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REVIEW: Technics by Panasonic sl-1200 mk2 Turntables

68.23.161.216


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Model: sl-1200 mk2
Category: Turntables
Suggested Retail Price: $500
Description: direct drive table with integrated arm
Manufacturer URL: Technics by Panasonic

Review by stale on January 12, 2008 at 15:16:34
IP Address: 68.23.161.216
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for the sl-1200 mk2


Over the years I had chance to hear this table several times and although I considered it nice table did not find it special at that time, but I did not hear it recently. Being cheapskate, number Technics SL1200 post with more than favorable opinions raised my curiosity again and I decide to give it a try.

So, before Christmas I bought the table, in this case stock SL1210MK2.

Will not talk about packaging, it is usual for this type of electronics. Setting it up was easy, only pieces to be installed are plater, couterweight(s), and headshell. Removable headshell is as expected help in setting up cartridge. Positive points are overhang gauge, supplied extra weight for heavy cartridges, 45 adapter (if anyone needs it) and VTA mechanism.

I installed my reserve cartridge, Shure 97xe, and used it for about week without critical listening too allow any possible break in to occur. I did not want to use my Ortofon MC25FL for such task and wanted also to have it readily installed on my VPI HW19MKIII for comparison (it is easier to swap from Rega arm to Technics than other way around).
Last weekend I sat down to recheck complete setup and for lengthy audition session.

First I listened it with Shure. As expected speed stability as there were no wows like on some lower end belt drives, i.e. Rega Planar 2/3, that I owned, but no discernible difference to my VPI.

Sound was fairly full bodied but noticeably lacking bottom extensions and especially rolled of top end. Soundstage was very good in left to right sense, but slightly lacking in depth.

Midbass and particularly upper bass was IMHO exaggerated, giving punch to the sound. As a result it seems it was fairly pleasurable with fast, dance type music, or kick drums. However, when slower and acoustical music was played, bass was obviously overdamped, notes would finish too soon. Also, bass was somehow disconnected from the rest of the music, there was distinctive lack of coherence. Bass part just draw to much attention to itself.

In spite of presence of the apparent attack in the bass i.e. kick drums, bass guitar, leading edges of the notes were rounded off, overall lacking the excitement. Overall detail was good but low level detail was definitively lacking. (Many would recognize some of the above traits as Shure sound). Also I should mention that I could not rid off slight static when touching headshell

Before taking Ortofon to Technics, I switched VPI/Ortofon combo. It confirmed previous observations, it was qualitatively on the higher level, went deeper, higher, had more detail including low level, bass was tight but had body, music was more wholesome, sense of flow and space returned, excitement was back...

So I installed Ortofon to Technics hoping to get, if not the same at least, similar results. I was wrong. Although top and bottom extension slightly increased in comparison to Shure, to my dismay, there was metallic overlay to high midrange lower treble, bass lost the punch, and not only that it was disconnected from the rest of the spectrum, it was the first time in any combination of the arms/tables that Ortofon cartridge appeared slower than Shure.

I tried whole range of load and VTA settings, but with minor changes (if we exclude way low loadings where cartridge completely lost its senses). Tried to listen to it for a few days to give it a chance, but never get used to that sound.

So what would be my summary about Technics?

It is very good table for the street price of about $450, and as always I recommend it in its price class. If its balance of strengths and weaknesses suits your taste or system, it is hard to beat, but definitively not, as touted, giant killer.

Equipment used for review:
VPI HW19MKIII -> Ortofon MC25FL/Shure 97xe -> Musical Surroundings Phonomena -> Rega RB250 (Technoweight, Incognito) -> Diamondback -> Musical Fidelity CD24Pre -> Straightwire Maestro -> Musical Fidelity A3.2CR -> Analysis Plus Oval 9-> Eminent Technology LFT-VIIIA (plus few other cables)

Other tables/arms owned: VPI HW19Jr, Rega Planar 2, Rega Planar 3, Thorens 160B, Technics SL-D202, Arms: Rega R200, RB250, RB300, Grace 707, SME 3009 (Fixed Headshell).


Product Weakness: Overdamped bass, lacking top and bottom extension, lack of low level detail, not too coherent sound.<br><br>Also, not a big deal negatives but part of the big picture worth mentioning: <br>lift must be pushed all the way down or it will not drop, you must lower lift to put arm to rest, drops too fast for my taste, cover can be lifted to 45 degrees only, due to shallow angle of the platter edge I would easily scratch my right hand nails to strobe dots (yes, my nails are longer than in most people but not too long)<br>
Product Strengths: Speed stability, good isolation, ease of setup, flexibility, ruggedness, presence of VTA, overall good spaciousness and rhythm.<br>


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: See text
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): See text
Sources (CDP/Turntable): See text
Speakers: See text
Cables/Interconnects: See text
Music Used (Genre/Selections): See text
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 16 x 9
Time Period/Length of Audition: 3 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): See text
Type of Audition/Review: Home Audition




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Topic - REVIEW: Technics by Panasonic sl-1200 mk2 Turntables - Stale 15:16:34 01/12/08 ( 41)