TECHNICS SL1200/1210. HYPE OR FACT?
- Thread starter John P
- Start date
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
Sorry, I'm not saying either - I got distracted.
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
You can get replacement feet (to give a form of suspension), replacement arms, replacement power supplies, replacement main bearings, replacement platters and there is talk of replacement plinths. Literally the only bit that has not been replaced is the motor and control circuitry. Some of these upgrades are more expensive than the initial cost of the deck - certainly, if you did them all, you would have spent a considerable sum and it would be a quite different turntable.
The AoS is the fan base for the 1200/1210.
The AoS is the fan base for the 1200/1210.
pure sound
Trade: manufacturer/distributor
this looks fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zihC-C5WsE8
Is it a commercial product that anyone recognises? The plinth seems familiar.
Scheu?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zihC-C5WsE8
Is it a commercial product that anyone recognises? The plinth seems familiar.
Scheu?
sonddek
Trade: SUPATRAC
My 1210: £100
Typical upgrades:
PSU: £400
Bearing: £425
Platter: £645
Feet: £85
Arm board: $45
Total: £1680
Does it compete with similarly priced turntables? For example, if you give it a £250 arm like an RB, or a Jelco, does it compete with a Majik Linn?
If you spend £1100 on an arm, does it compete with a WT Amadeus?
I feel that my deck does at least compete with a Radikal Sondek SE and a WT Amadeus, and yes, I have compared them directly in an a/b test with identical ancilliaries. In fact, I stepped back from buying a Radikal because after several listening tests I felt that the Radikal did not provide the speed stability of the Technics.
What's hard is finding somewhere to hear a pimped 1210, since the most vocal proponent of pimped Technics is in Cornwall.
An interesting consideration here is that for a couple of hundred quid you can get started with a very acceptable sounding turntable which has plenty of room for upgrades, and starts out its upgrade journey with speed stability that puts many other decks to shame.
pure sound
Trade: manufacturer/distributor
FWIW Sound Hifi is actually in Devon (Dartmouth)
chris@panteg
pfm Member
Just a thought ' have you tried glass under your isonoe feet instead of mdf ?
chris@panteg
pfm Member
Hi Mark
Yes Giovanni said as much ' its interesting to see other's findings .
Yes Giovanni said as much ' its interesting to see other's findings .
sonddek
Trade: SUPATRAC
No, I'm not much of a tweaker really. Once I start enjoying my kit I tend to leave it for a decade. If I happen on a suitable piece of glass I might try it out. Bear in mind that I can't really hear VTA adjustments, so I'm not that fussy. What effect is a glass shelf supposed to have?
chris@panteg
pfm Member
Well the Isonoes work best on very hard surface , Glass being the optimum ' improving bass slam and texture ' try it for yourself , you could use granite coasters also .
sonddek
Trade: SUPATRAC
Thanks for the tip. I'll report back.
jimmytwos
pfm Member
1210mkII. bought second hand, tough as old boots (survived many a house party- how many belt drives have done that?)
used with the original arm for years , got a cheapish rega arm but just waiting for the rega mount. even in stock its pretty good sounding, in fact i dont really care how it sounds compared to the "usual" audiophile take the piss upgrades deck.
fact is, its always sounded great, worked great and its always kept perfect speed, just add a decent arm/wiring and buy more lp's
used with the original arm for years , got a cheapish rega arm but just waiting for the rega mount. even in stock its pretty good sounding, in fact i dont really care how it sounds compared to the "usual" audiophile take the piss upgrades deck.
fact is, its always sounded great, worked great and its always kept perfect speed, just add a decent arm/wiring and buy more lp's
Probably you should have opted for SME/Jelco/Ittok tonearm class.
sonddek
Trade: SUPATRAC
I have now. I couldn't really hear any difference. But my deck is very well sited on a wall-mounted metal framed shelf. I didn't hear any improvement with the isonoes either. IME very well sited decks don't benefit much from this kind of support gimmickry.
Greg
2t5b
I don't think the Jelco sounds any better than the original arm wired right to the RCAs with 33awg.
I have a LP12/Ittock/Karma & I have a 1210 MK2. I modified the 1210 std. arm by putting heatshrink sleeveing on the wand & made the rear adjuster counterbalance tight by applying ptfe tape. The O ring sits around the adjuster dial, making whole arm rigid. Adjusted the arm bearing needles & lubricated with a ptfe loaded grease. My Linn Karma cartridge is now p[laying in the 1210 & sounds great. So although I have a fully modified Rega 300 arm, which was the plan, it will now be sold on because the std. 1210 can be made to perform. Plus you can also use the height adjustment for when testing various cartridges, which is how it all began.I have been reading many views on the Forums (not just here) about the 1200/1210's and the deck has been received with mixed views. Many just don't want to be asociated with a 'DJ' playing 'Happy Birthday' by Altered Images at a kids birthday party and others who want to know more but maybe to scared to plump for the deck in case they get spotted by their Audiophile friends!!
Well, let me tell you now, you are missing out. I have now completed my 14th deck which now has been sold to an un naimed (in the title) friend who was so impressed at what the deck can do against his moddest LP12.
Now don't get me wrong, I have a decent Linn LP12/Naim set up and I am not about to sell my LP12 but in reasonably std form with a good budget cartridge and an isolation mat (AT and sound deadsteel) the Tech sounds bloody good with the likes of Motown/philadelphia etc, infact, I enjoyed it more than my LP12/SME 3009 Modified by AO/Dynavector d3 setup and that is a bold statement I think.
Get the deck level, well isolated and use a decent arm load meter (don't rely on the decks own counterweight marks) and you have a good start. The deck above only has the mods I mentioned sofar and it is sounding excellent through a Music fidelity XLPS/Naim Nait 5i-2/Leema Xero speakers and Chord cables.
The above deck is a serious piece of kit. Sound deadsteel isoplat mat, Isonue isolation feet. Seriously modded Rega RB250 inc Cardas rewire/cartridge tags/foam filled arm and modded counterweight, Dynavector DV20X cartridge.
This deck gave dynamics and basslines you would not believe!!!!
Just to put this into cost exercise-
Deck, ebay £118 and mint with box.
sold original arm for £58
Sold the 'DJ' Ortofon cartridge for £29
Sold the original iso feet for £26
Now the deck owes me £5 in real money (not bad for your donor deck)
The arm I have used on a Rega p25, Gyrodec and a few more I could mention and heavily modded by Johnnie 7 at Audio Origami has been a real star (thanks Johnnie) so the cost is about £325 inc arm.
The mat, feet and armboard (origin live) come in at £199 so the deck owes a little over £500.
All the items are re usable if you decide to sell the deck on again (assuming you kept the original parts!). This combo IMO wipes the floor with most sub £1100 decks, yes it's really that good with it's stability and rumbleless sound!
If you don't want to go the full hogg on arm, a std RB250/300 is another leap forward on the std arm.
My next mod is a 1210/Roksan Nima arm/Dynavector d3 (watch this space). Also, don't bother with mk5's etc, there no better so you would be wasting your money.
I was going to put this on the Naim forum as there is a few there that like this deck but rules may not allow!!
Hope you enjoyed my rant but I needed to 'express' myself here
ATB
John
I decided to get a new 1210 MK5 while they are still available. I think the table is a marvel of engineering and a great value. It is very musical and solid sounding plus very easy to use. I opted to keep the stock arm, all I have done is the bearing thrust plate wax and mat experiments, most of the tables shortcomings disappear with mat swapping, and most cartridges need a higher mat than the stock one to get them level. I don't plan on doing any rewiring. I'm selling my Rega.