Panasonic SB-ZT820 Speakers...full of Technics drivers?

Ficklistnr

Ficklistnr

Passive Fanatic
I admit I have never actually done much with the Panasonic line and I dont think it ever entered my conscious thought if Panasonic and Technics had a "thing" at one time.

But I was wandering through a Goodwill today and noticed a pair of speakers from the back tucked in a corner. The label reads "Panasonic SB-ZT820 8 Ohm 200 watts! Distributed by Panasonic .... New Jersey"

I figured these had to be 20 years old made in Taiwan and the $10 price tag allowed me to investigate further. The fronts are not removable so I dragged them over to a receiver and hooked them up. Sound was much better than I expected! No buzz no noise to indicate rotted surrounds. Got them home, pulled the backs off and to my surprise theyre full of Spotless Technics drivers with a small cap board (not a crossover but they used a board for the 3 caps).

Is this a surprise to anyone else? Or did Panasonic use Technics drivers at one time. Or is it likely the technics were an aftermarket rebuild? The enclosures are nothing special at all so I doubt it.

Can someone give me a little history lesson and maybe a little about the speakers too? I cant find a thing on this model. I am going to look a little closer tonight and then hook them up but I'd sure like to hear from someone with some wisdom on these and the Technics link.

Thanks.
 
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Panasonic branded gear was the budget-minded stuff, while Technics was generally of higher quality. Much like how most car companies have their luxury division (Honda/Accura, Ford/Lincoln...).

az
 
audiozaz said:
Panasonic branded gear was the budget-minded stuff, while Technics was generally of higher quality. Much like how most car companies have their luxury division (Honda/Accura, Ford/Lincoln...).

az
Click to expand...


Not sure I follow this logic...

If the Panasonic name was reserved for the budget-minded, and Technics was indicative of better quality, whats the point of putting the Technics drivers in a box with a budget label on the front?

I threw 200 MOSFET Watts at them this morning with a Marantz CD-30 trying to cough out Morrisons LA Woman. Speakers didnt miss a beat and the tight sealed-box bass, clear mids and offensive highs made me think "Screaming for Vengeance" So I'm going to give 'em a rattle-can Camo job, slap some 80's metal stickers on 'em with a $50 price tag and let Craig do the rest. With all the denim jackets in this town... Iron maiden or Motley Crue across the back, these things will fly out the door. (Maybe on payments?)
 
Just to add to the confusion, in Japan, Matsushita was sold under the National name. Though Technics was the fancier marque, there were very good Panasonic items and crappy Technics items. Quite possibly, if your speakers had had a Technics label, they would have been more expensive, if not already sold.
 
audiozaz said:
Panasonic branded gear was the budget-minded stuff, while Technics was generally of higher quality. Much like how most car companies have their luxury division (Honda/Accura, Ford/Lincoln...).

az
Click to expand...

That's not entirely correct. Pre-1972 or so, it was all Panasonic. As the Japanese audio manufacturers started to make inroads into the American market in the early '70s, Matsushita felt the need to distinguish their better stuff from the run-of-the-mill. In the very beginning, many Technics products were merely re-labeled Panasonics...and actually marked "Technics by Panasonic". As the Technics brand progressed, it gradually became its own standalone name, and Panasonic became the brand for everything else.

I remember seeing identical products - even down to the same model number - branded as Panasonic and then later, Technics. By '75 or so, all the Technics stuff in the US was pretty much unique - but not in the beginning.
 
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