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VINYL HEAVEN 1
TECHNICS
SL-1200
MkII
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| VINYL
HEAVEN
and
The
Technics
SL-1200
MK2 |
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In 2007-9 vinyl is still alive, and interest in the format is actually growing. Vinyl records are still precious however, and it is more important than ever to preserve them by using a high quality turntable – the Technics SL-1200 is such a turntable.
Get Your Vinyl Out!
Fancy a bit of fun? Have you got a box or shelf full of records? .... Well, why not get them out and enjoy all those old favourites!!
There's no time like the present, so unpack all your treasured LPs and singles. Clean up your vinyl. Spin those discs and have some fun....
In this section you can find the way to real vinyl nirvana......
There is a real magic about playing records that is absent from CD's and certainly from those highly compressed and invisible MP3 and AAC files. Part of the magic is the unique ritual of removing a treasured 12 inch LP or 7 inch single from its sleeve, carefully placing it onto the turntable platter, cleaning the dust off and then gently moving a precision engineered pick-up arm over the lead-in groove and carefully lowering the delicate stylus onto the playing surface of the record.
Playing our vinyl records can also evoke unique memories of the sounds as we remember them from being played heard them from our turntable back in the day. So sit back and enjoy that special and, as some might describe, mellifluous sound that only your vinyl records can provide!
So -
Get Your Records Out!
What About A Turntable?
Many of us will still have a turntable connected to a stereo or hi-fi system, which will make the process very easy. Perhaps there is a turntable lurking in the cupboard or attic perhaps just waiting to be re-connected to a hi-fi system. If not, there is still a wide variety of turntables being manufactured ranging from high-street cheap-and-nasties to pretty good quality hi-fi models.
The high street cheap and nasties will be found in the typical electronic gadget shops and even electrical stores such as Maplin. They will often include a facility to convert the audio to digital mp3 files via a USB connection to a computer. While this facility is useful, and it might be seen as admirable that these devices are still promoting the medium, the turntables themselves are usually of extremely poor mechanical quality and as such will provide very poor and disappointing sound quality.
What's The BEST TURNTABLE ?
It is still perfectly possible and quite easy to convert your vinyl records (and cassette tapes) to mp3 files using a better quality hi-fi quality turntable using some free software called Audacity. Admittedly it isn't quite as easy to set this up initially, but once done the recording process will be just as easy as with a cheapo turntable and will obviously provide infinitely superior sound quality. see digitizing records
Better quality turntables are offered by manufacturers such as Sony, Goldring, Project and Rega. Such turntables range in price from around £100 to around £300 and will provide better sound quality. There is also a "high end" market in turntables that aim to provide the very best sound that can be achieved from vinyl. These can cost thousands of pounds and the name Linn may be familiar.
In between these two prices ranges (£100 ish and £1000 plus) lies the best value bargain - sound for pound - that a sensible amount of money can buy. These pages explain more in much greater detail, but all you need to know is that for the best sound / value for money bargain, you should look at the Technics SL-1200 series.
Not all turntables are born equal, and technologically the SL-1200 series is way in advance of everything else at or near its modest price. Personally, I don;t think anything else can hold a candle to the SL-1200 Mk 2. It's superbly designed and constructed, exuding engineering excellence and providing magical sound quality and a brilliantly enjoyable and fun experience!
The Technics SL-1200 Series - THE
Turntable
The Technics SL-1210 Mk 2 (SL-1200 MK 2 PK in N. America)
If you have arrived at this page there is a good chance that you are looking for a turntable to play your precious collection of vinyl records. There is also a very good chance that you are dissatisfied with your current turntable and are looking for the ultimate turntable upgrade for not too much money.
Having owned some different turntables and heard many others, I firmly believe that the Technics SL-1200MK2 (and SL-1210MK2) turntables offer the very best sound and value for money available today - i.e. the very best sound quality for a sensible amount of expenditure.
It is unfortunate that many people believe that vinyl records are not worth playing. I must disagree. One of the main reasons for the misconception is that the record decks that are supplied with the typical all in one ‘stack’ or midi system are horribly substandard and will produce extremely poor audio quality. Sadly there are also mini, midi and even full size turntables that are being sold separately for about £100 or less that will produce equally poor sound - such turntables may also have well known manufacturer names on their badges, but appear to be cheaply made 're-badged' products.
Given a turntable of suitably high quality and a vinyl record that is in good condition and clean (see cleaning), the sound quality obtainable from an LP can be extremely enjoyable as well as being great fun too. Indeed there are some people who would argue that the sound from vinyl is even more enjoyable than from CD! But you do have to use a very good turntable - a Technics SL-1200.
Unfortunately good mechanical design and engineering of a quality required for a turntable to provide decent sound quality is difficult and therefore expensive when compared to the design and manufacture of electronic products such as hi-fi tuners and CD players. This is why the cheaply made turntables included with system packages sound so poor whereas a cheap CD player can sound quite adequate. Good mechanical design will cost money so a really good quality turntable will inevitably cost more than a mass produced CD player.
The Technics SL-1200 turntable is expertly designed and engineered to produce excellent, top quality sound and while not cheap, it does represent phenomenal value for money. So, if you are considering buying a new turntable for sensible money (i.e around £350-600) make sure that you put the Technics SL-1200 MkII at the very top of your short-list of one!
I have owned and listened to other turntables with disappointing results. Then I found the Technics SL-1200 and knew instantly that it was right.
Even if you are only considering spending £200 - £300 on a turntable I really would have to say, after hearing the SL-1200 MK2, just don't waste your money. Save up another £100 or so and consider the Technics SL-1200 Mk2 – it offers unbeatable sound for pound value. Honestly.
High Specification = Amazing Sound Quality
Specifications can tell you a lot about a product, how well it has been conceived and its ultimate quality. True spec's cannot actually tell you how it will sound in the real world (you'll need an audition for that), but it's a safe bet that poor technical specifications will result in poor sound and that a machine with excellent specifications has a much better chance of producing good sound. But go and listen first.
As it happens, the Technics SL-1200 has some of the best specifications in the industry with a highly specified FG servo direct drive system and solid and thoughtful construction. Of course these paper facts, as mentioned, do not guarantee great sound. It turns out though, that upon listening to the SL-1200 MK2, it does indeed sound magnificent, and this must be due to excellent design and engineering. The Technics is the only system that can guarantee absolute unerring speed stability and 'blackness' of background absent from belt drive spinners. No other turntable at its price or even several time its price can match the specifications of the Technics SL-1200 MK2.
I decided on the Technics SL-1210 MkII because I wanted a black one, well it’s Technics own very attractive dark gunmetal grey in actual fact – 1210 denotes black rather than silver. It's called the SL-1200 MKII PK in North America, by the way. Incidentally the MK5 version offers no significant improvement in the way of sound quality over the MK II for Hi-Fi use, merely having some cosmetic changes and ergonomic improvements for DJ usage. The construction is identical save for the better quality wiring, gold plated sockets and removable phono inter-connect cable. The MKII has captive phono leads.
On unpacking the SL-1210, I was instantly impressed by its battleship build quality and its super-fine engineering quality. Everything about this turntable exudes precision quality. No electric motor glued to the underside of a bit of MDF, or chipboard platters here! The Technics is different to anything else I have seen or heard - it is precision engineered in every way and sports a balanced and rubber-damped METAL platter!
The Technics arm is a precision instrument with bearing tolerances of 0.007mm (another specification other turntable manufactures seem reluctant to quote). The arm is a fairly low mass affair (12g) the wand of which is of the classic ‘S’ shape and incorporates a useful SME type removable headshell. If you are a follower of trends, the ‘S’ shape may seem slightly 'old hat' since many other turntables use straight / tapered arms, but I think the Technics arm looks extremely business like and very elegant and having listened extensively proves its worth in every way.
Incidentally the ‘S’ shape does perform a practical function, as does the taper of a straight arm, in that it eliminates standing waves along the arm, which would otherwise degrade the sound quality.
mp3 ?
If you are considering 'digitizing' your record collection - i.e. producing wave files to burn CD's or MP3 files for your MP3 or media player - then it is all the more important to buy a turntable that will sound as good as possible; unfortunately many 'budget' decks that play at the wrong speed, have a tendency to induce wow and flutter, speed variations and background rumble, motor vibration and other noise. Conversely the SL-1200MK2 will ensure the highest possible sound quality for a very reasonable cost.
So, to digitize your vinyl you'll need a high quality record player that always plays at the correct speed and does not induce other distortions and noise - you'll need a Technics SL-1200 ! see digitizing your vinyl and cleaning your records
On these pages you will also find:
Why Does The Technics SL-1200 Sound So Good?
What Other Equipment Do I Need (further down this page)
My Vinyl Epiphany - or How I Found The SL-1200
The Cartridge
The Technics headshell will accommodate all standard ½ inch mount cartridges, such as moving magnet types from Ortofon, Goldring, Shure, Grado and Audio Technica.
I opted for an Audio Technica AT120E, since I have had very good experiences with other Audio Technica cartridges.
I removed the headshell from the arm and used the cartridge gauge, supplied with the Technics SL-1200, to set the specified overhang when fitting the AT120E. After re-fitting the headshell onto the arm (with the AT120E lightly screwed into place) I also used my “Baerwald” cartridge alignment protractor to check to make some very fine adjustments that I hoped would ensure absolute tracking accuracy:
You can download a very useful Baerwald Protractor as a PDF from the Vinyl Engine. Make sure that you print it out very accurately, otherwise it will be worse than useless, and laminate it if possible. Find it here:
http://www.vinylengine.com/manuals_tonearm_protractors.shtml
Once the turntable had been made completely level by the use of a spirit level, and the tracking weight and anti-skating force had been correctly set to Audio Technica specified 1.7 grams, it was time to play some records.
Read more about Cartridges and setting up HERE >>
While the Audio Technica AT120ET cartridge really is excellent and I can recommend it very highly indeed, there are plenty of high quality alternatives available if one wants to consider a different pick up.
Some other choices might be the Ortofon 2M Red, 2M Blue, Super OM10, OM20 or OM30, the Shure M97XE or a cartridge from the wide Goldring range, maybe the new 2000 series.. Some cartridges offer styli with ‘Fine Line’ type profiles – much smaller diamond tips that can extract even more information and musical detail from the record groove.
You can see more about Cartridges Here >
Nectar For Your Ears - The Technics SL-1200 and Audio Technics AT120
My choice of cartridge for the SL-1210 MkII was an Audio Technica AT120E/T and after playing the first number of LP's my thoughts were that the sound quality is utterly breathtaking - in fact it was like nothing I have ever heard from vinyl records before. The sound is a revelation, incredibly clear, lacking distracting distortions and full of details that I have never previously experienced. The sheer stability of the sound-stage is something to behold, and with good LP's the lack of noise was impressive. The Audio Technica AT120AT cartridge and the marvellous Technics arm seem to work so well together that there are minimal discernible end of side tracking problems (Something that has always seemed to plague record playback for me in the past.), the music is remarkably smooth, with the combination extracting enormous amounts of detail from the record without ever sounding stressed or harsh.
This must be down to the rock solid, utterly stable and 100% accurate Technics Direct Drive system (something not available on any other turntable at this price or anywhere near the price) and the absolute solidity of construction of the SL-1210 and its immunity unwanted resonances.
Credit must also be given to the Audio Technica AT120E cartridge, its musicality and clarity is wonderful. The bass from the AT120ET is clean and musical, utterly controlled and lacking any of the woolliness and 'waffle' that can be apparent on some systems. Initially I noticed a slight lack of bass weight which I thought may have been an effect of the phono pre-amp built into the Marantz integrated amplifier that I was using (* see next paragraph below), but I found that this effect could also be attributed to the fact that the new AT120ET cartridge had not yet been 'run in'. It is worth noting that it can take around 50 to 75 hours for a new cartridge to 'run in'.
During fifty or so hours of playing the AT120ET cartridge the sound gradually changes and gets even better, and when it is fully run-in it really is a wonderful little marvel!
A different and higher quality phono pre-amp will certainly change and improve record playback when compared to some phono pre-amps that are built into integrated amplifiers. You will be able to read more about phono pre-amps later in this article. Different cartridges will also display subtly different sonic characteristics.
It is certainly fair to say that the treble is brilliantly smooth yet very detailed and sparkles really sweetly with none of the roughness and sibilance that can be present on some turntable set-ups.
I also use an Audio Technica AT-110 with the SL-1210, and while it is not quite as refined as the AT120E, it is still weighty and punchy which makes it very suitable for most rock and pop music. It is also amazing value for money and I feel sure that it would meet many listener's requirements.
I later changed from using the phono preamp that is built into the Marantz amplifier for a discrete outboard phono stage, this brought about a remarkable change in reproduction. Suddenly there was even more of everything. The new outboard pre-amp was a further revelation, the music gained some weight and scale, there was also noticeably more presence and music had even more focus. The AT120ET had a very slight tendency towards brightness with the Marantz phono pre-amp (probably due to capacitance and loading issues) but this was not an issue with the new pre-amp, and the tremendous levels of detail and enjoyment remained from the SL1210 and AT120 remained. I have to say that the new phono pre-amp really allows the Technics SL-1200 and Audio Technica AT120 to sing a very sweet song and for me the combination makes an ideal partnership.
I can already hear you asking the question "What is this remarkable phono stage?".
Well the pre-amp in question is the Elliott Sound Products Hi-Fi Phono Pre-amp. This amazingly high quality device is actually a DIY project, Project 06 on ESP's website in fact. To quote: "It is very easy to build, and gives performance that is second to none. Using 2 op-amps, this preamp will outperform most of the circuits you find anywhere on the Internet or the high fidelity stores, with very low noise and accurate RIAA equalisation (but with an extended bottom end that sounds much better than the "true" RIAA equalisation curve". You can read more here.
The Foot Tapping Technics SL 1200
The Technics is very quiet and extremely stable in operation, the arm works so well that it simply lets the music flow in the most detailed, enjoyable and above all, musical and way - which is what a good turntable should do. The Technics SL-1210 MK2 really is an tremendously musical and highly entertaining piece of equipment, and from my own experience I can honestly say that these turntables cannot be recommended highly enough.
Musicality is brilliant: This combination passes the foot-tapping test every time!
The SL-1200 not only sounds better than anything else I have heard at anywhere near its price, sound is always the premium consideration of course, but if you own a collection of 45 rpm singles this turntable even has the truly modern convenience of being able to switch between 33 and 45 rpm at the press of a button! This might seem obvious, but perhaps will not be appreciated until one realises that on most other turntables currently offered it is necessary to remove the platter, move a belt from one part of a spindle to another and then re-fit the platter.
Can you believe that? What a chore! It's no wonder that many people faced with this bothersome fiddling end up ignoring their collection of 45's. What a shame - if only they'd bought a Technics SL-1200 Mk2!
The Technics SL-1200 Mk2 is a one time purchase – you just know it’s right from day one, and it will continue to be right.
|
The Technics SL-1210 Mk 2 (SL-1200 MK 2 PK in N. America)
If you have arrived at this page there is a good chance that you are looking for a turntable to play your precious collection of vinyl records. There is also a very good chance that you are dissatisfied with your current turntable and are looking for the ultimate turntable upgrade for not too much money.
Having owned some different turntables and heard many others, I firmly believe that the Technics SL-1200MK2 (and SL-1210MK2) turntables offer the very best sound and value for money available today - i.e. the very best sound quality for a sensible amount of expenditure.
It is unfortunate that many people believe that vinyl records are not worth playing. I must disagree. One of the main reasons for the misconception is that the record decks that are supplied with the typical all in one ‘stack’ or midi system are horribly substandard and will produce extremely poor audio quality. Sadly there are also mini, midi and even full size turntables that are being sold separately for about £100 or less that will produce equally poor sound - such turntables may also have well known manufacturer names on their badges, but appear to be cheaply made 're-badged' products.
Given a turntable of suitably high quality and a vinyl record that is in good condition and clean (see cleaning), the sound quality obtainable from an LP can be extremely enjoyable as well as being great fun too. Indeed there are some people who would argue that the sound from vinyl is even more enjoyable than from CD! But you do have to use a very good turntable - a Technics SL-1200.
Unfortunately good mechanical design and engineering of a quality required for a turntable to provide decent sound quality is difficult and therefore expensive when compared to the design and manufacture of electronic products such as hi-fi tuners and CD players. This is why the cheaply made turntables included with system packages sound so poor whereas a cheap CD player can sound quite adequate. Good mechanical design will cost money so a really good quality turntable will inevitably cost more than a mass produced CD player.
The Technics SL-1200 turntable is expertly designed and engineered to produce excellent, top quality sound and while not cheap, it does represent phenomenal value for money. So, if you are considering buying a new turntable for sensible money (i.e around £350-600) make sure that you put the Technics SL-1200 MkII at the very top of your short-list of one!
I have owned and listened to other turntables with disappointing results. Then I found the Technics SL-1200 and knew instantly that it was right.
Even if you are only considering spending £200 - £300 on a turntable I really would have to say, after hearing the SL-1200 MK2, just don't waste your money. Save up another £100 or so and consider the Technics SL-1200 Mk2 – it offers unbeatable sound for pound value. Honestly.
High Specification = Amazing Sound Quality
Specifications can tell you a lot about a product, how well it has been conceived and its ultimate quality. True spec's cannot actually tell you how it will sound in the real world (you'll need an audition for that), but it's a safe bet that poor technical specifications will result in poor sound and that a machine with excellent specifications has a much better chance of producing good sound. But go and listen first.
As it happens, the Technics SL-1200 has some of the best specifications in the industry with a highly specified FG servo direct drive system and solid and thoughtful construction. Of course these paper facts, as mentioned, do not guarantee great sound. It turns out though, that upon listening to the SL-1200 MK2, it does indeed sound magnificent, and this must be due to excellent design and engineering. The Technics is the only system that can guarantee absolute unerring speed stability and 'blackness' of background absent from belt drive spinners. No other turntable at its price or even several time its price can match the specifications of the Technics SL-1200 MK2.
I decided on the Technics SL-1210 MkII because I wanted a black one, well it’s Technics own very attractive dark gunmetal grey in actual fact – 1210 denotes black rather than silver. It's called the SL-1200 MKII PK in North America, by the way. Incidentally the MK5 version offers no significant improvement in the way of sound quality over the MK II for Hi-Fi use, merely having some cosmetic changes and ergonomic improvements for DJ usage. The construction is identical save for the better quality wiring, gold plated sockets and removable phono inter-connect cable. The MKII has captive phono leads.
On unpacking the SL-1210, I was instantly impressed by its battleship build quality and its super-fine engineering quality. Everything about this turntable exudes precision quality. No electric motor glued to the underside of a bit of MDF, or chipboard platters here! The Technics is different to anything else I have seen or heard - it is precision engineered in every way and sports a balanced and rubber-damped METAL platter!
The Technics arm is a precision instrument with bearing tolerances of 0.007mm (another specification other turntable manufactures seem reluctant to quote). The arm is a fairly low mass affair (12g) the wand of which is of the classic ‘S’ shape and incorporates a useful SME type removable headshell. If you are a follower of trends, the ‘S’ shape may seem slightly 'old hat' since many other turntables use straight / tapered arms, but I think the Technics arm looks extremely business like and very elegant and having listened extensively proves its worth in every way.
Incidentally the ‘S’ shape does perform a practical function, as does the taper of a straight arm, in that it eliminates standing waves along the arm, which would otherwise degrade the sound quality.
mp3 ?
If you are considering 'digitizing' your record collection - i.e. producing wave files to burn CD's or MP3 files for your MP3 or media player - then it is all the more important to buy a turntable that will sound as good as possible; unfortunately many 'budget' decks that play at the wrong speed, have a tendency to induce wow and flutter, speed variations and background rumble, motor vibration and other noise. Conversely the SL-1200MK2 will ensure the highest possible sound quality for a very reasonable cost.
So, to digitize your vinyl you'll need a high quality record player that always plays at the correct speed and does not induce other distortions and noise - you'll need a Technics SL-1200 ! see digitizing your vinyl and cleaning your records
On these pages you will also find:
Why Does The Technics SL-1200 Sound So Good?
What Other Equipment Do I Need (further down this page)
My Vinyl Epiphany - or How I Found The SL-1200
The Cartridge
The Technics headshell will accommodate all standard ½ inch mount cartridges, such as moving magnet types from Ortofon, Goldring, Shure, Grado and Audio Technica.
I opted for an Audio Technica AT120E, since I have had very good experiences with other Audio Technica cartridges.
I removed the headshell from the arm and used the cartridge gauge, supplied with the Technics SL-1200, to set the specified overhang when fitting the AT120E. After re-fitting the headshell onto the arm (with the AT120E lightly screwed into place) I also used my “Baerwald” cartridge alignment protractor to check to make some very fine adjustments that I hoped would ensure absolute tracking accuracy:
You can download a very useful Baerwald Protractor as a PDF from the Vinyl Engine. Make sure that you print it out very accurately, otherwise it will be worse than useless, and laminate it if possible. Find it here:
http://www.vinylengine.com/manuals_tonearm_protractors.shtml
Once the turntable had been made completely level by the use of a spirit level, and the tracking weight and anti-skating force had been correctly set to Audio Technica specified 1.7 grams, it was time to play some records.
Read more about Cartridges and setting up HERE >>
The Technics SL-1210 MK2 Arm
and Audio Technica AT120E/T Cartridge
While the Audio Technica AT120ET cartridge really is excellent and I can recommend it very highly indeed, there are plenty of high quality alternatives available if one wants to consider a different pick up.
Some other choices might be the Ortofon 2M Red, 2M Blue, Super OM10, OM20 or OM30, the Shure M97XE or a cartridge from the wide Goldring range, maybe the new 2000 series.. Some cartridges offer styli with ‘Fine Line’ type profiles – much smaller diamond tips that can extract even more information and musical detail from the record groove.
You can see more about Cartridges Here >
Nectar For Your Ears - The Technics SL-1200 and Audio Technics AT120
My choice of cartridge for the SL-1210 MkII was an Audio Technica AT120E/T and after playing the first number of LP's my thoughts were that the sound quality is utterly breathtaking - in fact it was like nothing I have ever heard from vinyl records before. The sound is a revelation, incredibly clear, lacking distracting distortions and full of details that I have never previously experienced. The sheer stability of the sound-stage is something to behold, and with good LP's the lack of noise was impressive. The Audio Technica AT120AT cartridge and the marvellous Technics arm seem to work so well together that there are minimal discernible end of side tracking problems (Something that has always seemed to plague record playback for me in the past.), the music is remarkably smooth, with the combination extracting enormous amounts of detail from the record without ever sounding stressed or harsh.
This must be down to the rock solid, utterly stable and 100% accurate Technics Direct Drive system (something not available on any other turntable at this price or anywhere near the price) and the absolute solidity of construction of the SL-1210 and its immunity unwanted resonances.
Credit must also be given to the Audio Technica AT120E cartridge, its musicality and clarity is wonderful. The bass from the AT120ET is clean and musical, utterly controlled and lacking any of the woolliness and 'waffle' that can be apparent on some systems. Initially I noticed a slight lack of bass weight which I thought may have been an effect of the phono pre-amp built into the Marantz integrated amplifier that I was using (* see next paragraph below), but I found that this effect could also be attributed to the fact that the new AT120ET cartridge had not yet been 'run in'. It is worth noting that it can take around 50 to 75 hours for a new cartridge to 'run in'.
During fifty or so hours of playing the AT120ET cartridge the sound gradually changes and gets even better, and when it is fully run-in it really is a wonderful little marvel!
A different and higher quality phono pre-amp will certainly change and improve record playback when compared to some phono pre-amps that are built into integrated amplifiers. You will be able to read more about phono pre-amps later in this article. Different cartridges will also display subtly different sonic characteristics.
It is certainly fair to say that the treble is brilliantly smooth yet very detailed and sparkles really sweetly with none of the roughness and sibilance that can be present on some turntable set-ups.
I also use an Audio Technica AT-110 with the SL-1210, and while it is not quite as refined as the AT120E, it is still weighty and punchy which makes it very suitable for most rock and pop music. It is also amazing value for money and I feel sure that it would meet many listener's requirements.
I later changed from using the phono preamp that is built into the Marantz amplifier for a discrete outboard phono stage, this brought about a remarkable change in reproduction. Suddenly there was even more of everything. The new outboard pre-amp was a further revelation, the music gained some weight and scale, there was also noticeably more presence and music had even more focus. The AT120ET had a very slight tendency towards brightness with the Marantz phono pre-amp (probably due to capacitance and loading issues) but this was not an issue with the new pre-amp, and the tremendous levels of detail and enjoyment remained from the SL1210 and AT120 remained. I have to say that the new phono pre-amp really allows the Technics SL-1200 and Audio Technica AT120 to sing a very sweet song and for me the combination makes an ideal partnership.
I can already hear you asking the question "What is this remarkable phono stage?".
Well the pre-amp in question is the Elliott Sound Products Hi-Fi Phono Pre-amp. This amazingly high quality device is actually a DIY project, Project 06 on ESP's website in fact. To quote: "It is very easy to build, and gives performance that is second to none. Using 2 op-amps, this preamp will outperform most of the circuits you find anywhere on the Internet or the high fidelity stores, with very low noise and accurate RIAA equalisation (but with an extended bottom end that sounds much better than the "true" RIAA equalisation curve". You can read more here.
The Foot Tapping Technics SL 1200
The Technics is very quiet and extremely stable in operation, the arm works so well that it simply lets the music flow in the most detailed, enjoyable and above all, musical and way - which is what a good turntable should do. The Technics SL-1210 MK2 really is an tremendously musical and highly entertaining piece of equipment, and from my own experience I can honestly say that these turntables cannot be recommended highly enough.
Musicality is brilliant: This combination passes the foot-tapping test every time!
The SL-1200 not only sounds better than anything else I have heard at anywhere near its price, sound is always the premium consideration of course, but if you own a collection of 45 rpm singles this turntable even has the truly modern convenience of being able to switch between 33 and 45 rpm at the press of a button! This might seem obvious, but perhaps will not be appreciated until one realises that on most other turntables currently offered it is necessary to remove the platter, move a belt from one part of a spindle to another and then re-fit the platter.
Can you believe that? What a chore! It's no wonder that many people faced with this bothersome fiddling end up ignoring their collection of 45's. What a shame - if only they'd bought a Technics SL-1200 Mk2!
The Technics SL-1200 Mk2 is a one time purchase – you just know it’s right from day one, and it will continue to be right.
| Development
Of An Icon - Why the Technics SL-1210 MkII sounds
so good In the 1970’s Technics parent company, Matsushita, invested the equivalent of millions of Dollars, in today's terms, into research and development in to turntable and, indeed, cutting lathe technologies. This has resulted in one of the world's finest no-compromise turntable drive systems. [As correspondent Euan Stuart points out] the benefits of this extensive R&D work have trickled down to the Technics SL-1200 range of turntables. These benefits can now be enjoyed by Hi-Fi enthusiasts who demand accurate and stable sound reproduction by utilising one of the world's finest turntable drive systems. One of the results, today, of all this R&D is the Technics SL-1200 MkII and its other incarnations. (The 1210 is the black version but otherwise identical to the 1200, and you will find other versions up to MK 5, but all offer essentially the same construction as far as the highest quality Hi-Fi reproduction is concerned.) If an independent turntable manufacturer could afford the massive R&D budget that was lavished by Technics on development then, with much much smaller sales volumes in today’s smaller overall market, the unit cost of the resulting product could well be in excess of £1000 or more. The fact that you can buy a brand new miracle of modern engineering in the form of the SL-1200MK2, for less than £400* is in itself, I believe, a rather significant miracle. The reason that the cost of the SL1200 MkII is now so reasonable is that the enormous research and development costs have been written down over very many years of production. *The typical price of a Technics SL-1200 MkII in 2007 was £340. By 2010 due to the falling value of the British Pound the cost rose to somewhere around £400 to £450 - which I would still consider good value for money considering what one is investing in. The Finest Engineering The construction of the Technics SL-1200 series is extremely solid and non resonant and minimises acoustic feedback that could otherwise mar audio reproduction. The plinth comprises three layers; A special non-resonant composite sandwiched between a high quality cast aluminium top, and a moulded solid rubber base. The feet are also spring loaded, and rubber damped and are adjustable for accurate levelling. On this extremely solid foundation Technics have built one of the finest drive systems available and fitted a high precision pick up arm: The FG (frequency generator) Servo Control Quartz Lock Direct Drive system produces the most accurate and consistent speed of any drive system. Unlike most of the common belt drive systems, it is immune to static and dynamic stylus drag. This stable and extremely quiet drive system turns a balanced, heavy 1.7kg cast aluminium platter which is damped not only with a heavy rubber mat but also with additional rubber damping from underneath. The Technics SL-1200 MK2 is topped off by the inclusion of a high precision tone-arm which benefits from bearings polished to a finish of +/- 0.5 microns which have a mere 0.007 grams of friction. The Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable must be one of the technological icons of our time.  The arm of the SL-1200 series has very high precision bearings SPECIFICATIONS Big clues as to why the Technics SL-1200 MKII sounds as good as it does:
Quartz
Lock
FG
Servo:
.Quoting KABUSA: "This is perhaps the best drive system available today. Not only is it dead accurate and stable. But the ability to correct for both static and dynamic load friction is uncanny. This, thanks to the frequency generator servo. Very few 'tables use this technology due in part to it's complexity and also patent infringement consideration. We are intimately familiar with one design the Technics SL1200 MKII. With this system, there are simply no speed variations. You can, for instance, rub your finger on the edge of the platter and the platter will hold perfect speed. We consider this to be a world class reference turntable. The economical price is misleading Since 1,000's are sold monthly worldwide." www.kabusa.com You will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to find another turntable that has such a low rumble figure and such precise speed accuracy at anywhere near the price of the Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable, or even at many times its cost. That is how well this turntable is engineered. The fact that other turntable manufacturers offering devices costing up to many thousands of pounds do not publish any specifications must immediately raise a number of very serious suspicions. |
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Hijacked?
It is unfortunate today that the SL-1200 has come to be regarded as purely a DJ’s turntable for use in nightclubs and by 'scratching' enthusiasts. While the SL-1200 MK2 certainly has been adopted by serious DJ's as the de-facto standard turntable, it should not be dismissed by home audio and hi-fi enthusiasts as merely a DJ machine when, in fact, Matsushita embarked on a no-compromise mission to develop the finest sounding Hi-Fi turntable possible – the result being the SL-1200 series.
Certainly the SL-1200 is built like a tank, it is rock solid and extremely reliable and these strengths have earned the SL-1200 a well deserved reputation as king of all DJ turntables. However the 1200 is more than this, it is also a very fine sounding piece of audio equipment, and certainly far better than anything else in or well in excess of its price bracket. It is a high precision instrument that is capable of the very finest hi-fi reproduction when combined with a suitable high quality phono cartridge and phono pre-amplifier. The vast sums that were initially lavished by Matsushita on the SL project having been written down during its long production run which makes the SL-1200 series the most competitively priced and best engineered Hi Fi turntables available to serious music enthusiasts.
The SL-1200 remains the very best Hi-Fi turntable a sensible amount of money can buy. A word of warning though; despite being built like a tank, the Technics is possibly the most exquisite piece of precision mechanical engineering you will ever own, so it would be wise not to buy a second hand 1200 that has been used as a DJ deck. It may have undergone all sorts of mis-treatment and mis-handling, such as ‘scratching’, or if used as part of a mobile disco may even have been dropped. The wear on the platter and arm bearings will be unknown and if any damage has been done it may go unseen.
It is interesting to note that there are reports of Technics SL-1200’s being dropped and surviving unscathed – which proves just how strong and well built they are. I doubt that you could drop any other turntable and expect it to still work properly.
If you must buy a second hand SL-1200 MkII ensure that it is known to have only been used for home Hi-Fi use. But the best advice is to avoid all second hand turntables really; turntables are comprised of many very delicate parts that are easily damaged by clumsy fingers.
Note: The arm and main bearings can be replaced fairly easily, as can many other important components on the SL-1200 series.
The Hi-Fi press, and consequently many other music and so-called 'hi-fi purists' (Bahh!), seem to look down their nose at the Technics. This is completely unjustified and is a great shame and may have denied thousands of people the accurate and enjoyable vinyl reproduction that they sought. I believe that the SL-1200 will sound better than most turntables of a similar price, or indeed many costing a good deal more than the 1200's very reasonable asking price.
It is perhaps unfair to say that the Technics has been ‘hijacked’ by club DJ's and the budding home DJ's fraternity - the SL-1200 has been adopted! It is this adoption that has brought about a very beneficial consequence: Without these continuing DJ sales Technics may have ceased production some years earlier, thereby denying real vinyl enthusiasts access to one of the best sounding and most rewarding and exciting hi-fi products of all time.
So a BIG thank you to all the DJ’s who enabled the production of the world’s finest turntable to continue for over thirty years and a big thank you to TECHNICS too for continuing production for that long! It is also worth noting that Hi-Fi World have been pretty much the ONLY paper magazine to champion the 1200. The 1200/1210 series are superb value for money players, which can be upgraded to majestic levels.
You might like to look at http://www.soundhifi.com/sl1200/index.htm for some of the hi fi world mods and also http://www.vantageaudio.com/
SL-1200 Product Brochure: The Technics SL-1200 product brochure, from Vinyl Engine is here.
Read more about the Technics SL-1200 on Vinyl Engine: Part One Here and Part Two Here
It is unfortunate today that the SL-1200 has come to be regarded as purely a DJ’s turntable for use in nightclubs and by 'scratching' enthusiasts. While the SL-1200 MK2 certainly has been adopted by serious DJ's as the de-facto standard turntable, it should not be dismissed by home audio and hi-fi enthusiasts as merely a DJ machine when, in fact, Matsushita embarked on a no-compromise mission to develop the finest sounding Hi-Fi turntable possible – the result being the SL-1200 series.
Certainly the SL-1200 is built like a tank, it is rock solid and extremely reliable and these strengths have earned the SL-1200 a well deserved reputation as king of all DJ turntables. However the 1200 is more than this, it is also a very fine sounding piece of audio equipment, and certainly far better than anything else in or well in excess of its price bracket. It is a high precision instrument that is capable of the very finest hi-fi reproduction when combined with a suitable high quality phono cartridge and phono pre-amplifier. The vast sums that were initially lavished by Matsushita on the SL project having been written down during its long production run which makes the SL-1200 series the most competitively priced and best engineered Hi Fi turntables available to serious music enthusiasts.
The SL-1200 remains the very best Hi-Fi turntable a sensible amount of money can buy. A word of warning though; despite being built like a tank, the Technics is possibly the most exquisite piece of precision mechanical engineering you will ever own, so it would be wise not to buy a second hand 1200 that has been used as a DJ deck. It may have undergone all sorts of mis-treatment and mis-handling, such as ‘scratching’, or if used as part of a mobile disco may even have been dropped. The wear on the platter and arm bearings will be unknown and if any damage has been done it may go unseen.
It is interesting to note that there are reports of Technics SL-1200’s being dropped and surviving unscathed – which proves just how strong and well built they are. I doubt that you could drop any other turntable and expect it to still work properly.
If you must buy a second hand SL-1200 MkII ensure that it is known to have only been used for home Hi-Fi use. But the best advice is to avoid all second hand turntables really; turntables are comprised of many very delicate parts that are easily damaged by clumsy fingers.
Note: The arm and main bearings can be replaced fairly easily, as can many other important components on the SL-1200 series.
The Hi-Fi press, and consequently many other music and so-called 'hi-fi purists' (Bahh!), seem to look down their nose at the Technics. This is completely unjustified and is a great shame and may have denied thousands of people the accurate and enjoyable vinyl reproduction that they sought. I believe that the SL-1200 will sound better than most turntables of a similar price, or indeed many costing a good deal more than the 1200's very reasonable asking price.
It is perhaps unfair to say that the Technics has been ‘hijacked’ by club DJ's and the budding home DJ's fraternity - the SL-1200 has been adopted! It is this adoption that has brought about a very beneficial consequence: Without these continuing DJ sales Technics may have ceased production some years earlier, thereby denying real vinyl enthusiasts access to one of the best sounding and most rewarding and exciting hi-fi products of all time.
So a BIG thank you to all the DJ’s who enabled the production of the world’s finest turntable to continue for over thirty years and a big thank you to TECHNICS too for continuing production for that long! It is also worth noting that Hi-Fi World have been pretty much the ONLY paper magazine to champion the 1200. The 1200/1210 series are superb value for money players, which can be upgraded to majestic levels.
You might like to look at http://www.soundhifi.com/sl1200/index.htm for some of the hi fi world mods and also http://www.vantageaudio.com/
SL-1200 Product Brochure: The Technics SL-1200 product brochure, from Vinyl Engine is here.
Read more about the Technics SL-1200 on Vinyl Engine: Part One Here and Part Two Here
| Technics
SL-1200
series
versions The original SL-1200, released in 1972, was marketed as a hi-fi turntable. The SL-1200MK2, released in 1978, has a silver finish. This was a continuing trend, as later 1200 models would be silver and 1210 models would be matte black. Technics improved the motor and shock resistance, added a ground wire, and changed the rotary pitch control to a slider style. This is now the base model and is the oldest still in production. The older version of this model which was sold in the 70's and 80's has a large 4 inch diameter plate where the RCA and ground wires enter the unit. The newer version has a smaller 2 inch diameter hole in the rubber where the RCA and ground enter. The Technics SL-1200 MK2 is still manufactured and makes the perfect Hi-Fi turntable with performance far exceeding any other turntable anywhere near its price. The SL-1200MK2PK is a USA-only piano-black (glossy) model. The SL-1210MK2 is the matte black version of SL-1200MK2. It used to be unavailable from official Panasonic dealers in the United States, until Technics released SL-1200MK2PK. The SL-1200MK3, released in 1989, has a matte-black finish like the 1210, gold RCA plugs, and a small gold-foil technics label on the back. It was destined only for the Asian market. The SL-1200M3D (1997) adds a quartz lock button which resets pitch to 0 immediately. The purpose of this button was to remove the detent/"click" at the 0 point of the fader to improve the accuracy of the pitch fader. The SL-1210M3D is the same as the SL-1200M3D except with a black finish. The SL-1200MK4 (1997) is only available for sale in Japan. This model is aimed at the hi-end audiophile market rather than for DJ's. This is the last model made with the detent in the middle of the pitch adjustment slider. It has a third button added for 78 RPM located to the right of the 33 RPM and 45 RPM buttons. It is also designed to be used with regular removable RCA cables (along with a removable ground/earth cable) rather than having hard wired RCA cables like all the other 1200 models. The SL-1200MK5 increases the range of anti-skate settings from 0–3 grams-force (0–30 mN) to 0–6 grams-force (0–60 mN). Also has a white LED target light (previous versions only had a globe and burnt out over time). The SL-1210MK5 is the black version of the SL-1200MK5. The SL-1210M5G was launched in Japan on 1 November 2002 (together with the MK5) and is a special 30th-anniversary edition of the SL-1200. The difference from the MK5 model is the ability to switch between ±8% and ±16% ranges for pitch adjustment. It also featured blue target lights and blue pitch-number illumination. The pitch control in this model is all digital. There are the limited edition gold finishings of the SL-1200LTD (1998) and SL-1200GLD (2004) models, the latter also having a blue instead of the usual white target light. The SL-1200LTD is based on the MK3D and the SL-1200GLD is based on the M5G. The SL-1200MK6 and SL-1200MK6K1 (black) released in 2007 have some minor improvements including: Improved tonearm mounting and oxygen-free copper wire being used for the signal, improved vibration damping in the body, improvements to the pitch control accuracy and better LEDs. The other SL-1200 variation that would make a perfect Hi-Fi turntable. All the SL-1200's are essentially the same, most of the differences and tweaks are aimed at DJ's and will offer of no real additional benefits to those interested in Hi-Fi reproduction. Additional series version information gathered from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SL-1200 |
|
PROS
AND CONS
Pros Remarkably clear, detailed, punchy and highly musical sound. Smooth fine treble and well defined bass. Lack of distortion. Excellent tracking performance. Change between 33 and 45 rpm with the touch of a button. FG Servo Quartz Direct Drive assures absolute speed accuracy. Excellent signal to noise ratio. Ease of set up, very good instruction book. Adjustable feet. Very heavy and solid construction. Feedback immunity. Cons No phono plugs for audio output (MKII) - connecting lead is fixed so could not easily be changed, though it appears to be of excellent quality anyway and it would be doubtful that a change would offer any real improvement. (MK5 offers gold plated phono sockets rather than captive cable) When releasing the arm from the arm rest one has to remember to raise the cueing lever before moving the arm over the record. Not really a problem, it might just be different procedure to other turntables. Styling might be regarded as somewhat out of vogue and the finish of the moulded rubber base is slightly rough in one small patch, perhaps due to the different properties of rubber compared to plastics. Overall As you will have gathered I believe that the Technics SL-1200 MK2 is an unbeatable package at the price given its extraordinarily good sound quality fabulous build quality and sheer convenience in use. Is it the best sounding turntable on the market? Well possibly not, but a better sounding turntables will surely cost more than £1000 and quite likely several thousands of pounds. The point is that the SL-1200 will sound extremely good, and will more than satisfy most requirements and most importantly will not cost the earth! It may not look like the most modern piece of hi fi, but when one remembers the quality of design and engineering, unmatched by its peers, that hardly matters one jot. Personally I think it looks rather beautiful with what one may term classic hi-fi appeal. I consider myself highly critcal of electronic equipment and particularly hi-fi and yet the SL-1200 more than satisfies my requirements. . |
|
|
Solid & Unerring Stability -
The Highly Entertaining Technics SL-1210 MK2
Why consider anything else?
The SL-1200 MK2 is completely different to any other turntable that you may be familiar with – you know the ones, they cost hundreds in the first place and then, when users find the results lacking and despite spending hundreds more on those endless ‘essential tweaks’ they still just don’t ever sound quite right.
The SL-1200 MkII, on the other other hand is a revelation. The Technics sounds perfect from the moment you start playing records, it is representative of serious engineering quality and musical reproduction. No tweaking needed - no endless expensive upgrades - just sit back, relax and enjoy more and more and more music. And that's what enjoying music on your hi-fi should be all about - shouldn't it?
If anyone now asks me "What is the best turntable you can buy?", I will simply tell them not to waste time even thinking about other turntables and certainly not to waste any money buying one - just buy a Technics SL-1210 MkII - you can't go wrong.
More background needed?
When CD's were launched in the early 1980's, I already had a substantial collection of LP's and 45's that I loved. Early adopters of the CD format, in those far off days, said that vinyl (LP's and singles to you and me) were dead. I did not quite believe the 'vinyl is dead' statement then and I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I might have sold or given away all my precious records.
Having said that, the sound from my records was just not good enough on my old belt drive turntable, and when compared directly with a CD the sound of vinyl was unquestionably worse. CD's were sharper and cleaner, and devoid of end-of-side and tracking distortions and lacked the ‘ticks’ and ‘pops’ of a dirty LP's and singles, but more of that later >.
Wow
I am quite sensitive to speed fluctuations and quickly notice 'wow' on tape decks and turntables that are not functioning properly. Wow and flutter is completely absent from digital playback, but can plague magnetic tape and vinyl reproduction. Wow is the effect of the speed moving up and down from the mean pitch slowly, while flutter is the effect of the speed varying up and down from the mean pitch very rapidly and will blur and spoil musical detail. Some players are quite good while others are quite poor - the effect being obvious and completely unmusical, spoiling the enjoyment of an otherwise perfectly good record. Even small, almost imperceptible, speed errors will cause subtle timing problems that will detract from pure musical enjoyment.
Wow is a particularly disconcerting effect that can affect belt drive turntables (and tape machines), it may be caused by a badly engineered motor or motor spindle or a stretched and slipping belt for example. The belt drive system a very low torque and so relies on the flywheel effect of the platter in order to maintain its speed. Sadly many turntable platters are very lightweight especially, it seems, when they are made out of a simple piece of MDF or similar.
The belt can cause other problems; being elastic, it is very lively and will inherently introduce unwanted resonances into the drive system which will degrade the sound, the tension will also be pulling against both the motor and the platter spindle and bearing which will cause uneven wear in the bearings. Additionally on most familiar turntables the motor is screwed (or glued!?) on to the piece of MDF that supports the spindle bearing of the platter leading to a common problem of motor noise and poor signal-to-noise ratio.
The motors usually used in belt drive turntables are usually be simple synchronous AC devices which are prone to speed errors due to fluctuating mains frequency. Some such turntables are also well known to be prone to running at the incorrect speed, so records will play at the wrong pitch. Without very high quality electronic speed control these turntables will almost inevitably be prone to unwanted speed errors and fluctuations. Other turntable designs use DC motors with electronic servo control to help reduce speed errors, fluctuations and wow. Apparently, however, DC servo motors can also cause some flutter as the speed is constantly being corrected at a very rapid rate. I must add that I did find that the DC Servo motor in the Rotel RP855 ran spot on the correct speed and with apparent good stability. In this respect scores better than those tables that use AC motors that famously run at the incorrect speed.
Bad timing - It's the drag
Apart from 'wow', there other speed inconsistencies inherent with “ordinary” belt drive turntable motor systems that will cause speed, pitch and timing problems, these are the effects of stylus drag.
There are two types of stylus drag, static drag and dynamic drag. Static drag occurs when the stylus is lowered onto the record, it tends to slow the rotational speed of the platter, this applies particularly to belt drive turntables that have low torque (turning power). Towards the end of the record there will be less stylus friction and increased torque available, the rotational speed could therefore increase towards the intended speed - so the speed can vary across the side of an LP.
Additionally dynamic drag occurs in the few moments during and after a loud (highly modulated) sound as the energy is dissipated by the stylus causing increased friction and drag on the rotating record and platter.
Static and dynamic drag will cause subtle speed and timing problems and can only be overcome by extremely heavy belt driven platters. Such heavy platters are very costly and consequently very rare indeed. Another method that will eliminate speed errors is to use an extremely accurate frequency generator quartz lock servo system - such as used in the Technics SL-1200 series of turntables.
All speed problems are totally undesirable but are thankfully completely solved by the Technics SL-1200 MK2 system. Not all turntables are the same and it's unlikely that any other turntable under £1000 can match the absolute accuracy of the Technics!
Propaganda?
Due to misconceptions, misinformation, blinkered views, general stubborn ignorance and some downright propaganda by some hi-fi enthusiasts and hi-fi press, the 'Belt Drive' turntable has long been held up as the only way play your vinyl. This is all despite the obvious benefits of a technically advanced and well implemented direct drive system of the type used in the Technics SL-1200 MK2 (which solves all of the above problems).
It appears that the belt drive turntable ended up on this undeserved pedestal due to the fact that there were some cheap and badly designed 'Direct Drive' turntables on the market in the 1970's and 1980's that really did sound very poor. These poorly designed and badly implemented direct drive designs tarnished what should have been the good name of the direct drive system - especially when it is properly and lavishly engineered, as is the case with the SL-1200 system.
It’s also probably true that it is easier and cheaper to engineer an average and adequate sounding belt drive turntable than it is to produce a decent direct drive system. For these reasons the compromised belt drive turntable seems to have prevailed in the high street hi-fi shop.
What has been (conveniently) forgotten by the hi-fi journalists and so-called enthusiasts is that when properly designed, engineered and manufactured, a direct drive turntable solves all of the problems and inadequacies inherent in all belt-drive designs.
From my experiences so far all the problems that I had previously encountered with vinyl reproduction, bar dirty records, have been completely solved with the Technics SL-1200 MkII – the music now flows perfectly, this is surely as a result of the solid and unerring accuracy of the excellent quartz lock direct drive system. Also what is also readily apparent is that audible mis-tracking and tracking error distortion has evaporated now that the Technics SL-1200 MkII is employed for vinyl playback.
The main consideration now is cleaning dirty records and then keeping them clean. See Record Cleaning here >.
When CD's were launched in the early 1980's, I already had a substantial collection of LP's and 45's that I loved. Early adopters of the CD format, in those far off days, said that vinyl (LP's and singles to you and me) were dead. I did not quite believe the 'vinyl is dead' statement then and I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I might have sold or given away all my precious records.
Having said that, the sound from my records was just not good enough on my old belt drive turntable, and when compared directly with a CD the sound of vinyl was unquestionably worse. CD's were sharper and cleaner, and devoid of end-of-side and tracking distortions and lacked the ‘ticks’ and ‘pops’ of a dirty LP's and singles, but more of that later >.
Wow
I am quite sensitive to speed fluctuations and quickly notice 'wow' on tape decks and turntables that are not functioning properly. Wow and flutter is completely absent from digital playback, but can plague magnetic tape and vinyl reproduction. Wow is the effect of the speed moving up and down from the mean pitch slowly, while flutter is the effect of the speed varying up and down from the mean pitch very rapidly and will blur and spoil musical detail. Some players are quite good while others are quite poor - the effect being obvious and completely unmusical, spoiling the enjoyment of an otherwise perfectly good record. Even small, almost imperceptible, speed errors will cause subtle timing problems that will detract from pure musical enjoyment.
Wow is a particularly disconcerting effect that can affect belt drive turntables (and tape machines), it may be caused by a badly engineered motor or motor spindle or a stretched and slipping belt for example. The belt drive system a very low torque and so relies on the flywheel effect of the platter in order to maintain its speed. Sadly many turntable platters are very lightweight especially, it seems, when they are made out of a simple piece of MDF or similar.
The belt can cause other problems; being elastic, it is very lively and will inherently introduce unwanted resonances into the drive system which will degrade the sound, the tension will also be pulling against both the motor and the platter spindle and bearing which will cause uneven wear in the bearings. Additionally on most familiar turntables the motor is screwed (or glued!?) on to the piece of MDF that supports the spindle bearing of the platter leading to a common problem of motor noise and poor signal-to-noise ratio.
The motors usually used in belt drive turntables are usually be simple synchronous AC devices which are prone to speed errors due to fluctuating mains frequency. Some such turntables are also well known to be prone to running at the incorrect speed, so records will play at the wrong pitch. Without very high quality electronic speed control these turntables will almost inevitably be prone to unwanted speed errors and fluctuations. Other turntable designs use DC motors with electronic servo control to help reduce speed errors, fluctuations and wow. Apparently, however, DC servo motors can also cause some flutter as the speed is constantly being corrected at a very rapid rate. I must add that I did find that the DC Servo motor in the Rotel RP855 ran spot on the correct speed and with apparent good stability. In this respect scores better than those tables that use AC motors that famously run at the incorrect speed.
Bad timing - It's the drag
Apart from 'wow', there other speed inconsistencies inherent with “ordinary” belt drive turntable motor systems that will cause speed, pitch and timing problems, these are the effects of stylus drag.
There are two types of stylus drag, static drag and dynamic drag. Static drag occurs when the stylus is lowered onto the record, it tends to slow the rotational speed of the platter, this applies particularly to belt drive turntables that have low torque (turning power). Towards the end of the record there will be less stylus friction and increased torque available, the rotational speed could therefore increase towards the intended speed - so the speed can vary across the side of an LP.
Additionally dynamic drag occurs in the few moments during and after a loud (highly modulated) sound as the energy is dissipated by the stylus causing increased friction and drag on the rotating record and platter.
Static and dynamic drag will cause subtle speed and timing problems and can only be overcome by extremely heavy belt driven platters. Such heavy platters are very costly and consequently very rare indeed. Another method that will eliminate speed errors is to use an extremely accurate frequency generator quartz lock servo system - such as used in the Technics SL-1200 series of turntables.
All speed problems are totally undesirable but are thankfully completely solved by the Technics SL-1200 MK2 system. Not all turntables are the same and it's unlikely that any other turntable under £1000 can match the absolute accuracy of the Technics!
Propaganda?
Due to misconceptions, misinformation, blinkered views, general stubborn ignorance and some downright propaganda by some hi-fi enthusiasts and hi-fi press, the 'Belt Drive' turntable has long been held up as the only way play your vinyl. This is all despite the obvious benefits of a technically advanced and well implemented direct drive system of the type used in the Technics SL-1200 MK2 (which solves all of the above problems).
It appears that the belt drive turntable ended up on this undeserved pedestal due to the fact that there were some cheap and badly designed 'Direct Drive' turntables on the market in the 1970's and 1980's that really did sound very poor. These poorly designed and badly implemented direct drive designs tarnished what should have been the good name of the direct drive system - especially when it is properly and lavishly engineered, as is the case with the SL-1200 system.
It’s also probably true that it is easier and cheaper to engineer an average and adequate sounding belt drive turntable than it is to produce a decent direct drive system. For these reasons the compromised belt drive turntable seems to have prevailed in the high street hi-fi shop.
What has been (conveniently) forgotten by the hi-fi journalists and so-called enthusiasts is that when properly designed, engineered and manufactured, a direct drive turntable solves all of the problems and inadequacies inherent in all belt-drive designs.
From my experiences so far all the problems that I had previously encountered with vinyl reproduction, bar dirty records, have been completely solved with the Technics SL-1200 MkII – the music now flows perfectly, this is surely as a result of the solid and unerring accuracy of the excellent quartz lock direct drive system. Also what is also readily apparent is that audible mis-tracking and tracking error distortion has evaporated now that the Technics SL-1200 MkII is employed for vinyl playback.
The main consideration now is cleaning dirty records and then keeping them clean. See Record Cleaning here >.
More About Cartridges and Other
Things Here >
Cartridges > Cleaning Your Records >
More Testaments To The SL-1200 MkII >
Build A High Quality RIAA Phono Preamp >
Comments >
More about cartridges & alignment >
Cartridges > Cleaning Your Records >
More Testaments To The SL-1200 MkII >
Build A High Quality RIAA Phono Preamp >
Comments >
More about cartridges & alignment >
|
LINKS Links to other Technics SL1200 websites: RESOURCE: KAB USA - The Technics Turntable experts: http://www.kabusa.com TNT Audio - Technics SL1200 - review 1: http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/technics_sl1200_e.html TNT Audio - Technics SL1200 -
review 2: http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/technics_sl1200_2_e.html
SUPERFI - UK Hi-Fi experts: http://www.superfi.co.uk Vinyl Engine - an extensive resource centre: http://www.vinylengine.com OTHER LINKS |
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Thank you for
reading. I know this is a long page!
Incidentally,
I don’t
work for any company or organisation that has any connection with the
manufacture or sale of the Technics SL-1200 series
turntables. It
is when one experiences an epiphany as great as the one I have
experienced with my SL-1210 MkII that realise that you just need to
shout it from the rooftops. Lacking any suitable rooftops, I
am
shouting it from the world wide web!
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