New Technics SL1200G turntable

Not much to say, it's one of the best turntables on the current market at any price. Sounds better in Fremer's videos against his $150,000.00 turntable and $40,000.00 tonearm. 

That just goes to show what Mikey is all about. I would never take his advise as publicized, it's way to questionable. 

charliev, have you listened to the comparison the previous poster mentioned?  I have and I would say it is a mixed bag, that the more expensive table/arm seems to me to sing the music better, but the Technics has speed stability in its favor.  Depending upon your musical preferences/values you might favor one or you might favor the other.

That said, I could not consider the price of the expensive spread, but I did purchase a 1200G that is being modified right now to put a 12" Triplanar arm on it, and I cannot wait!  I have great expectations....

I have owned my GAE version of this turntable for going on 2 years now.  The G and the GAE are functionally the same for all practical purposes, the GAE was a limited edition version sold in very limited quantities at introduction that is cosmetically a bit fancier is all.  I am quite happy with it and like it more and more with the passage of time.  Perhaps in previous posts I have not emphasized what is perhaps the single most important attribute of it:  It is so very easy to set up and to use.  Turntable set up is critical, much more so than for any other component in a high end sound system.  And there are not nearly enough experts around to help everyone set up their turntables.  The Technics design is so easy to set up that it all but solves this problem.  It is quite simply a terrific turntable.  It sounds fantastic, it is built to last several lifetimes, and it is easier to set up and to use than any other in my experience.  PS, I was setting up turntables in high end retail shops for about 10 years during the 1970s.  So I am one of those few fossils left who knows his way around turntables.  God help me. 

From all that I can gather, Fremer is intellectually honest.  He is telling you the truth as he sees it or hears it.  He may pull his punches for products where he is emotionally or contractually involved, but he will typically reveal that sort of conflict of interest, and he still will say whether he thinks A is better than B, regardless of his association with B.  Sometimes in such cases, you have to read between the lines. Don't knock him if you can't afford something he likes or just because you may disagree with his opinion.  

Technics must have paid him a fortune. His videos, two of them no less, are the biggest Technics endorsement I have ever seen. In both videos, SL-1200G destroys a $200K+ setup. What else could Technics ever ask for?

in the first comparison on analog planet the sound and video are actually reversed.  the caliburn video is playing the technics sound track and vice versa.  
to my ears the sound of the caliburn is much better than the technics, listen to the impact and decay of the percussion.  
not saying that the technics sounds poor,  just that it is no match for the caliburn and fremer never states that he believes it sounds better either.  
there is another video between the Rega RP8 and caliburn and IMHO the RP8 comes closer than the technics G.  

Dear friends: That kind of Fremer's " contest/comparison " makes not to much sense to me and almost useless:

whom of us can say which specific parameter/item characteristic is the one that makes " the difference " when the TTs were seated in different plattforms, different tonearms, different tonearm internal wiring, one tonearm with a removable headshell design that comes with separated headshell wires, maybe the IC cables from the tonearm output to the PS input were different too.
Can we say that the TT it self made the differences or the internal tonearm wiring or the whole tonearm. How can we sure which the precise answer?

I know for sure that I can't do it. Any one of can says it for sure?

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Raul, I agree.  Fremers turntable is on a far more stable platform, the record is clamped on his, his table probably is using silver wiring in the tonearm, the headshell on the technics is plastic, he could of at least used a magnesium one as the arm is magnesium, lord know what mat he is using in the video.

@avanti1960, the video and sound are not switched in the first video. As was stated numerous times by Fremer.

You preferring the sound when Technics is playing means you prefer the sound of Technics. Fremer initially joked that the sound could be switched and then verified that it wasn't.

People prefer Technics. And that's that. Greatest endorsement by any major reviewer I have ever seen. 

@rauliruegas, all of those separate pieces don't really matter in this case. It's the overall picture. A $4000 Technics smokes a $200K boutique product. But I'm not really surprised. 

the Technics is a very impressive piece

One thing i will say about Fremer,  I believe he is one of the best reviewers out there.  He speaks his mind as he hears it and he seems to have pretty good ears.  I find myself agreeing with his reviews many times after hearing the components myself.  He loves analog and is one of the reasons for its comeback.  When he posts a video with his table and the technics, I believe what I am hearing.  thats not to say say that it was completely equal, but you still get a pretty good idea about certain things you hear.

Dear @invictus005: I don't disagree with you because overall things seems as could be " better " and I think that not so dramatic as " smoke " the other 200K unit.

Now, what @tzh21y posted affects in several ways what we are hearing and at least me can't say if the Technics in that set up is given a higher level distortions than could be we like it more. I think is not conclusive as you posted and tell us that the Technics is very good and a real bargain for any audiophile.

Like you I'm not surprised on the Technics quality level, I admire Technics for more than 40 years now and own and owned the best they marketed in analog.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

The SL1200G has got to have a lot of high end turntable manufactures worried. Its a direct drive that works and is one of the most speed stable machines made. It has an excellent plinth and chassis, and 5 different damping systems are employed.

It responds well to a better platter pad. If you run it with the stock pad you may not realize how good this machine really is.

Everyone should watch this video first. This guy (not Mr.Fremer) did the great job comparing actual data. There is a speed issue. Very interesting @avanti1960 

As for the Mr.Fremer's video i prefer the sound of Continuum Caliburn With SAT Arm on vocal track (Natania Davrath & Pierre De La Roche "  Lo Fiolaire "). I can't hear superiority of the Technics 1200G in this video, sorry @invictus005    

Thanks for all the feedback.  Whitestix

The continuum should be better.  It should be a lot better at that.  There are certain things the Technics does with a plastic headshell that sounds pretty good to me.  I do not care if the Continuum was playing at all.  The 1200G seems like it could be a very good value to say the least

Dear @invictus005: Now I agree with you about and now I know why Technics won. The Caliburn/SAT combo is faraway to be a first rate unit because the totuted SAT tonearm is a " shame " of. Please read what I posted somewhere after I made it the overall alignment calculations:

""" 

from your Stereophile review the SAT specs are as follows: P2S: 212.2mm, overhang: 22.8mm, offset angle 26.10° with an effective length: 235mm.

Those numbers tell us that you are listening ( with any cartridge. ) way higher distortion levels, that you just do not detected even today, against almost any other tonearm/cartridge combination.

Obviously that the SAT needs a dedicated protractor to make the cartridge/tonearm set up but we have to analize what those specs/numbers has to say:

the SAT maximum traking error is a really high: 3.09° when in a normal 235m Effective Length Löfgren A alignment ( IEC standard. ) is only: 1.84°

the SAT maximum distortion % level is: 2.67 when in that normal tonearm only 0.633

the SAT average RMS % distortion is: 0.616 when in normal tonearm only :
0.412 ( Löfgren B even lower: 0.37.

All those makes that the linnear offset in the SAT be 10mm longer than in a normal tonearm ! ! """"

along all those numbers/facts, the SAT CF material ( no maatters what. ) is way resonant for a tonearm and other not very positive SAT characteristic is that is a balnced design and we have to take in count that the SAT is a 30K+ tonearm ! ! ! 

So, yes that's why you and Mr. Fremer like it the Technics more.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

@rauliruegas I'm pretty sure Fremer prefers SAT. In my opinion SAT is a garage product sold for an absolutely insulting price. If I have to buy a current production cost no object tonearm, it will be the SME V. 

@tzh21y Technics' headshell is aluminum, not plastic.

I see that, mine came in yesterday and yes it appears to be alluminum

I see that, mine came in yesterday and yes it appears to be alluminum

aluminum correct

@atmosphere, if the stock mat stands in the way of the best sound, what do you recommend?  I tried my Herbies mat, which really helped a prior table with all acrylic platter, but it sounded worse than the stock mat on the 1200G.

We've been using a mat made by Oracle that works pretty well.

I have found that it is critical to fasten the platter with the right torque.  Makes a huge difference.  Too tight, not right.  mine are just snug equally.  also, if someone else sets your table up, make sure the platter screw washers are installed correctly as this makes a hugs difference as well.

@tzh21y Everything makes a difference. But I think you're obsessing over minor stuff. Which means eventually you'll end up with an SME. And that will make a fundamental difference. Mine should be here in a couple of weeks hopefully :) 

Its not minor, believe me.  I am excited for you.  You must be siked.