meanwhile it is important not to forget that the sound quality of lp playback mainly depends on the cartridge & the phono preamp the look is perfect no doubt
Big fan of the Technics SL1200-G. This table is my dream table. Thanks for the video. Really looking forward to the follow on video regarding the second arm. Love your channel!
Deeply appreciate the time and effort you put it into these videos. I watch every video you put out and learn something each time. Thanks for everything please keep it up.
a relationship with your sales person can be very productive in matching product to one's needs. But good buying information is best built from a variety of sources. For this kind of money, there is a lot of competition in a market that traditionally has boutique builders finding favor among audiophiles. however, the big guys can afford processes and materials that little guys can' t, in some designs.
It's a brilliant turntable for sure, and to answer some people's question because it seems like they're unaware, Technics has offered high-end turntables for a long time a long time. I think back in the '70s they used to offer the SP10 which is very much like this in the sense that you could just buy it as a component piece and build it into your own plinth, I think the main distinction between that and this is back then they didn't offer a complete package with arm and plinth. Also you know looking around in the background of the video you have probably somewhere in the neighborhood of several million dollars worth of gear sitting around and a $20,000 turntable is a drop in the bucket comparatively. That said I don't have a problem with High-End audio gear, I own some myself, what I dislike is people constantly complaining about the relative value of a product relative to themselves. They might not necessarily see the value or otherwise in a $20,000 turntable or a $10,000 cartridge or a $50,000 amplifier, but there are people who do and there are people who have the money to purchase these things. I truly will never understand why people complain about the cost of something that they're never personally going to buy even if they probably could? I mean it's like hating on a really fancy restaurant where it cost $500 a plate and knowing that even if you had the money you would never go, to me it just makes no sense. Anyway rant over, I enjoy the content and this is really truly one of the first videos of yours that I've watched To the end and I must say thoroughly enjoyed it.
I agree with your reasoning, but hopefully these well off clients should be aware that they can get the same sound quality at a much cheaper price….but I forgot that these are not audiophiles!
@@mariocassar3117 please don't take my comment is critical but have you ever actually heard high-end systems? I mean you do get your money's worth by the way. In Atlanta at a shop I had the opportunity to hear hear three different systems back to back. The first one was a Rega /kef system probably costing somewhere around 2500 bucks. The second was a NAD Masters series system with even higher end kef speakers probably costing somewhere around $15,000. And the third system that I heard was a audio research/ vandersteen system probably costing somewhere around a quarter of a million dollars. All of them sounded great but as the price went up the sound quality got even better. To me the cheapest system had great drive and energy and regardless of what was playing you felt like you could really feel the music. The mid-price system really had this great sense of emotional connection to the music, like you could almost feel the intent behind what the singer or the musician was trying to do, but you lost some of that energy and drive of the entry level system. Moving up to the quarter million system it really brought everything together in kind of a Best of both worlds type thing. You got the emotional impact and a sense of musical truth of the mid price system but you got the energy and drive of the entry-level Rega system. Like I said all of these systems sounded great and I could happily live with any of them and be musically satisfied. But don't confuse it as you spend more money you do get more and if you don't think so it's because you really haven't heard high-end systems. Remember you don't know what something is until you truly experience it.
Great reasoning and eloquently put. Pricing is all relative. A person scraping together enough $ for the next meal would think $7 Starbucks drink is insane. Glad you liked the video, from the analytics most folks bailed out about the 2 min mark :-).
$20,000 is not really insane for a turntable when you are also considering the likes of an EMT 927/930 or some if the QRK or Rek-O-Kut recording studio/broadcast turntables.
Thanks for the detailed look at the totl technics tt. I too would consider a sl-1200g level turntable but without the dj features. I am surprised they have not produced one yet.
One clarification about adding arms. The add on armboards sit at different distances from the spindle, and the rear position is only suitable for 9-10 inch arms, and the left position only works with 12 inch arms.
I thought he was a little causal with the details , for such an expensive product. But it might have be done in the course of brevity. The " we shook the table to test the isolation feet" was complete nonsense, acoustic energy from the speakers doesn't move the table, which kind of undercuts their position of expertise with turntable function.
What a great review! So much fun to watch! Very professional and impressive. How fun for someone who is both a millionaire and an audiophile nowadays... for a simple modest person like me it seems like a far dream... I have the sl-1210gr and I am extremely happy with it. It is my dream turntable. Also made in japan wich i love very much. Can only think what a feeling it is when the sl-1000 is in your living room...
That 3 pin RCA you highlight is actually an OEM piece from the 1980s when Technics had the SL10 and SL15. Was discontinued after production of those decks stopped but they obviously kept the tooling and made more for that tonearm. Great recycling from Technics!
Technics Borinized EPA arms, EPC205C MK3 & MK4, 300MC, 305MC, 310MC cartridges were ahead of its time compared to European or US made turntable gears. I have owned lots of vintage Japanese turntable accessories and they were unique, innovative and sounded fantastic.
I am expecting both a 1200G2 and a 1000R2. I didn’t know the arm had a DIN connector. I would put an SME V as secondary arm (not sold alone anymore but can be found used)
I found one new, not too long ago. Seller probably didn't know SME stopped selling them as spares. A silver SME V no less! Normally only the IV is silver; custom colors had to be special orders... Sounds great on my 1200G.
I love the details given in a very straight forward manner. Non of the technical jargon that some people may not understand. A very nice Turntable. Love it has a separate power supply and non of the DJ extras too.
That double RCA cable with the center ground pin looks like what the SL10 and SL15 turntables used to come with. I’ve been looking for a replacement. I don’t know if I can afford that one though.
I think at these price points the higher end Technics tables should absolutely be made in Japan. The fact that all current production Technics tables are made outside of Japan is a disgrace to the heritage of the classic series of tables. With that being said your video reviews/overviews are excellent. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent, Fernando. I'm saving my nickels for an SL1000R. I find it bizarre that Technics don't get rid of the "DJ" bling on the SL1200G. It is contrary to the design ethic of the typical audiophile.
more features equates to more value for some people that just want to play records. An audiophile knows the everything vibrates at some level and contaminates the signal, so they strip away features in interest of performance , preferring to spend the money on the basics, like a better tone arm instead of a light show .
The opposite, it would be bizarre to get rid of pitch/speed adjustment. Audiophiles are perfectionists: if they know a record was recorded/mastered at an incorrect speed, they want to correct it using that pitch fader. Strobe OTOH is something that can be removed though, because the typical audiophile has multiple strobe discs anyways...
I would be sad to see the strobe deleted on the G. My guess is if the pitch controls go so does the strobe. Are you ok with that? If so save some $ and buy the SL1500C!
@@SkyFiAudio Pitch control can easily exist without the strobe, because they're separate parts of the circuitry, both are hooked up to the central microcontroller. In fact, the strobe is a PCB with a cable and connector that connects to the main board: you could unplug it to disable it. But the mains power input switch is also on there; you'd need to run two separate wires for that switch. So it's definitely possible to redesign the electronics without the strobe (or reduce it to just 1 row), but with pitch controls.
I loved your review of all the technical differences between the SL1000R and 1200G but I was looking forward to your assessment of how all these differences impacted the sound between the two units. Does the SL1000R sound night and day better than the 1200G and in what ways does it sound different? Also you mentioned installing cartridges provided by customers. Do you do the same for tonearms? I did learn a lot from your review. You cover things I’ve never seen anybody else mention. Nice work!
Really nice overview on the 1000R table. Its a superb table with real sonic benefits and improved performance over the G and just about every belt drive table I have tried. To get something better than the 1000R, a person would need to get well north of 100K. The OMA Mills K3 comes to mind. There are 3 areas you may have overlooked or covered briefly. One is the headshell leads. Lots of options there from Cardas, AQ and others. Two is DIN connector on the back. Its a super PITA if a person wants to change tone arm cables. The DIN connector is recessed, not easy to see, and tough to firmly grab the installed connector to remove it. Would have preferred more accessible DIN or better yet, RCA or XLR connectors on the rear. Two - B - would be the choice in tone arm cables. The Cardas Clear Beyond is really nice on this table as are the Nordost Frey 2 and Vahalla. Three would be the orientation markings on the platter and spindle. Easy to overlook. The platter and spindle are marked by the factory for correct platter to spindle orientation for balancing. On an earlier Skyfi video you tried a goldfinger cart on the GR2. Perhaps give the goldfinger a try on the 1000R or the new AT ART-1000X cart. Its an amazing sounding cart. For the 2nd arm, I would be inclined to try the Kuzma Saphir 9. Far from cheap but that arm on this table may be a real holy S _ _ _ in sonics step up. I believe one of the Technics options for arm boards is for the SME series of arms. Allwoing a person to mount an SME IV or V on the 1000R as well. Nice video.
Stunning turntable in everyway, a genuine hi-fidelity vinyl replay tool of the highest order/quality, a last turntable. I have it's predecessor, a circa 1975-77 Technics SP10 MK2 SP10, choice of the BBC for decades, in a panzerholtz plinth with the Technics EPA-A250 Titanium Nitride Arm and the EPA-B500 armbase with on-the-fly vta and a Ortofon Cadenza Black moving coil cartidge, re-tipped with the Fritz Gyger S stlus profile (same as the replicant stylus profile used on all Ortofons top tier carts and the whole thing is excellent. I would only ever consider replacing if I had the funds for one these, the current SP10 offering 💪💫💫
That motor reminds me of the eds-1000 motor in the Dual 701 and 721. Very similar (although that motor has 2 rows of 8 coils each instead of 9 coils each). That motor was pioneered over 50 years ago by Papst (I think the Dual 701 came out in 1972 or so) and was the first coreless direct drive motor for a turntable.
Fernando, great video again. Will the wooden plinths you are now have available for the 1200 series be interchangeable with this unit without an additional tone arm ?
Awesome video my friend 👍, have watched it a few times now, wonderful turntable and the titanium-boron tone arm is spectacular all on it's own , would love to see a three tone arm set up video on that turntable.
Being a retired working man myself, I told myself I was going to support this guys sales pitch, and let somebody else kick the snot out of this easy target , but $1200 for an arm board , makes it tough. Let me just say value is subjective. As is human hearing . I favor a belt drive suspended design until the money gets" instal one on your yacht" crazy, then there are some recent improved direct drive designs. I also favor litz tone arm wiring that terminates only at the connectors to the phono jacks, without breaks . .
I like the idea of tonearm cables without breaks I them. It's the most critical wire in an audio system as it carries the smallest signal and is most susceptible to interference. Thanks for sharing.
well today all is worst not like they use to make it and the direct drive today uses not quartz engines but older ones like i have in other turntables older that worjk today after so many hours of use, i remenber that instead of the turntable i could had bought a BMW 535i but i kept driving my 76 523i , but music is my hobby since i was four years old ,i ´ve seen the footage and saw myself playing and singing and tunning the steel strings of a wooden child guitar and sounded ok with my voice, this in 8mm and sound in a reel
Hey Fernando, my wife and I are both audiophiles and are planning on getting our first serious turntable. We have this turntable (SL-1000R Turntable) or the Dr. Feickert flagship - the Firebird as our front-runners. Which would you advocate between the two for our first serious turntable? Please let us know. Looking forward to hear from you :) Many thanks, and a wonderful job you are doing my good sir!
I would like to see a color option in the familiar Technics brown (for all devices). I can understand that they switched to a neutral black due to optical compatibility, but the color is also a unique selling point that clearly says - Technics.
I have this with a My Sonic Lab Platinum cartridge and I cannot find something noticeably better under 6 figures. I've got Wilsons and Dagastino stuff .... ARC reference tube preamp and it all plays nicely together. Incredible bang for the buck.
Nice setup. I agree, tough to beet at any price. Sure you can spend more $ but at that point you are paying for marketing and exclusivity, not technology. This thing is a technical tour du force.
In the times of mega dollar turntables this isn't super expensive and you are getting heirloom quality. I run an Sp10 mk and rate it highly. Sure it's advanced since then this new model and ide buy without question. I can't afford a Dohmann Helix one sadly and that is the best table I've heard to date. You can buy 3 of these beauties for the price of a Helix One. Value for what you get.
17:23 My wishlist for the next 1200G is solely a tonearm upgrade: - dynamic balanced - ruby bearings - magnetic dynamic damping - micrometer VTA adjustment - tonearm effective mass added to the list of specs As a user of a 1200G for over 7 years: everything else about the 1200G is perfect already
Wow you must have been an early adopter. 7 years takes you back to the beginning. Nice to hear someone has had one that long and is still happy. Thanks for sharing the list. Would love to see the ruby bearings on the current lineup.
@@SkyFiAudio Yes, I was just too late to get one of the first 1200 of them, which were limited edition (1200GAE). Those went for the same price as the regular 1200G (3500 euros), while the differences are solely cosmetic, it would've been nice though. I remember being a little bit disappointed about it, but I don't mind anymore. Now that they're not made in japan anymore, while being 1 grand more expensive, means I *still* got a great bargain, despite missing out on those limited ones!
The SL-1000R is nice, but I'm holding out for the much rumored, SL 1000 Hoffa LE version, where the turntable is mounted in solid block of concrete (for MAXIMUM noise control).
I wish Technics would offer a more affordable Turntable with the look of this model but higher end than the SL1500 Around the 3 to four 4 k pricepoint, so effectively in their grand class lineup
In fact, there arent that many cables for the SL1000R. It has a DIN output so they are few off the shelf ones. The cable should also be fully shielded. Ortofon makes a very nice and quite expensive one. I'm a Kimber fan, but I can assure you if you use a non shielded cable as a connector it will pickup high frequency electrical interference like a dedicated antenna. They sure did on when I used "turntable" Kimbers on my SL1200 G. If you can find an SPDIF that's DIN on one side and RCA on the other under 100 bucks go for it. As for cartridge find a moving coil you like and buy it! The whole point of the SL 1000 is to be they best spindle for ANY cartridge. Given the investment on the platter you also invest in a step-up transformer for whatever moving coil you select. I have an Ortofon Cadenza black with an ST70 SUT. I'm seriously considering an Ortofon Verisimo. The Black is spectacular but, like any other dumb audiophile, Im getting a case of "let's spend even more money"😂
1:05 The SP10R and SL-1000R have both been release at the same time, not too long after the 1200G went into production. 2:50 Really? That would make it a risk in terms of repairability... 7:35 Yes, that's an optical encoder. 13:23 This is the main reason I still didn't get one. The idea of dealing with an actual pallet crate. Btw, how is your back doing? Is it still okay after hauling around 80 pounds of turntable?
People questioning about price..really?..Technics been since 1972 and many turnatables STILL in use today(2024)..pricy turntables are those over $45k and the $100k...I own 2 Technics and 1 Pioneer...and I love them!!
I wish I could buy a Technics SL-1200GR2 with a smooth top . I dislike the DJ furniture , I'm reluctant to settle for the 1500 with it's better visual appeal , lesser performance
I did that, I gave it some extra love with a 2M blue (I already had it) but Iman sure dreaming of a real 1200. There is several companies like Funkfirm which claim that they can enhance 1500 also.
My thoughts exactly. Now that Technics have versions of the 1200 aimed at the audiophile market, I feel they are missing an opportunity by only offering DJ deck looks. What I would really like is something that looks like the SL1000 but essentially a 1200 under the skin (motor, plinth materials and platter) with or without tonearm. A high value-for-money package with true audiophile appeal.
There is quite a lot of controversy on this topic. Bottom line is Technics can barely keep up with demand on the GR2 and G despite the DJ looks so why mess with a winning formula? I personally love the strobe on the platter and would hate for it to go away just to get rid of the pitch control.
The SL-1000R is a "rebirth" of the SL-1000MK3D model that sold for 650,000 yen in 1983. That's equivalent to US $4,439.50. With inflation this means it would cost US $14,020.00 today, so the price for the new model is not totally surprising... Still hate selling my SL-1000MK3D for $3,000 back in 1997...
20k! No way! I have 3 1200s which I used for djing until about the time of the beginning of the cd era. I use them just at home and use the 50th anniversary MK7 as the play the record to listen only. That's a great TT but 20k is far from me.
I hope you're hard at work on a SU-R1000 video right now. Maybe the R1000 has been done to death on YT, but I think we need your in-depth take regardless 👍
No, I don't think $20,000 is too much to spend on a good turntable if you have a major investment in vinyl. This "beast" will last you forever. I own a 40-year-old Linn LP12. I think they are great turntables and when properly set up sound magnificent. That's the problem. I depended on a store in Tampa who lost the "fire" and set ups and upgrades (which were significant) on my Linn became less audible and less satisfactory. And I have other tales from other "customers", including my thyroid doctor, that ultimately led to the demise of this store. Now I live in Tennessee at least 4 hours from the nearest Linn Dealer. I am pretty sure if I come into some money, this Technics is the way I would go. Thanks for the great video.
You're spot on. A table is only as good as the setup that was performed. The LP12 doesn't travel as well as the Technics so it's critical that a local shop calibrates it, preferably in the owners listening room so that nothing gets disturbed. This is where the Technics shine, since they were originally designed as DJ tables they are super rugged. We are able to calibrate one and ship it with 100% confidence that it will arrive the same.
Just buy the best stylus (needle) you can afford on an affordable turntable and call it a day. This thing is what Bezos would buy for his $70 billion yacht.
not even. 20k isn't that much. especially for something that will last a lifetime. you can get so much enjoyment out of it in the long run. normal people spend 10k-40k on watches all the time. you dont have to be rich or anyone special. so if turntables and vinyl is your passion why not? its an investment. you just have to have a big passion for it for the purchase to make sense.
You have to wonder who buys this stuff. Imagine buying this, along with the Magico M9 speakers ($750,000), McIntosh amp and pre-amp. That's close to $800,000 worth of audio equipment for a 2-channel set-up with no other signal sources. Most homes don't cost that much. Them that has, gets.
It's completely befuddling how dealers seem to justify spending 💰 oodles of cash for seemingly pedestrian technology that hasn't evolved much since the late 70's. The ORIGINAL SL-1000 (79) boasted ruby tonearm bearings, obsidian plinth, moving coil cartridge, gigantic smoked dustcover, titanium nitrate tonearm (including headshell!!), quartz synthesizer pitch control (MKIII) for one price. This new fangled a la carte purchase order menu is too ridiculous even for the super rich. SMH
gee whiz guy, they did put in a whole second set of offset coils to help reduce the cogging effect of their drive system , and the consumer is now free to buy their own head shell and connecting cables. I'm sure the list price is entirely fictional in many markets outside of the U.S.
there has been so much work Technics put into the 1000R, it offers excellent performance for the price. The speed accuracy and stability alone is among the best I have heard on any table. Much better than the old 1200MK3 or 7 and better than the new G. The super rich are buying tables in the 200K to 500k range.
The turntable itself is on another level way beyond what they offered in 1979 on the SP-10mk2 and is even better than the mk3. That said, I do wonder if the older EPA-250 and 500 are better arms. I waffle between getting the complete SL-1000R in time or just the new SP-10R and using a vintage EPA tonearm (I like the Technics arm for how it allows such ease in adjusting the arm height, including while a record is playing). I do like how the complete SL-1000r looks though...
@@martinmelucci4383 no clue on how the EPA arm would compare. Completely agree with comments on the earlier models. Had almost all of them. One other thought. If you are considering the new SP-10R into an older chassis, another option would the Kuzma 4 point. The old chassis do not have the damping the 1000R chassis does though.
It makes me laugh these days, a $20,000 tt to play a ten cent piece of warped and crackly vinyl. That’s like a Rolls Royce driving on a gravel country road. Sure it’ll be the best ride on that gravel road you’ve ever had, but is it really the best way to go? I get the nostalgia, the feel of the media and the amount of customization you can tinker with, but it’s still one of the most flawed reproduction systems around. I grew up on vinyl and used to have some very nice setups back in the day. I just don’t see the value in any metric now unless you already own a large vinyl library.
This is the best video on the Technics SL-1000R turntable I have seen so far. Great job!
meanwhile it is important not to forget that the sound quality of lp playback mainly depends on the cartridge & the phono preamp
the look is perfect no doubt
Big fan of the Technics SL1200-G. This table is my dream table. Thanks for the video. Really looking forward to the follow on video regarding the second arm. Love your channel!
Big fan of the Technics SL-DZ1200-G. This table is my dream table. Really looking forward to the follow video about this one.
Deeply appreciate the time and effort you put it into these videos. I watch every video you put out and learn something each time. Thanks for everything please keep it up.
a relationship with your sales person can be very productive in matching product to one's needs. But good buying information is best built from a variety of sources. For this kind of money, there is a lot of competition in a market that traditionally has boutique builders finding favor among audiophiles. however, the big guys can afford processes and materials that little guys can' t, in some designs.
I appreciate that! Thanks for commenting as it really helps the video get promoted.
It's a brilliant turntable for sure, and to answer some people's question because it seems like they're unaware, Technics has offered high-end turntables for a long time a long time. I think back in the '70s they used to offer the SP10 which is very much like this in the sense that you could just buy it as a component piece and build it into your own plinth, I think the main distinction between that and this is back then they didn't offer a complete package with arm and plinth.
Also you know looking around in the background of the video you have probably somewhere in the neighborhood of several million dollars worth of gear sitting around and a $20,000 turntable is a drop in the bucket comparatively. That said I don't have a problem with High-End audio gear, I own some myself, what I dislike is people constantly complaining about the relative value of a product relative to themselves.
They might not necessarily see the value or otherwise in a $20,000 turntable or a $10,000 cartridge or a $50,000 amplifier, but there are people who do and there are people who have the money to purchase these things. I truly will never understand why people complain about the cost of something that they're never personally going to buy even if they probably could? I mean it's like hating on a really fancy restaurant where it cost $500 a plate and knowing that even if you had the money you would never go, to me it just makes no sense.
Anyway rant over, I enjoy the content and this is really truly one of the first videos of yours that I've watched To the end and I must say thoroughly enjoyed it.
I agree with your reasoning, but hopefully these well off clients should be aware that they can get the same sound quality at a much cheaper price….but I forgot that these are not audiophiles!
@@mariocassar3117 please don't take my comment is critical but have you ever actually heard high-end systems?
I mean you do get your money's worth by the way. In Atlanta at a shop I had the opportunity to hear hear three different systems back to back. The first one was a Rega /kef system probably costing somewhere around 2500 bucks. The second was a NAD Masters series system with even higher end kef speakers probably costing somewhere around $15,000. And the third system that I heard was a audio research/ vandersteen system probably costing somewhere around a quarter of a million dollars.
All of them sounded great but as the price went up the sound quality got even better. To me the cheapest system had great drive and energy and regardless of what was playing you felt like you could really feel the music. The mid-price system really had this great sense of emotional connection to the music, like you could almost feel the intent behind what the singer or the musician was trying to do, but you lost some of that energy and drive of the entry level system. Moving up to the quarter million system it really brought everything together in kind of a Best of both worlds type thing. You got the emotional impact and a sense of musical truth of the mid price system but you got the energy and drive of the entry-level Rega system.
Like I said all of these systems sounded great and I could happily live with any of them and be musically satisfied. But don't confuse it as you spend more money you do get more and if you don't think so it's because you really haven't heard high-end systems.
Remember you don't know what something is until you truly experience it.
Great reasoning and eloquently put. Pricing is all relative. A person scraping together enough $ for the next meal would think $7 Starbucks drink is insane. Glad you liked the video, from the analytics most folks bailed out about the 2 min mark :-).
$20,000 is not really insane for a turntable when you are also considering the likes of an EMT 927/930 or some if the QRK or Rek-O-Kut recording studio/broadcast turntables.
What a brilliant working environment!
The unpacking on this beauty is never boring...its is always a nice experience watching it... 😊
Thanks for the detailed look at the totl technics tt. I too would consider a sl-1200g level turntable but without the dj features. I am surprised they have not produced one yet.
But…still waaay overpriced for what it offers…..the AT clone with a good cartridge and phono preamp sounds almost quite as good!
Thanks for the input. Noted Nicholas.
until you crank up the volume and the feedback is so bad your woofer cones end up on the floor. :-0
@@SkyFiAudio on the dance floor. :-D
That is the most beautiful audio shop I have ever seen, would love to visit one day. ❤
One clarification about adding arms. The add on armboards sit at different distances from the spindle, and the rear position is only suitable for 9-10 inch arms, and the left position only works with 12 inch arms.
Meant to cover that in the video, made a quick mention of it and forgot to re-visit. Thanks so much for clarifying sir.
Great video. Very detailed description of a flagship table.
I thought he was a little causal with the details , for such an expensive product. But it might have be done in the course of brevity. The " we shook the table to test the isolation feet" was complete nonsense, acoustic energy from the speakers doesn't move the table, which kind of undercuts their position of expertise with turntable function.
I’m considering a second arm and that MK2 looks like a great idea.
What a great review! So much fun to watch! Very professional and impressive.
How fun for someone who is both a millionaire and an audiophile nowadays... for a simple modest person like me it seems like a far dream...
I have the sl-1210gr and I am extremely happy with it. It is my dream turntable. Also made in japan wich i love very much.
Can only think what a feeling it is when the sl-1000 is in your living room...
That 3 pin RCA you highlight is actually an OEM piece from the 1980s when Technics had the SL10 and SL15. Was discontinued after production of those decks stopped but they obviously kept the tooling and made more for that tonearm. Great recycling from Technics!
Technics Borinized EPA arms, EPC205C MK3 & MK4, 300MC, 305MC, 310MC cartridges were ahead of its time compared to European or US made turntable gears. I have owned lots of vintage Japanese turntable accessories and they were unique, innovative and sounded fantastic.
what do u thing about Pioneer PL-L90/PL-v70 ?
I am expecting both a 1200G2 and a 1000R2. I didn’t know the arm had a DIN connector. I would put an SME V as secondary arm (not sold alone anymore but can be found used)
I found one new, not too long ago.
Seller probably didn't know SME stopped selling them as spares.
A silver SME V no less!
Normally only the IV is silver; custom colors had to be special orders...
Sounds great on my 1200G.
Thank you Fernando for this video. I’ve decided this should be my forever turntable as it had to be direct drive😊
interesting that the drive system is paramount in your buying decision.
Glad to help. Please keep us in mind when you're ready to step up.
@@richardelliott8352 direct drive - firstly important for me too.. with and FG, and PG
You are the perfect Technics brand freak.
this turntable is beautifully designed definitely get money worth from technics turntable never fail to please really cant get any better than this
Keep the videos coming! 👍
Your videos are made short for me. Thank you for uploading reviews of these fantastic teams.
I love the details given in a very straight forward manner. Non of the technical jargon that some people may not understand.
A very nice Turntable. Love it has a separate power supply and non of the DJ extras too.
direct drive PCB&motor - noizing more than power supply
Amazing piece of kit. I enjoyed the techniques you used to show this Technics.
Gorgeous turntable. Love the lift on the other black tonearm, too.
Thanks so much Fernando, wonderfully detailed review
Denon 103 Cart as a secondary cart. Would love to know your views on its suitability with the arm ~peace
That double RCA cable with the center ground pin looks like what the SL10 and SL15 turntables used to come with. I’ve been looking for a replacement. I don’t know if I can afford that one though.
Good to know, that was the first time I've seen that connector. Cheers
Loved the video, keep them coming. Thanks for your work and passion.
Where did you source the EPA Mk2 from?
Oh I've been waiting for this one! ***grabs a snack***
A grand is way above my budget. I'm looking out for the sl-D3, I used to DJ with the sl-D1 but that was manual.
Building my new turntable around an sp10 mk2, it would be great to find an epa100 to use with it in addiction to the ortofon 12" I already own
The turntable to live happily for the rest of the life with.
Thank you for all the details and specs you go into.
I think at these price points the higher end Technics tables should absolutely be made in Japan. The fact that all current production Technics tables are made outside of Japan is a disgrace to the heritage of the classic series of tables. With that being said your video reviews/overviews are excellent. Thanks for sharing!
This one is built in Japan
@@EMP698All current Technics turntables are made in Malaysia. The factory in Japan closed during Covid.
@@AceTechHD where did you get this info?
@@EMP698 not any more - not a single unit is made in Japan anymore - and that's really sad
@@thunderbladestorm where do you get this info? Source?
Excellent, Fernando. I'm saving my nickels for an SL1000R. I find it bizarre that Technics don't get rid of the "DJ" bling on the SL1200G. It is contrary to the design ethic of the typical audiophile.
more features equates to more value for some people that just want to play records. An audiophile knows the everything vibrates at some level and contaminates the signal, so they strip away features in interest of performance , preferring to spend the money on the basics, like a better tone arm instead of a light show .
The opposite, it would be bizarre to get rid of pitch/speed adjustment.
Audiophiles are perfectionists: if they know a record was recorded/mastered at an incorrect speed, they want to correct it using that pitch fader.
Strobe OTOH is something that can be removed though, because the typical audiophile has multiple strobe discs anyways...
I would be sad to see the strobe deleted on the G. My guess is if the pitch controls go so does the strobe. Are you ok with that? If so save some $ and buy the SL1500C!
@@SkyFiAudio Pitch control can easily exist without the strobe, because they're separate parts of the circuitry, both are hooked up to the central microcontroller.
In fact, the strobe is a PCB with a cable and connector that connects to the main board: you could unplug it to disable it.
But the mains power input switch is also on there; you'd need to run two separate wires for that switch.
So it's definitely possible to redesign the electronics without the strobe (or reduce it to just 1 row), but with pitch controls.
Mono cart arm would be cool. I swap in a AT33MONO and it sounds really good on the 1210G
Looking forward to the follow-up video on this SL1000R, on my wishlist!!
I loved your review of all the technical differences between the SL1000R and 1200G but I was looking forward to your assessment of how all these differences impacted the sound between the two units. Does the SL1000R sound night and day better than the 1200G and in what ways does it sound different? Also you mentioned installing cartridges provided by customers. Do you do the same for tonearms? I did learn a lot from your review. You cover things I’ve never seen anybody else mention. Nice work!
Really nice overview on the 1000R table. Its a superb table with real sonic benefits and improved performance over the G and just about every belt drive table I have tried. To get something better than the 1000R, a person would need to get well north of 100K. The OMA Mills K3 comes to mind. There are 3 areas you may have overlooked or covered briefly. One is the headshell leads. Lots of options there from Cardas, AQ and others. Two is DIN connector on the back. Its a super PITA if a person wants to change tone arm cables. The DIN connector is recessed, not easy to see, and tough to firmly grab the installed connector to remove it. Would have preferred more accessible DIN or better yet, RCA or XLR connectors on the rear. Two - B - would be the choice in tone arm cables. The Cardas Clear Beyond is really nice on this table as are the Nordost Frey 2 and Vahalla. Three would be the orientation markings on the platter and spindle. Easy to overlook. The platter and spindle are marked by the factory for correct platter to spindle orientation for balancing. On an earlier Skyfi video you tried a goldfinger cart on the GR2. Perhaps give the goldfinger a try on the 1000R or the new AT ART-1000X cart. Its an amazing sounding cart. For the 2nd arm, I would be inclined to try the Kuzma Saphir 9. Far from cheap but that arm on this table may be a real holy S _ _ _ in sonics step up. I believe one of the Technics options for arm boards is for the SME series of arms. Allwoing a person to mount an SME IV or V on the 1000R as well. Nice video.
Stunning turntable in everyway, a genuine hi-fidelity vinyl replay tool of the highest order/quality, a last turntable. I have it's predecessor, a circa 1975-77 Technics SP10 MK2 SP10, choice of the BBC for decades, in a panzerholtz plinth with the Technics EPA-A250 Titanium Nitride Arm and the EPA-B500 armbase with on-the-fly vta and a Ortofon Cadenza Black moving coil cartidge, re-tipped with the Fritz Gyger S stlus profile (same as the replicant stylus profile used on all Ortofons top tier carts and the whole thing is excellent. I would only ever consider replacing if I had the funds for one these, the current SP10 offering 💪💫💫
That motor reminds me of the eds-1000 motor in the Dual 701 and 721. Very similar (although that motor has 2 rows of 8 coils each instead of 9 coils each).
That motor was pioneered over 50 years ago by Papst (I think the Dual 701 came out in 1972 or so) and was the first coreless direct drive motor for a turntable.
Some kind of plinth to install 2 more arms to the 1200G modell would be nice.
Great turntable, if i had the money i would buy it. But for now I am very happy with my 1210 GAE 55th anniversary turntable!
Fernando, great video again. Will the wooden plinths you are now have available for the 1200 series be interchangeable with this unit without an additional tone arm ?
Would be nice to hear sound comparisons of the different tables. Thanks
Why don’t you review Thorens and similar turntables with sprung sub-chassis? Isnt that the best method of vibration isolation?
Awesome video my friend 👍, have watched it a few times now, wonderful turntable and the titanium-boron tone arm is spectacular all on it's own , would love to see a three tone arm set up video on that turntable.
Being a retired working man myself, I told myself I was going to support this guys sales pitch, and let somebody else kick the snot out of this easy target , but $1200 for an arm board , makes it tough. Let me just say value is subjective. As is human hearing .
I favor a belt drive suspended design until the money gets" instal one on your yacht" crazy, then there are some recent improved direct drive designs. I also favor litz tone arm wiring that terminates only at the connectors to the phono jacks, without breaks . .
I like the idea of tonearm cables without breaks I them. It's the most critical wire in an audio system as it carries the smallest signal and is most susceptible to interference. Thanks for sharing.
well today all is worst not like they use to make it and the direct drive today uses not quartz engines but older ones like i have in other turntables older that worjk today after so many hours of use, i remenber that instead of the turntable i could had bought a BMW 535i but i kept driving my 76 523i , but music is my hobby since i was four years old ,i ´ve seen the footage and saw myself playing and singing and tunning the steel strings of a wooden child guitar and sounded ok with my voice, this in 8mm and sound in a reel
Did you ever use the vintage EPA arm on this as well? If so, what do you think of how it sounds vs the new arm?
Hey Fernando, my wife and I are both audiophiles and are planning on getting our first serious turntable. We have this turntable (SL-1000R Turntable) or the Dr. Feickert flagship - the Firebird as our front-runners. Which would you advocate between the two for our first serious turntable? Please let us know. Looking forward to hear from you :) Many thanks, and a wonderful job you are doing my good sir!
The SL 1000 R is still the ultimate broadcast turntable! For years, similar models have been the go to turntable in many major market studios.
Absolutely great videos
Can you please do a review on the Denon DP 3009ne?
I would like to see a color option in the familiar Technics brown (for all devices). I can understand that they switched to a neutral black due to optical compatibility, but the color is also a unique selling point that clearly says - Technics.
I've got one of those SU-R1000 amps. It's quite good. I don't love it as much as my 1200G because I don't think it's in the same league value-wise.
I have this with a My Sonic Lab Platinum cartridge and I cannot find something noticeably better under 6 figures. I've got Wilsons and Dagastino stuff .... ARC reference tube preamp and it all plays nicely together. Incredible bang for the buck.
Brain or heart surgeon? :)
Awesome gear man
@@dougg1075 Ha. Thanks, it's been a long journey. (General Contractor.)
Nice setup. I agree, tough to beet at any price. Sure you can spend more $ but at that point you are paying for marketing and exclusivity, not technology. This thing is a technical tour du force.
In the times of mega dollar turntables this isn't super expensive and you are getting heirloom quality. I run an Sp10 mk and rate it highly. Sure it's advanced since then this new model and ide buy without question. I can't afford a Dohmann Helix one sadly and that is the best table I've heard to date. You can buy 3 of these beauties for the price of a Helix One. Value for what you get.
Omg ,amazing the sl-1000.
the black arm is available from technics? Or is sold out ? Thank you
That black arm is one of their past tonearms, I think that one was designed back in the early 80s.
Yes that tone arm is considered vintage at this point. Send us a note and we'll let you know when we get another one.
Look up the Mitch Cotter plinth
Which made those decks incredible.
17:23 My wishlist for the next 1200G is solely a tonearm upgrade:
- dynamic balanced
- ruby bearings
- magnetic dynamic damping
- micrometer VTA adjustment
- tonearm effective mass added to the list of specs
As a user of a 1200G for over 7 years: everything else about the 1200G is perfect already
Wow you must have been an early adopter. 7 years takes you back to the beginning. Nice to hear someone has had one that long and is still happy. Thanks for sharing the list. Would love to see the ruby bearings on the current lineup.
@@SkyFiAudio Yes, I was just too late to get one of the first 1200 of them, which were limited edition (1200GAE). Those went for the same price as the regular 1200G (3500 euros), while the differences are solely cosmetic, it would've been nice though.
I remember being a little bit disappointed about it, but I don't mind anymore.
Now that they're not made in japan anymore, while being 1 grand more expensive, means I *still* got a great bargain, despite missing out on those limited ones!
Thank you again for your videos!
Stupendous piece of equipment never been much into vynal myself preferring high end sacd/cd players but this technics definitely has me tempted
The SL-1000R is nice, but I'm holding out for the much rumored, SL 1000 Hoffa LE version, where the turntable is mounted in solid block of concrete (for MAXIMUM noise control).
When will there be a clone for 1/10th. of the price?
For me Technics is the top of the line for turntables, having previously had the 1210 Mk2s for DJing.
Wait just one minute! Mine did not come in a wooden crate! I want my crate!!!
Sorry guys. I stand corrected, US market tables don’t come in a wooden crate. Saw it in an unboxing video and assumed they all came that way.
As long as it's performing
and you are getting your money 's worth.
Thank you for this, the price is interesting but I do love Technics devices.
I wish Technics would offer a more affordable Turntable with the look of this model but higher end than the SL1500
Around the 3 to four 4 k pricepoint, so effectively in their grand class lineup
Agreed, there is certainly a few holes in the Technics lineup. Hopefully they will come out with a few more models.
In fact, there arent that many cables for the SL1000R. It has a DIN output so they are few off the shelf ones. The cable should also be fully shielded. Ortofon makes a very nice and quite expensive one. I'm a Kimber fan, but I can assure you if you use a non shielded cable as a connector it will pickup high frequency electrical interference like a dedicated antenna. They sure did on when I used "turntable" Kimbers on my SL1200 G. If you can find an SPDIF that's DIN on one side and RCA on the other under 100 bucks go for it. As for cartridge find a moving coil you like and buy it! The whole point of the SL 1000 is to be they best spindle for ANY cartridge. Given the investment on the platter you also invest in a step-up transformer for whatever moving coil you select. I have an Ortofon Cadenza black with an ST70 SUT. I'm seriously considering an Ortofon Verisimo. The Black is spectacular but, like any other dumb audiophile, Im getting a case of "let's spend even more money"😂
I hope the 1200G2 will get some of the highlights of the sl1000
Yes its out of my budget, but it's still cool to see it. Hey, I drive a Subaru and it's not going to stop me from watching Bugatti videos.
1:05 The SP10R and SL-1000R have both been release at the same time, not too long after the 1200G went into production.
2:50 Really? That would make it a risk in terms of repairability...
7:35 Yes, that's an optical encoder.
13:23 This is the main reason I still didn't get one. The idea of dealing with an actual pallet crate.
Btw, how is your back doing? Is it still okay after hauling around 80 pounds of turntable?
Install a Lyra Etna or Atlas, the are stunning!
People questioning about price..really?..Technics been since 1972 and many turnatables STILL in use today(2024)..pricy turntables are those over $45k and the $100k...I own 2 Technics and 1 Pioneer...and I love them!!
I wish I could buy a Technics SL-1200GR2 with a smooth top . I dislike the DJ furniture , I'm reluctant to settle for the 1500 with it's better visual appeal , lesser performance
I did that, I gave it some extra love with a 2M blue (I already had it) but Iman sure dreaming of a real 1200. There is several companies like Funkfirm which claim that they can enhance 1500 also.
Yes I would have been interested in one if it looked like the 1500.
My thoughts exactly. Now that Technics have versions of the 1200 aimed at the audiophile market, I feel they are missing an opportunity by only offering DJ deck looks. What I would really like is something that looks like the SL1000 but essentially a 1200 under the skin (motor, plinth materials and platter) with or without tonearm. A high value-for-money package with true audiophile appeal.
There is quite a lot of controversy on this topic. Bottom line is Technics can barely keep up with demand on the GR2 and G despite the DJ looks so why mess with a winning formula? I personally love the strobe on the platter and would hate for it to go away just to get rid of the pitch control.
With the new SL-1300G you should be covered. Does it appeal to you?
The SL-1000R is a "rebirth" of the SL-1000MK3D model that sold for 650,000 yen in 1983. That's equivalent to US $4,439.50. With inflation this means it would cost US $14,020.00 today, so the price for the new model is not totally surprising... Still hate selling my SL-1000MK3D for $3,000 back in 1997...
20k! No way! I have 3 1200s which I used for djing until about the time of the beginning of the cd era. I use them just at home and use the 50th anniversary MK7 as the play the record to listen only. That's a great TT but 20k is far from me.
but you only have 2 arms. What are you doing with 3 tables? lol.
Techniques?
End game turntable.
Only international orders come in a crate; when you order from a US dealer it comes in just a cardboard box.
I hope you're hard at work on a SU-R1000 video right now. Maybe the R1000 has been done to death on YT, but I think we need your in-depth take regardless 👍
Giant killer aka The Well Tempered Amadeus ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
IMO those strobe light markings cheapen the look of the 'table.
The 1200 tables have strobe light markings, the SL-1000R does not.
The second arm would have my basic cartridge so that I could play my records when I am not listening critically .
I admit that the design is ‘nice’, but we audiophiles are being taken for a ride. $20,000 is over the top, it’s worth is more towards the $8,000 !
I'll take two please.
No, I don't think $20,000 is too much to spend on a good turntable if you have a major investment in vinyl. This "beast" will last you forever. I own a 40-year-old Linn LP12. I think they are great turntables and when properly set up sound magnificent. That's the problem. I depended on a store in Tampa who lost the "fire" and set ups and upgrades (which were significant) on my Linn became less audible and less satisfactory. And I have other tales from other "customers", including my thyroid doctor, that ultimately led to the demise of this store. Now I live in Tennessee at least 4 hours from the nearest Linn Dealer. I am pretty sure if I come into some money, this Technics is the way I would go. Thanks for the great video.
You're spot on. A table is only as good as the setup that was performed. The LP12 doesn't travel as well as the Technics so it's critical that a local shop calibrates it, preferably in the owners listening room so that nothing gets disturbed. This is where the Technics shine, since they were originally designed as DJ tables they are super rugged. We are able to calibrate one and ship it with 100% confidence that it will arrive the same.
i would go for a laser turntable at that price
Simply stunning, compared to What?
Just buy the best stylus (needle) you can afford on an affordable turntable and call it a day. This thing is what Bezos would buy for his $70 billion yacht.
not even. 20k isn't that much. especially for something that will last a lifetime. you can get so much enjoyment out of it in the long run. normal people spend 10k-40k on watches all the time. you dont have to be rich or anyone special. so if turntables and vinyl is your passion why not? its an investment. you just have to have a big passion for it for the purchase to make sense.
Why the fuck i can't buy this turntable in singapore?
I remember back in the day when Technics was considered mass production junk with audiophiles. Looks like they have changed.
You either evolve to compete with the changing environment or get run over
You have to wonder who buys this stuff. Imagine buying this, along with the Magico M9 speakers ($750,000), McIntosh amp and pre-amp. That's close to $800,000 worth of audio equipment for a 2-channel set-up with no other signal sources. Most homes don't cost that much. Them that has, gets.
dont forget the 45,000$ RCA cables ;)
It's completely befuddling how dealers seem to justify spending 💰 oodles of cash for seemingly pedestrian technology that hasn't evolved much since the late 70's. The ORIGINAL SL-1000 (79) boasted ruby tonearm bearings, obsidian plinth, moving coil cartridge, gigantic smoked dustcover, titanium nitrate tonearm (including headshell!!), quartz synthesizer pitch control (MKIII) for one price. This new fangled a la carte purchase order menu is too ridiculous even for the super rich. SMH
gee whiz guy, they did put in a whole second set of offset coils to help reduce the cogging effect of their drive system , and the consumer is now free to buy their own head shell and connecting cables. I'm sure the list price is entirely fictional in many markets outside of the U.S.
there has been so much work Technics put into the 1000R, it offers excellent performance for the price. The speed accuracy and stability alone is among the best I have heard on any table. Much better than the old 1200MK3 or 7 and better than the new G. The super rich are buying tables in the 200K to 500k range.
The turntable itself is on another level way beyond what they offered in 1979 on the SP-10mk2 and is even better than the mk3. That said, I do wonder if the older EPA-250 and 500 are better arms. I waffle between getting the complete SL-1000R in time or just the new SP-10R and using a vintage EPA tonearm (I like the Technics arm for how it allows such ease in adjusting the arm height, including while a record is playing). I do like how the complete SL-1000r looks though...
@@martinmelucci4383 no clue on how the EPA arm would compare. Completely agree with comments on the earlier models. Had almost all of them. One other thought. If you are considering the new SP-10R into an older chassis, another option would the Kuzma 4 point. The old chassis do not have the damping the 1000R chassis does though.
For 20 thousand I can get the band of my choice to play in my living room 😂😂
Empire. The only rational choice.
To die for table .
👍
Over the $4300 Sl1200G… you’re paying $15,700 more for that 3-5% improvement. You’re better off spending $15k+ on.. anything else, imho.
It makes me laugh these days, a $20,000 tt to play a ten cent piece of warped and crackly vinyl. That’s like a Rolls Royce driving on a gravel country road. Sure it’ll be the best ride on that gravel road you’ve ever had, but is it really the best way to go?
I get the nostalgia, the feel of the media and the amount of customization you can tinker with, but it’s still one of the most flawed reproduction systems around. I grew up on vinyl and used to have some very nice setups back in the day. I just don’t see the value in any metric now unless you already own a large vinyl library.