Buying a new TT today

@aj523 Apparently you know nothing about DJing history, back in the days Radio Broadcast and Discotheques were equipped with serious systems (speakers, turntables and stuff) brands like Technics, Victor, Denon, EMT and even Garrard created some of the best studio turntables ever. Many cartridge manufacturers also oriented on professional market (Stanton, Grace, Denon ... ) in the 70’s. In Japan you can visit a lot of bars with Pioneer TAD speakers or Altec, JBL 4350... and tons of vintage equipment from that era for playing records and create an atmosphere. Professional format was Vinyl and R2R. It was analog era and i think innovative design from turntable manufacturers was made for (and tested by) industry professionals first, then adopted for rich music lovers.

Same with recording studios, pressing plants ... it is all professional field, not home audio. Ortofon was manufacturing cutting styli, Technics was manufacturing motors for Neumann cutting lathe. Victor also made a lot for professionals. Denon 107 MM and later 103 MC originally designed for radio broadcast at NHK in Japan.

This is all history, Technics should not hesitate to mention that SL1200 mk7 or even GR or even GAE cab be easily used by professional DJs/Clubs if they have funds to buy them.

The problem is that DJ industry is no longer about high fidelity, it is an entertainment, most of the modern analog equipment for DJs is dirt cheap crap, but everyone can buy it and use it and we have a lot of very bad djs with awful taste in music.

A cell phone in the beginning was very exotic device for rich people only, now every teenager have a cell phone and it’s a micro computer in his pocket. Technologies goes masses. Digital replaced analog even in professional field (radiostations, studios, clubs).

Now an expensive analog gear is for audiophiles, fanatics. but the majority of them are all digital already.

But we have analog audiophiles and we have analog DJs, those people prefer analog format (Vinyl Records, R2R... ). Many studios are still analog and many musicians recorded in analog only.

If Technics has improved their iconic turntables to an audiophile level it is great ! But visually it is almost the same iconic DJ turntable like older SL1200mkII, even more powerful motor, 78rpm included for some models, pitch control and high torque are still there. So why not mention that every professional DJ can use it (or every audiophile can be a home deejay:)) ?

All that speech about Technics (DJ turntable or Audiophile turntable) is about an image and reputation. It’s like a Heavy Metalist in leather jacket going to the stylish Mod Club. He may shock someone, because it’s two different cultural group of music lovers, but they are all humans.

If i will tell you that before Technics many Deejays have been using Thorens TD125 belt drive and Garrard 301 idler drive, do you think it can effect somehow the quality of those classic turntables that now mainly used by audiophiles (and not by DJs anymore).

@chakster
Thanks for the history lesson - I did not know really any of that and THATs my EXACT point....many consumers with money do not either and so i was just commenting in my opinion, (which I'm allowed still in this (my) country, perhaps that will change though),  that  it seems like a bad idea from a marketing perspective. It turned me off in another direction right away. 

Why do the Technic TT’s primarily target the Dj crowd and other professionals? I even saw one ad targeted to the audiophile consumer but the marketing slogan said something like "spin records like your favorite Dj ". Odd. That kinda turned me off when I was looking.

The newer Technics turntables are being marketed primarily to "audiophiles".  The fact that the Technics SL 1200 MK2 had characteristics that made it great for DJ'ing, doesn't disqualify it from being a great sounding home turntable.  Quite the opposite, especially if you like to listen to music loud and have speakers and/or subwoofers capable of producing a lot of bass.  A few inexpensive tweaks like better feet, fluid damping, upgrading the mat, and a few others can have a noticeable positive impact. 

In terms of sound quality, I'd say my SL 1200 MK2 is 95% as good as my VPI Classic 2 with a Classic 3 tonearm. 

I haven't heard the new Technics tables, but if I was thinking about getting a new table, they would be at or near the top of my list to audition.

Chakster - if you knew anything about Rega, the first thing they were (and are) historically know for is their tonearms. They OEM them to many others turntable companies. Why would you ever put an arm on one of their tables with a much lower value proposition? They offer their cartridges packaged with their tables at a significant discount, but can handle pretty much any cartridge natively or with a spacer that they sell, anticipating people like me either don't want their cartridge or are not in the market for one.

I'm not very familiar with VPI tables (I think they are overpriced and I don't like the way the arms float which makes it more difficult to cue the record and their wires hang in the air) but I believe you can change arms pretty easily, as they make multi-arm tables. There are less expensive belt drive tables in addition to the lower end Regas from Rega imitators like Project and Music Hall, which at their low ends tend to offer complete packages for entry level costs for the younger crowd on tighter budgets. Those guys are improving their tables these days, but problem is their arms aren't as good as Rega's. Not sure what Technics offers these days, but I just don't hear much about them (other than on Audiogon from the old timers). Maybe it's the noise their motors generate....

I'm not a Rega zealot, and a lot of dealers don't carry them because Rega forces them to carry their whole line. I think they are the only company that makes everything except Linn (who seems to have lost their way, shrinking their TT offerings down to just the LP12 and reducing their dealer network significantly in the US). I do believe Rega either stopped or will stop making CD players and never started with streaming devices. It's a shame about Linn because they used to make some really nice mid end tables like the Axis a while back.I almost bought one, but it was before my Phase Linear (Pioneer-Japanese) table broke. I wish I did.  

I guess Linn went for the money selling out their name to car makers to badge their stereos just like Bose, Mark Levinson, JBL, Burmeister.....You'll know the end is near for Rega if Roy E GAndy ever does that.

Enjoy the music, not the noise.

264win,

http://www.newaudio.it/marantz/TT15S/TT15%20Gramophone%20April%2005.pdf

Good article. From a British magazine too. Gramophone is primarily a classical music magazine but often had decent reviews. My take was that if a component was good enough for classical it would be also be good enough for pop, whereas the reverse might not always be true.

So the Marantz TT15s is a KI tweaked Clearaudio deck. Wow!

Ken Ishiwata was a big loss to audio, part showman and part shaman always stressing balance and flow.

Anyway, you're right that this isn't about the old belt v direct drive argument. At this price point the TT15s is no doubt an excellent turntable.

This is about whether you're happy with it, and you seem to be.

All good.



sokogear,

"I guess Linn went for the money selling out their name to car makers to badge their stereos just like Bose, Mark Levinson, JBL, Burmeister.....You'll know the end is near for Rega if Roy E GAndy ever does that."

As a former owner of the LP12 I think you're right. For me, it soon became a bottomless money pit, and Linn do seem to have been switching their strategy all over the place in recent times.

Unlike Rega of course who have always remained true to the cause since the days Tony Relph and Roy Gandy kicked the whole thing off way back in the 1970s.

Rega, the almost accidental success story after having to play second fiddle to Linn for many years all of a sudden find they're very near the summit themselves now.

Yes they make everything themselves now, but are they taking on too much?Why for example have their speakers gone backwards, and why so many CD players, and where will they go next now there's no one left to follow? 

Is the P10 better than the 1200G?

Questions, questions...