As part of the ongoing itch which needs scratching, i wanted to hear for myself how the new range of Technics - both high and low end of the range - stacks up against a modded 1210mk2. In this case for context we are talking about my 1210 which has the following:
1. Rewired stock arm. It should be pointed out that the arm was actually fitted new some time ago (yes you can still get new arms for these decks - or could) and as such had bearings in perfect condition. To my ears its a pretty good arm and the rewiring opened the sound up and also made the top end clearer.
2. Isonue feet - not sure beyond deck isolation if these improved the sound but they are there.
3. 5mm Achromat. I wasn't sure if this made much of a difference until i compared it against the stock mat from the 100C and noticed it created slightly more air and separation.
4. Fluid damper - allows me to use carts which might not be ideal in terms of compliance for the stock arm.
The rest of the system is: Audio Technica 540ML cart, Avondale Grad 1 and ps, 130Z monos (modded) Black cube Se phono stage, Shahinian Arc speakers
So i got myself a mint nearly new Technics 100C for comparison with my deck. This was obviously stock and using the standard rubber mat, although i did also try it with the 5mm Achromat on for comparison at some point. Interconnects were switched between the stock ones provided and my avondale blue note ones. I didn't have anything higher end to try with this to see how much it improves ?
The cartridge was my trusty Audio Technica 540ML, which to my mind is the best match for these decks. I also did a brief try with an Ortofon 2M Blue just for comparison.
I'll jump straight in and talk about sound comparisons before chatting abut build and other aspects.
Immediately i felt the two decks were fairly similar in tonal quality and resolution, which left me feeling pleased that my 1210 holds up well up to the new offerings. I am guessing that the 1500C, 100C and possibly Mk7 are using similar tech and therefore the sound comparison covers all of these 'lower' range of technics decks ? Please feel free to correct me though if anyone elses experience is different.
However, as i listened to a wider range of vinyl, new and old i found on some tracks that the 100C was slightly more upfront and dynamic, with an emphasis on the rhythmic qualities in certain tracks.
I say slightly because it wasn't immediately obvious and only with extended listening did this quality show itself.
This reminded me of my time with the 1210GR. It was also quite close to this presentation and while the GR had more presence in the bass and seemed more dynamic and larger sounding than my 1210, i wouldn't say it was night and day either. Bear in mind i only had the GR for about a day and it was more or less brand new.
Returning to the 100C; Some of these differences i heard could come down to the interconnect. Like i say i didn't exactly have a range of different interconnects at hand, but found i preferred the stock one which came with the deck, which i thought was interesting.
As i mentioned before, switching the rubber mat for the achromat did bring more air and separation to the sound. I conformed this by switching the mats on both the 1210 and 100C.
So which did i prefer ? In the end i found that the issues which made my decision of what to keep came down to factors which i didn't expect, and that is to do with build quality and handling of the deck.
While the 100C is finished nicely it feels much cheaper and the fittings, buttons were less damped and didn't feel as nice to use. The notorious arm lift quality is a sticking point and really felt cheap compared to the 1210. When queueing up tracks it feels theres a lack of precision from the 100C, which i guess may not seem like a big deal at first, but i found it a world apart from my old 1210. I know they have different use cases but in the end i found myself wanting to stick with the old 1210. If the SQ differences were more obvious then it might have been different.
One other point was that while i like the auto lift at the end, it feels very cheaply implemented and also sometimes cuts tracks off.
So in conclusion, the 100C is a great deck for the money, and if i didn't own the modded 1210 i would have not hesitation recommending it, since its great value over buying an old 1210 and rewiring the arm etc.
The sound out of the box is dynamic and punchy. so my criticisms need to be taken in the context of my existing system and my prefs for build and feel.
So this just leaves me with the 1200G to try. Its such a shame that the price leap is so large for these decks. It just puts it out of reach for now -even secondhand. If anyone is local to Brighton and fancies trying the dem out then let me know ?
1. Rewired stock arm. It should be pointed out that the arm was actually fitted new some time ago (yes you can still get new arms for these decks - or could) and as such had bearings in perfect condition. To my ears its a pretty good arm and the rewiring opened the sound up and also made the top end clearer.
2. Isonue feet - not sure beyond deck isolation if these improved the sound but they are there.
3. 5mm Achromat. I wasn't sure if this made much of a difference until i compared it against the stock mat from the 100C and noticed it created slightly more air and separation.
4. Fluid damper - allows me to use carts which might not be ideal in terms of compliance for the stock arm.
The rest of the system is: Audio Technica 540ML cart, Avondale Grad 1 and ps, 130Z monos (modded) Black cube Se phono stage, Shahinian Arc speakers
So i got myself a mint nearly new Technics 100C for comparison with my deck. This was obviously stock and using the standard rubber mat, although i did also try it with the 5mm Achromat on for comparison at some point. Interconnects were switched between the stock ones provided and my avondale blue note ones. I didn't have anything higher end to try with this to see how much it improves ?
The cartridge was my trusty Audio Technica 540ML, which to my mind is the best match for these decks. I also did a brief try with an Ortofon 2M Blue just for comparison.
I'll jump straight in and talk about sound comparisons before chatting abut build and other aspects.
Immediately i felt the two decks were fairly similar in tonal quality and resolution, which left me feeling pleased that my 1210 holds up well up to the new offerings. I am guessing that the 1500C, 100C and possibly Mk7 are using similar tech and therefore the sound comparison covers all of these 'lower' range of technics decks ? Please feel free to correct me though if anyone elses experience is different.
However, as i listened to a wider range of vinyl, new and old i found on some tracks that the 100C was slightly more upfront and dynamic, with an emphasis on the rhythmic qualities in certain tracks.
I say slightly because it wasn't immediately obvious and only with extended listening did this quality show itself.
This reminded me of my time with the 1210GR. It was also quite close to this presentation and while the GR had more presence in the bass and seemed more dynamic and larger sounding than my 1210, i wouldn't say it was night and day either. Bear in mind i only had the GR for about a day and it was more or less brand new.
Returning to the 100C; Some of these differences i heard could come down to the interconnect. Like i say i didn't exactly have a range of different interconnects at hand, but found i preferred the stock one which came with the deck, which i thought was interesting.
As i mentioned before, switching the rubber mat for the achromat did bring more air and separation to the sound. I conformed this by switching the mats on both the 1210 and 100C.
So which did i prefer ? In the end i found that the issues which made my decision of what to keep came down to factors which i didn't expect, and that is to do with build quality and handling of the deck.
While the 100C is finished nicely it feels much cheaper and the fittings, buttons were less damped and didn't feel as nice to use. The notorious arm lift quality is a sticking point and really felt cheap compared to the 1210. When queueing up tracks it feels theres a lack of precision from the 100C, which i guess may not seem like a big deal at first, but i found it a world apart from my old 1210. I know they have different use cases but in the end i found myself wanting to stick with the old 1210. If the SQ differences were more obvious then it might have been different.
One other point was that while i like the auto lift at the end, it feels very cheaply implemented and also sometimes cuts tracks off.
So in conclusion, the 100C is a great deck for the money, and if i didn't own the modded 1210 i would have not hesitation recommending it, since its great value over buying an old 1210 and rewiring the arm etc.
The sound out of the box is dynamic and punchy. so my criticisms need to be taken in the context of my existing system and my prefs for build and feel.
So this just leaves me with the 1200G to try. Its such a shame that the price leap is so large for these decks. It just puts it out of reach for now -even secondhand. If anyone is local to Brighton and fancies trying the dem out then let me know ?
