SAEC Making Tonearms Again!

@invictus005
Don’t forget that audiogon members experienced that Technics reference sound for 20-30 years or even longer. The SP-10 mkIII was one of the ultimate Direct Drive ever made for decades. The best plinth makers offered an amazing plinth for SP-10mkII and mkIII over the years. Some users are fine with the origina Obsidian plinth too. The EPA-100 mkII Boron-Titanium is still one of the best tonearms ever made.

Second hand Technics EPA-100 and SP-10mkII has the best value today and they are still great, no matter what you personally think about it. There is no comparison between SP-10mkIII and SP-10R made yet, only at the Technics factory. But there is already a lot of speculations about it.

Until 2017 there was no SL1200G, GR, GAE
... and until summer 2018 there is no SP10R, SP1000R on the market!

I agree that SP-10R is what we should think about, but not the SL1200G, you will see them for sale used on audiogon when the SP-10R will be released! Technics reference series does not looks like an old SL1200 with new motor and new plinth, the reference is SP-10R and SP-10 mkIII is next to it.  

There are many vintage DD on the market with a proper plinth, one of them is Luxman PD-444 in aluminum plinth with armboards for almost any tonearms. Victor TT-101 is another coreless DD. Why should the owner of the great classic DDs should care about SL1200G which is not even reference Technics? We will see when the hype is over.

SP-10R is the target for serious audiophiles, but it’s 14 000 UK Pounds, while the SP-10mkIII is much cheaper.

@invictus005  

I am pretty new around the forums, but been a member a long time. I also know that the Technics threads on many sites can get heated, as well as the whole BD/DD/Idler dust up. So I don't know if this is just  lure dragging exercise, but I will give it a bite. 

I have owned many nice belt drives over the years, VPI, Townshend, Well Tempered, Sonegraphe, Teres, Galibier, and a few others. A few years ago I took the plunge into restored idlers, and owned  a TD124 and a 401, which were both nice tables. 

Now in the past I have tried to like DD tables, and owned a SP25, SP15, and fostered a 1200. I hated every single one of them, and found them to be dark, losing inner detail, and dynamically compressed. On a lark I bought a SP 10 MK II, thinking there is no way I like this thing, but got to give it a shot. It took me a couple of years to get it into a plinth, but once I started playing it I found it was the equal of the best tables I have heard. I ended up buying a Denon DP 75, then another SP 10 MK II. What I found is the drive units sound so similar, and get out of the way of the music. Cartridges and tone arms make far more difference than the drive units do. I have put some good cartridges on them, with a few being in the $4 to $6K range. And I even have love for a $175 Denon DL 304 I picked up and use as a casual vinyl cartridge on the second SP 10 MK II. 

People like what they like, and there is more than one way to audio nirvana. If you like a BD thats great, same with idler, heck us vinyl people should be celebrating that our little niche in the hobby is so strong these days. But I do know that a Technics SP 10 MK II is a mighty fine table, and they don't cost an arm and a leg, and you can get some remarkable sound quality from them if you invest a bit of time, effort, and money into them. 

Regards
Neonknight

"The WE-8000 is the only SAEC tonearm where the offset of the headshell is correct.The SAEC 506/30 was designed to be used with 10" and singles only. It’s geometry does reflect it. Out of curiosity I have calculated a different alignment for the 506/30 which does suit 12" records MUCH better" - @dertonarm

I’ve been thingling about that statement made by Dertonarm. Looking at my SAEC SS-300 mat i can say that even this mat was designed for singles (7’ inch records) and LPs.

http://img.ukaudiomart.com/uploads/large/1850936-rare-saec-ss300-special-alloy-mat-870g-made-in-japa...

This is the ONLY mat that i know with special concave for 7’ inch records while the other mats are totally flat. I believe SAEC did a great job for professional market back then.

As i said earlier if it was made for radio stations then the main format for new material on vinyl is SINGLES (7’ inch records), all promo material for the radiostation released by the labels on singles to promote the best tracks from the LP long time before the LP will be even pressed or available for sale. This is how the industry used to work back in the days. Singles with signs like "promo use only or D.J. copy" is typical for any radio archives. One song per side, about 3:50 min only, 45rpm. I believe @dertonarm is right at some point with his statement about SAEC tonearms, but i can just add that SAEC mat is also designed for singles! Think about it.

Some people really like the SAEC tonearms and don't seem to mind the alignment.

Here’s Miyajima Lab’s reference system where they refer to the SAEC WE308 as having the "structure of an ideal arm" (this particular headshell does not allow twisting the cartridge): http://www.miyajima-lab.com/system.html

And here’s thuchan posting on his "best turntable system" including the SAEC 506/30, which he has praised elsewhere, and the cartridge looks to be sitting straight: https://audiocirc.com/2018/04/24/best-system/