Technics SL-1200MK2

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lukpac
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Technics SL-1200MK2

Postby lukpac » Thu May 11, 2006 8:43 am

Anyone have/use one of these? Audiophile opinion seems to be divided - some people think it's great, quiet, easy to use, rock solid, etc, while others dismiss it as direct drive junk. I don't know how much VTA matters, but the fact that you can adjust it *on the fly* seems pretty cool. Any issues with the mass of the tonearm?

The tonearm damper seems like a good enough idea, but $150 seems like a heck of a lot for a little hunk of metal and some fluid.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Rob P
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Postby Rob P » Sat May 13, 2006 9:24 am

I really like this turntable. Previously, I used a Rega P3, Music Hall, two SOTAs, and a Dual direct-drive. My interest in this turntable grew from a reverse snobbery I was feeling toward audiophiles at the time. The "direct-drive sucks" argument was starting to sound like hot air to me. I grew tired of hearing pianos wow and flutter and wanted to hear the music at the proper speed (a common Rega problem).

I think SL-1200 does almost everything right in playing a record. The one major complaint I have about it is that it's very susceptible to footfalls. I think the DJs have some nifty tricks to prevent club-goers from causing the needle to skip, because I can walk across the floor and the woofers jump to the beat of my feet. I really should get or build a wall mount shelf. The tonearm damper should help with this problem as well, but I'm having a hard time trying to justify spending $150 for it.

The table is rock solid, so well built that it makes the other tables I've used look and feel like kiddie toys. It's easy to set up, easy to adjust. It's very revealing of the good and bad in vinyl records, as I can hear or feel rumble on some recordings whereas others are dead quiet.

Discounting the natural bias I have since I own one, I think it's a good turntable at any price, but at the $400 price I paid at Sam Ash (or used for ~$300), it's an unbeatable deal. I slapped on the Audio-Technica AT-440 cartridge for $99, and I haven't looked back.

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lukpac
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Postby lukpac » Sat May 13, 2006 10:14 am

Thanks Rob. Pretty much sounds like what I was hoping. Right now my setup is in the basement, so I'm not too worried about walking around and making noise. I'm not exactly unhappy with what I have now, but perhaps in the future...
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Rob P
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Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 8:06 am
Location: Godforsakenland

Postby Rob P » Sat May 13, 2006 12:54 pm

You're welcome. If you do get one, let me know what you think.