Why Isnt Techincs 1200 Considered Audiophile?

Hello again, glupson - 
Sorry for any confusion.  While I do get a kick out of listening to old vinyl, the table isn't all that old.  Purchased in this century  :-) (around 2007 as I recall) from KAB Electro Acoustics.  If you have a vintage Technics table you'd like to get "tuned up", consider talking to Kevin at KAB.  
Link here:

https://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/

Apologies if I'm telling you something you already know.

I'm listening to that Mofi Mastertracker on my 1200 GR right now.  I bought the Mofi cartridge on the suggestion of my dealer without auditioning it first (not usual for me, but his advice has always been spot on).  There was little on the 'net about it.  I just took a chance, and was amply rewarded!  This is a very good cartridge, maybe not as revealing as the 2M black but perhaps a trifle easier on the ears and noticeably low surface noise.  I have compared it to a dozen or so cartridges on the 1200 GR, and while each cart has its pros and cons, this is the one that gets the most play.
I have no idea regarding the pedigree of this cartridge, but it does remind me somewhat of my AT 440 mlb, but smoother and less grain.  Sounds great with my Schiit Mani, but accommodates a better phono-pre nicely. Sounded fantastic through a Sutherland Insight, my Frankenstein PAS 3x (heavily modified and bypassed pre-amp gain stage) and an old Marantz 1200 (pre-out).  I have an Odyssey Suspiro on its way (mostly for MC), but I'm guessing this will be the cat's pajamas with the MasterTracker.

Since I have setup my Technics this morning and have listened to a couple of records. IMO; Ralph is being modest when he says that he has gotten excellent results.

The results are astonding. I have heard the stock. It is a good TT and dare I say it; A good value.

Setup with a good tonearm and cartridge; I think that A Lot of the other TT makers should be starting to Sweat. And I will say it again. I consider that I now have a Great Value compared to other TTs in this price range and above.

 I need to go do some errands right now. Just going to let the system cook with a CD on repeat and try to finish my errands Quickly!!!

I have been looking at tonearm upgrades for my GAE I just bought, this would be the best move for this new table even though this table is so revealing compared to the Prime I had it is amazing how good it sounds with better cartridges just installed a Cadenza Bronze and you can hear the difference immediately. I have  G I am selling it anyone is interested PM me.

This is this is a thread with no resolution or answers, just personal opinion.  The original Technics direct drive turntables were designed with the audiophile in mind.  They were adopted by radio stations and DJs because of their reliability and sturdiness.  The new Technics direct drive turntables are superior to the older tables in just about every regard.  Whether they are better or worse than other turntables is up to the individual and how it sounds to them.  Personally I have a GAE with a Lyra Delos cartridge and this combination resulted in a significant improvement in sound quality in my system.