Panasonic look poised to make waves in the home audio space, showing off their 2017 range.
The cream of the crop here is the company’s new pair of soundbars, designed for use with its new OLED TVs. Panasonic say the SC-HTB688 and SC-HTB488 “are designed to fill the room with clear, rich and rounded sound” that is both stronger and more immersive than standard TV speakers can deliver.
Panasonic are talking up a compact design, 3.1 channel support and 300W total output power for the SC-HTB688. Both bars support HDMI with audio return channel, promising clear high-fidelity payback. The only real difference here is in the price and specs. The SC-HTB488 strips things down a little, only offering 200W and 2.1 channel support.
Meanwhile, the company’s Urban Audio range is also due for an expansion, with three new models. There’s the SC-UA7, a freestanding one-box speaker with a distinctive hexagonal design and 1700W of power output. Panasonic say they’re further sweetening the deal here with what they’re calling the “Airquake Bass” configuration – a feature they say will allow the SC-UA7 to produce sound so powerful it can be physically felt when enabled.
It comes accompanied by Panasonic’s latest amplifier, the SC-UA3, and compact mini-system, the SC-UX100. Panasonic’s whole line-up this time around is Bluetooth-enabled, which is to be expected at this stage but still welcome. Music content can also be wired in directly or pulled off a USB.
Finally, there’s the micro-systems market. Panasonic say they’re a market leader in the category and that their SC-PMX152 and SC-PMX82 “not only look great but deliver the best audio experience to quality-orientated music lovers.”
The SC-PMX152 even features a high-res re-master function that enables for enhanced CD-listening experiences by compensating for lost audio signals that exceed the range of what is audible. It’s priced at $879 and will be available from June.
The rest of the company’s micro range will reach Australian retail outlets through May with an RRP that starts at $379 for the HC397 and goes all the way up to the $549 for the SC-PMX82.
Panasonic’s soundbars arrive from April to May, with the SC-HTB688 priced at $549 and the SC-HTB488 coming in at $449.
Meanwhile, the Urban Audio UX100 is available now for $329, the UA7 hits shelves in April for $769 and the UA3 lands in July for $439.