Cartridge for Technics SL-1200G or SL-1200GR

I heard my first sp 10 mark II yesterday. Had a Jelco tonearm and a MM cartridge on it. The cartridge was an Old Stanton. Not sure which one. It sounded great but I would not that the 1200G is a compromise. In fact I would rather have my 1200G any day. Sorry...  Its closer to a lateral move than anything but the 1200G is newer and I honestly think its sounds better to me.  Of course my table has a lyra delos on it but not sure that it matters that much.  That Stanton sounded great.  So great in fact that I am getting an older Pickering MM cartridge that is supposed to be close to the Stanton he had.

I heard my first sp 10 mark II yesterday. Had a Jelco tonearm and a MM cartridge on it. The cartridge was an Old Stanton. Not sure which one. It sounded great but I would not that the 1200G is a compromise. In fact I would rather have my 1200G any day. Sorry... Its closer to a lateral move than anything but the 1200G is newer and I honestly think its sounds better to me. Of course my table has a lyra delos on it but not sure that it matters that much. That Stanton sounded great. So great in fact that I am getting an older Pickering MM cartridge that is supposed to be close to the Stanton he had.

I don’t think a turntable has sound, it’s cartridge and tonearm which makes bigger difference than one Technics motor or another (they are both good). Compromise is a tonearm, you can not use most of the "12 arms on Technics SL1200G for example. Stanton cartridges are really good if it’s at least 881, 980, 981 or higher models like CS-100 WOS, but they are not for Jelco tonearms, Stanton are high compliance cartridges for light mass tonearms like Luxman TA-1, Infinity Black Widow or related light mass tonearms. I’ve heard them on Technics tonearm and it was also nice, but Jelco has higher effective moving mass than Technics tonearm.

If you think an SL1200G is not a compromise then why do you think Technics made SP-10R ?

I just told to another member that i have Pickering XSV-3000 which is equal to the Stanton 881. It’s inexpensive cartridge with Stereohedron stylus.

the newer technics reference table is in another league. its very, very good.  Its much different than a SP 10 MKII.  there are similarities in the 1200g, the newer reference table and the sp-10 mkII.  I would say that the Sp10 mkII has a very smooth sound, the 1200g has a very accurate sound and a little more detailed to my ears to the sp 10 MKII.  Maybe its the Lyra I am hearing but that is what I heard,  SP-10 is very smooth, a great table, the 1200g is very accurate and the new table is in another league all together IMHO.  If I could have an sp10 MKII I would.  I would have both the 1200G and the SP10 MK II.  I could easily live with either.  I have not heard a sp-10 Mk III. so maybe its closer to the newer reference...  How easy is it to keep a SP-10 MkII going if it breaks, they are older?  The 1200G sounds more like the SL-1000R than the sp-10 MKII to my ears.  yours may differ.

"I don’t think a turntable has sound" I would think that accurately describes what I heard when I listened to the SL-1000R. I think that pretty much says it perfectly. Thats a good one Chakster. You got that right on the money.

 You can still change out the arm on a 1200G if the stock arm does not do it for you.  I think the stock arm is very good and a fantastic value and very versatile.  You can use a MC or MM cart of fairly high compliance with it and get great results.  you cannot put a 12 inch arm or 3 arms on it and I guess that is a compromise of sorts. However, some do not need 3 arms and the 1200G gives a great performance of a very high end turntable for a fraction of the cost of a sp-10R.  its still not inexpensive, but its not 10K or 20K though its sounds pretty close to a table in that range IMO,  maybe even surpassing some as well.  the pickering that I ordered is the one you mentioned.  it will be interesting.