SL-1200 mk ii Turntable

[SunnyDaze]

  

[OldiesButGoodies]

Sorry I could not make it tonight PBJ.  I removed three EMIMs to fix wrinkles and add damping material.  Rewarding stuff at the end but sure takes time.  To repeat a previous rant:  the Hakko de-soldering gun kicks ass!  When you need it,  it is a Godsend.

[OldiesButGoodies]

Did some quick testing with the Grado Reference Sonata.  Sounds good.  A bit disappointed that this table does not do auto return (I know you are going to spit on that in an audiophile forum,  but I am a fan of the arm coming back home by itself at the end of the show). 

The sound is good - I do not believe I have the setup optimized (arm height, azi, antiskate etc) because that pesky work thing is getting in the way of my hobby, but will report on that later.  I also want to recheck the ground connection inside the unit before I start cursing the Grado gods for any ground hummmmm.

I am probably borrowing/buying a VPI table from Esteban tomorrow  so will be able to report if those fancy exotic tables make any difference.  So you know, due to poor inventory management on my part I now have more turntable than tape decks in the basement.  Not acceptable for Capitan Tale Deek.  Wil work on that. 

CTD

[SunnyDaze]

If you are going to check the ground wire at the tonearm, you might as well rewire the sucker while you are in there.

I've been watching many DIY vids on how to restore / mod the 1200. IMHO it seems like one of those "do it once and do it right" type of situations due to the complexity of the task.

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

A bit disappointed that this table does not do auto return (I know you are going to spit on that in an audiophile forum,  but I am a fan of the arm coming back home by itself at the end of the show). 

You should get yourself an SL-1700 or 1700 mkII.   It is essentially the same drive motor as the 1200 and a very comparable arm, but with semi auto features.   Plus, they sell for a lot less than 1200s when they come up.

The thing you have to remember about the 1200 is that it was originally designed by Technics with the goal of making an affordable, mass produced audiophile turntable.   It became a DJ unit because of the neutral speed setting and the advent of scratching.   That is when demand went up and the 1200 gained cache.   The 1700 is very comparable, but without the neutral speed it has little value to DJs, so it isn't as sought after.

Once you find a cheap 1700 and love it, you can flip the 1200 and cover costs on both of them.

[OldiesButGoodies]

I did rewire the leads Tuesday.  I did not look carefully at the ground connection but looking at the pics it looks ok.  Rewiring the leads is not difficult, there is an access point for that,  just 4 screws. 

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

BTW, I also agree that the Grado probably isn't the best match for the 1200.   At AK everyone is going nuts about a store called "Comet Supply" selling a high output moving coil cart, the Denon DL110, for $87.   That is about 40% less than they go for elsewhere.   If they aren't sold out by tax refund time, I plan to get one for myself.

That cart would be a great match to the 1200.

http://www.cometsupply.com/mp/DENON/pm/DNNDL110/

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

BTW, the belt drive guys get worked up about the extra drag on the motor from auto return, but these Technics have motors that could blend a Margarita.   It is a non-issue IMHO.

[OldiesButGoodies]

Torque is plentiful,  I did notice that when cleaning records - the speed barely changes when I apply the brush.    The entire platter is part of the motor. 

After tweaking the settings I am very happy with how the Sonata sounds with it - definite improvement over the Rega. 

Pepe

[Slim-Shaddy]

The best mate I've found for my 1200 is the AT440Mla. I bet an old sHure V15 would be great too. I'd like to hear the Sonata some day.

[MacGeek]

try one of these to lift the tone arm at the end of play.  I use a device called a saftey raiser (audio technica), which is sexier looking, but it has not been manufactured for years.

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-98799-q-up-tonearm-lifter.aspx

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

The Q-Up is a cool tool, but he said he wanted auto return.