Technics returns

Technics, the high-end subsidiary of Panasonic aka National aka Matsushita, was known in the 1970s and early '80s for some oddly exotic gear, and a lot of other audiophilia.  Sort of the way we see Cadillac in the car industry today.  Here's a cute pair of commercials from Japan advertising their "concise compo" series, i.e. components that were small-in-size (SE-C01 power amp, SU-C01 preamp and ST-C01 tuner.. there was also an SA-C07 boombox hybrid thing).  I would love to know what they're saying, and who these guys are.  They strike me as either Japan's Laurel & Hardy, or maybe a pair of celebs: the thin one a conductor, the large one a sumo wrestler or opera singer.  Can't he be both, like the late Warren Berger?
By the way, Technics tried this again in the early 80s with the "315" series, which wisely added a matching turntable (SL-5) and had the option for a cassette/tuner/preamp/amp combo unit (instead of separates): the elusive SA-K5.  Vintage Technics has more information on this, and the later mid-90s attempt (by which time the company was firmly in mid-fi/Best Buy territory, selling decent but unexciting CD changers and home theater equipment).





And here's Technics cassettes being used in the best possible way -- as dominoes.


And if you're really interested, the company is apparently back, though not with the venerable SL-1200mkII turntable.  Here's info on two viable replacements for the 'table: the Pioneer PLX-1000 and the Audio-Technica AT-LP120. #SNL4kidz