Swapping the MMF 5 for an SL-1210M5G

I am going to get the sl-1210 mk5 and eventually rewire the tonearm as well as dampen it and get the external power supply. the only reason I am not getting the mg5 is that I am getting an almost new (used only 15 hours or so) mk5 for $250. The money I save on not getting the mg5 for $500 will pay for both the tonearm rewire and tonearm dampen. Hopefully, I can find something capable in Los Angeles to do the tonearm work and get the external power supply up to snuff so don't have to send the tt back to kabusa

Johnnyb53, do you have the KAB PS-1200 external power supply? If not, you will find that mod will take your 12xx into the stratosphere.

I just got word that my tonearm dampener is shipping now, so hopefully I will have it setup for the weekend.

I can express enough the potential of the Technics SL1210MG5 has to offer for those who are willing to do a little work.

I guess I caught 'em during a sale. I think the salesman offered $550 and I counter-offered $500. He had to interrupt a mgrs' sales mtg for approval (or so he said), but I got it. At that price it was a no-brainer to get essentially a free tonearm rewire. Plus, with its subtle metallic glitter on anthracite plinth, the M5G is the best looking of the 12x0 variants.

johnny, I am curious how were you able to get guitar center to sell it for $500.

My first turntable was an MMF-5, and I now have a KAB Technics SL1210 M5G with the fluid damper. The Technics is easily takes the sound up a couple notches, and has a tonearm that has a broader compatibilty with cartridges and is easier to adjust. And it's built like a tank.

IMHO, the Technics is clearly in a different league than the MMF-5.

Michael

Johnny: I didn't have any intentions of modding it if I ever pick one up, But what differences have you noticed after the mods? (I mean, they essentially double the price of the whole turn table.)

Nope, I didn't double the cost of my turntable. I have a few low-cost aftermarket tweaks and one genuine modification.

By starting with an SL1210 M5G, I avoided paying for a tonearm rewire. That I haggled the purchase price down to $500 (at the local Guitar Center), which made it an even sweeter starting point.

My add-ons and tweaks are:
o Used Oracle Groove Isolator sorbothane (not gel) mat: $10
o Threaded brass cone feet from PartsExpress: $20
o 1-1/2" thick butcher block cutting board to platform the 'table on: $25 from Ikea
o Sumiko headshell (a synergistic match with the Denon DL-160 cart and brings the arm's effective mass up to a better match with med-compliance carts rated at 10-16

My one mod is the KAB damping trough at $150, and it took 30 minutes to install, taking my time and being fastidiously careful.

So my total investment is $500+10+20+25+150=$705, which is just $6 more than the list price for an M5G.

As for doubling the price of the turntable (if you modded it to that extent), don't consider percentages; consider what you get at that price.

For example, start with KAB's SL1200 mk2 ($475) and add the outboard PSU ($250), threaded clamp ($150), tonearm rewire ($169), fluid damper ($150), and Isonoe footers ($175).

You're up to $1369. At that point, the question shouldn't be if the mods cost more than the original turntable. The question is whether the resulting unit is competitive with what you can buy for $1369. I'm in the camp that believes it's highly competitive, especially in the areas of s/n and speed accuracy. Others here would advocate for a Rega, Funk, or VPI at that price.

All the threads on the Sl-1210 and the KABUSA website.

Kmulkey: Thanks for the input, I have heard the scout many times and I like it a lot. But unfortunately it's out of my price point. And if I remember correctly it is still a belt drive, right?

Musicdoc: Thanks! I'm slowly hunting something good down on craigslist. I'm in no rush.

Stick70: Thanks! I've read about the KAB mods, but how does it sound stock?

Britishbane: What other TTs are you looking at?

Johnny: I didn't have any intentions of modding it if I ever pick one up, But what differences have you noticed after the mods? (I mean, they essentially double the price of the whole turn table.)

Dr Joe: Thats why I'm considering the Technics turntable, now that you mention the SP-10, I think I might have seen one at a thrift store that I passed up. If it was, then I'm going to kick myself in the butt. If for some reason I can't find find an M5G, do you recommend that I just get a regular SL-12x0-MK2 instead?

Gonzo: What made you change?

Thats what I did. Not once thought I made the wrong decision. Get the KAB mods too.

An SL-1210M5 will give you a lot more/better music for your money than most audiophile 'tables at twice and three times the price, especially with some KAB mods (e.g., external power supply).

And if you want to do better than that, I'd recommend the grandfather of the SL-1200 series, the Technics SP-10MKII: with the proper high-mass plinth and a good arm and cartridge, it'll compete with 'tables at all price-points...do a Google search to find the guy who finds his SP-10MKII competes head-to-head with his $20K Walker Proscenium, generally considered state-of-the-art.

Happy listening,

Joel.

I have had my SL1210 M5G for almost 1-1/2 years now. I've added the fluid damper, a more inert mat, and brass cone footers. I'm looking into some more upscale cartridges and headshells, but I have no urge or intention to swap out the turntable or its fluid-damped arm--or its tonearm wire, for that matter.

I really like this rig. It makes music. It's propulsive and has slam right out of the box. The tweaks have improved refinement, inner detail, and microdynamics, but this 'table gets a lot fundamentally right.

I say go for it as well. I'm an underwhelmed MMF5 owner myself.

M5G is a hell of a player. Lots of tweaks via KAB. Can find them of good deals.

go 4 it.

I owned an MMF-5SE and it always sounded "lazy" to me. I upgraded to a Scout and it was like taking a blanket off of the speakers.