Best turntable/cartridge combo for $700-$750

04-30-08: Piedpiper
A more relevant comparison (quality-wise) would be the 1200 to the newer, more expensive P3/24 which has much more potential for, and worthiness of, upgrading. In my comparison, posted elsewhere here, I mostly favored the P3/24. I would characterize the difference that I heard as more transparency and liveliness but a bit bright and edgy, compared to the Technics being more relaxed and opaque; just one controlled but somewhat limited shootout. I sell both.

I'm curious as to how the Technics was accessorized and platformed, such as the fluid damper, clamp, outboard power supply, etc. I definitely appreciate your comparison of the two, as real side-by-side comparisons of equivalent-cost belt drives vs. the Technics are hard to come by.

You could trick out an SL1210 from Musicians Friend with KAB's tonearm rewire, fluid damper, and Isonoe feet (or most of the way on the outboard PSU) to bring the expenditure to the same level as a bone stock P3/24.

It's interesting that you found the Rega bright and edgy vs. the Technics sounding more relaxed. Usually it's the DD TTs that are characterized as bright and edgy.

In my experience with the Technics, the Sumiko headshell, vibration control platforming, and the right mat make a big difference on transparency.

Johnny,

You're absolutely right. That would be an even more appropriate comparison.
The unit I compared was stock. I did put both on a large, thick butcher block on
a combo of sorbothane and isoblocks on my Maplenoll air bearing 90 lb. lead
platter on a large Room Tunes rack, all in an adjacent room. I used the same
Rega Exact cartridge with the same VTA in my reference system which you can
view here. I even used the same Rega felt mat which worked better than what
was on the Technics. I also used my Maplenoll lead clamp as a record weight on
both which improved both equally. The Rega was much cleaner except for the
highs which were a bit rough, the Technics being noticibly opaque in
comparison. Perhaps I'll do such a comparison some time and spend more time
exploring than I had a chance to do before.

dealer disclosure.

Piedpiper,

It looks like you were pretty conscientious in trying to put together a fair comparison, especially in the platforming. Is it just me, or is the Rega Exact a kick-ass cartridge?

One thing that may skew my opinion is that I read enough (even from KAB) about the not-so-great tonearm wire in the base SL1200 that I bought an SL1210 M5G for the higher grade of tonearm wire. So perhaps I have not been exposed to the "dark sound" or "opacity" I've read in reviews about the SL1200's sound. Mine is satisfactorily airy and extended in the treble without being bright or hyper-detailed. Maybe the wiring in the basic SL1200 is that bad.

I do think that the Technics' mat needs are far different from the Rega's. Any mat needs to isolate noise from the turntable and room noise from coming up into the cartridge, but a mat for the Technics needs to keep that machined aluminum platter from ringing, which is no small feat.

If the stock Technics sounded smoother in the highs than the Rega, you should hear it with upgraded wire and the fluid damper (filled about 1/3). Adding the fluid damper imparted a surprising level of control, refinement, and delicate detail in the treble (e.g., violin, cymbals, and bells) and in hearing the ambience of the recording venue.

There's no question in my mind that, although I haven't heard them, the KAB mods must be a great improvement on the stock model. Re: the mat I simply listened to the two and chose the Rega felt one for both which was handy for keeping the comparison to the tables themselves even though the Rega felt mat would be unlikely to be used with the Technics. There are better/different mats for both tables but I didn't want to muddy the water any more than necessary.

Attempting direct comparisons are ultimately confused at best because optimizing the very important cartridge/arm relationship gets thrown out by using the same cart for both. I used the Exact because it was the best appropriately priced cartridge I had on hand that was broken in. I later put an older Sumiko Bluepoint Special on the Rega to great effect which surprised me that I liked it better in some ways than the Exact. I haven't tried it on the Technics yet.

05-15-08: Piedpiper
Attempting direct comparisons are ultimately confused at best because optimizing the very important cartridge/arm relationship gets thrown out by using the same cart for both. I used the Exact because it was the best appropriately priced cartridge I had on hand that was broken in. I later put an older Sumiko Bluepoint Special on the Rega to great effect which surprised me that I liked it better in some ways than the Exact. I haven't tried it on the Technics yet.

I use a Denon DL-160 mounted on a Sumiko headshell on my Technics. The Rega and Technics tonearms are pretty similar in effective mass, though that can vary on the Technics depending on the headshell.

I get the feeling that the Technics would like HOMCs, because it sure likes the DL-160 (esp. w/fluid damper), and A-Goner Ferrari's review of the Blue Point #2 on his Goldring GR1.2 indicates that the DL-110, 160, and Sumiko Blue Point all have a similar (good) presentation, while the Sumiko sounds a little more refined and detailed.

There are also some Technics/DL-103 enthusiasts out there, though I suspect they use a heavier headshell and the extra counterweight to match the effective mass to the DL-103's low compliance.