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New upgrade alternatives for the Technics SL12x0

Up to now, if you wanted to do something about the Technics SL12x0 series tonearm, you either got KABUSA's fluid damper or the Origin Live adapter armboard, enabling mounting of most Rega-mount arms (including the Origin Live line.

If you wanted a better power supply, you could get the one from KABUSA.

Well, there's a new vendor in the UK, Sound Hi-Fi, a comprehensive British high end vendor who also offers some interesting modifications of the SL12x0 series here.

He has armboards for SME and Jelco tonearms. Why no Rega? Owner/operator Peter Cawley doesn't feel that the Rega is a particularly good match for the Technics.

Consider this: When Panasonic released the 1st gen SL1200, they also offered the SL120, the same turntable, but with no tonearm. It came with an armboard for the SME Type III Improved. SME was probably the number one tonearm choice for Technics take-no-prisoners pro model, the SP10.

Peter also likes Technics/Jelco matchups very well. So if you can get ahold of an Audioquest PT6 or PT9 ... Here's a 9-page thread from mostly last December where an SL1210 enthusiast (who already had several KABUSA mods) introduced Sound Hi-Fi to the Analogue part of the Art of Sound HI-Fi forum in the UK. During this thread he upgraded to a Jelco arm and the review is pretty interesting.

Notice that Peter has his own external power supply, 78 rpm mod, and three different aftermarket feet including the Isonoes. His type 1 feet are actually just Foculpods. Also, his turntable mat is sourced from Herbie's.

Marco's review in this thread mentions the Technics' tonearm's persistent upper midrange "spotlighting", something I usually call "glare." Following that hint, I wrapped some very thin, lightweight plumber's tape (the Teflon kind for sealing threads) around my tonearm including the headshell joint, and voila! The midrange calmed down and with it I got a more relaxed sound with better ambience retrieval and a fuller, yet better defined bass.

Anyway, I recommend you follow the links and do some reading/surfing. I found it quite enlightening to find another pocket of SL12x0 enthusiasts and an alternate source of upgrades and modifications.

Also, notice that Peter sells Avid, SME, Clearaudio, and Marantz turntables, and SME, Jelco, and Hadcock arms, so if he has an axe to grind, it's a pretty broad one.
johnnyb53
johnnyb53 OP
3,510 posts
 
04-29-09: Edo_musica
hey johnny
do you have a fluid damper on your 12x0?

any pics of your tape tweak? or more detailed description of the amount of tape(single wrap, double?) and specific locations.
Yes, I have the fluid damper. It helped in many ways in refining the sound and improving tracking, but there was still a persistent midrange glare that the arm wrap significantly reduced.

Sorry, no pictures of the wrap. I'll see if I can get around to that. In the meantime, I'm talking about that really thin, very light teflon tape used to seal pipe threads. I wrap it from just in front of the arm rest all the way up to the headshell. In fact, from flicking the tonearm, headshell, and collar, it sounded to me like the collar itself rang a fair amount. So after I wrapped the arm, I put the headshell back on, and then I wrapped some more around the collar itself to deaden it.

Basically I use a single layer and overlap it by about 1/4 the width as I spiral it up the arm. But it's really hard to keep this tape totally flat when wrapping it, some of it doubles up slightly along the way.

The really good news is that this tape adds very little mass to the tonearm. I reset the tracking force after applying the tape and I don't think it changed by more than 0.2 g.

Other arm wraps A-goners have reported are:

--Tonearm wrap available from Music Direct for $19.95
--Shrink tubing like the kind used to bundle or terminate wires
edo_musica
113 posts
 
btw.... a recent toneaudio blog entry mentioned going down the Sound HiFi avenue for sl1200 mods.

http://www.tonepublications.com/blog/could-this-be-the-future-of-the-sl-1200/
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lindisfarne
511 posts
 
Looks interesting BUT buying from Kevin in NJ sounds far simpler than shipping from the UK to US, no?
vinyladdict
164 posts
 
Another alternative source of Rega and SME armboards for the SL-1200 is SoundSupports out of the UK.

SoundSupports SL-1200 Armboards

I have one that I use with an Incognito wired RB-250 on a SL-1200MK2. SoundSupports sell on E-Bay quite a bit too and very reasonably, which is where I got mine (~$50 shipped).

I compared their armboard with the Origin Live one and the SoundSupports was clearly superior. Heavier guage materials and very well made.

I'd be curious as to why Sound Hi-Fi feel the Rega arms are not a good match for the SL-1200. If he simply prefers the Jelco and SME in general, that's one thing - but I can't imagine what would make the
johnnyb53 OP
3,510 posts
 
I'd be curious as to why Sound Hi-Fi feel the Rega
arms are not a good match for the SL-1200. If he simply prefers the Jelco and
SME in general, that's one thing - but I can't imagine what would make the
I think it's resonance control. The Regas are
undamped tonearms. The Rega tonarms may have a complementary effect
with their own turntables that may not translate as well to some others. The
stock SL1200 tonearm is also undamped, but is significantly improved with
fluid damping and a tonearm wrap or Marigo Dots or similar.

The mid-'70s Technics SL120 was an SL 1200 with a SME armboard instead
of an included tonearm. Word is that this platform was designed for the SME.
Not only are SME arms damped, but so are the Jelcos. Even the entry level
Jelco has foam stuffed in its armtube (the base arm for the Graham Robin),
and the higher level models have that plus a damping oil reservoir (the basis
for the Audioquest PT9).

Overall, I think choice is good. I like the idea that you can get armboards for
the Rega-compatible, Jelco, and SME tonearms. Now how 'bout a Well
Tempered Amadeus arm?
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