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12" arm on the New Technics SL-1200GAE

64.122.72.31
Posted on April 17, 2017 at 11:14:20
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002



Just though y'all might want to see this- we did this installation this for a customer. Its pretty sweet- really have to think about getting one of these for myself!

 

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RE: 12" arm on the New Technics SL-1200GAE, posted on April 17, 2017 at 12:06:52
bill_stevenson@bellsouth.net
Audiophile

Posts: 418
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Joined: January 6, 2015
 Very professional conversion. You are to be commended. I love my GAE. How do they compare sound wise?

 

The 12" Triplanar is like the last word..., posted on April 17, 2017 at 12:41:19
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
 The arm and table together play LPs with imaging like tape machines, if you've ever heard that. Locked in- solid, no shimmer in the soundstage (which you really don't know about until you go this last bit with the 12" arm).

We added a better platter pad as I didn't like the stock one.

The new Technics is IMO/IME impeccable- its damped in five different ways. It has good rigidity between the platter surface and the base of the tone arm- essential if the 'table is going to be neutral in presentation (the arm board was built to take advantage of this fact rather than rob the machine of that which is a common problem with a lot of the arm boards for the earlier SL1200s). The speed stability has a lot more in common with the SP-10 MkIII, making this the most speed-stable turntable in production world-wide-price-no-object- Technics has done their homework on servo control and the machine has plenty of torque which is essential in any good turntable.

Because of the longer arm tube which is also damped of arm resonance, the arm does not editorialize. Because of the new platter pad, the LP is damped yet properly supported so the mechanical noise of the arm tracking in LP is a silent affair (many arms make a bit of tracking noise which is always a bad sign). The Triplanar is not only the most adjustable arm made, it also has the hardest metal bearings of any arm made. These bearings are also tiny so the arm is very free despite having no play in it whatsoever.

The combination is a bit eerie- its very effortless and the soundstage is so locked in- but you get used to it really fast. Its fun to hear two of the best of today's analog products together like this- the project really turned out well!

 

Very nice., posted on April 17, 2017 at 14:17:29
Ugly
Audiophile

Posts: 2912
Location: Des Moines, WA
Joined: August 22, 2006
 Can't help but wonder about how it looks beneath the nice and neatly done surface. Is this a hint of future commercial long arm conversion product? Can you show any pics or give a description of how the plinth to arm board interface are handled? Were there modifications to the Technics plinth which were necessary for this?

Very cool.

 

RE: The 12" Triplanar is like the last word..., posted on April 17, 2017 at 15:25:55
Dave Garretson
Audiophile

Posts: 2448
Joined: June 14, 2005
 Nicely done. I suppose I need to think about selling off my SP-10 MKII and emerging from the Pleistocene. But not sure about parting with the L07D or Luxman PD444.

 

RE: The 12" Triplanar is like the last word..., posted on April 17, 2017 at 15:45:33
rosendds@frontiernet.net
Audiophile

Posts: 599
Location: North East
Joined: November 13, 2010
 What did you replace the stock platter mat with?

 

Thanks!, posted on April 18, 2017 at 08:57:57
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
 We shipped it already.

The Triplanar uses three screws for mounting. So other than drilling those holes and threading them, there was no machining to the plinth. The arm board is mounted to the same points in the chassis to which the original arm was mounted. So it looks quite neat from underneath- much like the arm board does from above.

 

How does it compare to your Empire rebuild?, posted on April 18, 2017 at 12:32:59
jbrrp1
Audiophile

Posts: 483
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2007
 I have always admired that piece, and I wonder how this compares. Thanks!

 

RE: How does it compare to your Empire rebuild?, posted on April 18, 2017 at 13:04:39
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
 Our model 208, which uses an entirely new plinth, is a nice turntable; it has a better plinth IMO than the Technics and easily keeps up with many high end turntables costing a lot more! But overall I think the Technics is a better machine, especially with an improved arm like the Triplanar.

 

Thanks!, posted on April 18, 2017 at 17:29:00
jbrrp1
Audiophile

Posts: 483
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2007
 I appreciate your informed input. It may be tempting to try the new Technics

 

sweet nt, posted on April 18, 2017 at 20:09:31
Ugly
Audiophile

Posts: 2912
Location: Des Moines, WA
Joined: August 22, 2006

 

RE: 12" arm on the New Technics SL-1200GAE, posted on April 19, 2017 at 06:10:01
Erocka2000
Audiophile

Posts: 302
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Joined: April 26, 2011
 As someone else in the thread asked, what mat did you use to replace the stock mat?

 

The Oracle, posted on April 19, 2017 at 07:42:05
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
 Its a bit too hard IMO, but is one of the better mats out there.

 

Can a 9-inch Triplanar be converted to 12-inch?, posted on April 20, 2017 at 08:08:55
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 10911
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 This would be of real interest to me, since one cannot mount a 9-incher on an SP10 Mk2, or in my case on an SP10 Mk3; the raised escutcheon gets in the way, unless you have a plinth that sinks it closer to the surface of the plinth. With a 10.5- or 12-incher, no problemo.

 

RE: The 12" Triplanar is like the last word..., posted on April 23, 2017 at 08:48:28
bill_stevenson@bellsouth.net
Audiophile

Posts: 418
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Joined: January 6, 2015
 Ralph,

Sometimes I don't ask clear questions and from your reply think that may be the case here. My question is: Did you AB a stock GAE against the one you modified and if so, did you use two identical cartridges? If so, can you describe the difference in sound?

Bill

 

RE: The 12" Triplanar is like the last word..., posted on April 24, 2017 at 09:01:25
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
 That stock turntable does extremely well!

There was no practical way to do a direct comparison between the arms, which was really what this was about.

But the stock arm has three problem areas: the bearings are in the plane of the arm tube rather than the LP surface, the arm tube is not damped and the bearings are not hard enough. These issues are all addressed by the Triplanar. Additionally, the 12" arm simply has lower skating forces and less tracking error.

Having recorded and cut my own LPs, I can tell you that the Triplanar really does get things right. IMO it is the state of the art in tone arms.

 

RE: The 12" Triplanar is like the last word..., posted on April 24, 2017 at 10:26:52
bill_stevenson@bellsouth.net
Audiophile

Posts: 418
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Joined: January 6, 2015
 Thanks very much! I have no experience with the Triplanar and appreciate your taking time to provide your thoughts. The GAE arm performs exceptionally well and of course the package is extremely user friendly. I have set it up and compared it to my Prime with the 3D arm (10.5") and think the GAE is the better arm. I also have an SME series III that has always performed well and here too, the GAE arm beats it. Looking at an O-scope and using a Shure IV test record, the traces show nothing untoward even at the extremes. All things considered I think Technics did a remarkable job with the GAE. I might have to consider the Triplanar. Arm
and table all in is still a comparative bargain.

 

Agreed! I think they did an outstanding job, even with the stock arm. nt, posted on April 24, 2017 at 11:32:21
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4769
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
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