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How does the Technics SL 1200 compare with....

other belt drive tables with comparable price tags? Specifically, the Music Hall
MMF 5, and the Rega p3. For arguements sake, lets say these items are all going to be placed on a three inch thick block of oak with vibrapods, and also have comparable cartridges and preamps. I really want to make a foray into vinyl, but for the life of me I just can't decide on a player. Any help would be much appreciated.
jmoog08
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,321 posts
 
jmoog08 -
I was looking at the same TTs as you are now. I contacted a well respected on line retailer. The guy I talked to had a VPS Scout...he recommended the Technics from KAB. His store didn't eve carry Technics. That impressed me. I ordered a pretty heavily optioned SL1210M5G this past winter along w/KAB mod'd. Stanton audiophile stereohedron tip cart. I am really enjoying the Technics table. No - I did not do AB testing. Went solely on reviews (here and also TNT Audio), simplicity of setup and operation as well as tank like build. Good luck with your decision.
GH
jmoog08 OP
17 posts
 
thanks alot, It seems for the price range you really can't go wrong with the SL 1200 which I am 90 percent sure is the direction I will take. I really like the idea of using the origin tonearm. By the way, I have heard the standard arguement that the rega turntables under the 1,000 dollar mark run a little fast--is there any such reason not to go with Music Hall 5?
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

08-16-07: Ghosthouse
jmoog08 -
I was looking at the same TTs as you are now. I contacted a well respected on line retailer. The guy I talked to had a VPS Scout...he recommended the Technics from KAB. His store didn't eve carry Technics. That impressed me. I ordered a pretty heavily optioned SL1210M5G this past winter along w/KAB mod'd. Stanton audiophile stereohedron tip cart.
Given that the VPI Scout is considered the price/performance leader at $1650 (bolstered by Art Dudley's review in S'phile where he said the Scout whaps it out of the park [in its price class] so far it isn't even funny), it makes me wonder, given your dealer's recommendation, whether the SL1200 can be better than even *I* think, and I own one. I haven't listened to a Scout, but I know they're very highly regarded and appear to be very well built. I wonder what all a KAB-modded SL12x0 can
do by comparison.

I have to say, I get just tons of musical enjoyment out of my SL 1210 M5G. Always did, but the tweaks and cartridge/headshell improvements have resulted in an outsized increase in enjoyment. I'm going to get a fluid damper soon. Should be interesting.
kublakhan
718 posts
 
Johnnyb53, I had the exact same thoughts. I spent $900 (shipped) for my limited ed. 1200 and have it now at KAB for another $900 in upgrades. There's a barely used scout listed today for less than that so it makes me think.

However...I owned an Aries 3 and without the SDS (which adds another $900) the speed was unstable and sounded like it so I figure the Scout must also need the SDS.

I also loved the idea of playing 78s and of starting and stopping on a dime with the 1200.

Who knows?
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