But weren’t those priced around $600? Can the new one be a "sure thing" at $4,000?!?
If the below report is correct the first 300 units of the 1200 worldwide were sold out in Japan in 30 minutes. Not bad for a reengineered version of an icon that has been brought back to market at 4 grand!
http://www.whathifi.com/news/technics-sl-1200gae-turntable-sells-out-in-30-minutes
Your post really has to do with the aesthetics of the TT and not the advanced engineering. I guess it really comes down to if one likes the looks of a SL-1200MKII. Two million people did before this reintroduction. So for those that do, Technics made the right call and made a classic even better.
Personally I like the look and coupled with the undeniable improvements and lab reports I have read, this would be on my short list if I had a budget of 4 large for a new TT.