TECHNICS SL1200 MKII.......THE REAL FACTS


I have been a very active participant in this hobby for many years (going on 30). I have owned amplifiers by B&K, Marantz, Forte, VanAlstine, Accuphase, GAS, Onkyo Grand Integra, Musical Fidelity.....Speakers by Thiel, Energy, Genesis, Vandersteen, PSB, Definitive Tech, KEF, Mission, B&W....Turntables by Sota, Rega, Linn, AR, Thorens, Dual, and yes; Technics. I have a Technics SL1200 MKII which I have had for a few years now. It has been modified in the following ways (all mods based on trial and error and final listening results):
-TT Weights 454 record weight
-XPM1 Acrylic mat with 1/4" heavy Technics rubber mat underneath
-Steel plinth cover (chrome finish). I cannot explain why, but the background is more quiet and micro dynamics are better with this in place.
-Armtube stuffed loosely with cotton.
-Heat shrink tubing on outside of arm tube.
-Stock headshell replaced with Sumiko with Sumiko headshell wires (do NOT underestimate what headshell quality can do with these things).
-Plugs on the stock cables replaced with better plugs: Vampire OFC RCA plugs.
-Bearings adjusted for minimal play with minimal friction.
-KAB Power Supply added

Now, this is the scoop. I do not want a Technics turntable. I am an audio snob. I want only salon approved brands; period. That is why this situation sucks dog. Out of all the turntables I have owned. This Technics with this combination of mods has the blackest background, the best dynamics, the most detail, the clearest stage, the most pace and timing and overall just simply plays the song in the least-confused manner of ANY turntable I have ever owned. In many ways it makes every other turntable I have ever owned sound like Amateur Night in sonic comparisons. Facts are facts. The Technics SL1200 MKII, when properly tweeked, is one serious LP playback unit. At least the chrome plated steel plinth cover covers up the name.
audiomaster1967
I have a very inexpensive system,
Techie1210mk2,marantz pm5004 amp,marantz cd 5004,Cambridge audio stream magic6, and a set of tannoy v4 floorstanderz ! For me the techie really does the job ,even better since I added a m97xe ,vinyl sounds great ! Just as I remember it all those years ago ! And to think all I had then was a Sanyo music centre ! The tone arm had no adjustment at all ! I think for the money I paid I got a good deal ? I paid £175 for a project essential deck that sounded like a coffee grinder if you turned the music down ! Turn of everything with the techie and you can't hear anything ?
I for one am satisfied !
Cheers !!
Techie, You are only allowed two exclamation points per post, plus one inappropriate question mark. Sorry.
Just goes to show that sentimentality trumps 'ears' every time. It's practically an epidemic in the 'high end' community. We will always find reasons to rationalize something either sentimental or 'cool looking' over something that actually does articulate music better.
09-29-15: Jw_dewdney
Just goes to show that sentimentality trumps 'ears' every time. It's practically an epidemic in the 'high end' community. We will always find reasons to rationalize something either sentimental or 'cool looking' over something that actually does articulate music better.

No, the high-end world is much more complicated than this simplistic summation of how audio "always" works "every time."