KAB 1200 vs. everything else.

I believe Kevin is being extremely optimistic ..

Me too!
I own a TW Acustic Raven One with Michell Tecnoarm and the SL1210 with some Kab Mods ..
The SL1210 sounds fantastic for the money it costs .. but please don't compare with a Raven One

I could see a fully modded Technics SL-12xx making it very difficult to see significant performance gains until you reach the $4,500 to $5,000 price range. Granted, this is just conjecture on my part, but I feel there is a big price / performance gap between the $1,000 and $3,500 price range. Until you're ready to drop some coin, you're better off focusing on set-up and low-dollar tweaks on an SL-12xx than investing in what I see as the analog "no man's land." Again, just my opinion.

The modded 1210 is "fun", but not as spectacular as Kevin's claim . I love Kevin, though. I'd suggest you listen to a Rega 3 or 5 and see what you think. I'd own a 1210 in a hearbeat, though. It is rock-solid and will provide more music than ANY CD player.

Except for a rehabbed idler. I have a Thorens TD111, which is their lowend offering. It does have more impact, weight, and drive. It is speed stable. Plenty of torque. You can get an old "needs work" idler for about $500+. You will need an arm, and a plinth.

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