New Technics vs. old

I’ve taken several steps up from the barbaric SL-1200mk2, to the ultra-refined SL-1700mk2. It’s not quite what the SP-10mk3 with a nice arm would be, but it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the new pseudo-semi-auto unit or the SL-1200mk7 or G or GAE. 

Lewm, the semi-auto SL-1700mk2 and its manual brother SL-1800mk2 and fully auto sister SL-1600mk2 are Adam’s rib from which the SL-1200mk2 was created. The main difference is that the SL-1200mk2 has virtually zero vibration isolation with its rubber base on relatively nice rubber feet. The SL-1200mk2 doesn’t have the combined TNRC substrate and spring suspension on rubber feet that its more sophisticated cousins have. These three different isolation systems work in combination to dispatch vibration very effectively. The SL-1200mk2 shares the same motor, quartz locked motor drive circuitry and tonearm, but lacks the enhanced cuing and pitch controls outside of the dustcover. The only reason that the SL-1200mk2 has an almost cult-like following is because of hoards of brainwashed rap-“DJ”s that think only a SL-1200mk(x) will work with their serato record scratching toys. For their purposes, the more sophisticated suspension interferes with their need to do what people who want to enjoy and preserve their record collection cringe at. 

There is a distinction between real deejays and rap-“DJ”s that just scratch records and fool with faders and pitch controls like they know what they’re doing. The rap-“DJ”s don’t can only use a turntable that has no suspension. That is why in the 80’s when rap came out, the SL-1200mk2 sales took off. Note that the lack of a proper suspension makes the SL-1200mk2 very prone to problems from vibrations, hence it is not a good turntable for audiophile applications. On the other hand, rap-“DJ”s have never been concerned with quality and vibration isolation. 

The SL-1200mk2 standard feet are pretty good for rubber feet. In fact they’re so good that I’ve retrofitted my SL-1700mk2 turntables with them, as they are better than the stock feet. 

The fundamental flaw with the SL-1200mk2 is it’s relatively non-compliant rubber base. 

What is your take on “Echo In The Canyon”? Saw it yesterday. Liked it a lot, can’t say I loved it though. The upcoming Crosby biopic will likely fill in a few missing details, but I feel the scope of artists was too narrow. Entertaining enough though, and made me laugh a few times when misadventures of our Rock heroes and heroines were reminisced.