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Rega RP10 or Technics SL1200G - which should I buy?

Mike42

Heard it all before...
My trusted 20yr old QC powered Gyrodec and SME 309 will remain, but I have a little cash that is burning a hole in my pocket :)

I want something radically different. No wood, nothing old, nothing 2nd hand, no suspension. It must be fresh out of the box!

There will be no pretense of a demo. I am not going to get these setup side by side at a dealership or at home so its going to be a punt. I want something different to the Gyro to grow to love over time, they'll be side by side, bless!

So, Rega RP10 or a Technics SL1200G? Both £3K with the arm. Which should it be?
 
I own a 1200G , never heard a RP10 but have seen one . You get much more for your money with the Technics .
 
I own a 1200G , never heard a RP10 but have seen one . You get much more for your money with the Technics .
How? Both come with a platter and a tonearm, all that is needed is a cartridge to complete them. Until you’ve heard both it’s pretty much impossible to say while is best. It’s not as though the 1200G is a cheaper offering, it costs £3k, the same price as the rega.
 
How? Both come with a platter and a tonearm, all that is needed is a cartridge to complete them. Until you’ve heard both it’s pretty much impossible to say while is best. It’s not as though the 1200G is a cheaper offering, it costs £3k, the same price as the rega.

Leaving sound to one side ( it is subjective ) look at the technology that goes into the Technics , http://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200g.html

The Rega may sound fantastic but I'd bet it doesn't match the impressive specifications of the Technics , I can't find any published details from Rega on wow , flutter , torque , rumble ect .

Finally the Technics is very user friendly , can't say the same for the Rega .
 
I think they’re both just as user friendly to be honest, both are manual decks but with electronic speed change. I can’t say that exacting specifications are that important, just buy whichever sounds best to you... which I accept is difficult if you can’t audition them. The only notable functional difference between them that I can see is the pitch control and strobe on the technics. The RP10 will have been speed calibrated at the factory though and can easily be redone with a strobe disc at home.

I’ve absorbed nothing against the technics btw, I’ve not heard one but I would like to at some point and I’m sure it will sound great.
 
Leaving sound to one side ( it is subjective ) look at the technology that goes into the Technics , http://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200g.html

The Rega may sound fantastic but I'd bet it doesn't match the impressive specifications of the Technics , I can't find any published details from Rega on wow , flutter , torque , rumble ect .

Finally the Technics is very user friendly , can't say the same for the Rega .

As much as I love the Rega its hard to go against the Technics, especially after reading the link in the above post. We used to use a couple of Technics decks in hospital radio, they both sounded great and were very robust (you can guess how hamfisted some of the presenters were). This was the time when my Linn obsession began to dissolve.

Wow, this is a tough choice! I suspect the Rega will shade it on sound (by the finest of whiskers, dint of better resonance control) but the Technics gives more for the money and is far more user friendly (though both are fuss free), and I suspect it won't be updated as soon as the Rega.
 
Spec does not make sound!!
The rega is a great deck that will be performing and sounding beautiful in years to come...long after the Japanese deck is forgotten
 
I think the tonearm probably holds the Technics back a little, but its just so versatile by comparison. Detachable headshell (like my SME309) means I can swap cart around quickly, even the VTA looks like it can be pretty much adjusted on the fly and its calibrated. VTA on the 309 is a PITA!
 
Really , the Rega doesn't even offer VTA adjustment .
Fair point on the VTA issue but that can be sorted with shims and wouldn't put me off at all. It's no as though cartridge changes are a daily thing for most people (although the Technics holds a distinct advantage for those who do)... like I say, I've nothing against technics decks, I've heard original SL1210s sounding truly superb (albeit with Rega and SME arms).
 
If you're going to go the Rega route, I would just wait for the P10 to be announced, which I imagine will be fairly soon. I do also like the Technics, though if I were to get one, I'd switch the tonearm to a Jelco 750DB.
 
No. You still have to cue and uncue on the 1200. Swapping between 33 and 45 is just a button press... Not sure what that entails on the rega though.
Pressing a button, as with the Technics. The same goes for any Rega with an external PSU.
 
Nah, don't go to a dealer, you'll just get sucked in. Imagine the glee when they hear.....'Hi, I have several grand burning a hole in my pocket.....'

As a long time Rega owner with full Rega systems, it'll have to be the Technics. Especially the Anniversary version if it's still available?

Or alternatively, why not buy loads of records from genres you don't usually listen to and see if you can find something new you like! Of course along with this, several cases of wine to ease you into the new listening.....
 


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