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TECHNICS SL1200 MKII.......THE REAL FACTS

I have been a very active participant in this hobby for many years (going on 30). I have owned amplifiers by B&K, Marantz, Forte, VanAlstine, Accuphase, GAS, Onkyo Grand Integra, Musical Fidelity.....Speakers by Thiel, Energy, Genesis, Vandersteen, PSB, Definitive Tech, KEF, Mission, B&W....Turntables by Sota, Rega, Linn, AR, Thorens, Dual, and yes; Technics. I have a Technics SL1200 MKII which I have had for a few years now. It has been modified in the following ways (all mods based on trial and error and final listening results):
-TT Weights 454 record weight
-XPM1 Acrylic mat with 1/4" heavy Technics rubber mat underneath
-Steel plinth cover (chrome finish). I cannot explain why, but the background is more quiet and micro dynamics are better with this in place.
-Armtube stuffed loosely with cotton.
-Heat shrink tubing on outside of arm tube.
-Stock headshell replaced with Sumiko with Sumiko headshell wires (do NOT underestimate what headshell quality can do with these things).
-Plugs on the stock cables replaced with better plugs: Vampire OFC RCA plugs.
-Bearings adjusted for minimal play with minimal friction.
-KAB Power Supply added

Now, this is the scoop. I do not want a Technics turntable. I am an audio snob. I want only salon approved brands; period. That is why this situation sucks dog. Out of all the turntables I have owned. This Technics with this combination of mods has the blackest background, the best dynamics, the most detail, the clearest stage, the most pace and timing and overall just simply plays the song in the least-confused manner of ANY turntable I have ever owned. In many ways it makes every other turntable I have ever owned sound like Amateur Night in sonic comparisons. Facts are facts. The Technics SL1200 MKII, when properly tweeked, is one serious LP playback unit. At least the chrome plated steel plinth cover covers up the name.
audiomaster1967
aigenga
131 posts
 
Imagine what you could do with one of the high-end Japanese direct drive tables, say an SP10 MK ll . I think you'd be able to put away your shame. :)
glenfihi
525 posts
 
You are an audio snob. Not that there is anything wrong with that. :] Pride of ownership goes along way. You should love your gear just to look at it. Sound, sight and feel all matter, if it matters to you.
jsd52756
420 posts
 
-Armtube stuffed loosely with cotton.
-Heat shrink tubing on outside of arm tube.
The above is brilliant. Great idea.
I also use the Sumiko head shell and wires. And yes they do help.
-John
lewm
12,537 posts
 
OK, so your Technics sounds better to you than did your "Sota, Rega, Linn, AR, Thorens, Dual". Each of those brands comes in several flavors (except for the AR). If you owned the low end of each line, your results with the SL1200 are not at all surprising or remarkable, IMO.

Now as to the "steel plinth cover", I am a bit confused. Is this kind of a "cap" that sits over the plinth so that the platter and tonearm poke through it, or are you talking about what is in effect a dust cover?

Finally, it's a wonder the platter can still rotate with all that added mass from your aftermarket platter mat and record weight. Theory says that adding so much mass might compromise the proper operation of the servo system, which was designed to cope with the inertial mass of the stock platter and mat. Also, the bearing is under extra stress, which may or may not be a longterm issue. But if the net result pleases you, it's all good. I do think that getting rid of the stock rubber mat (or in your case, covering it with another mat) is a good move.
jmoog08
17 posts
 
I started off with a technics 1210, and have been very happy with it. Every now and again I get the urge to "upgrade" to a system that would impress an audio snob, but at the end of the day I know I would not come close to reaping the aural benefits of investing four times the amount I have already spent on my current setup. It's a shame that the 1210 was discontinued, but not that suprising. I guess manufacturing an heirloom product is a little incongruous with our culture of perpetual obsolesence. I'm not an audiophile, but to me one of the simple pleasures of life is coming home on a Friday, and pouring a glass of wine while Monk or Otis spins on my Technics. To reiterate it's bloody shame that it is no longer commercially available at $399.
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