It is completely different turntable compared to classic mk2, mk3d, mk5g versions. Even the DIY upgraded mk2 can easily surpass your stock mk5g, there is nothing special in mk5g, it is still the same mk2 in general. But the latest Technics turntable is a different animal. I can understand why their marketing team choose mk2 design for new ultimate version, but i would preffer rebirth of sp-10mk2 or sp-10mk3, epa-100 tonearm and epc 100 mk4, lol. Seach audiogon and you will find dedicated thread about new technics turntable.
I will stick to SP-10mk2 with custom plinth and tonearm of my choice. |
@dave_72
ok cool, i'll check out the 1200gr for around 2k. however, the 1210 m5g does have better tonearm wiring and phono cable as well as an improved tonearm...
It's the same tonearm. Rewing of the stock Technics cost under $25 for Cardsa tonearm wires and about $70 for external cable if you choose the same Cardas 33awg + RCAs of your choise for a bit extra. The mk5 belongs to mk2 family, but the GAE is not and that's why the price difference is so big. |
@andysf I don’t find the looks of the SP 10 to be more attractive, in any case. Really? Maybe the stock technics obsidian plinth is not attractive at all, but if you put your SP-10mk2 in a good wooden plinth (like i did with mine, click here) it does looks much better and can accept any king of tonearm including "12 inch. |
@andysf Your plinth looks great but the SP 10 was designed for professional use and looks the part: a bit clunky and 70s bland. I didn’t say it looked bad-just not any better than the SL 1200! If you prefer just the "look" of the SL1200 mk2 over the SP10mk2 then it’s a matter of taste, but you can’t ignore the fact that SL1200mk2 is not the hi-end turntable at all, in stock condition it’s a dark sounding turntable, not interesting at all, but the SP10mk2 is the ultimate along with SP10mk3 and compete with any modern hi-end decks of any price. Yes, they were made for broadcast studios back in the days which makes them very special, same with broadcast Denon, EMT etc. I have owned a pair of SL1210mk2 for 20 years and still own them, they were fully upgraded and have been used with top Technics cartridges like EPC-100cmk3 or EPC-205mk4 along with 20 others top of the line MM and a few MC carts. Untill i found SP10mk2 with EPA100 or Thomas Schick tonearm much more atractive. No matter how much you invest upgrading SL1200mk2, this deck is far away from SP10mk2 and the main problem is the tonearm. For the cost of the upgrade of the SL1200mk2 anyone could buy used SP10mk2 and invest more in tonearm and plinth to get much better turntable than anything on the market today. I ended up with vintage Luxman PD444 which i like as much as my SP10mk2, but on Luxman i can use 2 tonearms. I also have rare Technics SP20 and 2x1210mk2, but i don’t use them much. |
@atmasphere I think it's not easy to mount different tonearm on SL 1200 GAE or SL1200 mk2. It's impossible to mount "12 tonearm and most of the "9 or "10.5 inch tonearms (except maybe jelco, sme, audiomods, dynavector, rega etc) does not fit into position of the new armboard. I'm talking about affordable japanese vintage tonearms, not about luxury modern arms that cost $2000-5000 (for this money anyone could buy complete vintage tunrtable with perfect tonearm on it).
And btw the speed stability on my SP10mk2 or Luxman PD444 is enough to enjoy the music.
Anyway the GAE could be a good deck in the next 5 years when they are available used for half price, lol. |
@raymonda
I have no doubt that the new SL1200 is a great deck but I too find it f'ugly. Just not my cup of tea. Well built but f'ugly. I wish it looked more like the prototype's that leaked out rather than an un-creative rehash of an old, tired design. Plus, as mentioned.......there are the tonearm limitation, too. I try to not get too caught up in looks, believing form follows function, but looks do count when they can be controlled. I agree with you about design, i think it was decision of the marketing department to reproduce design of the most popular turntable just to sell more, but on the new luxury level of design and sound quality. Panasonic made some design choices and used the old platform for a good reason. To sell this product to those fans that have an older 1200, status for DJ and hopes that the audiophile community will get past the design choices and choose it for what it brings.
Believe me 99% of the DJs never spend $2000 for single tunrtable as they need 2 of them for dj set up, so $4000, target price for DJs is $600 per unit or cheaper for used, so GAE is definitely not a DJs choice. 99% of the DJs never spend more than $150 even for a cartridge, normally $50 for Shure m44-7. I don't think that even night clubs will buy GAE since their old 1200mk2 or mk3d is the club standard and works well for 35 years if they change pitch in time. The GAE is for the audiophiles, but with a look of the DJ turntable (thanks to their best selling 1200mk2) which is strange, indeed. |
@raymonda
DJ's with money will buy them. Who do you think bought all those gold plated 1200's, customized, powdered. coated, bling out 1200's. As soon as the big name DJ's have them the masses will follow. $1600 today is close to the actual cost of a 1200 in the early 80's.
maybe it's not the right forum to talk about djing, but i've been in this business for 20 years, the cost of the 1200mk2 since the mid 90s was $400-500 new, now (20 years later) about the same for used in perfect condition. The limited gold 1200 ltd wasn't the mass product, something like 1000 units only. Millions of djs would never buy pair of GAE for $4000, they do rather spend everything on records instead, they are not audiophiles and in most cases even super star djs are more concerned about studio equipment for music production, active monitors and similar stuff. In this world the 1200mk2 is a legendary turntable. Today i got pair of 1200mk2 for rewiring from a friend who own them for 30 years and never changed anything (typical dj phylosophy), because they are good enough and works fine. At the same time i'm not trying to they the don't like GAE, they are just overpriced for djs, they don't care about audiophiles stuff. In my opinion the GAE will never be a dj standard or club standard like it was with 1200mk2. Cheaply made Pioneer turntables filled the pro marked along with Stanton when the Technics quit production of 1200mk2 not so long ago. I wish we could live in a better world where local discoteques or bar invites djs to play jazz, disco or soul vinyl on TAD/Kinoshita speaker with tube amps and turntables like GAE as a standard. In reality it's possible only in Japan. |
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@jbhiller @Chakster,
Why is the ToneAudio review of the 1200 G useless? This is very subjective point of view, it is more like an article in the blog than professional review, there is no real comparison, no data, nothing. The fact that GAE is better than 1200 or 1200mk2 is obvious (look at the price). Where is the comparison of the GAE to the proper Technics stuff like SP10mk2 or SP10mk3 (with Miscro Seiki copper matt like CU-500) or some other top class vintage direct drives like Denon, Victor, Pioneer from the 70s and 80s? Where is the comparison test of the new arm and old EPA-100 or EPA-100mk2 or EPA-500 for example? And the Ortofon Skratch cartridges... he must be kidding? Maybe it’s just be, but i’ve been using SL1200mk2 for 20 years and i still got them running in the dark corner of my room (fully upgraded), i’m so extremely bored about this design, it’s not attractive anymore for me like it was in 1996. This is so stupid that Technics new turntable is not a reincarnation of the SP10mk2 or SP10mk3 and EPA-100 tonearm! This is my opinion, i know most of the users are happy, but maybe for you it’s like a come back to your childhood or something, for me it’s just the same looking deck that i’ve been using contantly for 20 years, so i’m not so enthusiastic about this GAE and that Tonearm at all, especially for $4000, i believe it’s a good turntable, but common... sorry. The decks i really love and use now in the main system are SP-10mk2, SP-20 and Luxman PD-444 and they are much more attractive and much easier to use with any tonearm i want or two tonearms at the same time. This is what i call usability and oustandign sound quality for much less money. I don’t care about new turntables and the hype about this GAE with warranty card etc. This is a top deck as described everywhere in the stpid reviews like that tone audio, but most of the audiophiles would like to replace the tonearm straight away. So why not just release the transport then? And the arm like EPA-100 that everyone loves from the first sight? Personally i would never buy this GAE even for half price, the design is important for me and i’m tired of this SL1200mk2 or SL1210mk2 looks. The choice of tonearm is important for me and i want to have a deck for any type of the arm. I don’t want to pay for the tonearm that i don’t need in the future since i have much better tonearms like Reed 3p "12 or many vintage japanese tonearms. Peace Out |
@moonglum i will add my 50 cents Panasonic/Technics then decided to RUIN the whole thing by putting a “crappy” rubber mat on it as their standard, deeply researched, recommendation?
If things really are as bad as you describe you need to have a word with the manufacturer as a matter of urgency! ;^)
I think he’s right. When i replaced rubber mat on my Technics Sp10mk2 with Micro Seiki CU-500 is was a huge upgrade, seriously. I have not tried the CU-180 which i have as a spare (if anyone need it), unfirtunately it does not fit into my Luxman PD-444 platter as good as on Technics. The CU-500 is thicker, but both the CU-180 and CU-500 fits the Technics SP-10mk2 (and mk3) platter like it was made especially for Technics. I can’t use rubber mats anymore. On LUX i use Saec SS-300 mat. Here is a picture of my spare CU-180 https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19748589_1777769435574549_8730619823982480662_n.jpg?oh...And this is CU-500 on my SP-10mk2 https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12923282_1223524284332403_4878242080706096266_n.jpg?oh... |
@audiofun
Chakster:
that mat looks gorgeous! I need to polish mine :) now that I've viewed your picture.
Thanks, but may i ask what do you use to polish those mats? |
@audiofun Yes, I use Weiman Silver Wipes, works great with copper. There is another, I’ll get the name and let you know. Nice, i think Weiman Silver Wipes will help me to polish my Luxmans 444 and probably Victor UA-7045 tonearms. |
Pani, now much is the Krebs mod of Sp10mk2?
and why not the Victor TT-101 which must be superior to all of them? |
I wonder how many of you experienced with Luxman PD-444 with its "magnet suspended loadfree spindle & crystal phase locked loop" made by Micro Seiki ? I use two of them and this is the turntable than need no modifications (imo), because the 24kg plinth is simply amazing and ready for two tonearms. |
Anybody watched this video
Caliburn vs. SL-1200G ? |
