Because I want one. I don’t need one, this is just a pure want.
I like retro stuff, and I like a good hi-fi set up. I’ve recently sold my Rega RP6 and Elicit amp and am switching back to my Marrantz 66KI amp with phono stage.
I picked up a lovely Planar 3 with R200 arm but am now wondering if I should have scratched the SL1200 itch, having only ever used Rega TTs before.
Is there a clear and noticeable drop in sound quality between the Technics and, say, the Planar 3?
Does the direct drive offer any obvious advantages over belt drive?
Are they easy to set up/repair/maintain? ( would be an advantage if they are happy to be placed on wooden surface rather than isolated )
What’s the differences between MkI/MkII/MkIII etc models?
I’m lead to believe their bass response and timing is excellent, as well as the robustness factor.
I used one during an stay at an apartment in Berlin a while ago and based on tactile response alone, it was really cool to fire up and cue the record – lots of flashing lights and instant response.
They just “work” – time and time and time again.
Only weak point is the speed slider – make sure its in good condition – use the optical guide to judge that its linear.
Not hard to get and change but you shouldn’t need/have to.
Lots of British hifi magazines favour the belt drive British tts but good direct dive units have a very large following in Asian regions, I think both have a place in a hifi system and more so the 1210’s look mucking cool.
I thought the 1210s were rated highly because of their robustness for DJs, rather than sound quality.
Exactly this
For “sound quality”, there’s several reasons to look past the Technics. But for DJ use, they are the original and still the best!
By all means, get one cos it looks cool and will outlast the holocaust, but in a good Hi-Fi setup like it sounds like you already have, you’ll probably notice a drop in sound quality.
Or… Buy a pair, and a mixer, and scratch that itch instead! 😆
Don’t forget – if you aren’t using them for the designed use then fit whatever cartridge you want to to get the sound you want.
The reason they often are seen to be down on quality is that in a hifi setup you are trying to isolate everything to the n’th degree.
In a club you care that it works, doesn’t skip, tracks regardless of the state of the vinyl, etc so the carts used are a lot heavier duty.
You should get yourself one, or two, then get a rather stylish T shirt with an illustration drawn by some bloody chancer, celebrating your love of both Technics and mountain bikes 😉
I bought 2 in 1986 during a past life as a venue DJ, still going strong today & used by my kids. Never ever gone wrong, really sturdy well made bits of kit, just changed the cartridge every so often. I used to use Stanton cartridges back in the day but I think now Audio Technica for more home use.
I have one one sitting in my lounge that I bought back in the late 80’s and it still feels great to own something so iconic. In terms of hifi sound, I’m sure that I read in a magazine a little while ago about new 1210 s with upgraded high quality components for the true hifi market.
1210’s have had a bit of a revival even in Hifi circles quite a few experiments with new arms, isolation feet and so on. Generally the consensus seems to be that unlike high end direct drives like the Denon DP75 or big Micro Seki’s they aren’t built for the highest of fi. However I reckon that with a decent and compatible cartridge like a Sure MX97 they sound more than good enough for most people, very very good transient response. Also they are very adjustable and reliable.
Needs to be well isolated on a wall shelf or similar but, given that, I’d say they are better than a Planar 3. British Hifi Journalists were very biased against Japanese gear back in the day which is why for a time you could get amazing stuff on the cheap. Remember also the 1210 started as a good quality home TT not specifically for DJ’s.
Try one, you won’t lose money if you decide to sell.
Needs to be well isolated on a wall shelf or similar
I’ve seen people go to all sorts of elaborate lengths to isolate hifi equipment. One of the best simple solutions I’ve used in the past are these…
What we, back in the day, used to call “Hopper Poppers”, one under each foot works a dream. Not recommended if you’re going to be scratching on turntable, but just for playback… Cheap and effective isolation.
Try one, you won’t lose money if you decide to sell.
Will gain money if anything! They’ve been out of production a while now, and people are hanging on to them more and more. Prices were always strong, saw a ropey pair go for £450 some years ago, but that was the cheapest I’d ever seen. Both pairs I’ve had I sold for £600, last of which was 10 years ago.
I have got 3 Technics SP-10 MK 2 Turntables, which are fantastic bits of kit. Obviously only ever used 1, but when they came up for sale I couldn’t say no!
This is one of them –
Stupidly, I don’t have any photos of it actually in place, but I had a similar set up to this –
It did originally have a Audio Origami PU7 arm, but that got sold for a ‘downgrade’ to a SME M2 series around a year back.
Fantastic bits of kit! And Mboy is correct, anything of this age seems to be going up in value an astonishing amount!
Because of the previous sentence, this isn’t a sneaky classified add, as I wouldn’t sell these.
(Until I have to!)
I’ve got a 1200 – the un-DJ-ified version that the 1210s and later are variant of. It has the same internals and stop/start, pitch control etc but as delicate stylish little dials rather than big sliders and buttons. So you have to take your boxing gloves off to use them.
Rusty – have had a half an eye on DC6s for a while now..
They go really deep, sound very natural and have an accurate, flattish response.
Great with everything from solo piano to punk, have a huge soundstage and really boogie.
🙂
Just one reservation.
The horn tweeter is a bit different – can sound a bit coarse compared to a fabric dome now and then.
Can’t say it bothers me, but it might you.
Dalis and some older Missions sound really good with the amp too, nowhere near as natural and seamless as the Tannoys, but fun.
The Sensor 3’s were a great, but had a cuppy intonation to voices that would have eventually have got to me.
I’d be tempted to try the cheaper new Tannoys with the fabric dome, sounds like they’d be a decent match.
Nice one Slimjim! They’re really nice American Apparel t-shirts too. None of your cheapo FOTL nonsense. And you’ll be pleased to know I don’t make a penny, as a donation goes to Lancashire Wildlife Trust instead.
I drew that up as the 1210 is just such an iconic design classic, and as a fully paid up member of the acid house generation they provided the soundtrack to some of the best times of my life. Cheers Technics! 😀
I have a 1210 as my only turntable. I love it, had it from 2001 when they were 350 quid, not the 2 grand nutjob prices now.
I’m sure it’s not as good sound quality as other turntables, but it’s built like a tank and everything feels solid. The direct drive is a delight to use
I was sure difference between 1200 and 1210 was that 1200 were silver and 1210 were black.
Correct
I’ve got a 1200 – the un-DJ-ified version that the 1210s and later are variant of.
You are confused sir… You have an SL-1200 mk1. The mk2 came about after criticism from DJ’s wanting more robust platform, and a big slider for the pitch control. SL-1210’s came later, but the 1210 was just a 1200 painted black. After that came mk3’s, 4’s, even mk5’s. But it was the mk2’s that are the iconic model, the turntable that revolutionised DJing, so much so that when they refined it with the later versions, demand was still so strong for the mk2’s they didn’t dare ceasing production at the time!
I literally just sold a 1210mk2 last week on ebay. Got 380 for it but super clean ones go for 500+ it was a lovely thing forgot how heavy they are until I picked one up again, built like a brick shithouse.
So, somewhat unintentionally, I have ended up with 2 of the buggers..
And I can confirm that they are indeed rather bloody good.
In fact, with fairly rubbish cartridges they still sound 90% of the way towards my previous £1200 turntable.
Plus they are much more tactile in use, and look so darn good.
Picked one up fairly cheap and have fully serviced it including new lid and hinges and a good polish of the paintwork and its now looking 9/10 – so am going to sell it to fund the second one which subsequently popped up locally – a genuine 1 elderly owner in absolute mint condition. It’s a thing of beauty.
Well chuffed. Great machines. Having taken one apart to grease the tonearm height adjustment mechanism I can happily testify to their incredible build quality.
Am converted.