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Upcoming Technics SP-10R (100th Anniversary Model)

Ok GAE owners, now you can sell your turntables, because upcoming Technics 100th Anniversary model will be a new version of the reference SP-10mk3 and they call it SP-10R. Finally!

http://www.technics.com/uk/about/press/releases/20170830-sp-10r/

"Berlin, Germany (30 August 2017) – Technics has today announced the launch of the Reference Class SP-10R, its most premium analogue, direct drive turntable to date, which is anticipated to hit the market in early summer 2018. The news comes as Technics unveils a prototype of the new, cutting-edge turntable with the world’s top-level* S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio and rotational stability for the first time at this year’s IFA."

"Reference Class Turntable Promising Outstanding Results

The SP-10R features a brand new, coreless direct drive motor which, in addition to the two-sided rotor drive system that was used in the SL-1200G, boasts stator coils on both sides of the rotor, for a more powerful and accurate sound."

"The heavy platter features a three-layer structure consisting of brass, aluminum die-cast and deadening rubber, just like the platter of the SL-1200G. By optimising the natural frequency of each layer, external vibrations are thoroughly suppressed resulting in a beautifully clear and crisp audio experience."

"The SP-10R also features a new ultra-low-noise switching power supply, which, compared to a power supply unit using a transformer, is better at suppressing unwanted humming sounds and vibrations. The power supply unit is separate from the main turntable, preventing unwelcome noise from being transmitted to the turntable unit, for a sharper and clearer sound."


FIRST VIDEO with SP-10R:

https://youtu.be/g0AjawoIqmg

https://youtu.be/DKuYVWl8TpY

https://youtu.be/dFXzMs-fb88

https://youtu.be/0U2xkWCiQZw


P.S. Should we expect $15 000 or more ? And the new plinth comin soon?

Power supply looks funny, but the design of the drive is great, i think we should wait for the new version of the EPA-100 soon. Good news the GAE was not the last turntable !!!






128x128chakster

Showing 12 responses by inna

inna
7,132 posts
 
Albert says that his Technics' sound is closest to master tape dubs played on his Studer A810 of any turntable he has ever heard. If he is right, and I assume he almost certainly is, who needs Walker, TechDas, TW, Brinkmann etc ? It is also much less expensive.
inna
7,132 posts
 
Yes, Albert was talking about his Mk3 with top arms and cartridges. He's got two of them with four arms.
Still, the tape rules and it will. I'd rather get Studer for $5k or so, add another $5k to make it near perfect and chase master tape dubs.
Studer for the price of a cartridge...
Even Otari and some others should be capable of beating almost any vinyl set-up. But if you have thousands of records and listen to most of them then yeah maybe better stay with vinyl. Not my situation.
inna
7,132 posts
 
lewm, records can cost just as much and more. Tapes too can cost much more than $100. I am very selective and don't need too many, nor do I need to have them all right away.
$15k turntable plus tonearm, cartridge and phono is also only for the well-off. We are talking about $100k system, at least.

inna
7,132 posts
 
Yeah, well, ideally you need a few sources - R2R, turntable and digital, and that's exactly what I am after, only for now it is Nakamichi 682ZX cassette deck for compilations and background music instead of Studer. Taping from friends' vinyl is a great idea.
LP shipping from Germany to the US is usually the least expensive, it is $15-$20 registered from Japan. I think, the average cost of my LPs is about $30. But if I wanted some original US or Japanese pro pressings in M- condition or some original UK, this would be over $100 on average. Still less than good master tape dubs.
inna
7,132 posts
 
Those mentioned record collectors are criminals by audiophile standards.
inna
7,132 posts
 
However, I fully understand the interest in this Technics. Unfortunately, only few of us will be able to get it. Any audiophile can afford decent open reel deck. The more people are interested in it the more master tape dubs we will see, perhaps even those recordings that were never released on vinyl. And if the average price of good music on tape goes below $100, this will be within the reach for many. Most people who are not in retirement do not have much time for critical listening and they have to be selective. To have 5000 records and listen to only 500 is not something that I would do.
inna
7,132 posts
 
You may not want the Dragon if you make your own recordings, Dragon is the ultimate machine with reverse for playing cassettes recorded on other decks with its continuous playback head azimuth adjustment. Dragon is not particularly reliable, costly and expensive to maintain. Just two days ago I saw 682ZX on ebay for $600 in apparently good condition, it sold immediately. Yes, decks require maintanance from time to time, every few years perhaps. I use almost exclusively Maxell Vertex cassette tapes - the very best available. They do cost at least $100 each sealed, I just have a small supply.
For recording 682ZX, ZX-9 and 1000ZXL are better than Dragon, with 682ZX being the best value. ZX-7 is excellent as well.

inna
7,132 posts
 
I am not sure that even the designers of Nak 682ZX knew how good it could sound. I use $1900 retail cables with it and also had custom transformer installed in it. And those cables outperform big time the previous $800 ones.
Anyway, to return to the Technics. I still don’t know its disadvantages compared to great or even excellent belt drive. Why would I want to pay $15k for it plus custom plinth plus tonearm when I could have, say, top of the line Pear Audio table with arm for $10k? Michael Fremer said that its midrange and overall presentation had tape like drive and flow. That’s very high of him to say it. Even with my Nottingham Spacedeck I can’t say that the dynamics is the biggest shortcoming. It could be better, sure, but with excellent recording it is pretty good, and I am the one who won’t listen to any system with not good enough dynamics and drive. In any case, I understand that it is very much a cult thing, it should sell well for $20k too.
inna
7,132 posts
 
The more expensive NM records are the better for me, to the point of course. Less competition. And since I need very few I won’t starve. Just today I bought from Japan a historical and groundbreaking record by McLaughlin/de Lucia/di Meola - Friday Night in San-Francisco-. Original Japanese pro. This is the best you can possibly get except master tape dub. Not NM but EX, should be very listenable, I bought from this man before. $80 including registered shipping from Japan. Big bargain. A few months ago I bought from the same man another great record by this trio - Passion Grace&Fire. Again, original Japanese pro in Mint condition, $90 including shipping. Big bargain. Digital recording and mastering but sounds so much better on Japanese vinyl. But I have $5 records too, not many though.
inna
7,132 posts
 
Lewm, of course you are right. I meant Japanese first releases, often though not always there were Japanese reissues.
Friday Night was of course recorded in San-Francisco, but I have no idea where the master tape was and is. Passion Grace&Fire is a studio album that I think was recorded in Europe or mostly in Europe. Again, I don’t know the whereabouts of the master tape.
There are two first release Japanese pro records that I need badly but cannot find anywhere: Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame- and Al di Meola - Cielo e Terra-. There is supposedly one of the latter in Russia for $150. No thank you, I don’t know what I would get and return would be very problematic. Overpriced even for the NM copy too.
Trump is not for long, records last for at least over hundred years, and audiophile spirit will live forever, or close to it.
inna
7,132 posts
 
By the way, it should matter what kind of wood you use for the plinth. Since I belong to the school of tuners, it would be interesting to compare different woods and perhaps even different plinth shapes as well. And other details. Turntable is of course not a guitar or a violin but it is not a stone either. At this performance level experimentation is in order. I bet this Technics will not sound quite the same with Brazilian rosewood, African blackwood, ebony, kingwood etc. plinths. Not to mention the match with the arm. It's really a very complex sytem. Just give me that Studer and master tape dubs, vinyl is great for archive, though.
inna
7,132 posts
 
Yeah, as I said, it would be interesting to experiment with all that. I would not be surprised at all if different people, all having good hearing, preferred different plinths and also different plinth/arm/cartridge combinations. Neutrality is a myth. Sterility is not.
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