technics sl-1200 mk ii...audiophile quality?

2

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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    Toolfan66 wrote: »
    Yep!! They are so nice and impressive to see in person..

    .

    There is a really good deal on one of these on audioasylumtrader right now! Still too much for me.
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  • pglbook
    pglbook Posts: 2,222
    edited December 2012
    I always thought the Technics SL 1200 MK II was a great turntable. Solid (the proverbial "buily like a tank" definitely defines this tt), steady, and very nice sounding. Unfortunately, since they are no longer being made and can only be found in the vintage market, the tricky part is to find one that has not been abused by a DJ. And prices do seem to be going up for these as well.
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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    Is the sl-1210 comparable to sl-1200? Local guy selling 2 for $850. 5 years old with Shure cartridge (model not known). Says thay have not been used in a club, but with him having two of them I am sure he must have used them to play amateur DJ at least.
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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    Thanks Keiko. If flipping works as you say that would be awesome. The pics of the two TTs look reasonable but I won't know the condition until I actually see them.
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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    Anyone want to go halfsies if I have to buy the pair? as things stand it would be $425 plus shipping for the extra unit.

    The seller is a bit hard to contact but he did tell me that the pair is in excellent condition.
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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    usp1 wrote: »
    Anyone want to go halfsies if I have to buy the pair? as things stand it would be $425 plus shipping for the extra unit.

    The seller is a bit hard to contact but he did tell me that the pair is in excellent condition.

    No one interested? Hmmm.... gives me pause....might be hard to flip the second one. Hopefully I can negotiate a better price.
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  • ErasmusBDragon
    ErasmusBDragon Posts: 113
    edited December 2012
    usp1 wrote: »
    Is the sl-1210 comparable to sl-1200? Local guy selling 2 for $850. 5 years old with Shure cartridge (model not known). Says thay have not been used in a club, but with him having two of them I am sure he must have used them to play amateur DJ at least.[/QUOTE

    The cartridge is a key issue. If it is a Dj cart, you may not be pleased with it as an audiophile cart.
    If it si a V15 series- great; also great are M97 or M91.
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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    The cartridge is a Shure SC35C so not very good. I went and saw the tables...both in very good condition and everything seems to be working well. But he wont budge from the price. Not sure I want to pay that much and then be tuck with an extra turntable.
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  • Jhayman
    Jhayman Posts: 1,548
    edited December 2012
    Just pick up a Pro-ject Debut Carbon for $400 with a nice 2M Red cartridge already installed..
    Unless you want to scratch like a DJ, lol
    ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables
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  • usp1
    usp1 Posts: 207
    edited December 2012
    Keiko wrote: »
    I dunno, I still think you could do pretty well for yourself by flipping one. Check out the completed listings on fleabay.

    http://www.ebay.com/csc/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=technics+sl-1210m5g&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

    I am going to wait a bit and see if I can get any movement on price. Selling on fleabay means I have to find packaging for it so that it reaches undamaged.
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  • mister pig
    mister pig Posts: 28
    edited January 2013
    Wow this is the most civil discussion I have ever seen on the 1200, you guys are awesome. I have been a member of a site where this thread would spin out of control for several pages.

    With that said,a the SL1200 is a nice table for what it can be bought for on the used market. But now that it is discontinued, the prices are rising to where some of that value is gone. Still for a plug and play machine, it is very good. The positive traits is that it is well built, sturdy, has good tone arm adjustments, and is priced like a piece of consumer gear...not an audiophile niche product.

    Now with that being said, there are better turntables out there, and some of them at the same price off the used market. But many of those tables could be twenty plus years old. That doesn't mean they are worn out, but it does mean that they might need some basic refreshing, and you get a better table. tables from Thorens, CJ Sonegraphe, Systemdeck, AR, and a few others come to mind as an example. For a bit more money it could be possible to get into a base model VPI or SOTA.

    Also there are upgrades for the technics from KAB. I don't see eye to eye about some of his thoughts, but Kevin is a good source for 1200 parts and upgrades. His products look to offer excellent value for the money.

    Regards
    Mister Pig
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  • PolkMaster1
    PolkMaster1 Posts: 847
    edited January 2013
    The SL-1200MK II is a solid performer. Its speed control is top-notch and gives decent sound quality for its cost. I purchased my TT since I am a hard-core on DD and I like having the pitch control. I purchased them over 25 years and it is still going strong.

    I am taking mine to the grave along with my SDA-STS 1.2TLs. If you can get your hands on these, and are willing to perform some upgrades (pending on your budget), which can range from economical to an all-out-upgrade-assault, the results can be true audiophile bliss. The modifications that can be done really take this TT not just to the next level, but to such elevation that it can compete with the $5000 to $10000 TTs on the market. All you have to do is choose wisely with your upgrades.

    I have never heard a Pro-ject, Rega, or an SME TT, but I would like to compare their top-models next to my SL-1200 MK II-SE.

    I am curious to see how many here are interested in taking their 1200's to a whole new level.
    Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.

    The other 2% will work for WalMart.
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  • PolkMaster1
    PolkMaster1 Posts: 847
    edited January 2013
    Toolfan66 wrote: »
    Yep!! They are so nice and impressive to see in person..

    So does this make our Technics SL12XX the Emotiva of turntables??:lol:

    .

    No. Hold on to them!!!
    Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.

    The other 2% will work for WalMart.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited January 2013
    Here's my 1210MK2 !!! LOL!!
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  • PolkMaster1
    PolkMaster1 Posts: 847
    edited January 2013
    Toolfan66 wrote: »
    Here's my 1210MK2 !!! LOL!!

    Dont make me have to put Gorilla Glue on your hands to keep you from giving away your TT. :biggrin:
    Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.

    The other 2% will work for WalMart.
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  • mister pig
    mister pig Posts: 28
    edited January 2013
    I had an SP25 that I bought for an experiment to run against my current table. I built a 3 inch birch plywood plinth for it, and set it up to accept the tone arm off my other table. The arm actually floats in a bushing, so I could do a tone arm swap with correct VTA in 30 seconds or so.

    The SP25 is basically the same drive unit as the 1200, and many parts are interchangeable. You get to pick kyour own arm and plinth for the SP series, and Technics had some nice plinths and arms to pick from. The SP25 sounded very nice, and was extremely good for what it sold for. I bought mine for $200 off Audiogon. But it was not a world beater, and it was not to the level of my main table. Still it got very close, and was extremely affordable. There are upgrades out there for it, from bearing, to outboard power supply, and platter mats, but I saw no reason to invest a kilobuck or more to see what the final ending place would be. I sold it to a person who was a member at another forum. When he came over to pick it up, he auditioned both tables and could easily identify the differences. Even though he believed he wouldn't hear anything, and also thought that maybe his listening skills and or hearing would not be up to the task. He left happy with the Technics, but he would not say it was the equivalent of a multi thousand dollar table.

    Let me see if i can find pics of both tables. Got them as attachments, Added a third table that I am experimenting with, and it seems to be working nicely. Not a turntable snob, just trying to find good value for the money. Got nothing against DD, I would love to try a SP10 MK II one day.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited January 2013
    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?96700-DIY-Record-Cleaner-with-a-Technics-TT&highlight=Record+cleaning+machine%2A


    Missed the link..

    image.jpg
    image.jpg
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  • Hofy
    Hofy Posts: 169
    edited January 2013
    Toolfan, your Technics really sucks! :cheesygrin:
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  • PolkMaster1
    PolkMaster1 Posts: 847
    edited January 2013
    Toolfan -

    What kind of arm is that? And what is it made of? (It loooks like PVC) Is the arm air bearing with that shop vac on the bottom?
    Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.

    The other 2% will work for WalMart.
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  • astar13656
    astar13656 Posts: 164
    edited January 2013
    I have record cleaner cabnet envy!
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  • trans am
    trans am Posts: 91
    edited January 2013
    I had both rega p3 and 1200. I just resoldered the wimpy cables on the 1200 with signal cables/bullet plugs and the difference is huge. I sold the rega. I think it comes down to the cartridge and the cables on the 1200. I am using Ortofon red cartrige and the signal cables. I would love a Grado cartridge next. I just scored a GFP-750 Adcom pre but it doesnt have phono stage so I am in the market for a phono pre. any suggestions?

    also I noticed half my records are dirty so I was thinking of using the wood glue method.
    Adcom GFP-750
    Adcom GFA-555II
    Monitor Audio silver RX2
    NAD T585 SACD
    Technics sl-1200mk2 / ortofon m2 blue (signal cable/ Eichmann mod / Sumiko HS-12 Headshell
    Jolida JD9 II / Mulllard Tubes
    SignalCable Ultra speaker cables
    SignalCable Analog 2 IC's
    "ROMANCE WITHOUT FINANCE IS A DAMN NUANCE CAN YOU DIG I???"
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  • KellyMic
    KellyMic Posts: 166
    edited January 2013
    I have two of these and would never sale either, love them. I don't think you would have any trouble selling one.
    ---
    Polk Studio Monitor 4.6 Series 2's, Polk RT1000p's, Polk LSi25's, Boston Acoustic VR-975's
    Crown D-75, Crown CE1000, Crown CE2000
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  • Jhayman
    Jhayman Posts: 1,548
    edited January 2013
    How do you check the date of manufacture on the SL-1200 I have looked all over except for removing the platter?
    Thanks
    ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables
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  • KellyMic
    KellyMic Posts: 166
    edited January 2013
    Jhayman wrote: »
    How do you check the date of manufacture on the SL-1200 I have looked all over except for removing the platter?
    Thanks
    o
    It's in the serial number.

    http://www.kabusa.com/1200dating.htm
    ---
    Polk Studio Monitor 4.6 Series 2's, Polk RT1000p's, Polk LSi25's, Boston Acoustic VR-975's
    Crown D-75, Crown CE1000, Crown CE2000
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  • Jhayman
    Jhayman Posts: 1,548
    edited January 2013
    Thanks

    Umm Cool according to Kab mine was made in 2003 May..
    It has to be 2003 not 1993 because it's in Fantastic shape barely any marks on it at all, including the dust cover.:cheesygrin:.
    ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables
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  • Jhayman
    Jhayman Posts: 1,548
    edited January 2013
    This is how mine looks..
    I'm curious is that the normal color of the SL-1200 MK2 because from reading online I believe it says it should be silver..
    http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-electronics-Technics-SL-1200-MK-2-Turntable-MINT-CONDITION-W0QQAdIdZ448030907
    Thanks
    ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited January 2013
    ^^You have the SL-1200MK2PK^^ This is the black version of the 1200 MK2. The only difference is the color. I have the silver version, but I always wanted a PK. I could never find one around me for a decent price.
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  • Jhayman
    Jhayman Posts: 1,548
    edited January 2013
    Cool Thanks Dawgfish..
    Now off to try and find a cart that will do it justice..
    ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited January 2013
    No problem. What's your budget for a cart?
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  • Jhayman
    Jhayman Posts: 1,548
    edited January 2013
    around $200 max
    I will be going to a specialty store tomorrow the biggest in Toronto,Bay Bloor Radio, you know the places that sell$50,000 speaker wire..
    So maybe you could look at their webpage and check out my best option for $200
    Thanks
    ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables
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