At the Paris Audio Video Show (PAVS) 2025, Technics showed off its new wireless range to enthusiasts. The Japanese manufacturer, renowned for its audiophile turntables and professional models, presented a turntable designed for a wider audience: the Technics SL-40CBT. This new model, designed to work with the Technics SC-CX700 active speakers, combines a sleek design and Bluetooth connectivity, without forgetting the brand’s technical heritage.
A new aesthetic approach
The Technics SL-40CBT turntable caused quite a stir at the Japanese manufacturer’s stand. While the brand’s turntables have had a similar aesthetic for several decades, the new model is a clear departure from the famous SL-1200 range. Gone is the solid aluminum chassis: this turntable adopts a lighter, two-block composite structure, with a streamlined, raised platter. The Start/Stop button is centralized in a simplified, accessible interface.
Available in three finishes (terracotta, light gray, charcoal black), the Technics SL-40CBT has been designed to blend into a contemporary interior. It even shares the aesthetic codes of the Technics SC-CX700E connected speakers, for perfect visual harmony.
Integrated Bluetooth: the real novelty
Technics introduces a Bluetooth module in one of its turntables for the first time. The goal is to enable wireless streaming to any Bluetooth speaker or amplifier, simplifying the turntable’s integration into a hi-fi system. This approach breaks with the brand’s long-standing focus on traditional analog connections.
This development is in line with the growing popularity of connected hi-fi solutions, and reflects a clear desire to open up the Technics world to a non-specialist audience, attracted by the simplicity and versatility of a wireless system. On the stand, the SL-40CBT was positioned alongside the Technics SC-CX700E active speakers.
Technics’ fundamentals remain intact
Despite this shift towards the mass market, the Technics SL-40CBT retains several key elements that characterize the Technics turntables it was displayed next to at the brand’s PAVS 2025 stand. It uses a direct-drive motor like the iconic SL-1210, SL-1300 and SL-1500C, guaranteeing recognized rotational stability and reliability. Its cast aluminum platter and S-arm with adjustable counterweight and anti-skating feature immediately recall the brand’s technical heritage.
However, the Vertical Tracking Angle adjustment is not present, which simplifies usage. The turntable is supplied with a pre-mounted Audio-Technica AT-VM95C cartridge, and a built-in phono preamp enables direct connection to any active speaker or conventional amp.
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Summary
With the Technics SL-40CBT, the Japanese brand initiates a strategic shift by opening up to a wider audience, beyond its traditional models. This turntable combines contemporary aesthetics, simplified operation and wireless connectivity, while retaining the essential technical foundations that have built Technics’ reputation. A model that breaks the mould, without losing its identity. The Technics stand at the Paris Audio Video Show offered a full panorama of the brand’s expertise, where legendary models coexisted with the latest model.
