HI-FI AMPS
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.