Technics SE-C01

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norlandwind

New Member
Technics SE-C01

Hello. I bought a decent set of Technics C01 Series. It came with two power amplifier SE-C01 units. Found it on Ebay. I tested it - it works like a charm, but...
I was looking for such a midi sized set for quite a while. One of the reasons I decided to bid on it was the fact that there were two power amplifier units in this set. Since all information I have found on the internet told me that this little beasts can be switched to mono mode I thought I made a very good purchase. But as the boxes were delivered I found out that this two SE-C01 units don't have the STEREO-MONO swich on the bottom, as I was said on internet sources, also the label doesn't say Stereo/Mono DC Power Amplifier, but only Stereo DC Power Amplifier.

I am not a complete vintage gear lunatic and I also don't have any knowledge of the electrical components inside this boxes. I just enjoy the sound and the design of this old masterpieces. Could somebody explain to me this anomaly? It looks like there were different production types of this units, some with the MONO swich, some without it. I presume the insides have to be different as well, or could it be that there is this stereo/mono switching unit present as well on the inside, but there is just no switch on the outside?

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the sound with just one power amplifier as well. I also know that the main difference between one and two power amplifier units is POWER only (my B.I.C Venturi II Model 22 speakers go well with just one of those units). But someday, with a larger place to stay, there will be bigger speakers on my mind, which might need more power. (Thanks Grinda )

I also search servie manuals and instructions manuals?


Roland
 
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I have one of these sets, pre/power/tuner/cassette and just had a look at it. Yes there is a switch on the bottome and on the back where the rca plugs go, the left one also hasis marked (mono). Even on the vintage technics site there is no mention of a strictly stereo amp. Did the previous owner have both working together? and why would he sell both together if they couldn' be run in mono?

http://www.vintagetechnics.info/controlpower/sec01.htm
 
Nice to meet some fellow 'Concise' system owners

You're quite correct that there were many different versions of this power amp, each for a different region. My own SE-C01 is of the XA variety, which I believe was originally destined for the far east, and is also missing the stereo/mono bridging switch. However, this omission is offset by the fact that it carries its pulse power supply in a separate box (of designation SH-C01) well away from the signal path :tresbon:

As to why anyone would run two stereo amps, I presume the previous owner was bi-amping his system. I for one would be more than happy to run a brace, or even three, of these smashing little amps to some quality speakers.

Oh yeah. I also have instruction manuals for SE-C01, SU-C01, ST-C01 and SB-F3 along with the beautifully printed system brochure and schematics for the SU and ST, full service manual for the SE. As soon as I have time I intend to get them all scanned and uploaded, probably to HFE.

HTH
 

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@4fxtwin
All versions of the C01 Series have a separate SH-C01 pulse power supply (otherwise more common at sony amps).

@norlandwind
As you have copied my text from TheVintageKnob Talk section I assume you have the same problem. Please let me know if you find any explanation. I haven't found any yet.

@anybody
I have the schematic diagrams for:
- Model SU-C01 (stereo preamplifier)
- Model SE-C01 / SH-C01 (stereo DC power amplifier / power supply unit)
- Model ST-C01 (FM / AM stereo tuner)
- Model RS-M02 (tape deck)

I also have the operating instructions for each of those components and also some additional instruction papers.

If somebody needs any of these, let me know and I'll try to scan the papers.
 
It's been a long time since the last posts on this thread. I found out that Technics had two different versions of this power amp.
One can see the difference on this two links:

http://www.gromit.dk/technics/se-c01.pdf
http://www.voenixrising.com/pdf/SUC01-SEC01-STC01Brochure.pdf

Right on the title page of the brochure you can see that the second one doesn't have a separate power supply unit, the first one has it.

I couldn't figure out which one was the first to reach the market. I guess it was the one with a dedicated power supply unit. Later, probably to cut production costs, they squeezed the power supply into the power amp box and added the stereo/mono switch to justify the design change. A nice addup, since one could put two of this things into a dual mono system.

Those of us who have the stereo only version are probably bound for bi-amping only. Maybe, just maybe, there is still this stere/mono switching option present in the box, but bridged and perhaps could be acivated somehow.

Now my question to real HiFi experts out there - as bi-wiring doesn't work, since my two SE-C01 units don't work in mono mode - does bi-amping make sense? I know it's not a major sonic improvement, but I would just like to get more power for bigger speakers. I do have a bigger place to stay now and need this (also some bigger speakers, but that is another story). If bi-amping, which one? Passive, active, vertical, horizontal? If active, which crossover? Again, I am not audiophile freak and don't have unlimited funds, so right now I would prefer passive bi-amping. I don't know if I should do a horizontal or a vertical connection. For what I can find on internet, a vertical arrangement would be better, since I have two identical amps. Finally, which speakers can you recommend for this setup?

I am no expert in this field, so please reply in ways I can understand. My technical knowledge is very limited here.
 
I am no particular expert either, but there would not be any advantage in using one amp per channel in terms of power. Since there is no option to bridge the power of the two channels, you still would use only the right or the left channel of the amp with the same amount of power as it would have when using both channels simultaneously. There might be a small advantage in channel separation, since with 2 separate amps there is a 100% channel separation.

When using an amp that was meant to operate as a mono / bridged amp there is an advantage in power, both channels are bridged to one channel and the power in that case more than doubles.

The Technics SE-9060 has this feature. 2 * 70 Watt @ 8 ohm 20Hz/20kHz and 1 * 180 Watt @ 8 ohm 20Hz/20kHz in bridged configuration.

I have a couple of those and it does make a difference to use them bridged, more power, but also a better channel separation.
 
Btw, the Technics SE-A808 also has this option, 2 * 40 Watt or 1 * 90 Watt. It does have a STK or SVI hybrid power amp module however, not everybody would be enthusiastic about that. I also have a couple of those and they sound fine, but they pick up some interference from somewhere in my setup, maybe from my computer that is nearby the place where I have my amp(s).
 
The Concise system is a cool little unit. I've had a set for a few years now but it was a bit beat up and the tuner stopped working so I found a new system. This one's in mint condition and also has the rare tape deck so I'm excited to be receiving it in the next few days! I've attached a few pics. Tim :)
 

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Unreal. I lent a guy my old 2006 best 24" `1080p monitor in the world at the time to try out having a second computer in his living room, while he said I should borrow his little amp and pre-amp pair that doesn't play properly in the left. I found that after wobbling the Tape Monitor button for a bit, I was able to just touch just right, and keep both channels sounding quite good. At the time, I only had a $60 Blue Jeans RCA (the one they got custom designed) cable as my best, while my 2nd best to the amp unit was only a fatter $12 one called "Premium" from Monoprice. I was surprised at how good it all sounded at first, and was even scared for my $1400USD tube amp, about what a separate pre-amp and power amplifier can sound like, even though there was still only a $12 IC in there last.
Later, that same guy turned out to be a lying cheating and stealing criminal, as usual, and he ran off with that monitor, and a bunch of other stuff just like "he would never do to me, come on".
Later, my tube amp stopped turning on, and the dealer said it was too good to trust the repairs and parts to a local, so send it back to NYC (I'm in Toronto). I swapped to my $1200 NAD SS amp, and learned why the smoking man in the X-Files was all about letting the little grey men take over the world, since they're smaller, Un-naturally distort instead except half as much, and as long as you have a class A power supply running it all at full tilt, the only thing that can handle transient attacks faster, is tube amplification. Poor Mulder wants to believe, but a tube is also already roughly the size of a human voice box, anyhow. But one side of my HP jack on that thing was the only problem with it when I got it used for $400CAD, and pulling it out slightly so that I got the same side coming from both sides, at least. Then I remembered I also had this little 2 stack, who can give me stereo sound for 3 hours or more at the wiggle of a Tape Monitor button.
I plugged it all in, including my newest RCA IC, for $200 only during a 40% off sale. As soon as I started it up, nonono, before it's that good, my amp half is supposed to sound better straight into the wall, instead of into my $300 "first, don't ruin anything" power box with 8 outlets. Trying again, right away, the sheer magnitude impression of my amp's power into whatever it plays, due to my local nuclear-reactor sized overhead directly before my final big line-level amp ps. After that, all I get reminded of is that my HD800's with the custom super-accurate EQ by Sonarworks can't handle any more bass from any better gear upgrades, so too bad. Oh yeah, I just got my $600 box before my dac for the rebuilt usb output from my pc that can rival any streamer's output, even before getting to use the custom I2S solution using all 4 of the original CD reader's signal lines, so thast my $2k dac finally doesn't lose that way to my $400 originally but garbage comparted to Mr New Guy. (plus, my silent wav reads from the external usb-only powered ssd proves that I hear way more confident reads in there, too, just remember you having to record at your burner's minimum speed, if you don't remember that). 10 seconds later, my new cable makes this pre-amp sickenly good, as a matter of fact. Add to that that my new 2nd best cable is now still at least the $60 BJC guy, and I'm still hearing sickeningly good FR that somehow can only mean more of better than I thought is passing into this amp. After that, it's disgusting and way too unfair that this combo could sound like it's somehow giving me the best that sounding like 1978 has to offer, yet from a little pint-sized punk like this thing. Can a real cable from pre- to final instead of just a cheap little lead instead of a printed circuit be the simple cause of such a degree of unjustification? Seriously, how can this 1978 amp compete with my award winning in 2007 tube amp so well about which is better. Oh shoot, the extra bass slam included by my new box in front of the dac is so insanely satisfying, I'd better turn off my subwoofer on the other amp, since obviously my cranky neighbors will want to kill me just for having it this good now, and everyone using the same nuclear reactor can obviously hear all this bass, too, so for sure, turn off the sub on the other unused amp.
Wait a second, searching for an original MSRP for this combo tells me that hifishark searches agree with, each of these 2 units still go for $450 used? So this is a combo from 1979 (obviously now, since it somehow sounds like the best of what 1978 has to offer) that still trades for $900? Sick, as well as showing off what internet forums are the best at: very few people choose the right pre-/final amp combo from 1979 for grindingula to look like he's somehow the actual coolest guy in the world just for telling a select few that he even has copies of the original service manuals for each of these 4 pieces.
The rest of you being all over this combo proves you're all elites, too.
Can someone please drop the bomb on my 2 amp's original MSRP, so that it's finally not surprising how good they still sound together?
I'm stuck with everything suddenly sounding too involving to simply just play even the oldies but goodies. It's just gonna have to be a saint, angel, or at least Beethoven, to automatically get my whole nuclear reactor into whatever plays on my system from now on, and btw, it does so all count even if you only use that particular hp out jack. Too bad about having to trim cable to fit into the still just spring clips, while still not having perfect EQ or my sub. But for sure now, with the extra bass slam, no more bass from upgrades, pls, it must be true at some point. Even though my EQ sw lets me parametrically adjust EQ, or I can just try turning down the bass on this pre- 1 notch, except nah, not yet, everyone can still hear that my tons of bass with uber-slam now is mean about how much I'll ever need my cranky neighbors.
Hmm, what deserves actually playing now? Besides that my now humungeos ss is obviously still just a garbage one, compared to a more realistic and live-sounding high purity even smaller one.
 
Audiophile> said:
Unreal
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Welcome to AK, eh?

Striking first post. Did you intend to post it in a 13+ year old thread about a specific model that doesn't seem to have any connection to your post?

Sorry for teasing. We're pretty friendly here, by and large. The one thing you might want to do is look at the AK rules:

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Note, in particular: "All questions of value and links to auctions or ads belong in the Dollars and Sense forum." So, if you want to discuss MSRPs and the like, post in that forum.

Cheers
 
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