Cartridge Upgrade ...AT ART-9?

One thing about it, after you get your table updated and choose a cart your phono amp will be up to the task. Enjoy the music.

Technics SL-15 is such cool looking DD turntable, the size is exactly like the LP sleeve, the weight is 6.6kg, there is a build-in pre-preamp for MC cartridges! The price in the 1981 was 150 000 YEN ! Here is a video of this beast in action.

"The Technics is a high-tech Direct Drive linear-tracking turntable. It automatically plays the record selections you want and skips the ones you don’t. It completely eliminates tracking error and is so advanced it can even play upside down. The SL-15’s microcomputer and infrared optical sensor let you play up to 10 cuts per side, in any order. Just press the program keys in the order of the selections you want to hear. And with the repeat button, the SL-15 can repeat the entire program or any selection. The SL-15 performs virtually any function, automatically. It accurately selects the record size and speed, finds the lead-in groove and begins playback at the touch of a button.
More proof of the SL-15’s accuracy is its quartz-locked, direct-drive motor and dynamically balanced, linear-tracking tonearm. In addition to tracking perfectly, the SL-15 plays a record as accurately upside down as it does right side up. The whole body of the truntable is made of precision aluminium diecast upper and lower interlocking cabinet halves. The same build quality can be found also in the Technics SL-10"

@lewm I think it’s standard P-Mount cartridge, if the suspension is OK then it is a great MM cartridge with Hollow Pipe Boron cantilever, nude diamond mounted through the tiny hole made in Boron cantilever (laser etched) as seen on this picture. I’ve seen many P-Mount versions of our favorite MM cartridges included Stanton top models. So it shouldn’t be a problem to find a cartridge for this turntable. Audio-Technica also made P-mount cartridges.

@tommypenngotti find someone who can service your SL-15 and try another cartridge if the one you have caused some problems. It must be a great turntable if the price in 1981 was so high (150 000 YEN in Japan).

I wanted to ask you about the sibilance in one channel you mentioned. You said both your tables do the same thing so i'm wondering if there is an issue with the model or if because of the age there is similar issues with set up. As you mentioned you may need the stylus to push harder. this is called tracking force and there should be an amount in the carts manual or try google. get a tracking force gauge and measure it properly don't guess most carts are in the 1-3gram range with 2g average.

 Also if  you do have tracking error from set up, too much or not enough anti-skate could cause issues in just one channel, for example  also if the stylus is canted in the grove. 

 So many issues can come from improperly set up tables-arms-carts so look for a guide on you tube Michael Fremer is a very good man to google for info on a lot of analog stuff.  he has a very good set up video. 

https://www.analogplanet.com/category/set-tips

I wanted to ask you about the sibilance in one channel you mentioned. You said both your tables do the same thing so i'm wondering if there is an issue with the model or if because of the age there is similar issues with set up

@glennewdick - SL15 has VTF adjustment screw & meter to gauge , very difficult to see....could be the problem ....I thought it was odd its both decks as well....2 different systems with same issues odd...

 There is no anti-skating to adjust in a straight line tracking tonearm. So that per se should not be the problem or a cause of distortion in the left channel. What I am wondering about is whether you are having some friction in the bearing of the straight-line tonearm that is retarding its motion across the surface of the LP. This could cause distortion, possibly in one channel.