bossdj26 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have a good lead on securing one of these in pretty good shape for under $300 (inclusive of cartridge although I can't make it out and the guy doesn't know what is it) Guy says it's 100% in working order and is looking to sell it before he moves in a couple weeks so is willing to let it go cheaper youtube of actual unit: I already have a Debut Carbon as my primary turntable but my question: Is it worth it? I hear nothing but great things about these but is it worth acquiring and fixing up? I would not be pumping that much more money into it. Should I just stay happy with my carbon? I've always wanted to own one of these but I'm also saving up for a car which makes me hesitant to drop 200-300 on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trott3r Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Dont know what the local pricing is like for the 1200 as i am in the UK. Yes it is better than the carbon from what i have read. The main reason to buy one is the upgradability. There seems to be loads of mods or upgrades for the technics in the UK magazines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tardcore Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 as long as you are confident that it has no issues, just pick it up and try it out for a while. If you decide it wasn't worth the $, you can flip it for your money back or maybe a little profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorSelf Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have a good lead on securing one of these in pretty good shape for under $300 (inclusive of cartridge although I can't make it out and the guy doesn't know what is it) Guy says it's 100% in working order and is looking to sell it before he moves in a couple weeks so is willing to let it go cheaper youtube of actual unit: I already have a Debut Carbon as my primary turntable but my question: Is it worth it? I hear nothing but great things about these but is it worth acquiring and fixing up? I would not be pumping that much more money into it. Should I just stay happy with my carbon? I've always wanted to own one of these but I'm also saving up for a car which makes me hesitant to drop 200-300 on it Hey man, Im actually looking to get my hands on one of these. If you dont purchase, would you mind passing the sale on to me? I will buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossdj26 Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 i'm actually working out a deal with the guy, decided to pull the trigger if it falls through, i'll let you know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burntwolf Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 no complaints w/ mine... i did a few KAB upgrades...the fluid dampener was really noticable improvement... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Or, instead of having two $400 tunrtables, you could put the $400 into improvements to the turntable you already have!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Or, instead of having two $400 tunrtables, you could put the $400 into improvements to the turntable you already have!!!!!!!!!! +1 on this, the 1200 is a great DJ table which is why it holds it's value but if you want to make it into a proper hifi turntable you need to do a few upgrades. Of all the upgraded 1200's I've seen the owner has spent a fortune to get the sort of sound you can get from a proper hifi table straight out of the box for less. That said if you wanted to just try one then it's a pretty safe bet for buying and selling on again later. The love for the 1200 usually comes from people who have used them professionally which is understandable but it does depend what you want a 1200 for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Not a knock on either turntable. I'd just rather have one better/upgraded turntable than two standard tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossdj26 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 What would be your recommendation on tweaking the carbon (besides the usual acrylic platter/speedbox)? i know it's a bit limited if i fell in love with the 1200 mk2, I'd probably end up selling off the carbon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Not sure if there are any better bearings or sub platters about for the Project so baring getting the soldering iron out and re wiring the arm the acrylic platter and speedbox might be the only things open to you. Your upgrade path is actually better catered for with the 1200 as you can change the arm which isn't as easy a possibility with the Project. It's just that you already have a pretty good arm on the Project I have nothing against the 1200 and it is a superb DJ deck, well pretty much the industry standard, and you can make a stunning sounding and looking deck out of them but it depends very much what you want out of your turntable and how far you wan to go with it money wise. Of the two I actually prefer the 1200 probably because of my DJ roots but never ran one at home for long because I always think of them as a working deck not a listening one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForSunday Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 The 1200 was designed as a hi-fi deck, the specs and design were top of the line Technics. To call it a DJ table is false. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tardcore Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 The 1200 was designed as a hi-fi deck, the specs and design were top of the line Technics. To call it a DJ table is false. the DJs will be disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 The 1200 was designed as a hi-fi deck, the specs and design were top of the line Technics. To call it a DJ table is false. Yes it was at the time in the 70's but never a top end one, it never was a hifi deck in the same way as something like an LP12 for instance or the better AR. It's no better or worse than it's other late 70's contemporaries and that whole SL range is very competent but the 1200 always commands a higher price than the rest because it became the go to DJ turntable not because it is better than any of them. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against the 1200 and have always been a fan but in the hifi world there is bucket loads of bullshit written and said to justify high prices for the things you are supposed to buy and in my experience with a lot of these hyped bits of kit at their market price they can be bettered. Not knowing the condition $300 seems lowish for a 1200 but in my head $300 could be better spent on a vintage turntable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ight Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I have one, so obviously I'm biased. But I'd say it's one of the best options available if you're looking to spend around $300 on a table. They tend to go for a bit more on eBay I believe, but for $300 you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. They're built like tanks and will likely last you a very very long time without issue. Plus there are plenty of ways to upgrade them to sound even better. Unless you're ready to start dumping some serious cash into your system, I don't think you'd be dissatisfied with an upgraded SL1200, or even one without upgrades. From wiki: Originally released as a high fidelity consumer record player, it quickly became adopted among radio and club disc jockeys, thanks to the direct drive high torque motor design, making it, initially, suitable for pushbutton cueing and starting of tracks on radio. [...] A primary design goal was for hi-fidelity, but having good build quality, control over wow and flutter, and minimized resonance led to the equipment being particularly suitable for use in nightclubs and other public-address applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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