Good Direct Drives

@invictus005

PLX1000 is bad. Cheap Chinese knockoff. Let’s be honest here. 1200G is a high end Japanese product.

I agree, 100%.


And to everybody:

For me it’s such a strange to see a recommendation for a Pioneer turntables on audiophile’s forum. These Pioneer’s crap designed for a club use and djs, it’s a clone of the legendary SL1210mkII (cult model among the DJs). Pioneer’s target is professional market, on this market NO ONE would like to DJ on anything, but the SL1210/1200MKII ...

Instead of making their own turntable design for audiophiles, Pioneer just cloned Technics with some minor improvements. But the old SL1210mkII also can me improved by any user with better arm, better footers, better mats, better cables ...

@bur70n

after owning many years ago a few SL1200 and SL1210 MK2 and Mk5 I am hankering after a change in TT

How come the Pioneer crap can be better that SL1200 mkII or 1210 mkII and mkV, the weak points of those classic Technics decks can be easily upgraded manually. Pioneer DJ turntables must be avoided by anyone who would like to find something much better than their old SL1200mkII (or modified Sl1200mkII) and related. Buyin the Pioneer PLX1000 in this situation is so stupid. I've been using them for a couple of hrs in Paris, it's close to the SL1200mkII. 

What you can buy is Technics SP10mkII for $1200 max and nothing can beat it at this price, really!!!

If it’s too much then look for Technics SP-20 for half price, still great deck. Or maybe Denon DP-80 or Victor TT-81

If you need all in one then look for Luxman PD-441 (motor made by Micro Seiki). 

With all these option you will get an amazing direct drive turntable, completely different design compared to your old technics and that new 1200g which looks almost the same.

And most importnat is that you can make good looking plinth and you can use whatever tonearm you want! Vintage tonearms like Victor UA-7045 are so cheap and so nice!

You can have Drive, Plinth, Tonearm for much lower price than new SL1200g !

For the price of SL1200g i prefer Luxman PD-444 designed for two tonearms. The most ellegant turntable in the world.

Sp 10 is best dd 
better than 1200g

Well I took my system to my local dealer today, turns out I needed a new table as the arm on my current hybrid is all wrong and so instead of slowly upgrading I went feet first and have purchased a Rega Planar 3 with the Elys cart, sounded great on my system.

I could of gone down the 2nd hand and vintage route, but I was there could hear everything and so was able to try, also got a deal as it was there ex demo as they couldn't find the black in stock and so have a red one with over £150 off.

Plugged it all back together when I got home and I am a happy bunny, old turntable is now forsale and saving me from doing all those upgrades that the Planar already has! Wanted a new cart hence why I went in there to start with.

It's always funny how the dealers brainwashing people to buy belt-drive turntables like rega, pro-ject etc.

To listen to some vintage gear you need a time machine back to the 1986 where you could audition those amazing and inexpensive direct drives like the SP-10MKII, Luxman PD-441, Denon DP-80, Victor TT-81 with some amazing vintage MM cartridges. These stuff competes with something that cost x10 today. 

But you ended up with an entry level mainstream from your dealer, sad story. 

If you're serious about analog gear i'm sure you will replace this turntable in a few years. Now you've got what you paid for. 

@bur70n 

Congratulations on the new table.  I always hear great things about Rega.  I was going to go for the RP8, before I settled on the 1210GR.