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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
 
05-16-09: Cytocycle
Edo_musica: thanks for posting that link but please keep this in mind when reading Tone's publication.... He doesn't like KAB because he won't send him a free review versions and the reviews in the past of the Technics SL1200 was done with an Audio Technica deck that looks like a Technics.
It's not that Marc Phillips doesn't like KAB; KAB won't deal with him because of things he's written about the Technics (they were opinions, not reviews) for a couple of online audio mags over the last few years.

They aren't reviewing an Audio Technica PL-120 instead of the SL1200 Mk2; they're reviewing both. Publisher/editor Jeff Dorgay did a very favorable review of the PL-120 a few issues back and Senior Ccontribing Editor Marc Phillips is doing an ongoing evaluation of the SL1200. He has tried at least 20 different cartridges in it and is now looking into installing an SME V on it. His most recent article about it mentioned that the Ortofon 2M Blue is a good match but he's bothered by a persistent darkness to the tonality and a narrow soundstage. That's why he's looking at the tonearm upgrade next. His main deck is a Michell Orbe with SME V.
also think Rega's were the only thing going in the past in the Low dollar category and now you have Jelco in the mix which provides another step up or lateral
If the arms are about equal quality but the Jelco is a better match, then it's an improvement. Of the two Jelco arms Peter offers, one has a foam-damped tube and a straight, one-piece tonearm with an effective mass of 11g. The other is an S-shape arm with detachable headshell, oil-damped bearing, and effective mass of 18g. Peter recommends the heavier arm for the DL-103 and the lighter arm for typical medium-compliance cartridges.
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johnnyb53 OP
3,510 posts
 
Tvad, did you get the tonearm rewire? I have a two or three theories about Marc's "persistent darkness" comments that don't match my experience either:

1) I have an M5G, which has factory OFC tonearm wire. Marc is using a Mk2 with stock wire. Maybe it's the tonearm wire that makes it sound dark or not.

2) Marc uses Neuance shelves on his rack. They have a foam core. I read a review of this shelf somewhere where the reviewer considered the shelf somewhat dark sounding. Marc mentioned that he has always gotten good inner detail from the SL1200 with stock feet and mat and no additional isolation platform, so I suspect this shelf has a profound influence on the sound.

3) Marc's preferred signal chain is an LOMC on a Michelle Orbe into a SET signal chain. SETs are usually somewhat rolled off in the treble; perhaps his normal rig offsets this, but a more linear source reveals it.

Just guessing here.
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johnnyb53 OP
3,510 posts
 
So Tvad, I take it you have the tonearm rewire? I can see where that might make a noticeable difference, particularly in a hi-rez system.
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