New Technics SL 1200 GAE

 chakster:

your table always appealed to me and I thought about experimenting with it. It looks so cool and like you've stated, has some nice solid engineering behind its design. 

I'd love to hear that piece one day. As it stands, I think I'm going to stop at 2 tables and 3 arms. Was thinking of getting the SP10R but honestly I can't make a case for it (yet :).  

2 tables and a R2R is realistically enough :) 

I own the SL-1200G  and find it bright.  Fremer and others on the net also find this artifact.  Not on every recording but many.  I'm intrigued by the Tri Planar, once owned and loved one.  Would the Tri-Planar sound warmer on the SL-1200G as I would want to tame down the brightness.  Also, if I opt for a Tri-Planar, where can i acquire a quality armboard for my deck?  If you are inclined to respond I will be very appreciative.  

We fabricated the armboard needed to mount the Triplanar 12" arm. There are armboards you can buy on ebay, but they didn't suit IMO since the arm board needed to have mass similar to the plinth of the turntable.

We found no brightness in the machine at all, although we also replaced the platter pad in addition to the arm. The stock power supply was fine- it did not radiate any noise whatsoever. That was a relief as its built into the unit. Having also heard the Triplanar on the the Sp-10MkIII (stock) I would say the GAE gave the MkIII a run for the money.

I agree with Atmasphere,  I've not found this table to be bright in audiophile parlance. Fact is, the table is not bright. I have used it with multiple phono stages and brightness is not a trait that I perceive. The tilting up of sound I referred to is solely due to the introduction of the SMPS. 

Comparing the same records played on this table (for instance, Jacintha "Here's to Ben" or "Jacintha is her Name") to the same music in digital format , R2R (I have of the Jacinthat Groove Note R2R selections) and the 45's played on my SP10 mk3  I feel confident in my statement that if some are experiencing brightness, it MAY warrant a look lsewhere in your chain. 

Try plugging the table in further away from your system with a long extension cord to determine if the your system is experiencing  a very adverse reaction to the SMPS.

My Sony PS3, plasma tv, router, anything with a SMPS has this exact same effect, some are much worse. The power supply in the Sony PS3 is one of the worse I've encountered. I literally have the aforementioned devices plugged in to a Monster power bar on switched outlets so that with a foot tap I can perform a hard disconnect from the wall during my listening sessions. 

Anybody watched this video  Caliburn vs. SL-1200G ? 

chakster:

thanks for for the link. I knew that thing sounded special before I saw what they were working with :) the ART 1000 which I'm supposed to be auditioning and the Phasemation 1000 (which I now want to audition :).

i liked what I heard even over the net on uTube.