the cartridge is at a fair price,it s the 1200 that is not enougth expensive....but whit that series off clearaudio you get perfect alignement for vta if you use the thin rubber mat. one last tweek..i use a center puck made stainless steel that i bougth in a store in montreal. it is made by a machinist and it si not treated , the result is simply spectacular ,it s seems that adding 1 or 2 pounds in the center helps a lot.
Review: Technics SL-1200Mk2 Turntable
Category: Analog
If you’re reading this, you’re likely wondering one of two things. Why would a lowly DJ deck be evaluated alongside “serious” analog gear? Or, number two: Is the recent positive buzz on Audiogon and the web about this venerable disk spinner merited?
The first question is easiest to answer. That’s because the Technics SL-1200Mk2 wasn’t originally intended as a DJ machine. It was unveiled in 1972, years before the arrival of hip-hop and disco. At that time, the Sugarhill Gang was still in junior high and Ian Schrager was selling steaks on Long Island. No, the original Wheel of Steel was billed as a premium turntable for home use that combined the performance of Technics’ pioneering (armless) SP-10 broadcast ‘table with the convenience of an integrated tonearm.
The second question – whether the SL-1200Mk2 deserves to stand alongside the likes of Rega, Pro-Ject, Music Hall and other ‘audiophile’ designs – is a bit trickier. But I’ll do my best.
WHERE’S THE BELT?
True…the SL-1200Mk2 is a direct drive design. For many people, that means it can’t possibly be any good. And those people would have a point. Most Japanese mass-market direct drive ‘tables were pretty lousy. But for the most part, the direct vs. belt drive argument is tiresome, mainly because there are good and bad examples of both designs. Technics, Kenwood and Denon produced a number of prized direct drive units that command respect to this day. Denon in particular continues to build highly competitive direct drive ‘tables – beautiful, gorgeous-sounding machines like the new DP-500M.
Also true is that direct drive ‘tables can sound a bit bright compared with belt drive models. Those who care to analyze the phenomenon attribute this to the fact that, in the case of Quartz-controlled models like the SL-1200Mk2, the circuit is constantly hunting for the perfect speed without success. The resulting jerky micro-variations in speed impart an edgy character to the sound. Then there are the motor vibrations that are inevitably transmitted through the spindle and to the platter.
Of course, belt drive on a budget has drawbacks of its own. Speed variations are sloooower, but manifest themselves as audible and annoying warbles in pitch. Also, critics claim certain ‘tables (Regas in particular) tend to run about 1% fast – enough to audibly alter timbre, if not pitch. And don’t forget, belts transmit variation too. There’s really no way to completely decouple a motor from the plinth and platter (unless you use an air drive or something) though clever design – as on the Music Hall MMF-7 – can help minimize any undesirable effects.
I suppose turntables are like cars: some people love rear wheel drive, others prefer front wheel. I wouldn’t choose a car based solely on which end the tranny is connected to. Likewise, I wouldn’t discount a turntable based on how it gets the platter spinning. So on to the next issue…
QUALITY
The Technics SL-1200Mk2 is built like a bank vault, weighing in at over 26 pounds. Heavy gear isn’t necessarily better sounding, and lightweight gear isn’t necessarily garbage. One thing’s for sure: the SL-1200Mk2 is the only $550 turntable on the market today that stands a chance of being handed down to my grandchildren. Mine may even outlast the format entirely. This is an heirloom product, the only one in its class as far as I’m concerned. Parts are widely available and affordable, so the SL-1200Mk2 could well be a lifetime investment.
The reason Technics can afford to offer such a well-constructed piece of gear for such a reasonable tariff is simple: the tooling is paid for. Just as Rega wouldn’t likely be able to create a cost-effective tonearm in the digital age, Technics surely couldn’t design and build the SL-1200Mk2 for $550 per copy in 2004. (You’ll find a more involved thesis on this at www.kabusa.com which, though laced with salesmanship, is mostly right on the money.)
The Music Hall MMF-2.1 (which I owned) and the MMF-5 (which I auditioned) can’t hold a candle to the SL-1200Mk2 in terms of quality. Neither can the lower-end Thorens turntables: the TD170, TD 185 (which I also owned) and TD190. My beloved Rega P2 is a higher-quality unit than any of the Music Hall or Thorens models, but next to the Technics, it feels like origami. Plus, the P2 arrived with a few minor quality control gaffes (broken dustcover hinges, etc.) that I had to correct or replace. The Technics, which is mostly hand built in Japan to this day, was 100% perfect out of the box save for a tiny scuff near the pitch slider. Impressive.
OPERATION
Here’s where the Technics stands head-and-shoulders above, well, everything else. Virtually every control has a positive, very expensive feel (except the pitch slider, which feels a little ‘scratchy’ as it moves). Tap the ‘start’ button and in 0.7 seconds, the platter is up to speed. Tap it again and it stops just as quickly. Adjustable electronic braking can bring the platter to an even quicker halt if for some reason one second isn’t fast enough.
The platter weighs five pounds and is damped with hard rubber on the bottom. Whack it with a baseball bat and it still won’t ring. (The rubber record mat adds another 17 ounces.) Give the platter a spin with your hand, and it whirls like a greased roulette wheel. I wondered if it would ever stop spinning! It has great flywheel action, and judging by the smoothness of rotation, the bearing must be pretty well machined.
Want to adjust VTA on the fly? Give the VTA adjustment ring a careful turn. Above the VTA ring is a cueing lever that feels fine, except the damping isn’t nearly as creamy as on the Rega RB250. About the only problem on the tonearm end of things is the lift itself. The part that contacts the arm is coated with a sticky, rubbery material. As such, when you move the arm towards the record it moves in bumpy steps, making it difficult to cue exactly. No big deal, as this corrects itself in a few weeks as the part wears in.
Being able to switch from 33 to 45 at the touch of a button is a joy. I sold most of my 45rpm LPs because it just didn’t seem worth the bother to play them with my previous turntables. Now, no more lifting the platter to change speeds. (Also, if you use a dry brush, you can really speed up your pre-play record dusting by simply tapping the 45 button!)
Finally, my favorite feature: the pop-up cueing lamp. At the touch of a button, a tiny bulb sheathed in swanky brushed aluminum glides skyward to light the way. If you like to listen to LPs late at night with the lights dimmed and don’t feel like clamping a reading lamp to your equipment rack, you’ll surely love this bonus extra.
TONEARM
If the SL-1200Mk2 has a weak point, at first glance this would seem to be it. The Rega RB250 feels like a surgical instrument; in contrast, the Technics tonearm feels precise but a bit less elegant. I’d say that, in use, it’s on par with the mid-end Pro-Ject arms, though it looks and feels more expensive. It’s not, though: a replacement tonearm assembly for the Technics costs about $70 sans cable – a fraction of the Rega RB250’s price.
Of course, the Technics arm offers flexibility the RB250 can’t match. As previously mentioned, VTA is fully adjustable. The removable headshell, though compromising the arm’s rigidity somewhat, makes installing/swapping cartridges a snap. It’s a boon for those who own both mono and stereo cartridges. Should you ever accidentally yank too hard on a wire or snap off a clip, simply replace the entire headshell for about $30 – much cheaper and easier than having your arm professionally rewired (or having to break out the miserable soldering iron.)
Speaking of wires, the Technics tonearm cabling is pitiful. Then again, it’s pitiful on most turntables in this price range, too. I’ve never been cable-crazy, but I’d like to see something a bit more substantial. A do-it-yourselfer might want to take a crack at rewiring it; after all, if you screw it up, a new arm costs just $70.
Technics provides a blast-from-the-past, Thorens-style overhang gauge that, if it actually worked, would be a treat to use: slide it over the headshell, align the stylus with the correct point, be sure the cartridge is parallel in the headshell, and you’re done. Or so you’d think, until you double-checked the geometry with a proper two-point gauge. The Technics device placed my Shure M97xE about a half-inch from where it should have been. My advice: throw the gauge in the garbage immediately.
Origin Live offers a slick-looking conversion kit for the SL-1200Mk2 that allows you to mount a Rega arm like the RB250 (or their modified DJ version of the RB250). The collar is just £39 (plus shipping and import duty), so adding an RB250 can be accomplished for around $300 provided you get a good deal on the arm. But before you go rewiring things or swapping arms, it’s probably best to listen to the stock SL-1200Mk2 first. So here we go…
THE DOCTOR IS IN
Stethoscopes are like tennis courts…if you have one, you use it. I never thought to give my turntables the “breathe deep and cough” treatment, but now that I own a stehoscope I find it’s actually pretty useful…especially if you like to experiment with damping materials. (You know who you are.)
My Rega P2 is mostly free from motor rumble where it counts: on the platter. The plinth is also relatively quiet. I couldn’t find a flat enough place on the tonearm to give that part a listen, but I’d guess it’s fairly well damped. Obviously, you’d like to hear nothing at all when examining your patient, but I don’t think that’s possible in this price range.
Surprisingly, the Technics is also commendably quiet, especially considering the powerful drive system. Chalk it up to the expensive brushless DC motor and top-flight bearing that there’s also little audible vibration on either the platter or the deck. I’m sure the 20 pounds of chassis don’t hurt, either. (Using the ExtremePhono None Felt mat in place of the standard Technics rubber mat reduced the noise even further, but in use, I preferred the static resistance of the stock rubber mat.)
LISTENING…TO OTHER TECHNICS OWNERS
The Technics SL-1200Mk2 is the first turntable I considered after getting back into vinyl. Of course, everyone said not to do this. That’s why I ended up buying a (used) Linn Axis, a Denon DP-47F and a Music Hall MMF-2.1 before finally settling on a Rega P2. (Oh, and a used Thorens TD115 and Luxman PD284 just for fun.)
The Rega P2 is a very musical ‘table. But after moving my music room the second floor, I needed something a little more immune to footfalls and vibration because my neighbors aren’t exactly light on their feet. The only table I could think of was the SL…if it can withstand the force of 2,000 spring breakers jumping up and down in a Cancun disco, then it can surely slough off any vibrations from my heavy-footed neighbors next door.
I also know that many audiophiles are enthusiastic about this table. Europeans seem particularly keen on it, even though it costs significantly more overseas ($650-$700 is the prevailing discount price range for the U.K.). So I contacted every owner I could locate for advice. What I learned is that some people use the SL-1200Mk2 as their only table and are perfectly content; others have multiple tables (one fellow has the classic Thorens TD125 with an SME arm; another has a Pro-Ject RM9). In every case, they described the SL-1200Mk2 as a musical, un-fussy and high-quality analog playback device. Most swore they’d never part with it, regardless of how sophisticated their main ‘audiophile’ rigs become.
Then there’s resale. A 20-year old SL-1200Mk2 sells for around $300. But a two-year-old SL-1200Mk2 sells for…well, around $300. Why? Because apparently you can’t kill these things. They maintain a high level of precision for an extended service life, so it really doesn’t matter much (for DJs at least) if you buy an old one or a new one. Thus, plenty of pros are always in the market for these decks. That said, I would never buy a used SL unless I was damn sure it was never used for mixing or scratching. But should you decide to sell yours, rest assured you’ll quickly find a buyer, particularly if the headshell and dustcover are intact.
LISTENING…TO THE SL-1200Mk2 (FINALLY)
An SL-1200 owner from Europe promised I’d “damn soon overcome any perceived sound quality issues [I might have], especially with the [Shure] M97xE.” So that’s the cartridge I chose. True to his word, and despite some initial skepticism, I quickly came to appreciate my SL. (It should be noted that I had to track the Shure at a higher force on the Technics arm than I did on the Rega – 1.45g vs. 1.35g – to clear the first three bias tracks on the HiFi News Test Record.)
I hate to keep comparing the SL-1200Mk2 to the Rega P2. Ideally, live music should be my reference. But most people know what a British belt drive ‘table sounds like, though very few are likely familiar with the 1200. Besides, if you’re comparison shopping in the $500 range, the P2 is probably high on your list. So with that in mind, here we go.
First up was Peter Gabriel’s “So.” (Geffen; GHS 24088) Filled with punchy dynamic shifts and toe-tapping hooks, it’s a great piece with which to evaluate the SL-1200Mk2’s pace, rhythm, attack and timing.
Pleasant surprise #1: the SL-1200Mk2 has tremendous attack and crackerjack (though not perfect) timing. In fact, it handles dynamic contrasts with greater aplomb than the Rega or, for that matter, any ‘table I’ve ever owned including my departed Linn Axis. No wonder this deck sounds so good in clubs – if it could, it would grab you by the scruff of your neck and toss you onto the dance floor. Turns out the British aren’t the only purveyors of PRAT.
Pleasant surprise #2: the Technics SL-1200Mk2 has the quietest backgrounds I’ve ever heard on any table under $1000. I was shocked by the utter silence between notes. (Don’t sell your Lingo’d LP12…I’m talking relative quiet here.) There’s a tradeoff, though, and it’s this: typical of direct drive turntables, the SL-1200Mk2 isn’t great at minimizing the intrusiveness of imperfections. Tics, pops and scratches are definitely in the foreground at all times, a tendency exacerbated by the Shure cartridge. It’s a compromise I can easily live with. (A good low-output MC might help matters, provided you think the Technics arm is up to the job.)
Pleasant surprise #3: the Technics tonearm is far better than you’d suppose. It coaxes out a satisfying amount of detail, though the Rega RB250 ultimately squeezed more performance from the Shure cartridge. Nothing is missing, though hard-to-resolve passages can sometimes get muddy, and delicate instruments (tinkling chimes, high hats, gently shaken maracas, top-octave woodwind notes) are often relegated to the far end of the mix. However, the Technics exhibits much greater soundstage depth than my Rega P2. Another fair tradeoff.
Pleasant surprise #4: stable pitch makes a dramatic difference. Fellow audiophiles and dealers often downplay the importance of spot-on speed control in budget decks. And it’s true, there’s a lot more to vinyl playback than this. But once you hear proper decay, you wonder how you ever lived without Quartz lock. Plus, the Technics’ tenacious motor refuses to be slowed by needle drag or for that matter, decelerated by a Decca brush pressed firmly to a dusty LP. All the while, the speed remains spot-on.
Where the SL-1200Mk2 falls short is in providing that extra bit of insight you get from a good British belt drive. Mostly that’s the fault of the tonearm. This is still a high-resolution playback system, however. You give up nothing significant by going with this deck over a Rega or Music Hall – and you gain additional soundstage depth, greater attack and blacker backgrounds.
One other area of concern is that some music lacks a bit of heft and presence on the SL-1200Mk2. It’s odd, because where it counts – particularly with large scale orchestral music – the SL-1200Mk2 has plenty of punch, slam and swagger. But overall, compared with the Rega P2, there’s something missing that’s hard to define. Unless, that is, the Rega is adding something that’s not supposed to be there – maybe some extra midbass? On this point, I have to concede that I can’t come to a definitive conclusion because it’s been nearly a year since I’ve been to a live indoor classical performance.
Generally speaking, bass is not quite as deep on the SL-1200Mk2 as it is on my P2, but it’s also tighter. The midrange sounds slightly recessed to me in comparison, and really high notes suffer a bit, too. That translates to a certain lack of air and space, but for $550, you can’t have everything. Overall, the SL-1200Mk2 strikes a pleasant balance.
Across a wide spectrum of music – from Muddy Waters’ “I’m Ready” (Blue Sky; PZ34928) to a direct to disc pressing of Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” (Sheffield Lab 8) to Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” (Sire; WI-25186) – the Technics did far more right than wrong. Moreover, it always felt like an active participant in the music making process. Like a good German car, it demands that you get involved without getting pushy about it. It’s not in your face, but at the same time, it won’t let you settle for background music. This deck has power that others in its price range don’t. It’s addicting.
BUYING AN SL-1200
I chose the Mk2 version over the newer Mk5 because it’s oriented more toward home use (in a black finish, which technically makes it an SL-1200Mk2PK). The Mk5 differs from the Mk2 in that it features a pitch reset button and auxiliary headshell carrier, both of which I found superfluous for my purposes. More annoyingly, the Mk5 doesn’t include hinges for the dust cover. That means you’ll need to buy a hinge kit and disassemble the turntable to mount it, because the hinges install on the inside of the cabinet.
Be careful out there…many of the low prices you see on 1200s are actually for gray market units with no warranty coverage. These units also often require adapters for use in the U.S. power outlets. That’s why it’s worth the extra $50 to buy from a reputable dealer.
I can’t think of a better source than KAB Electro Acoustics. I didn’t order from KAB, but that’s only because I found a local dealer and thus felt obligated to patronize my neighbors. Though KAB doesn’t stock the Mk2 (apparently preferring the Mk5), they will be happy to special order it for you. Judging by the company’s website and a few e-mail exchanges, Kevin at KAB is probably the most knowledgeable man in America when it comes to Technics SL setup for audiophiles. You’ll get a good price and the added assurance of a personal pre-ship quality control check free of charge. Plus, he’ll even install the dustcover hinges for you if you buy a Mk5. That alone will save you at least an hour. And the company offers a range of custom performance-enhancing accessories (including an SME-style fluid damper and an outboard power supply) that’ll have tweakers’ mouths watering.
CONCLUSION
In terms of quality, you can’t buy a better-built turntable than the SL-1200Mk2 anywhere near its $550 retail price (let alone the $500 street price). Yes, the tonearm leaves a bit to be desired, and the cabling really sucks rocks. But the 1200’s speed stability, quiet backgrounds and ease of operation more than make up for its shortcomings. Plus, this turntable is a blast to use – the most rewarding I’ve ever experienced in terms of silky-smooth operation. If Acura made a record player, this might be it.
In purely technical terms, sound reproduction is impressive at this price point – and I’ve owned or heard nearly everything you can buy for around $500. But as with all things analog, the CHARACTER of the sound must be considered. That is, after all, what makes the difference between a series of musical notes and actual music. If the Rega P2 is a warm hug from your significant other, then the SL-1200Mk2 is a firm handshake from your boss for a job well done. That’s neither a good nor a bad thing.
Minor caveats aside, I like the SL-1200Mk2 very much. Paired with the Shure M97xE or similarly warm-sounding cartridge (I hear the V15VxMR makes for a sublime synergistic match), it’s highly listenable and non-fatiguing, yet very involving. Once set up, it makes vinyl nearly as hassle free as CD. It even brings digital-like image and pitch stability to analog while preserving the magic of vinyl. And it promises rock-solid reliability for decades to come.
I still love the Rega P2…but I also love the Technics SL-1200Mk2.
Associated gear
NAD Monitor Series 3400 integrated amplifier with MM/MC phono section
NAD C521i CD player
Technics SL-1200Mk2 turntable system
Shure M97xE phono cartridge
ProAc Tablette 2000 loudspeakers
MonsterCable Z-Series 10’ speaker cable
Audioquest Diamondback interconnect
MonsterPower HTS2500 Power Center
AudioQuest MC cartridge demagnetizer
Record Doctor II record cleaning machine
Sennheiser HD580 Precision headphones
Sony ProAudio MDR-7506 studio monitor headphones
StudioTech racks
Similar products
Denon DP-47F
Dual CS-505
Linn Axis/Basik Plus
Luxman PD284
Music Hall MMF-2.1
Music Hall MMF-5
Rega P2
Thorens TD-115
Thorens TD-185
If you’re reading this, you’re likely wondering one of two things. Why would a lowly DJ deck be evaluated alongside “serious” analog gear? Or, number two: Is the recent positive buzz on Audiogon and the web about this venerable disk spinner merited?
The first question is easiest to answer. That’s because the Technics SL-1200Mk2 wasn’t originally intended as a DJ machine. It was unveiled in 1972, years before the arrival of hip-hop and disco. At that time, the Sugarhill Gang was still in junior high and Ian Schrager was selling steaks on Long Island. No, the original Wheel of Steel was billed as a premium turntable for home use that combined the performance of Technics’ pioneering (armless) SP-10 broadcast ‘table with the convenience of an integrated tonearm.
The second question – whether the SL-1200Mk2 deserves to stand alongside the likes of Rega, Pro-Ject, Music Hall and other ‘audiophile’ designs – is a bit trickier. But I’ll do my best.
WHERE’S THE BELT?
True…the SL-1200Mk2 is a direct drive design. For many people, that means it can’t possibly be any good. And those people would have a point. Most Japanese mass-market direct drive ‘tables were pretty lousy. But for the most part, the direct vs. belt drive argument is tiresome, mainly because there are good and bad examples of both designs. Technics, Kenwood and Denon produced a number of prized direct drive units that command respect to this day. Denon in particular continues to build highly competitive direct drive ‘tables – beautiful, gorgeous-sounding machines like the new DP-500M.
Also true is that direct drive ‘tables can sound a bit bright compared with belt drive models. Those who care to analyze the phenomenon attribute this to the fact that, in the case of Quartz-controlled models like the SL-1200Mk2, the circuit is constantly hunting for the perfect speed without success. The resulting jerky micro-variations in speed impart an edgy character to the sound. Then there are the motor vibrations that are inevitably transmitted through the spindle and to the platter.
Of course, belt drive on a budget has drawbacks of its own. Speed variations are sloooower, but manifest themselves as audible and annoying warbles in pitch. Also, critics claim certain ‘tables (Regas in particular) tend to run about 1% fast – enough to audibly alter timbre, if not pitch. And don’t forget, belts transmit variation too. There’s really no way to completely decouple a motor from the plinth and platter (unless you use an air drive or something) though clever design – as on the Music Hall MMF-7 – can help minimize any undesirable effects.
I suppose turntables are like cars: some people love rear wheel drive, others prefer front wheel. I wouldn’t choose a car based solely on which end the tranny is connected to. Likewise, I wouldn’t discount a turntable based on how it gets the platter spinning. So on to the next issue…
QUALITY
The Technics SL-1200Mk2 is built like a bank vault, weighing in at over 26 pounds. Heavy gear isn’t necessarily better sounding, and lightweight gear isn’t necessarily garbage. One thing’s for sure: the SL-1200Mk2 is the only $550 turntable on the market today that stands a chance of being handed down to my grandchildren. Mine may even outlast the format entirely. This is an heirloom product, the only one in its class as far as I’m concerned. Parts are widely available and affordable, so the SL-1200Mk2 could well be a lifetime investment.
The reason Technics can afford to offer such a well-constructed piece of gear for such a reasonable tariff is simple: the tooling is paid for. Just as Rega wouldn’t likely be able to create a cost-effective tonearm in the digital age, Technics surely couldn’t design and build the SL-1200Mk2 for $550 per copy in 2004. (You’ll find a more involved thesis on this at www.kabusa.com which, though laced with salesmanship, is mostly right on the money.)
The Music Hall MMF-2.1 (which I owned) and the MMF-5 (which I auditioned) can’t hold a candle to the SL-1200Mk2 in terms of quality. Neither can the lower-end Thorens turntables: the TD170, TD 185 (which I also owned) and TD190. My beloved Rega P2 is a higher-quality unit than any of the Music Hall or Thorens models, but next to the Technics, it feels like origami. Plus, the P2 arrived with a few minor quality control gaffes (broken dustcover hinges, etc.) that I had to correct or replace. The Technics, which is mostly hand built in Japan to this day, was 100% perfect out of the box save for a tiny scuff near the pitch slider. Impressive.
OPERATION
Here’s where the Technics stands head-and-shoulders above, well, everything else. Virtually every control has a positive, very expensive feel (except the pitch slider, which feels a little ‘scratchy’ as it moves). Tap the ‘start’ button and in 0.7 seconds, the platter is up to speed. Tap it again and it stops just as quickly. Adjustable electronic braking can bring the platter to an even quicker halt if for some reason one second isn’t fast enough.
The platter weighs five pounds and is damped with hard rubber on the bottom. Whack it with a baseball bat and it still won’t ring. (The rubber record mat adds another 17 ounces.) Give the platter a spin with your hand, and it whirls like a greased roulette wheel. I wondered if it would ever stop spinning! It has great flywheel action, and judging by the smoothness of rotation, the bearing must be pretty well machined.
Want to adjust VTA on the fly? Give the VTA adjustment ring a careful turn. Above the VTA ring is a cueing lever that feels fine, except the damping isn’t nearly as creamy as on the Rega RB250. About the only problem on the tonearm end of things is the lift itself. The part that contacts the arm is coated with a sticky, rubbery material. As such, when you move the arm towards the record it moves in bumpy steps, making it difficult to cue exactly. No big deal, as this corrects itself in a few weeks as the part wears in.
Being able to switch from 33 to 45 at the touch of a button is a joy. I sold most of my 45rpm LPs because it just didn’t seem worth the bother to play them with my previous turntables. Now, no more lifting the platter to change speeds. (Also, if you use a dry brush, you can really speed up your pre-play record dusting by simply tapping the 45 button!)
Finally, my favorite feature: the pop-up cueing lamp. At the touch of a button, a tiny bulb sheathed in swanky brushed aluminum glides skyward to light the way. If you like to listen to LPs late at night with the lights dimmed and don’t feel like clamping a reading lamp to your equipment rack, you’ll surely love this bonus extra.
TONEARM
If the SL-1200Mk2 has a weak point, at first glance this would seem to be it. The Rega RB250 feels like a surgical instrument; in contrast, the Technics tonearm feels precise but a bit less elegant. I’d say that, in use, it’s on par with the mid-end Pro-Ject arms, though it looks and feels more expensive. It’s not, though: a replacement tonearm assembly for the Technics costs about $70 sans cable – a fraction of the Rega RB250’s price.
Of course, the Technics arm offers flexibility the RB250 can’t match. As previously mentioned, VTA is fully adjustable. The removable headshell, though compromising the arm’s rigidity somewhat, makes installing/swapping cartridges a snap. It’s a boon for those who own both mono and stereo cartridges. Should you ever accidentally yank too hard on a wire or snap off a clip, simply replace the entire headshell for about $30 – much cheaper and easier than having your arm professionally rewired (or having to break out the miserable soldering iron.)
Speaking of wires, the Technics tonearm cabling is pitiful. Then again, it’s pitiful on most turntables in this price range, too. I’ve never been cable-crazy, but I’d like to see something a bit more substantial. A do-it-yourselfer might want to take a crack at rewiring it; after all, if you screw it up, a new arm costs just $70.
Technics provides a blast-from-the-past, Thorens-style overhang gauge that, if it actually worked, would be a treat to use: slide it over the headshell, align the stylus with the correct point, be sure the cartridge is parallel in the headshell, and you’re done. Or so you’d think, until you double-checked the geometry with a proper two-point gauge. The Technics device placed my Shure M97xE about a half-inch from where it should have been. My advice: throw the gauge in the garbage immediately.
Origin Live offers a slick-looking conversion kit for the SL-1200Mk2 that allows you to mount a Rega arm like the RB250 (or their modified DJ version of the RB250). The collar is just £39 (plus shipping and import duty), so adding an RB250 can be accomplished for around $300 provided you get a good deal on the arm. But before you go rewiring things or swapping arms, it’s probably best to listen to the stock SL-1200Mk2 first. So here we go…
THE DOCTOR IS IN
Stethoscopes are like tennis courts…if you have one, you use it. I never thought to give my turntables the “breathe deep and cough” treatment, but now that I own a stehoscope I find it’s actually pretty useful…especially if you like to experiment with damping materials. (You know who you are.)
My Rega P2 is mostly free from motor rumble where it counts: on the platter. The plinth is also relatively quiet. I couldn’t find a flat enough place on the tonearm to give that part a listen, but I’d guess it’s fairly well damped. Obviously, you’d like to hear nothing at all when examining your patient, but I don’t think that’s possible in this price range.
Surprisingly, the Technics is also commendably quiet, especially considering the powerful drive system. Chalk it up to the expensive brushless DC motor and top-flight bearing that there’s also little audible vibration on either the platter or the deck. I’m sure the 20 pounds of chassis don’t hurt, either. (Using the ExtremePhono None Felt mat in place of the standard Technics rubber mat reduced the noise even further, but in use, I preferred the static resistance of the stock rubber mat.)
LISTENING…TO OTHER TECHNICS OWNERS
The Technics SL-1200Mk2 is the first turntable I considered after getting back into vinyl. Of course, everyone said not to do this. That’s why I ended up buying a (used) Linn Axis, a Denon DP-47F and a Music Hall MMF-2.1 before finally settling on a Rega P2. (Oh, and a used Thorens TD115 and Luxman PD284 just for fun.)
The Rega P2 is a very musical ‘table. But after moving my music room the second floor, I needed something a little more immune to footfalls and vibration because my neighbors aren’t exactly light on their feet. The only table I could think of was the SL…if it can withstand the force of 2,000 spring breakers jumping up and down in a Cancun disco, then it can surely slough off any vibrations from my heavy-footed neighbors next door.
I also know that many audiophiles are enthusiastic about this table. Europeans seem particularly keen on it, even though it costs significantly more overseas ($650-$700 is the prevailing discount price range for the U.K.). So I contacted every owner I could locate for advice. What I learned is that some people use the SL-1200Mk2 as their only table and are perfectly content; others have multiple tables (one fellow has the classic Thorens TD125 with an SME arm; another has a Pro-Ject RM9). In every case, they described the SL-1200Mk2 as a musical, un-fussy and high-quality analog playback device. Most swore they’d never part with it, regardless of how sophisticated their main ‘audiophile’ rigs become.
Then there’s resale. A 20-year old SL-1200Mk2 sells for around $300. But a two-year-old SL-1200Mk2 sells for…well, around $300. Why? Because apparently you can’t kill these things. They maintain a high level of precision for an extended service life, so it really doesn’t matter much (for DJs at least) if you buy an old one or a new one. Thus, plenty of pros are always in the market for these decks. That said, I would never buy a used SL unless I was damn sure it was never used for mixing or scratching. But should you decide to sell yours, rest assured you’ll quickly find a buyer, particularly if the headshell and dustcover are intact.
LISTENING…TO THE SL-1200Mk2 (FINALLY)
An SL-1200 owner from Europe promised I’d “damn soon overcome any perceived sound quality issues [I might have], especially with the [Shure] M97xE.” So that’s the cartridge I chose. True to his word, and despite some initial skepticism, I quickly came to appreciate my SL. (It should be noted that I had to track the Shure at a higher force on the Technics arm than I did on the Rega – 1.45g vs. 1.35g – to clear the first three bias tracks on the HiFi News Test Record.)
I hate to keep comparing the SL-1200Mk2 to the Rega P2. Ideally, live music should be my reference. But most people know what a British belt drive ‘table sounds like, though very few are likely familiar with the 1200. Besides, if you’re comparison shopping in the $500 range, the P2 is probably high on your list. So with that in mind, here we go.
First up was Peter Gabriel’s “So.” (Geffen; GHS 24088) Filled with punchy dynamic shifts and toe-tapping hooks, it’s a great piece with which to evaluate the SL-1200Mk2’s pace, rhythm, attack and timing.
Pleasant surprise #1: the SL-1200Mk2 has tremendous attack and crackerjack (though not perfect) timing. In fact, it handles dynamic contrasts with greater aplomb than the Rega or, for that matter, any ‘table I’ve ever owned including my departed Linn Axis. No wonder this deck sounds so good in clubs – if it could, it would grab you by the scruff of your neck and toss you onto the dance floor. Turns out the British aren’t the only purveyors of PRAT.
Pleasant surprise #2: the Technics SL-1200Mk2 has the quietest backgrounds I’ve ever heard on any table under $1000. I was shocked by the utter silence between notes. (Don’t sell your Lingo’d LP12…I’m talking relative quiet here.) There’s a tradeoff, though, and it’s this: typical of direct drive turntables, the SL-1200Mk2 isn’t great at minimizing the intrusiveness of imperfections. Tics, pops and scratches are definitely in the foreground at all times, a tendency exacerbated by the Shure cartridge. It’s a compromise I can easily live with. (A good low-output MC might help matters, provided you think the Technics arm is up to the job.)
Pleasant surprise #3: the Technics tonearm is far better than you’d suppose. It coaxes out a satisfying amount of detail, though the Rega RB250 ultimately squeezed more performance from the Shure cartridge. Nothing is missing, though hard-to-resolve passages can sometimes get muddy, and delicate instruments (tinkling chimes, high hats, gently shaken maracas, top-octave woodwind notes) are often relegated to the far end of the mix. However, the Technics exhibits much greater soundstage depth than my Rega P2. Another fair tradeoff.
Pleasant surprise #4: stable pitch makes a dramatic difference. Fellow audiophiles and dealers often downplay the importance of spot-on speed control in budget decks. And it’s true, there’s a lot more to vinyl playback than this. But once you hear proper decay, you wonder how you ever lived without Quartz lock. Plus, the Technics’ tenacious motor refuses to be slowed by needle drag or for that matter, decelerated by a Decca brush pressed firmly to a dusty LP. All the while, the speed remains spot-on.
Where the SL-1200Mk2 falls short is in providing that extra bit of insight you get from a good British belt drive. Mostly that’s the fault of the tonearm. This is still a high-resolution playback system, however. You give up nothing significant by going with this deck over a Rega or Music Hall – and you gain additional soundstage depth, greater attack and blacker backgrounds.
One other area of concern is that some music lacks a bit of heft and presence on the SL-1200Mk2. It’s odd, because where it counts – particularly with large scale orchestral music – the SL-1200Mk2 has plenty of punch, slam and swagger. But overall, compared with the Rega P2, there’s something missing that’s hard to define. Unless, that is, the Rega is adding something that’s not supposed to be there – maybe some extra midbass? On this point, I have to concede that I can’t come to a definitive conclusion because it’s been nearly a year since I’ve been to a live indoor classical performance.
Generally speaking, bass is not quite as deep on the SL-1200Mk2 as it is on my P2, but it’s also tighter. The midrange sounds slightly recessed to me in comparison, and really high notes suffer a bit, too. That translates to a certain lack of air and space, but for $550, you can’t have everything. Overall, the SL-1200Mk2 strikes a pleasant balance.
Across a wide spectrum of music – from Muddy Waters’ “I’m Ready” (Blue Sky; PZ34928) to a direct to disc pressing of Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” (Sheffield Lab 8) to Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” (Sire; WI-25186) – the Technics did far more right than wrong. Moreover, it always felt like an active participant in the music making process. Like a good German car, it demands that you get involved without getting pushy about it. It’s not in your face, but at the same time, it won’t let you settle for background music. This deck has power that others in its price range don’t. It’s addicting.
BUYING AN SL-1200
I chose the Mk2 version over the newer Mk5 because it’s oriented more toward home use (in a black finish, which technically makes it an SL-1200Mk2PK). The Mk5 differs from the Mk2 in that it features a pitch reset button and auxiliary headshell carrier, both of which I found superfluous for my purposes. More annoyingly, the Mk5 doesn’t include hinges for the dust cover. That means you’ll need to buy a hinge kit and disassemble the turntable to mount it, because the hinges install on the inside of the cabinet.
Be careful out there…many of the low prices you see on 1200s are actually for gray market units with no warranty coverage. These units also often require adapters for use in the U.S. power outlets. That’s why it’s worth the extra $50 to buy from a reputable dealer.
I can’t think of a better source than KAB Electro Acoustics. I didn’t order from KAB, but that’s only because I found a local dealer and thus felt obligated to patronize my neighbors. Though KAB doesn’t stock the Mk2 (apparently preferring the Mk5), they will be happy to special order it for you. Judging by the company’s website and a few e-mail exchanges, Kevin at KAB is probably the most knowledgeable man in America when it comes to Technics SL setup for audiophiles. You’ll get a good price and the added assurance of a personal pre-ship quality control check free of charge. Plus, he’ll even install the dustcover hinges for you if you buy a Mk5. That alone will save you at least an hour. And the company offers a range of custom performance-enhancing accessories (including an SME-style fluid damper and an outboard power supply) that’ll have tweakers’ mouths watering.
CONCLUSION
In terms of quality, you can’t buy a better-built turntable than the SL-1200Mk2 anywhere near its $550 retail price (let alone the $500 street price). Yes, the tonearm leaves a bit to be desired, and the cabling really sucks rocks. But the 1200’s speed stability, quiet backgrounds and ease of operation more than make up for its shortcomings. Plus, this turntable is a blast to use – the most rewarding I’ve ever experienced in terms of silky-smooth operation. If Acura made a record player, this might be it.
In purely technical terms, sound reproduction is impressive at this price point – and I’ve owned or heard nearly everything you can buy for around $500. But as with all things analog, the CHARACTER of the sound must be considered. That is, after all, what makes the difference between a series of musical notes and actual music. If the Rega P2 is a warm hug from your significant other, then the SL-1200Mk2 is a firm handshake from your boss for a job well done. That’s neither a good nor a bad thing.
Minor caveats aside, I like the SL-1200Mk2 very much. Paired with the Shure M97xE or similarly warm-sounding cartridge (I hear the V15VxMR makes for a sublime synergistic match), it’s highly listenable and non-fatiguing, yet very involving. Once set up, it makes vinyl nearly as hassle free as CD. It even brings digital-like image and pitch stability to analog while preserving the magic of vinyl. And it promises rock-solid reliability for decades to come.
I still love the Rega P2…but I also love the Technics SL-1200Mk2.
Associated gear
NAD Monitor Series 3400 integrated amplifier with MM/MC phono section
NAD C521i CD player
Technics SL-1200Mk2 turntable system
Shure M97xE phono cartridge
ProAc Tablette 2000 loudspeakers
MonsterCable Z-Series 10’ speaker cable
Audioquest Diamondback interconnect
MonsterPower HTS2500 Power Center
AudioQuest MC cartridge demagnetizer
Record Doctor II record cleaning machine
Sennheiser HD580 Precision headphones
Sony ProAudio MDR-7506 studio monitor headphones
StudioTech racks
Similar products
Denon DP-47F
Dual CS-505
Linn Axis/Basik Plus
Luxman PD284
Music Hall MMF-2.1
Music Hall MMF-5
Rega P2
Thorens TD-115
Thorens TD-185
121 responses Add your response
I am using a re-wired RB250 cardas. It has its own ground wire. Dunno about the RB 300 if you have a ground wire... I suppose if you do not get a hum or feedback you are OK... As for the Clearaudio aurum beta S, I would love to try it on my system. Seems to be very well recommended by a number of critics. The cart cost as much as the turntable...but seems woth it... |
finally i installed an ortofon om40 on my technics sl1200 whit the rega rb300 ,and this not very good in fact it whas a much better match whit the technics arm. so the final story will be the 1200 whit rb300 and clearaudio cartrige. for those of you who keep the technics arm try the ortofon pros40 from kab it works well. |
i am using a clearaudio aurum beta s ,and the tonarm is the rb 300 and it fit just fine, maybe a little negative but i prefer to keep the rigidity. next week i will install and ortofon om40 and i expect the match to be very good. The real big question is what to do whit the ground, the technics arm was grounded to the picth control and i am asking myself if it could be a way to do it.. |
For those of you asking questions about the origin live armboard...i just install it yesterday and the first results are spectacular! whit the rb300 everything is better, bass,focus,details ,sound stage and the quality in general is improve ,this is no small upgrade...it is the union of the best affordable turntable and tonarm in the world. |
Installation of the KAB power supply requires only removing the platter. You then remove the black plastic cover held by 4 to 6 screws. Then you snip 2 wires well indicated & easy to find. The new power supply grey wire is fed through a whole near the entrance of the power cord of the turntable. You solder the new wire ends (in any order) to the same posts that you sniped the wires from. I simply made a U with the wire around the tops of the post.. Then, not needing to hold the connections, I soldered then in place. Should take to more than 10 to 15 minutes going real slow…. The other end of the grey wire goes in the back of the power supply. The original power cord is plugged in the back of the power supply also. The power supply itself is connected to the 120 Volt wall socket. You then turn on the power supply & use the turntable as if nothing happened. |
Told ya! :-) It's not just a speed-control issue: the stock onboard PS has a transformer that contributes some micro-vibration to the chassis, and installing the outboard PS removes that source of vibration. How much of the improvement is due to that, and how much to the stiffer supply itself, is something even Kevin at KAB says he can't be sure of. But you've got the nature and the degree of the improvement pretty well pegged, and I sense you agree it was worth the upgrade cost. |
I finally decided to order the power supply from Kevin at Kab. After reading a number of articles about the merits of a better regulated power supply, my curiosity got the better part of me. Having previously a turntable with a cogging AC motor and an ever temperamental rubber belt that changed elasticity during record play, over time and also with the humidity levels, I was ever more interested in true speed control. But would I ever hear the difference? After all, this turntable (the SL-1200/10) has based its reputation on the ever so perfect (dead on) speed…The wow and flutter is apparently so negligible, nobody could ever hear a speed variation. Even the manual that came with the power supply only spoke of less vibration and a quieter turntable. Before the installation of the power supply, I thus dutifully played 3 well known recordings of mine to do a before and after sound test. Would I hear a difference? Would I feel compelled to motivate spending $250? But after quite a number of modifications to my system, I approached the power supply mod as another test or experiment. The installation of the power supply took very little time, as the instructions are very clear and the procedure quite simple. I then played the ‘Agnus Dei’ sung by Victoria de Los Angeles from Fauré’s Requiem. I immediately heard a difference: the voice is more natural, the soundstage is more open, the air around the voice is more noticeable and there is more base. Also, the elucidation of detail and the sound decay reached new levels… Then I played Sunflower by Milt Jackson. The sound is definitely richer, fuller and has a more believable sound. Everything just flows better. I would not have noticed it had I not connected the KAB power supply and hear the difference. I found similar results listening to the famous guitarist Narciso Yepes, playing the popular guitar piece The Forbidden Games (Les Jeux Interdits). Then to Ali Akbar Khan with Pre Dawn to Sunrise Ragas. I also played a number of other recordings. Overall, a definite change in the musical presentation. The music is more palpable and the sound is more relaxed since everything is presented with a better timbre, more open soundstage, more base; I simply find listening to the music more relaxing. The speed is definitely more even and/or controlled; it opens a whole new dimension since sounds float and emanate more easily, effortlessly...naturally… Even more incredible is that the difference can be heard on the Sl-1200/10 that already has negligible and near perfect speed control. Kudos to Kevin at KAB to making the power supply. I can now hear and comprehend the whole issue of speed control on this and other turntable power supplies that claim sonic wonders…. What if I added more capacitors to this new found toy? I can already hear my wife chasing me with the kitchen knife with very clear, naturally sounding, expletives…. |
If you have a Rega 250 arm - you must try this simple modification I tried today & will never take it off. The difference is night and day ! I posted my remarks on the TWL thread.: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1032024188&openflup&248&4#248 This brings me back to how good the SL1200/10 turntable is. Its speed stability and quality construction is a big thing. I just bought today the latest Stereophile magazine. In it, they talk about the effect of the speed stability hook up to a inexpensive Pro-Ject turntable. Apparently the effect is very dramatic on the sound dynamic and bass response. Reading is further pushing me into the getting the KAB power supply, ultimatly going into the $1,000 territory of other seemingly fine turntables that may require me to still get their power supply unit for again more money! But for me , half of the fun is getting there and to try things. If I get the KAB power supply, I will have the pleasure of still bettering the Sl1200... Also to its credit, the SL1200 is a no fuss turntable - no belt to verify, immediate speed, an efficient design and a worry free dependability. |
Well I finally got the Origin Live arm board to fit a Rega 250 on the 1210. I installed a Carda rewired RB250 with the Michell weight. The board comes with instructions easy enough to follow. For any of you attempting to open the turntable, I simply used a bowl with a rim diameter slightly larger than the circle of the top of the turntable, once the platter is removed. Once I removed the initial hard rubber casing underneath, I found another piece to remove made from a plastic composite!? – I would be curious to know if the earlier tables had a molded metal piece instead? Any event, removing the Technics arm is easy and installing the Origin Live Arm board is also simple. When re-installing the rubber casing, you have to make the hole bigger to access the arm lock nut easily. Finally, I put the whole thing together and played a record. Mind you, this is using the Grado red, an acrylic platter of some 8 mm, Maplewoods heavy brass feet (adding 4 X 2 pound feet) and on a Target wall table. The difference in the sound was readily quite apparent, even before I sat down in front of the speakers. The sound is more defined or realistic, the soundstage is deeper and wider and I am finally getting some bass response. The elucidation of sound decay, as on Audigon member would write, is much better. I also hear more detail – stuff I never knew existed. I did NOT yet try the hifi mod to the Rega arm, consisting of using Blu Tak to stick 2 hollowed out lead bullet weights fixed laterally on each side of the horizontal pivot. (See the write up of TWL Strange Tonearm Tweak. Long - : http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1032024188&read&keyw&zzstrange) But the VTA is a bit high since I am missing an extra packing ring to use the VTA adjuster that is higher than the ¼ inch packing ring. Since the acrylic platter considerably raised the platter, I finally had to use the locking nut on top and the VTA adjuster on the underneath to hold the arm! (Yuck!) When I do get the needed parts from Origin Live, I will adjust the VTA just a bit lower & report again on the sound. The VTAFF looks also interesting but would have to be glued in the whole, because of the thin arm board, and would also add some $150 more to this experiment. As for the Technics arm, It seems very well made and some parts I thought were made of plastic are in fact made of metal. I will definitely want to change the RCA wires on the Technic arm with Carda wire of something similar. This should make a big difference. I heard or read that Kevin @ KAB may be coming forth with something in this regard? To make a long story short, in my opinion, the Carda RB 250 wired arm with Michell weight does make a very noticeable an worthwhile improvement in the sound of the 1210. But I have yet to hear a re-wired Technic arm... Finally, I put the plastic turntable cover on the turntable and called it a day. But no! The back of the arm prevented the cover to properly fit. So I simply took off the light aluminum weight adjuster at the very end; then the cover could be put on. |
Dan: Alex_yakovlev's thread is one place to check for info about using a Rega 'arm on a 1200, though I'm not sure if he used the Origin Live part. I'd imagine there must opinions about this on the web from Brit DJ's though... |
'Few upgrades in audio will ever have the full benefit, as opposed to buying in at a higher level.' Consecutive upgrades and trading up has mostly not been cost efficient for me. But I have a lot of pleasure doing it. I once made a custom Oracle turntable & fitted an SME V tone arm. But I got the Oracle parts free from the then Oracle company president and the SME for $1,500 (second hand, 50% off) some 18 years ago. Once in a while we see real deals. I seldom buy something new which is a big saving. But I am basically happy with the Technics (bought one year old) and having pleasure to modify it with a Rega arm I just bought second hand from a member of Audiogon. But the Technics is good enough as is or with minor cost effective improvements, having heard & owned costlier turntables. I basically got a turntable again to enjoy the records stored in my basement. After reading quite a bit on the internet, the Technics SL1200 came up again & again as a great buy and great sounding turntable. All this is not necessarily cost effective. It may be, if I grow up, and just enjoy the music…and let the table be. There is a high end audio store in Montreal where I live. The owner explained to me that many clients upgrade their system constantly but hardly play their turntables and simply keep playing 2 or 3 recordings just to hear the new modification they bought! They are now selling a 3 month old Origin Live Encouter tone arm because the person bought a Graham tone arm… So, to each their own perception and desires…..and budget! |
I found out about the fitting an arm on the Technics at the Origin Live web site.(www.originlive.com). In the shop section, go to the tonearm section - there at the bottom, click on the 'click for options'. There you will see the DJ armboard they sell to fit a REGA arm. Origin Live also has on their site the instructions to fit the arm. I just ordered the board & so I expect that the instruction will also be included. I did print once the intructions - the modification is fairly simple. Mind you, I will keep the original Technics arm. One day, if I ever trade up to a VPI, or whatever, I could use the Rega based arm...or just let things be |
One can get a Rega P 5 or VPI Scout in the secondary market for $900.00 to $1,100.00. The Sota Sapphire for $400.00 to $600.00 depending on tone arm provided. Case in point I recently upgraded a Rega P 3 to achieve Rega P 5 performance. The Rega P 3 was acquired new for $500.00. Add to that the upgrades that ran 704.00. So for $1,204.00 I achieved performance level of the Rega P5. In retrospect, would have been better off just to buy the P5 and be done with it. It has near VPI Scout performance, but falls a little short and for the $400.00 difference, the VPI Scout should have been way to go. Hindsight is always 20/20. For me at the time, was a test on cost effective upgrades. Performance vs dollars. Few upgrades in audio will ever have the full benefit, as opposed to buying in at a higher level. Plus the ever present future re-sale is always higher on products that are upstream. Next year sell the Rega P 3 and invest in the VPI Scout. At 63 now, should be my last turntable. |
Possibly, but what is the price of a P5, the VPI scout or an entry level VPI ? I suspect at least double or more than the sl1200/10. The scout goes for $900 dollars or $1600 with the arm. Now the Rega P5 is some $2,000 and has a glass platter and plastic part underneath the platter....Something you would want to modify right away... As for the expense of the SL1200 at some $425/450 US. You can add a cheap acrylic platter, put some metal coned feet and some cheap silicone dots and you have a fantastic value and sound. I actually get a beleivable and solid soundstage, depth and acuracy. Will a $1000. Rega or Project get this kind of sound? The Technics speed is dead on; can we say the same for the Rega table and the others for double or triple the money...? True, a Rega silver arm would be nice at $900 or so, a proper turntable would be nice at $1,000 and a proper motor and speed power supply would also be nice at some $1500. from OL. So lets cap it off at $3,000 without the cartridge. Well, I just ordered a fully modified RB250 for the SL1200. Its not that it really needs it - but half the fun is for some changing things and to see how it sounds. For sure its not a $2,000 turntable. It cost only 25% or $500 but its by far a superior made table that has plenty to offer. Definitely worth alisten & look ! |
Not to disparage any of the respondents of this thread. But for all the time,expense and grief of dealing with this aging design, one could be in a Rega P5, VPI Scout or a entry Sota turntable. In my view of 48 years in this hobby/business I cannot see any justification for this,in light of what is readily available. Just a thought. |
Thank you for your comments, Possibly this ''quavering'' needs another listening session... listening to other quality recordings. As far as the Maplewood 2 inch brass heavy feet, the effect is very noticable as I have previously written... Will definitly get the power supply some time in the next month or so, (while I sell a bunch of nearly new motorcycling riding gear). |
I think the power supply will be worth it to you, judging from the other tweaking you've been undertaking. However, your description of a "trembling" symptom on some notes sounds like a much grosser effect than what the PS addresses in my experience. This wasn't something I heard either before the addition of my PS, or became aware of in retrospect afterward. I suppose it's possible that the on-board transformer in your example could be a worse vibrational contaminator than the one in mine, or maybe we just have a different conception of what the word "trembling" signifies. But as I heard it, shortcomings of the stock 1200 which the outboard PS reveals and remedies aren't nearly as blatant as quavering of pitches. |
I finally also got the Mapleshade brass heavyfeet with M6 thread. This replaces the 3 inverted metal cones I was using in lieu of feet. I also use the acrylic platter I made & vibration absorbing cheap silicone buds& strips I bought at the hardware store. The effect of the 4 heavy feet is that it increases the mass of the turntable by 8 pounds. Using still the Grado Red, the soundstage was bigger, more definite and seemed very real and stable. Yes, fuller midrange; more presence. A definite wortwhile upgrade and a stunning visual enhancement to the look of the black Sl1210 MKV. I am seriously thinking now about the KAB power supply. Their seems to be a very slight trembling on some notes & the KAB power supply should do wonders in addressing this....!? In the distant future, possibly a fully modified RB250 or silver tonearm from Origin Live.? But will it be worth it? The table sounds great as is now... |
I treated my 1200 'arm with the Music Direct tonearm wrap, a very thin, lightweight, elastic, self-adhering (without glue -- an advantage, to me) black polymer tape that's wound spiral-fashion to give complete, intimate-contact damping coverage for almost the entire length of the armtube. I've had mine on for so long now, and never attempted to take it off again for comparisons, that I can't tell you exactly how it affects the sound, but the 'arm certainly seems non-resonant with it on when tapped with a finger, and it's stayed in place beautifully and doesn't look too funky. MD seems not to show this item in their catalogs recently, but it is still available for $20 online. |
Reading about sound dots applied to the tone arm counter weight and other people coating the arm with liquid latex to absorb the vibration, I tried something possibly similar yesterday. I went to the hardware store in the section that sells various types of feet to protect objects and furniture.... I bought, 3 various sizes (from 9.5 up) soft polyurethane transparent dots. The name on the package is Pro-Tec-Tors and its made by Faultless/Madico in the US. The dots are cut outs on a rectangular piece of flat sticky poly. So, for the tone arm and counterweight, I simply cut a 1.5 inch long strip by 3 or 4 millimeters wide. One I applied to the tone arm length wise and the other partly around the counterweight. Then I took 6 large soft transparent dots and stuck them near the front and back corners of the SL-1210. At first listen, the soundstage was more definite. The solo voice was much more palpable and real. And there is less of a shrill to the high notes… I will have to play with the dots & strips over the week end, when I have more time but initial results seem similar to other comments about similar treatment of the tone arm. Apparently every component from the preamp, the amp, the speakers, the windows could benefit. The next on my list would be the pre-amp; we will see/hear….... I spent $6 Can or some $5 US. A cheap experiment and mod to have fun with and make the table/arm sound better…. If any of you try this very expensive esoteric mod I would like to hear your comments and perceptions. I still want to get some of the KAB modifications ; the PS looks very promising. |
Quote :''I now have mine mounted on 4 Mapleshade 2 inch high Heavyfeet with M6 threads screwed tight into the four corners.'' -----thanks Blmcycle, I just ordered 4 of the same from Mapleshade.... Curiosity got the better part of me & the 3 metal cone feet I use are not that heavy and a bit of a pain to set up. Should sound as good as they look... But I will put a penny or quarters under the each feet in an effort to get more of the effect since I will see if its better than just pointing into wood!? |
Citation16: The M6 thread is a metric size thread that is the same as the threads on the stock 1210 footers. I just took one of the stock footers to a hardware store to make sure of the thread size. Mapleshade sells the Heavyfeet with M6 threaded mounts as one of their standard sizes, although they say they can do any size thread, I think. |
"It would be nice if they made an after market solid plinth to support and house the Technic 1200/1210 turntable mechanism (with the outboard KAB power supply) and tone arm! This would really be fantastic and could be made of layers of MDF and other heavy stuff....Not sure what you mean by "get rid of all the extra plastic"? The 1200 is made almost entirely of cast aluminum, internally encased with heavy rubber -- the only plastic (other than the removable dustcover of course) is a few small trim bits and the cover for the electronics (hidden under the platter). Much better construction than any amount of MDF. |
Very interesting Blmcycle,...What does the M before the 6 stand for? Is that the right size thread? and does it harm the thread? I would be curious to try them. I put my inverted metal cones in the cavities where the feet used to be. In the front, I just put one in the middle. But it’s a bit cumbersome to set up since they fall easily. I may just try the hardware store & find the matching thread to make spiked feet....into the original treaded feet cavities of the table. They also offer heavy hats. I did try that idea with the old Oracle turntable using a diving lead belt weight - not nice looking, but effective. On the Technics, I see I have no space to put such a big lead thing...on the top of the table. It would be nice if they made an after market solid plinth to support and house the Technic 1200/1210 turntable mechanism (with the outboard KAB power supply) and tone arm! This would really be fantastic and could be made of layers of MDF and other heavy stuff.... This way we could get rid of all the extra plastic and go back to some expensive models they use to make that way... |
Please keep the comments and ideas on the SL-1210 coming. I now have mine mounted on 4 Mapleshade 2 inch high Heavyfeet with M6 threads screwed tight into the four corners. I could not find 3 flat places on the bottom of the table to do the 3 point mounting thing. The Heavyfeet are sitting on a 2 inch thick custom size maple base from Mapleshade that is on four Isoblocks. The change was very noticable. More defined bass. Fuller midrange. Less distortion up high. And the dynamic contrast is much greater. And I am using the ever modest Shure M97xE. Next may be the KAB fluid damper. And I have traded messages with Kevin about having him mod my table with his power supply, strobe off switch, and interconnect cable adapter. He told me a new mod is on the way that will lead the tonearm wires overboard to direct connections to the interconnects. Here is a free idea I may try. Pierre of Mapleshape recommends that interconnects that are moulded together should be separated. I tried this with a cheap Monster mini to RCA I use and it seemed to improve the sound. The stock connecting cables on the 1210 are moulded together, and could easily be cut apart. Get out the Exacto knife. Cheers |
Well, I first verified Zaikesman assertion that the acrylic mats I made were in fact floating on the outer rim of the platter. This is not the case, since the acrylic mats I made just barely touch the outer & higher rim of the platter. When I remove the mats, their is a definite suction of the platter separating from the acrylic mats. I did notice some faint shrill in the high notes of voices from one acrylic mat, but when I made a second and put both on top, that was gone & I got even more sonic information similar to the clever and erudite terminology you use to describe the sonic benefits of the KAB power supply. I specially like the term:…elucidation of decay…. I did not weight the double acrylic mats but doubt they are more than the super matt. The screw clamp would have to have a longer spindle for me to use with the acrylic mat. When I used the Oracle clamp and platter, I did crack a few records...! Now I realise that most records are quite flat anyways....will have to play/experiment more with this idea... Quote ''the less 'needle-talk' you hear through the air, the less resonance is developing.'' this I seem to hear when the volume knob on the AR SP-& goes past 10:30 or 11 o’clock mark. I would term this more as hearing the motor or god knows what, but will have to install the KAB PS to hear the difference. Also, I am told or read that the Grado cartridge does have a tendency to pick up noises more readily...There is a motor turning under the platter, and this, is my mind, is what I hear. I have never heard anything like it with the other turntables I had. The benefits of the 3/8 inches of acrylic renders so much more information, clarity and detail, that one must really try it to really decide for one self… Also, I took off the large feet and put 3 inverted metal cones on pennies AND the whole table on a TARGET wall mounted turntable stand. This in itself also opens up the sound and gives cleaner bass, just as numerous other audio gear & speakers benefit from this treatment. But there is no doubt that the precise speed of the Technic 1200/1210 makes a world of sonic difference; puts my old Oracle to shame… |
"In my mind, the acrylic mat opens up the sound while the rubber mat closes it or restrains it"That is quite possible -- I have not found that use of a damping soft-type mat in conjunction with a clamp makes the sound 'airier', but rather better focused and more solid. The "Ringmat" is often noted for producing an 'airy' sound, and by design it leaves most of the record's underside unsupported, and therefore undamped, with a cavity in between. My own suspicion (based not on auditioning the Ringmat, which isn't suitable for use with the 1200's platter, but various solid mats with and without clamping) is that this result, while maybe pleasing to some, is spurious and caused by undamped HF resonances. To get some idea of what contributes to the sound in this situation, you could experiment with turning off the volume and listening to the unamplified acoustic response of the stylus tracing the grooves on the acrylic vs. a mat -- the less 'needle-talk' you hear throught the air, the less resonance is developing. "I possibly will try later a weight clamp, as I have not much left to clamp on..."KAB's screw-clamp may be the best thing for this problem. At any rate, I'd be wary of adding too much weight to the platter with the acrylic plus a heavy clamp, because that could change the speed-control dynamics. (My own solution employs the thin Technics rubber mat under the Spectra Dynamics soft mat, which together weigh roughly in the same vicinity as the stock Technics heavy mat, plus the lightweight Michell clamp.) "As for the ring of the platter mentionned, I just wonder if those dots (used by another member on the tone arm & that I will try...) would do the tric...?"Marigo-type dots aren't enough to perceptibly damp the platter resonance, I wouldn't bother with this. "Also, an aggressive thing to do would be to spray the inside of the platter with foam in a can"I doubt this would do much either. The underside of the platter is already encased with 1/4" heavy rubber. As an experiment I once covered about 2/3 of this surface with strips of a proven effective, adhesive-backed triple-constrained-layer damping material about 1/8" thick and quite dense, but it did so little to change the platter ring I later removed it (so it couldn't disrupt the platter's rotational balance). My observations indicate the only way to further damp the platter is to address its undamped surfaces, meaning of course the playing surface through choice of mat. In another experiment I once treated the platter's undamped outer periphery-weight/strobe-area by wrapping it in a couple layers of duct tape, which although it did slightly (very slightly) decrease the ring, couldn't work in use due to lack of clearance with the plinth around the edge (and besides looked ugly as hell ;^) If you remove the mat and platter, and lightly hold the platter flat against your abdomen, you'll find it basically doesn't ring at all anymore; effective damping of the top surface is what's needed to kill the resonance. |
I just read your post and find it very helpfull. I will likely get the KAB power supply, as Kevin has already provided positive and helfull feedback on my previous questions. As for the acrylic mats I made, actually totalling 3/8 '' for both, the sound difference is really worth a listen. In my mind, the acrylic mat opens up the sound while the rubber mat closes it or restrains it, once you make a comparison. Even my wife, who is quite into music, hear the difference. The differenc is quite noticable... Any event, I will possibly get the super mat, as it will not bankrupt me. I will then compare but hold little hope. But my previous Oracle turn table had a screw clamp and rubber mat. Then again the acrylic mat made a better open and airy detailed sound. As for the record not being flat, I also worried about the same thing Zaikesman mentions. It turn out,the record was mostly flat. One 4.5mm acrylic mat made a big difference, but the second mat on top made it even better. I possibly will try later a weight clamp, as I have not much left to clamp on... As for the ring of the platter mentionned, I just wonder if those dots (used by another member on the tone arm & that I will try...) would do the tric...? Also, an aggressive thing to do would be to spray the inside of the platter with foam in a can...When the whole mess would dry and look really ugly, I would simply carefully cut off the excess foam with a fine tooth saw to that you cannot see it when put back into place... Replacing the platter is not a king's ransom but the foam thing should not damage the platter & magnet I presume... But I will try the dots first on the aluminium platter and see what the company who sells them recommend as placement... |
"Any comments on the sound effect or enhancements of using a regulated power supply on the Technics?"Did you see my post of 3/26 above? In my experience this was a more important improvement than my playing around with various platter mat arrangements. BTW, the cast aluminum platter of a 1200 has a slight, straight 'dish' to its profile (lowest toward the center, higher toward the perimeter -- this can be seen with the mat removed by laying a straight edge across its diameter), which works out well when a clamp is used. Mats (as well as LP's) are flexible and can follow this contour, but I'd imagine that a 3/8" acrylic flat, not machined to account for this deviation, would result in a loss of solid contact with the platter away from the edge and the formation of a resonant cavity in between. |
Kab regulated power supply PS-1200 (or DIY unit.) Any comments on the sound effect or enhancements of using a regulated power supply on the Technics? I have never but never heard such amount of detail by the mere fact of the speed being dead on and stable....and using 2 layer of 3/8 '' acrylic platters... What more can the regulated power supply do? A DIY idea would be nice. However, I may jut go for KAB's unit but really would like to hear comments on anybody who is using a regulated power supply mod on the Technics. |
Concerning modification and/or ideas on this turnatble, I made two 3/8'' acrylic platters and stacked them together instead of the rubber mat.... Also, the table was and is set up on 3 inverted metal cones pointed into pennies. (I removed the 4 fat feet. The table is on an MDF 5/8'' board resting on an old TARGET wall turntable stand that holds the board from under, using 4 spikes...The board replaces the flimsy original one. Soon I want to play with the idea of making a more massive base under the turntable & see what I hear...I am also using a GRADO red as cartridge. Now, back to the sound effect of using 2 X 3/8'' acrylic platters.... When I first made the one 3/8 platter the sound opened up considerably. On the Pie Jesus of Fauré's requiem, I now could hear the air around the voice and the subtle details of the echo and her voice reverberation. All in all, much more detail & clarity. So this morning, since I had enough Plexiglas left for 3 more platters, I made a second platter....( you need a router and some jig to make a circle) 2 platters still leaves just enough spindle space & I was able to adjust the 1210 VTA of the tone arm in no time. The result of using 2 acrylic platters was staggering... The voice was so, so smooth, the details more pronounced and the soundstage even better. I really got the impression that the person ''was just over there''. Everything but everything just sounded better and so much more detailed.... I did make an acrylic platter years ago (read in the Absolute Sound about that idea) on a custom made Oracle I put together with an SME V. That table used the original AC oracle cogging motor and the speed had always to be monitored via a strobe I glued to the bottom of the table and verified with a flat mirror. But, with the Technic sl-1210, the speed is so perfect; I simply hear things I never heard before using the double acrylic platters... I spent some $22 Can or $20 US on the piece of acrylic at the local hardware store. The rest of the system is made of 3 Citations 16 amps. Two amps are bridged mono to drive the base part of the AR9 speaker towers. The third Citation 16 drives the mid’s and the highs of the speakers. I boosted the main capacitors of the amps from 10,000 mf per channel to an extra 72,000 mf/channel. Each amp has thus 4 capacitors on top and big as beer cans…Doubled monster cables are hard wired into the amps and connected to large custom (read from hardware store...) brass binding posts. As for the Audio Research SP-7, I also boosted the capacitance by 10 times or so and re-wired with silver wire. Now, I would appreciate getting info on a DIY method to further making the speed more stable & accurate on the SL-1210. Mind you, I read about the KAB modification & may just buy it. The KAB mod uses bigger capacitors and a bigger power supply& that is just what I have been doing all along (as far as the capacitors go)….so I would really like to have another DIY project…. For me, most of the fun is making something and trying things out.... Does anybody have ny ideas on further enhancement of the speed regulation on this already great Technic 1210 turntable?? |
Dear Ed i must complement you on your review of the sl1200 Turntable and has kept me coming back to this site and reading more reviews. i service turntables only sl's in Australia for DJ's and hire companies, it would make you cry the way they treat them, I have change close to 300 arms in 4 years, mostly due to bearing problems as they transport them in road cases with the counter weight on. i was asked around 2years ago to change a arm on a sl1200 due to problems scratching and that his friends were laughing at him with this skinny looking arm so today I went to my work shop a dug it out and after some research from this site I found it to be a Audio Technica AT1100 with a Stanton 681eee cartridge. It just shows you today it’s not what it sounds like it’s what it looks like. |
Regarding the arm...It appears that VTF is provided by adjustment of the balance weight. A similar vintage TT that I once owned (Empire) generated VTF using a clock balance wheel spring. This meant that the arm was mass-balanced around all axes so that vibration, or even thumps, had little or no effect on cartridge forces, and therefore on the sound. I found that this simple feature was very valuable in minimizing vibration problems. |
Eldartford, regarding your comments. This review, and most of the comments, are better than what we (often) get from the professionals writing in the audiophile journals. Please see my post of 5-27-05. Great review Ed, you could write for Positive Feedback.Ed is a reviewer for Positive Feedback and in my opinion, writes balanced reviews based on good common sense. |
This review, and most of the comments, are better than what we (often) get from the professionals writing in the audiophile journals. Just one remark, that I see often, bugs me, and it is not really part of Ekobesky's observations, but just mentioned in passing. About direct drive... "the circuit is constantly hunting for the perfect speed without success". Belief that this behavior is inherent in a servo control loop is a myth derived from ignorance about servo design. A servo that acts this way (especially now that the control laws can be implemented by digital algorithms) is just plain designed wrong. Perhaps some particular DD turntables had lousy servos, but that proves nothing about DD turntables in general. Hurrumph! . |
I meant to post to this thread some time ago and didn't, so I'm glad it's cropped up again. A lot of what I have to say I've already said on other threads before. To briefly recap: I've owned my 1200 for close to 23 years now -- buying it as soon as I could afford to upon first using an SP at my college's radio station -- and don't have in-home experience with other audiophile-worthy tables. While the rest of my system has been replaced at least three times over since I got the SL, I continue to be satisfied using the Technics table. But I sorely lack points of reference for making any claims about where the 1200 falls within the universe of audiophile belt-drivers, either around or above its price range. All I can say is that it's durable, swell to use, its sound doesn't suck or fall short in any obvious way, and is not lacking compared with my digital separates in a system that presently would retail for over $25K* -- not top-drawer, but not chump change. I generally feel that if I did replace my 1200, I'd have to begin looking at around five times its current price, and I'm not sure that the improvement -- if it was even comprehensive -- would necessarily be commensurate. I upgraded my unit a few years back with Kevin at KAB to include both the fluid damper and the outboard power supply (as well as the 78rpm mod). Both work basically as claimed, and the p.s. in particular is now to my mind a prerequisite for using this table in an audiophile context. I was Kevin's first customer for this accessory, and commissioned him to do a customized installation that provided a method for switching between the stock, onboard p.s. and KAB's outboard one, so I could perform A/B comparison tests. As far as I know, I am still the only owner with this capability, and I can assure those interested in buying the regular mod that its effect is entirely beneficial and worthwhile if you own a high-resolution cartridge and system. The changes are fairly subtle yet all-encompassing -- if you only play Black Sabbath through Cerwin-Vegas you may not hear (or need) them, but for well-recorded, more sensitive material and better systems, the only thing that might obscure the obviousness of the improvement could be the time lag needed to perform the installation and the lack of ability to easily revert to stock operation for comparisons, so making some good before-and-after recordings might be helpful as a reference. Although I was happy with the table before the p.s. was added, I would now hesitate to call it truly high end without this mod. Not going into flowery descriptives, the outboard p.s. addresses a couple of engineering limitations of the stock table by virtue of being both a stiffer supply and removed from the plinth physically. Providing an across-the-board increase in purity/transparency/resolution, this yields a richer tonality, more detailed harmonic structure, better attack and detail of transients and eludication of decays, an extended bandwidth, wider dynamic envelope both micro and macro, smoother textures, improved clarity, more palpable imaging and deeper and more authoritative soundstaging -- all of which translate into superior musical expression. I assume an improved power supply will do many of these things with any turntable, even belt-drivers not additionally saddled with having their stock p.s. onboard the plinth. The KAB unit is not extravagant, but it's effective and I feel justifies the expense; as the de facto beta-tester, I wouldn't have purchased the mod if I hadn't been able to prove its worth for myself. Someone above raised the question of platter mats. The 1200's most inherent weakness IMO is that its cast aluminum platter cannot be made to not ring. You can only minimize it. In my tests, all lightweight mats have been shown the door, they can't damp the ring well enough to use. The stock mat on the original 1200 Mk.II is thick, heavy rubber, which is what KAB retrofits to all their 1200's, though Technics has introduced a thinner rubber mat and slipmats for verions other than the Mk.II. The heavy rubber mat does a good job of damping the platter. I prefer the sound of an equivalently-thick Sorbothane-type mat (used with a clamp), which also damps the platter well, but ultimately have combined this with one of the Technics thin rubber mats underneath, and that double-mat arrangement, with different materials doing different jobs (the rubber mat damps the platter with help from the heavy Sorbothane above, the Sorbothane mat damps the vinyl record and is isolated from the platter by the rubber mat in between), works best out of all usable options tried, although the increased thickness can make clamping dicey with 180g or heavier pressings (you can run out of spindle to grip unless the felt clamping washer is removed; KAB's screw-down clamp/spindle may eliminate this difficulty). This is an inelegant and partial solution, and I believe Kevin has investigated various approaches to modifying the platter in order to eliminate the energy store-and-release at its source, but for the time being it's the best method I've found, and might well be no worse or possibly better than a glass-plattered Rega with their felt mat or the punningly-named Ringmat. About the arm, I feel it's more medium-mass at 12g than low-mass, and have had no problems using medium-compliance MC's from AQ, Benz and van den Hul (with and without the fluid damper, which I reviewed previously), as well as higher-compliance Ortofon and Shure MM's. The bearings have been excellent, with no friction detectable, and zero play apparent until just recently, not bad for over two decades of pretty heavy useage. (The only other items now wanting replacement are the cover hinges whose springs have become a little droopy.) I'll also want to upgrade the lead-out cabling and try KAB's strobe disabler. *[I'll restate the system context as it applies to vinyl: Benz Glider M2, vdH DDT-II, and Shure V15-III carts, Camelot Lancelot phono, Levinson 380S pre, VTL MB-185 amps, Thiel CS2.2's, ExactPower and Power Wedge Ultra PLC's, vdH carbon IC's, Audience Au24 SC's, Shunyata and HT PC's, Symposium Shelf on FoculPods for TT, Salamander Synergy rack] |
Nice review and very helpfull. Just went to the Audio show in Mtl and saw the Music Hall 5 and the Project... To be honest a glass platter or a high density board platter does no do it for me. THe tables look really cheap for the money.. I just bought a used technics Q2 turtable..Its also heavy at about 20 pounds or so- but no tonearm VTS ajustment.So I will get a SL-1200 that has the VTA. I have a cheap but major modification that I did and do recommend: simply put the turntable on top of metal cones!! The base of the cone is on the bottom and the point on into the bottom of the turntable... THe difference with the Q2 was like night and day! It cleaned up the sound big time...I will also set it up on a TARGET point table.... So I will do the same with the SL1200 and put a fairly good Grado red cartridge. |
I have a new SL-1210M5G and wonder what mats others recommend. I bought my table from KAB, so I have the upgraded mat that Kevin supplies. I also have a fiber/felt mat of unknown make. I like the mat KAB sells with the table better, but I am open to trying other things. Please email me with your thoughts. Bruce at blmcycle@aol.com |
