgoing white Geneva.
The build quality appears to be very good and the aesthetics appeal to me, although I did like the elegance of the Geneva. The Ottava has flush power and volume buttons, and touch switches for other functions.
There is a downward firing woofer:
It’s shorter but wider, and wouldn’t fit where I had the Geneva, so after figuring out a new arrangement, I set it up and powered it on. Don't have an easy way to hard wire to the network, so it's wifi.
First thing I learn is that internet radio is NOT available for some reason. I emailed Technics and got a response that they don’t know when it’ll be available (aka probably never). This is something I really wanted. Grrrr.
FM radio works fine; I need a better antenna to really explore that. Didn’t bother with AM.
The CD player is nice, and has a cover that swings aside to place the disc. I do prefer this to a powered slot feed as there's less chance of scratching.
Figured I could use a large USB flash drive with music files as a substitute for the iPod. Put a few test files on, and the drive wasn’t recognized. Turns out, this player will only accept drives formatted in FAT 32 or NTFS. No exFAT. WHY? This isn't 2005. My flash drive is too large for FAT 32. My Mac computer won’t format NTFS. Grrr AGAIN.
I had to purchase a program that would let me format the drive.
There’s a simple room correction function, called Space Tune, that’s set up through the mobile app. I took the measurements from the place I usually stand while painting.
Speaking of the app, it’s generally kludgy and glitchy and drops connection with the system. So I use it as needed. The touch controls and the standard remote let you do most things.
As a workaround for the lost internet radio, I’m using an old iPhone to go to stations’ websites, and sending the stream to the Technics over Bluetooth. I am considering maybe subscribing to a streaming service… need to research that. The built-in streaming options are for Tidal, Deezer, Amazon, Spotify, Airplay, Chromecast.
The USB playback sometimes cuts off the ends of songs. Why should this kind of thing be hard to get right in 2023?
So how is the sound compared to the Geneva? I think the bass is better. Not necessarily deeper, but clearer. The room correction does seem to improve the sound a little, in the place I stand. (I haven't played with the normal bass/mid/treble controls yet.) Sometimes highs, such as cymbals could sound a little harsh on the Geneva, but I don't notice that with the Technics.
So everything in life is a trade-off. The Geneva just worked but was limited; I now have a lot more functionality and improved sound, and with that came some setup, workaround, and app headaches. This is not a crucial listening room situation, and it is working fine for what I need. Will report back if I try the other inputs, or discover I missed or forgot something...
For years I’ve used a Geneva M all-in-one system, set off to one side. The Geneva line (they made different sizes) was pretty slick, and they looked and sounded good, with four drivers and four amps. My model had a CD player, FM tuner, iPod dock -still use my 60 gb 5th gen iPod! - and an AUX in. A remote, but no streaming, wifi, etc.
I heard about Technics’ new Ottava system and the ability to have internet radio as well as play from an attached USB drive got me interested. Plus it has CD, a radio tuner, streaming capability, bluetooth, wifi, some room correction, a mobile app, plus optical and AUX inputs. (Not surprisingly, no iPod dock… could connect it through the AUX, although no power charging that way.)
So I got the Ottava f SC-C70MK2, to use its full name. Below it sits, next to the outgoing white Geneva.
The build quality appears to be very good and the aesthetics appeal to me, although I did like the elegance of the Geneva. The Ottava has flush power and volume buttons, and touch switches for other functions.
There is a downward firing woofer:
It’s shorter but wider, and wouldn’t fit where I had the Geneva, so after figuring out a new arrangement, I set it up and powered it on. Don't have an easy way to hard wire to the network, so it's wifi.
First thing I learn is that internet radio is NOT available for some reason. I emailed Technics and got a response that they don’t know when it’ll be available (aka probably never). This is something I really wanted. Grrrr.
FM radio works fine; I need a better antenna to really explore that. Didn’t bother with AM.
The CD player is nice, and has a cover that swings aside to place the disc. I do prefer this to a powered slot feed as there's less chance of scratching.
Figured I could use a large USB flash drive with music files as a substitute for the iPod. Put a few test files on, and the drive wasn’t recognized. Turns out, this player will only accept drives formatted in FAT 32 or NTFS. No exFAT. WHY? This isn't 2005. My flash drive is too large for FAT 32. My Mac computer won’t format NTFS. Grrr AGAIN.
I had to purchase a program that would let me format the drive.
There’s a simple room correction function, called Space Tune, that’s set up through the mobile app. I took the measurements from the place I usually stand while painting.
Speaking of the app, it’s generally kludgy and glitchy and drops connection with the system. So I use it as needed. The touch controls and the standard remote let you do most things.
As a workaround for the lost internet radio, I’m using an old iPhone to go to stations’ websites, and sending the stream to the Technics over Bluetooth. I am considering maybe subscribing to a streaming service… need to research that. The built-in streaming options are for Tidal, Deezer, Amazon, Spotify, Airplay, Chromecast.
The USB playback sometimes cuts off the ends of songs. Why should this kind of thing be hard to get right in 2023?
So how is the sound compared to the Geneva? I think the bass is better. Not necessarily deeper, but clearer. The room correction does seem to improve the sound a little, in the place I stand. (I haven't played with the normal bass/mid/treble controls yet.) Sometimes highs, such as cymbals could sound a little harsh on the Geneva, but I don't notice that with the Technics.
So everything in life is a trade-off. The Geneva just worked but was limited; I now have a lot more functionality and improved sound, and with that came some setup, workaround, and app headaches. This is not a crucial listening room situation, and it is working fine for what I need. Will report back if I try the other inputs, or discover I missed or forgot something...
