The review (incl. Paul Miller's lab test) in the June 2016 Hi Fi News and Record Review should put to rest the idea that this is just a rewrap twice baked version of the originals. This 1200GAE is a new table period. The just plain G will be a little different than the AE -but also not related in more than control placement and styling to the original series. I anticipate that most of the original 1200 will be collected -valued for their rarity rather than performance. But once we get past that - we'll see what the market is willing to pay for the mass market utility version. As a big fan of the SL-1200XX? of the past -I'm gonna think about one of these !
What is Technics thinking?
Lots has been said, both pro and con, about the new Technics turntable. Description here -
http://www.sl1200gae.info/about
Some are excited about the potential, given the upgrades since their last production table/arm, the venerable SL-12XX series. Others see it simply as an excuse to raise the price significantly of the 1200s.
In my view they shot themselves in the foot. They copied the model number of their best selling table (I can only imagine in the hope the familiarity will carry over) and also ended up with a very similar appearance. Given the information on all the upgrades over their prior model, the similarities make it appear like something less than what it might be.
Technics had a room at THE Show Newport and that was my first chance to see a SL-1200GAE. The fit and finish appeared to be very good but it did look like a "polished up" SL-12XX. I ask the Technics rep why they didn't do more to distinguish this as a new model, given their efforts with engineer upgrades. He said he could understand my question but then really didn't offer a reasonable explanation. After describing all the components which had been redesigned/upgraded from the prior model he offered a demo. However the room was crowded and the remainder of the system was completely unfamiliar, so no fair impression could be made.
I believe it should have had a more unique model designation and more might have been done to the physical package so it didn't look so much like the prior model.
http://www.sl1200gae.info/about
Some are excited about the potential, given the upgrades since their last production table/arm, the venerable SL-12XX series. Others see it simply as an excuse to raise the price significantly of the 1200s.
In my view they shot themselves in the foot. They copied the model number of their best selling table (I can only imagine in the hope the familiarity will carry over) and also ended up with a very similar appearance. Given the information on all the upgrades over their prior model, the similarities make it appear like something less than what it might be.
Technics had a room at THE Show Newport and that was my first chance to see a SL-1200GAE. The fit and finish appeared to be very good but it did look like a "polished up" SL-12XX. I ask the Technics rep why they didn't do more to distinguish this as a new model, given their efforts with engineer upgrades. He said he could understand my question but then really didn't offer a reasonable explanation. After describing all the components which had been redesigned/upgraded from the prior model he offered a demo. However the room was crowded and the remainder of the system was completely unfamiliar, so no fair impression could be made.
I believe it should have had a more unique model designation and more might have been done to the physical package so it didn't look so much like the prior model.