Has Technics produced the best-looking record player yet? Here’s why you’ll want one

While parent company Panasonic tends not to launch too many products at IFA, its Technics subsidiary is thankfully a bit more productive. This year at IFA 2025 it has introduced a stunning new SL-40CBT direct drive turntable featuring classic Technics hardware combined with a great new look. It’s clearly designed to capitalise on the vinyl revival, even if we’re quite a few years into it now.

The $899 SL-40CBT features plenty of Technics non-negotiables such as the iron-coreless direct drivemotor to ensure rock-solid playback plus the high-precision S-shaped aluminium tonearm and Audio-Technica AT-VM95C cartridge which Technics says will provide “ultra-precise vinyl groove tracking, preserving subtle nuances and musical dynamics of any vinyl recording.” All this tech is similar to much more premium Technics turntables such as the SL-1300G or SL-1500C, for example.

Thanks to Bluetooth, you can also stream your record collection wirelessly to compatible powered speakers or headphones as well. While that’s a feature seen on many other players, it’s new to Technics.

A built-in phono stage means you don’t necessarily need an amp, but you can also switch it off should you connect up the SL-40CBT to a more comprehensive system in due course.

The SL-40CBT is available in three stylish finishes (black, light grey and the rather fetching terracotta pictured), the SL-40CBT oozes classic style with vinyl-spinning tricks to match. Should you wish to match it up with other gear, the three same finishes are also available in the Technics SC-CX700 Wireless HiFi Speaker System. While many previous Technics turntables have been made from aluminium (and the platter still is), this time wood has been used, like many other record players with coloured finishes.

European Technics product manager Frank Balzuweit explained the thinking behind the new turntable. “We decided to leave our conventional turntable design [behind] and combine the classic Technics features such as the sophisticated, reliable iron-coreless direct drive motor with a new, fresh visual appearance to attract a new type of vinyl music lover.”

“With the SL-40CBT, our focus is on music enthusiasts”, adds Balzuweit.

Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

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Computing, mobile, audio, smart home