Technics/Panasonic SB-550 Speakers?

[legal eagle]

Any experience and opinions there?
In my neverending quest for more, I keep seeing these - and they seem to be well built vintage speakers. As I know how good the large Technics speakers are, I wandered what these are like:scratch2:.

 

[legal eagle]

Well? :scratch2:

Anybody home? :tears:

 

[mswer]

I can't help you myself, though as far as I know, Panasonic isn't know for making great speakers at any point. For some information and pictures, check out eBay auction no 290236314773. They look solidly constructed, but the drivers don't look that impressive to me. My advice at this point is pass.

Also, what makes list them as Technics? Not sure they aren't, but I find no listing under that name at the VintageTechnics, and a google with Panasonic brought them up. Hope some of that helps.

 

[legal eagle]

Thanks - that ebay auction is the one I am tracking and considering. I love Technics gear, and their speakers are actually known to be very good. Also, Technucs is/used to be a Panasonic division (kind of like Lexus is to Toyota if you will...), and Technics's speaker modells are always SB-#ed, so...

 

[avguytx]

They look pretty cool...acoustic suspension enclosure and although they have the lattice grills, they wouldn't be what some would call "Kabuki" speakers as they are a 3-way with 3 actual drivers. I wouldn't mind hearing a pair just to know what they did sound like.

Good luck!

 

[mswer]

Yeah, I guess this was before the Technics name was in use as widely. I'm familiar with the naming convention, as well. Since these are from the 60's, I'd definitely be interested in hearing them. Some Technics speakers, especially older ones, are known to be very good, but they started putting out crap speakers at some point probably in the 80's. They pop up on Craigslist all the time, and usually in spite of having full-size cabs, the speakers weigh less than a good pair of bookshelf speakers.

Are those local to you? I bet they'd be hell to ship!

 

[Kernel86]

Panasonic actually had a line of speakers they called the "Technics Speaker System". This was around the late '60 and early '70s and was probably before the actual Technics division. It was usually the higher end models and no it didn't say Technics anywhere on the speakers, just in the advertising.

The SB-77 and SB-88 which were released in 1969 are an example of this. Both of those models look like really nice speakers btw.

 

[ShaneC]

...and usually in spite of having full-size cabs, the speakers weigh less than a good pair of bookshelf speakers.

that's only true if you don't count the weight of the drivers...hence my Technics have 8 drivers! Gotta add that weight somewhere!

I still <3'em though

 

[andy]

I have a pair of SB-750s which are similar, but with larger cabinets, and two tweeters. They are solidly built and I like the sound of them a lot. Any fan of vintage Technics would like them. They have unusual dome mids, and they are even set up for bi/tri amping. Mine were made in 1972 or so.

 

[legal eagle]

Pics!

Although these speakers have arrived months ago, along with countless other gear beauties I got over the past few months - I HAVE YET TO ACTUALLY SEE THEM, NOT TO SAY TEST THEM. The reason is that I am away from home, have been for a long time now, and will only be back late september - don't even ask...:grumpy::gigglemad

You know that feeling you get when you see the FEDEX/UPS truck pull over your place, and the driver approaches your door with the new goodie? well, I don't get to enjoy that...all the goodies await me, some of the have been awaiting me for 6 months now, good god!

Anyway, I finally got to posting the pics of these speakers for your pleasure. I must say that they look to be very well build. I like the selector in the back, which looks quite complex for a sellector. Damn heavy, according to the seller.

 

[ponderbear]

They look freakin' awesome to me. Very interesting tweets and mids.

 

[legal eagle]

I wonder: How are Technics speakers regarded? Good? Bad? Ugly? Kabuki?

 

[MunkeyQ]

I wonder: How are Technics speakers regarded? Good? Bad? Ugly? Kabuki?

Much like Sony, they made some crap, some average stuff and some really quite decent stuff.

The SB-XXXX linear phase series with their big horns and decent sized cabinets are regarded as pretty decent. Watch out for the little SB-FXX speakers too - they're very well made with cast aluminum cabinets, and they turn up fairly frequently.

Even rarer still, they did a line of big 3 way speakers with flat honeycomb drivers. Very nice construction although most stayed in Japan.

However, most of their other speakers are very average and aren't really worth a second look IMO. There are of course exceptions...

 

[sealy]

I'm resurrecting this rather old thread because I'll be picking up a pair of these speakers on Thursday, contingent upon them being in as good condition as the seller claims they are. For 75 bucks, they are just too unusual to turn down.

Further reports to follow next week when I get them home.

 

[budgetaudio6]

They look very interesting for sure. Probably pretty close to on par with my SB 400 technics. But totally different animal, as mine have horns instead of the domes. Technics turned out some good stuff.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

If yours are the same as the ones in those pictures, I am VERY-interested in hearing how they sound. I bet those are sweet. It sounds like they were made at a time when speaker companies were all jumping on the acoustic-suspension bandwagon because Henry Kloss's designs were dominating the market - Some really-nice "sleeper" speakers came out of that, and I'm hoping that these are nice sleepers too. No doubt these are warm, smooth, and fatigueless. They scream "New England".