Good question rp!
@klimt
I recommend it for people with budget limit at $2000, for those who need brand new and complete system. The GR is $1700 and there is nothing new that can beat it at this price (imo).
Personally i prefer vintage Direct Drive turntables like
Denon DP80,
Luxmam PD444, and
my old Technics SP-10mk2. But after more than 25 years of my personal experience with many different Technics i’m pretty sure this is the best option for people who willing to spend less to get more. I don’t like plastic belt drive turntables and for me it’s hard to understand why some people like them.
Matsushita made over 3 000 000 units of
SL1200mk2 series long time ago, it was a $500 turntable, an industry standard for professionals. Now they made much better models, but still at moderate price compared to others. Technics is a top quality direct drive today, number one is probably SP10R.
None of those plastic belt drives can pass the time test like Technics. My first Technics still working like new after 25 years of usage, another one (Technics
SP10mkII) still perfectly working after 40 years of usage.
Even most popular cutting lathe like Neumann have Technics motor inside, our records cut with Technics motor. I can’t recommend anything better than SL1200GR (or "G" for double price) today for those who need a brand new turntable for reasonable price, except for some killer vintage direct drive (they are cheaper and better).
Even on audiogon almost every Technics user is happy. So why not recommend them instead of those belt drive plastic toys selling for crazy prices? Matsushita is huge and they can sell more at lower price, their price is fair for what anyone can get.
P.S. @klimt You can use
Technics SP-20 if you don’t mind vintage direct drive, custom plinth and tonearm is all you need.
This is what i put together for a friend.
