The Technics SL-1200 Mk. II....Bastardization

TheChairGuy · « **on:** 14 Dec 2007, 09:24 am »

I received my older 1200 today via ebay.

Unfortunately, said seller didn't pack it well

......no bubble wrap with only styrofoam pieces on the sided (not top or bottom). My new/old TT was careening for 3000 miles from Florida

I think if it were any table but a Technics SL-1200 that underwent this fright-filled trip, it would have been toast. It is an older unit, so there are lots of scratches, but the arm holder broke in transit now. As well, uncertain damage seems to have been made to the tonearm (upper or lower bearing) and it mistracks just slightly. No surprise given that the tonearm is integral with the table and it was banged around for 3000 miles

Taking it out and cleaning it......I have to say I'm impressed, warts of age and transport and all. I've been around these decks several times, and have heard them twice at a dealer's place, but to have one in hand is an honor of sorts. It so slays any table I know of under $1500.00 (new) these days it isn't even close. It is a solid/non-resonant jewel of a product for the measly $400-odd they sell for in the US.

I hooked it up with an ADC TRX-1 (the last series they made before their demise), after setting it up on brass toes on the maple block. The first thing noted is the total silence of the system in the MM position...the grounding scheme on this table is superb. Far quieter then my JVC QL-F6 direct driver.

The tonearm is of higher quality all around than my JVC's....not so much the aluminum tube itself (that had about the same resonant sound as my JVC's), but the solid tonearm board it is mounted on is far superior and many twiddly bits are metal, whereas they are plastic on the JVC. The VTF dial is excellent. The platter weighs less than the JVC's, but is far less resonant out of the box, too. The solidity of the design is superb....it is largely non-resonant on every side...including the all-important bottom and top plinth.

As I found out years ago when I Mortited the top plate of my old JVC JL-A20 belt drive deck.....damping the top plinth pays off with very large sonic dividends. The Techics has this handled from the get-go.

No matter how much Plast-i-Clay I filled in with the JVC (almost 10 lbs worth), you never could totally damp the plastic in all areas. The Technics is as inert a surface in every plane as I've ever felt on a turntable. It is truly a terrificly made unit, overall - I am more impressed than ever at that

The hi-torque spin-up is re-assuring...tho I don't think hi-torque is a great thing for sonics (I have read). We shall see....

So, with the arm FUBAR'ed now, I have no comparison to the Rega RB250 I plan to put on it. I have to put a new arm on it now - check back with you all after the bastardization of this Technics

There - maybe I made it back to Hardhead

lcrim's X-Mas list now

John

dmckean · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 02:59 pm »

Too bad the arm was so badly damaged because after the rewire I consider it one of the table's greatest strengths. But I suppose using the same arm/cartridge as on the VPI will allow you to make a more equal comparison.

george_k · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 03:42 pm »

Back when I was a teen, I had a hip-hop dj hobby. At that time when I was shopping around for turntables things like belt-drives and straight tone arms were considered to be bad "things" because they limited the abuse that went along with the hobby (e.g. scratching, constant start/stops, drumming, etc...), I ended up buying a pair of 1200mk2's (they're built like tanks)

So I found it kinda interesting later on when I noticed that for high end turntables belt drives and straight tone arms were considered to be good things (sonically)

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 04:32 pm »

Ahhh, I re-read the ad (the ad closed two weeks ago as the seller didn't contact me for 6 days afterwards...not a good ebay practice) and it had the tonearm rest already broken...so that much cannot be blamed.

The arm, however, if not broken beforehand, must have taken a whack on the way, tho.

Three shots below...one as I opened the flimsy outer box, another after removal of the thin top foam layer, and the last showing the teeny bubble wrap sheet left to protect the bottom.

I tell ya' - if this weren't a Technics 1200, it would have been cooked

:

John

Whitese · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 05:07 pm »

hey, not too bad...I still see 3 individual bubbles still un-popped...

lcrim · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 05:37 pm »

John:
Sorry to read about the shipping damage. The arm tube is stainless btw and a new arm is not that costly but good luck with your Rega installation.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 06:23 pm »

Quote from: Whitese on 14 Dec 2007, 05:07 pm

hey, not too bad...I still see 3 individual bubbles still un-popped...

You are a silver-lining kinda' guy, Whitese

There was a good 1/4" in any direction for the table to bounce around for 3000 miles...thank goodness there were those 3 unpopped bubbles on the bottom.

Quote from: lcrim

John:
Sorry to read about the shipping damage. The arm tube is stainless btw and a new arm is not that costly but good luck with your Rega installation.

But, more importantly, am I back on your XMas shopping list for saying nice things about the SL-1200 Mk. II now?

John

lcrim · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 08:09 pm »

John,
Bygones

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 08:49 pm »

Quote from: lcrim on 14 Dec 2007, 08:09 pm

John,
Bygones

I just LOVE bustin' your balls when your grumpy, ya' know, my fellow co-mod

And you give me ample opportunities, too

John (hugs and kisses

)

Wayner · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Dec 2007, 11:01 pm »

John,

I really don't know what came over me, but my VISA card fell out when I was on the phone with this guy and he made me buy a brand new Technics SL-1200MK2 Black. I am such a dope to listen to you dopes........

Well hopefully mine won't come like yours but it will be here on Thursday. So none of you guys better steal it off my front steps or you'll have to talk to Mr. Smith (and Wesson). Just kidding.

What sold me was the fact that the top plinth was also cast and that the arm has VTA.

I can't wait.

lcrim · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 01:06 am »

Wayner:
This is getting serious. How many TT's does that make? Anyways, I know you won't be shy about sharing your thoughts about the Technics. Congrats

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 01:07 am »

Quote from: Wayner on 14 Dec 2007, 11:01 pm

John,

I really don't know what came over me, but my VISA card fell out when I was on the phone with this guy and he made me buy a brand new Technics SL-1200MK2 Black. I am such a dope to listen to you dopes........ Well hopefully mine won't come like yours but it will be here on Thursday. So none of you guys better steal it off my front steps or you'll have to talk to Mr. Smith (and Wesson). Just kidding.

What sold me was the fact that the top plinth was also cast and that the arm has VTA.

I can't wait.

Sweet, Wayner

Yeah, the helical VTA adjustment is really trick (I didn't have time to play with it in my dealers shop previously - I'm really surprised how excellent it functions in the flesh). And the top/plinth really leaves a nice damped thud, rather than a ping that I'm used to on the JVC.

If mine made it to me in THAT packaging....yours will survive even last-minute Xmas traffic in factory packaging.

You should be getting an XMas card from lcrim, too, now that you've said nice things about the 1200.

Hey - I've got a really nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell you - cheap. It works at least as well as some of the ones you have in Minny- area, too

Let's all celebrate your purchase with some lutefisk

John

Wayner · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 02:30 am »

Icrim,

That will be number 9. So the line up is Empire 598 MKII, VPI-Hw19jr/with AudioQuest PT-6, Technics SL-Q2, (3) Acoustic Research AR-XA's with various carts, HK-T25 which I also love dearly and now the Technics SL-1200. Oh, I forgot a Sansui P-50.

Yes, I'm stupid and How does anybody ever keep all of these tables loaded with the proper carts, and tweak them all??????

That is my Hansel and Regrettel. aa

"Ner"

Rocket · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 08:18 am »

Hi TCG,

Good luck with the new turntable and I'm looking forward to your comments regarding this TT. Will it be difficult to mount the rega rb250 tonearm on the technics? I have an rb300 that is looking for a home and perhaps an older technics might be an option.

Btw I ordered the benz micro mc20e2 moving coil cartridge from a local hifi shop. It was only going to be about $30au cheaper if I had bought it off the net. When its set up on my turntable I'll do a mini review and let you know what I think of it compared to my broken denon dl103 cartridge. I'll also be able to use the cornet that Bluesky modified for me recently.

Regards

Rod

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 03:58 pm »

Yo Rod!

No electrical knowledge needed for the bastardization...just a steady hand and the ability to read (look is more like it I understand) and can hold concentration for an hour or two: http://www.tonearm.co.uk/dj_technics_armboard.htm (fitting instructions below)

The skill level fits me to a 'T'

Bring on those cartridge reviews....us vinyl guys are scarce - we long for additional information from our fellow throwbacks

John

richidoo · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 05:36 pm »

Wayner, you made my day. I have SL-Q2 that I thought was junk, but if it's OK for you to keep, it's definitely OK for me too!

The Shure m97 cart is getting swapped though. I will eventually get one of these 1200's so I'm following this thread closely as you experts check them out!
Rich

Wayner · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 06:17 pm »

richidoo....I think it's a great table, indeed. The arm specifications are the same for Q2 and the SL-1200. Go for it man!

Icrim,

What cartridge are you running? I did some resonance calculations and the Grado is at 8.266 hz. That's at the bottom of the "acceptable scale" and I now hear buzzing on some vocal material with SL-Q2. The problems is to bring the resonance up to around 10 hz, I need to have less mass in the tonearm, which explains why the willowee Harmon Kardon T25 tonearm works better with the Grado. I may try my Sumiko Blue Point Special as that calculates to 10.something, right in the middle.

Wayner

Wayner · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 08:21 pm »

One more item of intest.

I have once again become pissed off at the Grado Gold which I put into the Technics SL-Q2. I then mounted the Sumiko Blue Point Special in the Q2 and that blows worse than the Grado. Then I put in the Shure M97xE and that was about as exiting as looking at pictures of Hillary Clinton, naked.

Drum roll......................You guessed it. The Audio Technica AT440MLa to the rescue, again. Swiping that from the Rega, I had to order 2 more cartridges (from J and R Music World) and the price has gone up from $89 to $129. Oh well. That's only a $40 dollar increase....

One of the new cartridges will go into my new Technics SL-1200 and the other back into the REGA.

So, richidoo, go get an AT for your SL-Q2 and party on. I highly recommend the combination. You should hear the dynamics and low end on Rodger Waters, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. It actually startled me in a couple of spots. It tracks like a bastard and there is no tweeking required.

aa

lcrim · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 10:34 pm »

I have a Benz Micro Glider L2 (LOMC.)

richidoo · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Dec 2007, 11:03 pm »

Thanks Wayner, for trying out some carts on your Q2, that was very nice of you! I will try the AT. The Shure isn't doing much for me. I'll let you know how I likey.
Rich