After much research and being tired of tinkering with turntables, I picked up a Technics Grand Class 1200-SL-GAE. My initial takeaways are bulleted below.
- This is in a different league than the earlier 1200s.
- The unit is a substantial 50lbs in aggregate.
- The platter is a work of engineering art. The fit and finish is to super-tight tolerances.
- It's nearly impossible to get this thing to skip with footfall or even by knocking the unit.
- It tracks wonderfully (at least with an Ortofon 2M Black and Dynavector 20XH)
- Soundstage is good but maybe not as deep as other tables in the $4k range. I'm not sure. I need to listen and play with it for a bit.
- Imaging is fantastic and competes with tables north of $5k.
- Musicality is superb. I've own British tables for 20 years (1996-2016) and even with their flaws they were musical. This table has it.
- The sound has a clean, behaved bombast to it. It's like digital, but with the smoothness of vinyl.
- The features are great and their application and execution is so nice. Adjusting VTA is ever-so-simple and can be adjusted in moments with quick comparison to musical passages.
- Tracking force mirrors, almost exactly, my electronic scale.
- Backgrounds are quiet and black.
- Above all, this table really boogies. It makes belt drives that I've used (and that's many) seem sleepy.
While music is fluid, it could be more "wet" or "liquid" ...if that makes sense to you. Now, I'm no professional reviewer and I just like what I like.
One thing that's super nice is how the record seems snugly resting on the mat, deep on the platter. I've never experienced that with my Rega, Linn, Roksan, or Origin Live.
I was seriously considering a new Luxman table, just south of $7k. I'm not sure what I'm missing, if anything. What I know about these Japanese tables is there is a commitment to engineering like you see in Lexus or Acura automobiles. Everything is ever-so-smooth and over-engineered.
I'm going to buy a few extra headshells and set up a few cartridges and enjoy some time comparing and contrasting.
The rhythmic drive of this table is phenomenal. I'm running it through a Manley Chinook phono stage into a Primaluna Dialogue HP integrated, feeding PSB Imagine T2s. Part of me wants to bring up my Kef LS50s from my basement system and let the Technics have at it.
PS Disclaimer: Yes, I've heard some crazy tables in my time and, No, this is not the end all be all. But, it certainly competes in its price class, which is an issue raised by many people who have seemingly never heard it--based on their statements on forums.
