Technics ST-CS70 (1997)

Documentation on the Technics ST-CS70 is thin, and what survives is mostly from period Japanese sources. It was released in 1997 at a discretionary price as an audio CS-PCM tuner - a tuner for digital satellite audio broadcasts, not conventional FM/AM radio. Its headline feature, stated plainly in the period literature, was "digital straight recording" of audio CS-PCM broadcasts to MiniDisc.

A dedicated tuner was needed because CS-PCM broadcasts used sampling rates of 32 kHz or 48 kHz, while MiniDisc requires 44.1 kHz. The ST-CS70 has a built-in sampling rate converter to bridge the gap. With the converter on, both A and B broadcast modes are converted to 44.1 kHz for direct MD recording. With it off, A mode runs at 32 kHz and B mode at 48 kHz. Reception covers JCSAT transponders (J1 - J32), an AUX band from 1000 to 1770 MHz, and an 11.2 GHz converter frequency. The Viterbi compound IC was claimed to stabilize reception, and was said to help especially when small antennas or weather caused signal attenuation. The front panel has an input level display to aid antenna installation. D/A conversion used a 1-bit DAC.

Known specs:

Reception: JCSAT (J1–J32), AUX (1000–1770 MHz), converter frequency 11.2 GHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.004% (B-mode, 1 kHz)
Dynamic range: 94 dB
Voice output switching: Sound 1/2 (A mode); Main/Sub/Main+Sub (Dual)
Power: 100 VAC, 50/60 Hz; 15 W with converter on
Dimensions: 270 × 85 × 331 mm; 3.1 kg

No owner reviews, pricing beyond the discretionary release price, or repair history are recorded in the available sources.

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Technics ST-CS70 (1997)

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