What is Technics thinking?

My 6 month wait is over, my Technics SL-1200GAE shipped today from Hi-Fi Heaven in Green Bay, Wi. Jim received 5 turntables (all sold)  but he is promised more. I suggest calling him to get your name on the waiting list, as no doubt some people will renege at the full purchase price.

I was 16 when the SL-1200Mk2 was released back in 1978, it was a big seller because it was sold from Pro Audio Venue's, Appliance Stores, and HiFi Expos at deep discounts. These Expos traveled town to town and set up in large Arena's, offering a 'cash and carry' feeding frenzy. While most of the gear sold was low end junk, the 1200Mk2 was authorized (or maybe not) to be sold in these outlets. Many of my friends walked out the door with one for as little as $200. Without a doubt the best bank for the buck in Turntables back in those days. 

Myself, I waited till I joined the Air Force in 1980 to purchase the so-called HiFi version, the SL1600Mk2, which was fully automatic and sold only in authorized dealerships.  There was a big stigma on the automatics sounding inferior, so Technic's made the 1700 (semi-auto) and 1800 (full manual). However just like the new SL-1200GAE, the multi-voltage black SL-1610MK2 table had some unique upgrades that the other tables didn't. Two of which was a titanium arm tube holder and hand selected bearings. As far as I know these 'upgraded tables' where sold only through BX/MX base exchanges an Audio Video Club's at international military bases. Mine still works perfectly to this day!

What was unique about this line of Technics direct drive tables was their sprung loaded plinth. This proved advantageous in Audio Dorm Wars when solid plinth tables popped there stylus clear out of the groove from all the thunderous bass shaking the floors. Later in life I discovered this same tuned suspension was one of the reasons the SL-1610MK2 outperforms the SL1200Mk2. I also own a special Japanese Edition SL-1200MK2 Gold, so I speak from direct knowledge. There is no doubt in my mind, the SL-1610Mk2 is still the direct drive turntable to beat.

The linear tracking tables that followed this line where clearing inferior sounding. Technics bet the farm on Linear Tracker's but nobody wanted them. I always wondered what they have would have produced had they not wasted their time on that technology. 

Imagine my surprise at CES 2016 when I stumbled on the new Technics SL-1200GAE sprung loaded table.  Wow, this is the table they should have released in 1983 ... better late then never Technics!!!

I'll report back after i get good listen. 

I realized today that it’s been many years since I been so excited about acquiring an audio component ... I really am jonesing for this thing.

However I do agree with you Pryso that Technics should have called it by different model number. Besides the useless pitch control it really has nothing in common with the SL-1200 turntable. Under the hood it’s a brand new ball game.

Logically it should have been called the SL-2100. (As is a 21st Century Turntable)

Later if they wanted to reissue the SL-1200, it could be called the SL-1200NC.
(As in New Century)

In the end I guess it doesn’t really matter what they call it, or what features they include. My purchase decision logic was quite simple ... I get it ... so I got one!

I just hope it lives up to my expectation's.

Let me start by saying, I’m not writing this for some ego trip, I’m just hoping people can save some money, make more informed decisions, and gather some insight from my turntable experiences. While I really didn’t want to names names on this forum, for the benefit of the players who want to get a better grip on what I’m saying ... here goes.

I agree the solid plinth SL-1200MK2 tables don’t sound as good ... yes even with every mod you can throw at it. Best bang for the buck with the SL-1200’s is to solid silver wire the arm and leave it alone. Most of the other mods are just sound changers IMO, not improvements. My suggestion if your on a budget, save your money and acquire a "used’ Ultra Hi-End cartridge. Mark my words, that combo will still slay some giants!

I’ve also owned a fully decked out SP-10Mk2, yet my SL-1610Mk2 with a solid silver wired arm ... and no other mods ... sounds better. Why you ask, "the tuned suspension"! Eight years ago I came to the conclusion direct drive tables need sprung tuned suspension for optimum performance. You can play with solid plinth’s on DD tables all you want, all you get is different sounding turntables. Do I too want a professionally sprung tuned SP-10Mk3 ... ohh you bet ya!!!

Now enter into our imagination the 2016 factory tuned suspension Technics SL-1200GAE. (I like Chakster having already sampled the goods)

Well there’s no doubt in my mind, the $4k SL-1600GAE will dance all over any belt driven tables at or near that price. It may very well dance all over most turntables on the planet. Bold statement but consider I also own a $20k TW Acustic table with upgraded power supply and Graham Phantom arm. Yet already my 1979 silver wired SL-1610MK2 goes toe to toe when playing $4k plus cartridges. That’s a big revelation my friends, I like most players, never even considered using ultra Hi-End MC cartridges on lowly DD Technics tables. Major oversight! Another hidden benefit of the 1610Mk2 is that its fully automatic, after 4 fingers of Scotch, the last thing I want to be doing is handing a $4k cartridge. (A common occurrence around my place)

Speaking with the Technics engineer at CES 2016, he claimed the new Direct Drive motor specs on the SL-1200GAE falls somewhere between the SP-10Mk2 & SP-10Mk3. Wow! Couple that with a factory sprung tuned suspension and all the other improvements. Well now you can see why I’m so excited about acquiring this turntable.

Nothing else like it on the Planet!


Initial evaluation with my Technics SL-1200GAE (Scheduled to arrive on July 6) using 3 distinctly different cartridges.

1. Technics EPC-205CMk4 Moving Magnet
2. Ortofon Vienna Moving Coil made for the German Market
3. Kondo IO Moving Coil with S9 Step-up Transformer

Phono amp will be a "retubed" Zesto Andros 1.2, into a Solid Silver Wired passive TVC preamp, into my Kondo Ongaku amp, wired to a pair of Bastanis Apollo open baffle speakers.

Later I will also try the SL-1200GAE with my Cryo’d Sony TA-A1ES amp to bring the price point back down to earth a bit. The Sony A1ES Class A amplifier itself being an under the radar Giant Killer!

Before anyone marches off and purchases a Technics 205CMk4 cartridge understand it is one of the most finicky MM cartridges ever made. Part of the reason I use one for evaluation purposes.

It’s been awhile, so I set one up last night on my backup SL-1600Mk2 to prepare for next Wednesday’s ... "arrival". Tweaky, but no big drama with a proper protractor & Technics veritable arm. The 205CMk4 also demands a stellar phono amp or they can sound thin. However once on song it sings like a Canary, closest MM to a MMC (madman moving coil) I’ve ever experienced.
  
The Kondo IO & S9 step-up on the hand would sing glued to a lead pencil played through a string tied to a tin can.

To finish a thought, I really like the Ortofon Cadenza series and they happen to match up nicely with all the Technics Direct Drive tables mentioned above. Especially with solid silver rewired arms.

While I realize very few players have experianced this odd couple, IMO together they represent the best value in analog. Scour the used market for these gems and its almost like stealing candy from a baby.

While I like all the Cadenza colors, the Black & Blue work magic in my system.
Just don’t beat me up over my choices.

My Technics SL-1200GAE Turntable finally arrived this morning & I’ve been listening all afternoon.

I posted a slide show on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koCqMxzBdLY

I swung for the fences and mounted my Kondo IO, while the IO is my favorite cartridge, I mainly choose it because it’s the least fussy of my 3 evaluation cartridges to setup. For kicks I started by using the included Technics headshell and interconnect cable, which is ridiculous with a 10K cartridge I know, but hey, I’m curious how they compare to my references.

First listen was Depeche Mode Personal Jesus on both 33 1/3 & 45 speed 12" LP’s. Speeds are dead on from the factory while playing these albums with the pitch reset button "pushed on". On the scope the needle is tracking dead center in the groove and the VTA knob is easily adjustable on the fly. Antiskate works as advertised.

From unboxing, assembly, setup, to my first listen ... so far everything has exceeded my expectations. Worth every penny! What more can I say, this robust $4k turntable just looks, feels, smells, and sounds damn good. Hell, I might even try tasting it later tonite.

Stay tuned for further observations.

Sorry here is the slideshow link on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFJVW_xHSDU

What is Technics Thinking? ( Panasonic Corporation )

For starters the Panasonic Executives had to be convinced that the Technics Brand could once again turn a profit. No small feat considering the inertia involved in starting a project of this size.

It’s obvious by their own words that the new Technics Executives all have a passion for music. Something we all have in common ... or there would be no dialog here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNn7Y-Llxf8

Here is a deeper look (30 min) into the new Technics Company.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tKe2JSeX4Y



I for one am glad that Technics is back.

A close look at the video above should dispel any myth that the the SL-1200GAE has much to do with the original. This being most obvious to those with intimate knowledge of the plastic guts inside the original mass produced SL-1200.

The direct drive motor is a brand new design, the hybrid platter is 3 times heavier & spun balanced. The arm while also similar looking, is actually a new design with new tooling, notice how it sits inside its own sub assembly. The plinth is twice the weight and rests on machined tuned sprung feet. This table is more the evolution of the SP10MK2 with a SL1200 wrapper.

If you stop the pictures in my slide show you’ll can see even more details. The platter is now screwed down to the motor. There are now 2 aux weights, you can balance cartridge/headshells up to 28.5 grams. Notice there’s even a USB input under the platter to upgrade the software inside the table. If the 1200G turns out to be the last turntable Technics ever builds, then perhaps it strikes the perfect balance.

Visual appearance aside, more importantly it sounds like a brand new design. While it’s going to take me a while to get my head wrapped around the sonic performance of the 1200GAE, its safe to say there’s serious potential.

Last night I couldn’t get the Kondo IO on song mounted to the stock Technics head-shell. With some tweaking I was able to get the Ortofon Vienna/magnesium head-shell to sing. By this I mean music was playing in my room ... not HI-FI.

Right now the table is coming off a bit hot in my system but I will get it dialed in and report back with results.

Well said Pryso.

Here is a list of all the vintage Technics turntables.
http://vintagetechnics.co.uk/turntables.htm

Oh baby, the mighty SP-10Mk3.
http://www.thevintageknob.org/technics-SP-10MK3.html

Yup ... somebody has already modded the SL-1200GAE.
http://hifipig.com/timestep-modified-technics-1200-gae/

I can't seem to find a link to the June 2016 HiFi News & Record Review of the SL-1200GAE. Anyone? Apparently it's very positive. 

I got a good listen to the both the small coax SB-C700 and the SB-R1 towers. Both are impressive at their price points, $1700 & $13,500 respectively. One could add a REL sub to the SB-C700 speakers & SL1200G turntable and no doubt live happily ever after. 

I said it before and I will say it again, rewire the tone arms with solid silver wire & any of the SL1200 series turntables will preset an enormous soundstage. That is the achilles heel of the the 1200 series.

That said, I've been listening to my new 1200GAE all week with the Ortofon Vienna (Cadenza Blue). Comparing directly to my SL1200 "Limited" (Audio Note silver wired arm) does reveal some interesting differences. The soundstage is actually "smaller" on the GAE using the exact same cartridge. However I agree with Herb the GAE throws a more precise 3D image. For now I still prefer my 1600Mk2, interestingly it sounds closer to my 1200 Limited than to the new 1200GAE. Here I suspect the new DD motor & plinth in the GAE is doing something most excellent. 

While there's something new and right going on with the GAE, at the same time there's something a bit off! The initial "hotness" I described is mellowing after 30 LP's, but I can't seem to shake it completely. I'm starting to suspect silver plated copper tone arm wiring. Yuck!  Perhaps this bright overtone will work perfectly in your system ... wrong tone in mine. 

More break-in time will tell, but I am prepared to rewire the GAE arm.

51 albums later I still cannot shake the bright overall tone in my system.

Not wanting to rewire the tone arm on a brand new table, I called Charles at Cryogenics Int'l to discuss treating the entire turntable. He said he had never Cryo'd an entire turntable. Humm! Myself having commissioned over 1000 pieces the past 10 years felt strangely optimistic. The only issue's I experienced with Charles nitrogen vapor process was glue failures & paint peeling on improperly prepped surfaces, no electronics failures to speak off. (PM me or call Charles directly if you have specific questions on Cryogenics)

Well my entire SL1200GAE took the Cryo plunge last weekend, and a few wrinkles aside, the process was a total sonic success.  After a 2 hours run-in the sound was not only relaxed but had and entirely different musical presentation. Way beyond my expectations, something entirely new is emanating in my room. 

My SL1200GAE is having it's coming out party with friends and family. (Read-scrutinizing-audiophiles) The rubber hits the road tonite my friends!

Friday evening began at Zur Kate for a fine german meal accompanied with un-amplified accordion music. This firmly set the foundation for the late night festivities.

Back in my main listening room the natives were clearly agog, fingering their brutal test LP’s that will surely bring the new Technics GAE to its knee’s. Stupidly I also agreed to a phono amp ’cable’ evaluation. Test LP’s combined with ’cable’ comparisons proved to be a recipe for audiophile neurosis.

What was I thinking ... hey boys ... this is my rodeo!

Grabbing the bull by the horns we regrouped back at my wet bar, the only damage being restricted to my Scotch collection. With everyone’s ego unfettered, we returned to my Technics 1610Mk2/Ortofon Vienna left on auto-repeat playing a virgin re-issue of Kind of Blue. Having previously reset my system back to normal all agreed the music sounded fantastic. After listening to both sides I quickly moved the Vienna & KOB LP over to the GAE. Once again I played both sides, total silence ensued ... no words necessary! I peeled backed the plastic from another virgin LP, the 2013 Mono reissue of Kind of Blue, silent nods agreed. Handshakes, tears, and stares of disbelief ensued after side one. Yes the mono version kills the stereo one, the GAE having laid it all bare.

Sticking with other Modal Jazz recordings, the consensus being the GAE clearly places you like a fly on the wall inside the recording studio.

Switching back to my 1610Mk2 changed perspectives, now we were just some blokes sitting in room listening to great music. A part of me was crushed by that revelation, as was some of the other players. The herd thinned at this point, perhaps realizing that your current analog rig now amounts to no more than a relic of the 20th century is a tough pill to swallow. (Days later some have rationalized that what they heard didn’t actually happen, perhaps I drugged them and unfairly used my Vulcan mind meld)

Those that remained went on to an all night listening session to the GAE. More virgin’s (vinyl) hit the floor Friday night then my high school prom 36 years ago. I personally opened 7 brand new LP’s, I hear the count was over 20 by the end of listening session. I threw in the towel at 3:30 am, others kept spinning records till the sun came up. I woke up for a glass of water at 7 am, ecstatic to find the ruby cantilever still intact on the Vienna.


I like other’s have yet to fully recover from the experience.

I sat down last night fully intending to evaluate the sound of the GAE with my Kondo IO & Technics 205Mk4 cartridges. Instead the wife started spinning her brand new albums, Michael Jackson, Depeshe Mode, Pharrell Williams, Kate Bush. I snuck in my remaining sealed LP's, some Black Keys, Hendrix, Willie Nelson, Pattie Smith, Nirvana Unplugged.

BTW these LP's were all purchased at Fry's Electronics superstore, they have at least a couple thousand for sale. The last time both of us thumbed through LP's together was the mid 90's, we weren't even married then. We frequented Tower Records in Hollywood because they had the best LP selections and we both hated everything to do with CD's. We still do, perhaps thats the secret to our long marriage ... we both hate the same things. We transitioned to computer audio in 2005, never having to touch those wretched plastic disc's again. These days we enjoy Hi-Res music downloads via a modded cryo'd Sony HAP-Z1ES.  For background music & TV we bought a Naim Mu-So and stream Tidal Flac files. Tidal offers a seamless endless supply of high quality music on demand, check it out. Of coarse the Mu-So's main board is cryo'd and I added a mini headphone jack directly off the bass speakers to feed a REL sub.  This rig plays day & night, we could easily live happily ever after with just the Mu-So/REL/Tidal combo.

Getting back to the GAE, I really don't know what else to say. It presents recorded LP music under a brand new light that you have to experience for yourself. I'm almost afraid what the Kondo IO will dig out of those groove's. While the GAE's 'hot sound' may match your system straight out of the box, I still highly recommend everyone Cryo this device. Without a doubt this was biggest transformation I've experienced with Cryo treatment. (PM me for details)

The GAE has taken center stage around our place and eliminated any thought of playing Hi-Res digital files. I see nothing but Vinyl purchases in our future. Maybe we'll just move our bed into the Stereo Room.