[vinyl anachronist]

I know it's hard to get a consensus on these things, because our preferences are all different, our brains are all wired differently, our rooms sound different, etc.  But I'm noticing that the recommendations from the 1200 crowd are even more spread out than usual.  My problem is that I'm trying to give the 1200 its due, but if I try one with the KAB mods and don't like it, then a bunch of people will say I should have done THIS, or THAT instead.

I really want to walk away from the whole 1200 controversy, but I'm getting more intrigued by the day.

[Toka]

Understood. I would think a good baseline would be a '1200 with the tonearm damper, outboard PS, strobe disabler, Cardas rewire and (maybe) the Sorbothane feet and threaded clamp (or your own clamp), plus whatever cart and IC's are to your liking...if you don't like it, you just plain don't like it. I for one wouldn't make a stink about it...no skin off my back. 

[tybee]

The is a new review of a KAB/Technics SL1200 Mk2SE on the TNT audio site which answers some questions about some KAB mods.


http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/technics_sl1200_2_e.html

[vinyl anachronist]

The is a new review of a KAB/Technics SL1200 Mk2SE on the TNT audio site which answers some questions about some KAB mods.


http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/technics_sl1200_2_e.html

Is this the same one that Weez already mentioned earlier in this thread?

[mmakshak]

  I didn't read all the responses, but I would say the Rega turntables are the standard that all other turntables under $1000 should be measured against.  If you are conservative, and don't want to make a mistake, Rega is where I 'de start.

[doug s.]

  I didn't read all the responses, but I would say the Rega turntables are the standard that all other turntables under $1000 should be measured against.  If you are conservative, and don't want to make a mistake, Rega is where I 'de start.

then you obviously have not heard the technics sl1200 or a vintage empire...   

ymmv,

doug s.

[James Romeyn]

Two favs are my Denon DP59L
John "The Chair Guy" has a great Panasonic if memory serves, ask him, ultra-affordable.  It sounded nice; I'd take one.

Decades ago I sold TTs for profit.  I've listened to &/or owned all or most of the well known, low to mid-priced, established name belt drives up to about $4k (VPI, Sota, Linn, etc).  I personally can't stand any of those belt drives because of the w/f.  IMO their performance in this regard makes them close to if not unlistenable.  Only my opinion, flush it if you prefer or hear differently. 

The belt drive that is the personal property of the ModWright owner/proprietor sounded OK, estimated $15-$20k, but I'd probably prefer a Techniques SL1200.  This is pure blasphemy in the high-end, but frankly scarlet I don't... (you know the rest).

John TCG, myself, & several other audio nuts I know feel exactly the same way.  Best guess is belts are in a constant cyle of being pulled, stretched, catching, slackening...resulting in what I think I hear as w/f.  Maybe not, but it's a moot point to me. 

In case I hear a flame coming for the past sales, I haven't sold any tt's since coming to this conclusion.

PS: I also have owned a goodly number of pivot bearing & unipivot & straightline arms.  Unquestionably the Rega 250/300 arms are the best value & w/o competition in seperate arms (no apparent way to compare the Rega to dedicated arms on one-piece tts).

If you get a TT that requires a seperate arm, buy only the Rega arm & get a cartridge that matches up well w/ it.  I'd take the Rega 300 over the then-$1500 Morch unipivot, the regular WTA, the old $1k Linn arm & maybe even the Ekos, way over the $500 Sumiko FT3.

Re. the old Linn LP12: the best of all of them is the fist model that included the SS speed/power control module, maybe 25 years ago. 

But I'd still rather go DD now.

 


   

[doug s.]

Two favs are my Denon DP59L
John "The Chair Guy" has a great Panasonic if memory serves, ask him, ultra-affordable.  It sounded nice; I'd take one.

Decades ago I sold TTs for profit.  I've listened to &/or owned all or most of the well known, low to mid-priced, established name belt drives up to about $4k (VPI, Sota, Linn, etc).  I personally can't stand any of those belt drives because of the w/f.  IMO their performance in this regard makes them close to if not unlistenable.  Only my opinion, flush it if you prefer or hear differently. 

The belt drive that is the personal property of the ModWright owner/proprietor sounded OK, estimated $15-$20k, but I'd probably prefer a Techniques SL1200.  This is pure blasphemy in the high-end, but frankly scarlet I don't... (you know the rest).

John TCG, myself, & several other audio nuts I know feel exactly the same way.  Best guess is belts are in a constant cyle of being pulled, stretched, catching, slackening...resulting in what I think I hear as w/f.  Maybe not, but it's a moot point to me. 

In case I hear a flame coming for the past sales, I haven't sold any tt's since coming to this conclusion.

PS: I also have owned a goodly number of pivot bearing & unipivot & straightline arms.  Unquestionably the Rega 250/300 arms are the best value & w/o competition in seperate arms (no apparent way to compare the Rega to dedicated arms on one-piece tts).

If you get a TT that requires a seperate arm, buy only the Rega arm & get a cartridge that matches up well w/ it.  I'd take the Rega 300 over the then-$1500 Morch unipivot, the regular WTA, the old $1k Linn arm & maybe even the Ekos, way over the $500 Sumiko FT3.

Re. the old Linn LP12: the best of all of them is the fist model that included the SS speed/power control module, maybe 25 years ago. 

But I'd still rather go DD now.

 


   

hi jim,

my oracle, w/origin-live dc motor kit, & my vintage empire are dead-on re: pitch - no wow/flutter issues w/these decks.

re: rega arms, it's hard to beat an origin-live modded rb250 for anywhere near the price.  even o-l says that their modded rb250 will outperform their modded rb900, let alone a stock (or modded) rb300.  after mods, the rb250's support on both sides of the arm makes it better than the spendier 300/600/900 series arms, which have support on only one side of the arm, even tho they have better-spec bearings...

doug s.

[doug s.]

There are several levels of OL-1 mods to the RB250...from wiring and counterweight, to sandblasting and cutting of the arm on the underside. When you write of the mods, to which level are you referring?

full structural mods w/counterweight.  full structural mods + counterweight will make this better than the other rega arms mentioned, even if they have full structural mods + counterweight.  o-l made their determination prior to cutting/sandblasting being awailable.  cutting/sandblasting, & wiring mods will have equal effects on all arms.  some folks prefer their own wiring.  bottom line - a full-tilt-modded rb250 is better than a full-tilt-modded rb900...  you can confirm w/o-l directly...

doug s.

[James Romeyn]

I read every post, ditto John TCG this is one of the best threads I remember reading.

Doug I'd LOVE to hear your Oracle, pure artwork, I DO miss that wonderful aspect of some of the better belts...

I read all the main body of the early Empire upgrade link...WOW!  That's the most desire I've had for a new (well used/rebuilt) TT, maybe ever!  Yuuuuumy!   

Back to the real world, doubt I'd spend that much time rebuilding something...that modded SL1200 looks mighty interesting.