markaj311 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Interested to hear a few suggestions for a good turntable from Technics. I really dig their design and I want something older, no Rega or Debut Carbon. I'm looking for a few suggestions as to models that will fit into my budget ($350). I like this one below, but judging by price alone I'm guessing I can do better. Thanks for any suggestions! http://www.ebay.com/itm/TECHNICS-SL-1900-DIRECT-DRIVE-AUTOMATIC-TURNTABLE-SYSTEM-Home-DJ-MAKE-OFFER-/221461899357?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item339028685d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out of Breath Records Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I've got two of these from my mom: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Technics-SL1200-MK2-DJ-Direct-Drive-Turntable-/271515690803?pt=US_DJ_Turntables&hash=item3f3798a733 They sound great and very solid design. They're pretty fuckin heavy too. Haven't had experience with other tables, but I like mine a lot, and don't think I would replace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorSelf Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 My advice is to not buy turntables off ebay. The prices are inflated and you never know what can happen in shipping. Check craigslist. There are always technics popping up and if youve got 350 you can probably find a good deal on a SL1200 which some can argue is the best technics you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 My advice is to not buy turntables off ebay. The prices are inflated and you never know what can happen in shipping. Check craigslist. There are always technics popping up and if youve got 350 you can probably find a good deal on a SL1200 which some can argue is the best technics you can get. +1 always try and buy turntables directly from the seller and cash is king so if it's on ebay as a buy it now go round and try and do a deal with the cash in you're hand. The SL1200 is in the same range as the SL1900 and all it's other derivatives but the 1200 was picked up as the DJ turntable of choice and still commands a good price because of that and also for the same reason was made is various versions up until quite recently, in fact i think there is a petition to get Panasonic to put it back into production. The 1200 is the same basic engineering as all the others but obviously as it stayed in production longer was improved and changed over the years. If you don't need the variable speed etc just standard 33 and 45 then an SL1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900 will be cheaper than a 1200 but harder to find. Avoid all the black plastic crap Technics decks although they are not all black but usually have a number that starts SL-B, that's not a hard and fast rule though as some are perfectly good but the price should reflect the fact they are noat as good. One good differentiator of the SL range is that you can get after market armboards to allow you to replace the standard Technics arm, people don't bother with that if the basic thing is crap. I would get a vinyl engine account as all the details of all of them are up there along with a lot of that manuals and specs etc. it will make it easier to sort the pearls from the poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpingBean Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 The SL-1200-1500 came first and then the sl-1600-1800 came later. The first series is considered slightly better, but both are considered audiophile level direct drive tables. I have a 1300 myself and I love it.Technics did make some very high end tables like the SP-10, SP-7 and the SL-1000, but they are expensive and hard to come by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burntwolf Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Been pretty happy w/ 1210 (just 1200 in black). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The SL-1200-1500 came first and then the sl-1600-1800 came later. The first series is considered slightly better, but both are considered audiophile level direct drive tables. I have a 1300 myself and I love it. Technics did make some very high end tables like the SP-10, SP-7 and the SL-1000, but they are expensive and hard to come by. The SP-10 is a work of art but takes a bit of commitment, it was designed to be fitted into a console at a radio station with the arm separately mounted and to use one at home you need to make or have made a plinth to fit it all in A good few years ago I got a pair from a radio station that was having a refit and sold one which went some way to the cost of the granite plinth I had made for the one I kept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markaj311 Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Thanks for the help guys! I love the way they look in black but don't want to sacrifice on sound.. do you guys think the SL-1900 is any good? I guess what I'm trying to find is a good not great Technics table thats black and around $300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 The 1200 comes in black and silver as standard and lots of other colours in between. The 1900 doesn't look as nicely made as the earlier ones to me but I've never owned one so I could be way off, JumpingBean is probably your man for a more accurate appraisal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.