Life After Technics SL1200 Mk5

dsper my apologies I wasn't very helpful
I have your same TT and used it for some years. Then went on digital rig build. I learned about reconstruction filters, modulators, formats etc and build a digital rig.
Roon and HQplayer embedded running on one server sending audio to a minimalistic industrial PC with USB, SATA and other systems disabled, no fan, celeron CPU for less EMI, connected to a Denafrips Terminator and then to my tube preamp and amps. Software has been a rotation of Audiolinux, Gentooplayer, Euphony and so on. The electrical pieces were powered by an Uptone JS2 soon coming a Paul Hynes SR4 double regulated.
Needless to say my digital sounds amazing so I got the itch to better the analog because I believe analog can be magical.
Came to the analog forums and here you will find many helpful individuals, brilliant some of them, others with a lot experience.With them I learned that I knew nothing, I just had a Technics turntable using a standard cartridge with the Stevenson alignment but without all the parameters to be properly set. There is so much more to analog that I did not know.
I don't know how knowledgeable you are with analog but I did not know ANYTHING and I'm learning. Right now I can't help much except that I know it takes a lot of time invested (and some money too) to learn how to implement a proper analog rig but it is an exciting prospect, at least to me. VTA, VTF, Stevenson, Baerwald, Logfren, MM, MC, LOMC it is an avalanche or physical parameters which to me makes it even more interesting, how we have been listening and perfecting music playing with physical parameters not bits it is really remarkable and the work of artisans.
Anyway I'm still on this path I hope I can report back my findings with my comparisons in a month or two.
Good luck

Hi luisma1,

I appreciate your thoughts!

I was a fanboy for Technics back in the day, but since the SL1200 I have changed out speakers, amps, preamps, transports, and DACs.

Just seems to be a fair ask at this point in my system evolution to consider what an upgrade in turntable (and cartridge) could look like. My 1000 plus albums are waiting...

Thanks,

Dsper

My old pair of Technics SL1210 mk2 (heavily upgraded) is still here since 1995. Still perfectly working.

Technics SP-10 mkII is what you need, this is what I bought for my High-End setup when I was bored with upgraded SL1210 mkII.

My next one was Luxman PD-444 and this is the best turntable in the world in my opinion :)

Denon DP-80 is another option.

I have them all (in multiple samples).

Just stay with DIRECT DRIVE!

The best upgrade you can do for your old Technics after full rewire is a top quality perfecty matched MM cartridge and a phono stage. Your AT is OK, did you ever change tonearm internal wires? This is a weak point of all old Technics, you have to rewire it. Also there are much better cartridges than AT MLX series. 

The best upgrade you can do for your old Technics after full rewire is a top quality perfecty matched MM cartridge and a phono stage. Your AT is OK, did you ever change tonearm internal wires? This is a weak point of all old Technics, you have to rewire it. Also there are much better cartridges than AT MLX series.

Hi Chakster,

Just to be clear, can you please describe what you mean by full rewire? Is it more than just the tonearm rewire?

I was thinking KABUSA could rewire the tonearm but never got to it when I dove into digital. Not sure I can do the the tonearm myself, but for what, $30, I can buy the wire and try. Not a lot to lose and I could always still send it to KABUSA. 

Also, understand your thoughts on a new cartridge. The AT 150 MLX seems a bit slanted to the treble and a bit thin to my ears. I also have Ortofon Concorde S40 that I find is too dark and closed in to my ears.  Any specific suggestions?

Thanks for listening,

Dsper


 

 

I don't know how knowledgeable you are with analog but I did not know ANYTHING and I'm learning.

Hi liusma31,

I have read a lot but not sure how much I "know" about analog and turntables. Tonearms, cartridges, and compliance and their interrelationship is not working knowledge for me. I just recently downloaded an old Absolute Sound simple cartridge alignment tool from the net and tried it. I can hear an improvement with a better focused sound and suspect that I got the stylus more to the center of the record groove. 

Live and learn!

Dsper