New Technics SL 1200 GAE

I think it's not easy to mount different tonearm on SL 1200 GAE or SL1200 mk2. It's impossible to mount "12 tonearm and most of the "9 or "10.5 inch tonearms (except maybe jelco, sme, audiomods, dynavector, rega etc) does not fit into position of the new armboard.

The 9" Triplanar (a state of the art tone arm which is easily at home on this 'table) is easy to mount if you have a different armboard.

We've managed to find room for a 12" arm too. That took a bit more work; the impossible always does.

I have no doubt that the new SL1200 is a great deck but I too find it f'ugly. Just not my cup of tea. Well built but f'ugly. I wish it looked more like the prototype's that leaked out rather than an un-creative rehash of an old, tired design. Plus, as mentioned.......there are the tonearm limitation, too. I try to not get too caught up in looks, believing form follows function, but looks do count when they can be controlled.

Panasonic made some design choices and used the old platform for a good reason. To sell this product to those fans that have an older 1200, status for DJ and hopes that the audiophile community will get past the design choices and choose it for what it brings.

Sort of the same way car manufacturers got on the kick of re-issuing old body designs with updated performance. Catch the attention of the old market as well as the new and sell more. No one would deny that a new stock Mustang far exceeds the old from 1965-1971 but who would buy a new performance Ford if it were a totally new body design. Many, maybe but even more if you also factor in  the old romantics, too.

However, in this equation it leaves folks like me out of their target market. I'll pass and get my analog needs met elsewhere.

I own the GAE along with a Technics SP10 mk3 NG by Artisan Fideluty which has a Kuzma 4 Point installed and a MC Anna. My GAE holds its own with its much older and bigger brother (my mk 3 weighs about 180 lbs) with the beyond excellent stock Cold drawn magnesium alloy arm. This is not the same arm as the original 1200 series. Currently I use a LP Zupreme headshell with my Denon 103R and London Reference.  The headshell really benefitted the 103R.

For my tastes I see no reason whatsoever to mess with the arm and I can go from my mK3/kuzma directly to my GAE and keep the biggest smile on my face.

I humbly suggest that some of you ignore the fact that the arm looks like the old arm and just simply use your own ears. You don't need people to tell you what sounds good. Just listen to it. Just remember that had this arm been designed and built by some of these smaller companies it would also cost several thousands of dollars.

I ave a good deal of experience with the Triplanar arm, I'll stick with the stock arm on the GAE. 

I'm the individual that runs mine with lowered torque. The speed is dead on and I mean dead on. It sounds fantastic with no anomalies.

Try "Turntabulator" on your iPhone (not sure if there is an Android version) as it is the most accurate way to check speed I've found.

The GAE can go head to head with anything I've heard and that with the stock magnesium arm.

Looking over this thread it would appear that you and I are the only owners of GAEs and that we are in complete agreement, especially about the arm.  Taken as a whole, the new SL1200 GAE (and G) is a home run that can stand comparison with any other TT.

@raymonda 

I have no doubt that the new SL1200 is a great deck but I too find it f'ugly. Just not my cup of tea. Well built but f'ugly. I wish it looked more like the prototype's that leaked out rather than an un-creative rehash of an old, tired design. Plus, as mentioned.......there are the tonearm limitation, too. I try to not get too caught up in looks, believing form follows function, but looks do count when they can be controlled. 

I agree with you about design, i think it was decision of the marketing department to reproduce design of the most popular turntable just to sell more, but on the new luxury level of design and sound quality.  

Panasonic made some design choices and used the old platform for a good reason. To sell this product to those fans that have an older 1200, status for DJ and hopes that the audiophile community will get past the design choices and choose it for what it brings.

Believe me 99% of the DJs never spend $2000 for single tunrtable as they need 2 of them for dj set up, so $4000, target price for DJs is $600 per unit or cheaper for used, so GAE is definitely not a DJs choice. 99% of the DJs never spend more than $150 even for a cartridge, normally $50 for Shure m44-7. I don't think that even night clubs will buy GAE since their old 1200mk2 or mk3d is the club standard and works well for 35 years if they change pitch in time. The GAE is for the audiophiles, but with a look of the DJ turntable (thanks to their best selling 1200mk2) which is strange, indeed.