Thoughts on moving from a 1200G to Sota Saphire or above

@chakster , I set up the new table to Lofgren B and I very much like it. Most modern pressings do not go in as far. Very few records go in farther than 65 mm and at 65mm Lofgren B has the same harmonic distortion it has at 90mm, 0.03% Lower than all alignments over the vast majority of the record. This is also the first time I used the SmarTractor. What a beautifully made device. I didn't even bother with the magnifier it is so easy to read with the naked eye and a bright light. They should sell the magnifier as an option to bring the price down.
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/uni-din-versus-l%C3%B6fgren-b-just-clarify

You’re weak point is your cartridge not you’re turntable. Warmest regards

@needfreestuff I think I’ve come to that realization. Kind of hard to fathom when you have a $2800 cartridge. I’d like to keep the replacement in that price range. Looking for options. Please share any suggestions. Thx. 

Mijo, this is not meant as criticism, because many of us do it, but you talk about “harmonic distortion “ when you are actually referring to tracking angle error.I am not sure that anyone has ever shown that the two are linearly related. Can you actually measure harmonic distortion of the signal emanating from a turntable and show it changes in relation to tracking angle error? I have often wondered about this. I don’t know that anyone ever made the effort to make a correlation. My subjective experience would suggest that there is very little correlation or that any effect of TAE on HD of the audio signal is minuscule. To put it another way, I would guess that what we might view as large changes in TAE have only tiny effects on HD.

Weak points of the 1200G are tonearm, bearing and power supply. All can be upgraded here - http://www.soundhifi.com/sl1200/Timestep%20Technics%20EVOke%20%20SL-1200GAE%202018.htm

Same old BS.

Some companies are always happy to sell something for astronomical prices, but Technics completely rebuilt their production line a long time ago when the GAE was introduced. Companies that offered an upgrade for an old $400 Technics SL1200 series continue to sell same BS for brand new "G" series.

Technics is not REGA, Pro-Ject or Linn, for those companies buyers are a slave of constant upgrade.

There is nothing weak in Technics SL1200 G and tonearm is excellent, any better tonearm will cost more than the entire turntable!

In fact Technics tonearms are the best in the world, for those who don’t know I’d like to remind about EPA-100 mkII which was Technics top of the line tonearm and today it will be better than so many overpriced high-end toneamrs.

So it’s obvious that for better tonearm one needs a SP-10R (not SL1200G).

I’d like to admit that so many audiophile never paid attention to Technics products, they noticed Technics AFTER Mr. Fremer reviewed it when Technics returned to business with new turntables. Mr. Fremer actually compared Technics (without any mods) to one of his most expensive turntable, soundfiles were uploaded for everyone.

British companies will always push those ugly SME tonearms "as an upgrade" for everything, but you should really understand what is Technics and what is SME.