Swapping the MMF 5 for an SL-1210M5G

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

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?

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

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.

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