I found that after adjusting the bearings, new arm wire, cotton internal filling and heat shrink on the outside and a Sumiko headshell (which is not only a better headshell but also adds Azimuth adjustment) the arm sounded way better. I installed a Sumiko Premier MMT with the thought that it would be better yet only to find that I really did not gain a thing, but lost lots of the original arm's ease of adjustment.
TECHNICS SL1200 MKII.......THE REAL FACTS
I have been a very active participant in this hobby for many years (going on 30). I have owned amplifiers by B&K, Marantz, Forte, VanAlstine, Accuphase, GAS, Onkyo Grand Integra, Musical Fidelity.....Speakers by Thiel, Energy, Genesis, Vandersteen, PSB, Definitive Tech, KEF, Mission, B&W....Turntables by Sota, Rega, Linn, AR, Thorens, Dual, and yes; Technics. I have a Technics SL1200 MKII which I have had for a few years now. It has been modified in the following ways (all mods based on trial and error and final listening results):
-TT Weights 454 record weight
-XPM1 Acrylic mat with 1/4" heavy Technics rubber mat underneath
-Steel plinth cover (chrome finish). I cannot explain why, but the background is more quiet and micro dynamics are better with this in place.
-Armtube stuffed loosely with cotton.
-Heat shrink tubing on outside of arm tube.
-Stock headshell replaced with Sumiko with Sumiko headshell wires (do NOT underestimate what headshell quality can do with these things).
-Plugs on the stock cables replaced with better plugs: Vampire OFC RCA plugs.
-Bearings adjusted for minimal play with minimal friction.
-KAB Power Supply added
Now, this is the scoop. I do not want a Technics turntable. I am an audio snob. I want only salon approved brands; period. That is why this situation sucks dog. Out of all the turntables I have owned. This Technics with this combination of mods has the blackest background, the best dynamics, the most detail, the clearest stage, the most pace and timing and overall just simply plays the song in the least-confused manner of ANY turntable I have ever owned. In many ways it makes every other turntable I have ever owned sound like Amateur Night in sonic comparisons. Facts are facts. The Technics SL1200 MKII, when properly tweeked, is one serious LP playback unit. At least the chrome plated steel plinth cover covers up the name.
-TT Weights 454 record weight
-XPM1 Acrylic mat with 1/4" heavy Technics rubber mat underneath
-Steel plinth cover (chrome finish). I cannot explain why, but the background is more quiet and micro dynamics are better with this in place.
-Armtube stuffed loosely with cotton.
-Heat shrink tubing on outside of arm tube.
-Stock headshell replaced with Sumiko with Sumiko headshell wires (do NOT underestimate what headshell quality can do with these things).
-Plugs on the stock cables replaced with better plugs: Vampire OFC RCA plugs.
-Bearings adjusted for minimal play with minimal friction.
-KAB Power Supply added
Now, this is the scoop. I do not want a Technics turntable. I am an audio snob. I want only salon approved brands; period. That is why this situation sucks dog. Out of all the turntables I have owned. This Technics with this combination of mods has the blackest background, the best dynamics, the most detail, the clearest stage, the most pace and timing and overall just simply plays the song in the least-confused manner of ANY turntable I have ever owned. In many ways it makes every other turntable I have ever owned sound like Amateur Night in sonic comparisons. Facts are facts. The Technics SL1200 MKII, when properly tweeked, is one serious LP playback unit. At least the chrome plated steel plinth cover covers up the name.
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- 115 posts total
There are a lot of needle-drops on Pink Fish Media that have Technic turntables(SP 10 and, I believe, one of the 1200 series). I think most use other arms, and have some modifications, if anyone is interested in hearing for themself. There are also other turntables(I was interested in Linn lp12 dynamik.)for comparisons. |
I'm one of those geeks who gets a perverse pleasure in getting killer sound out of unconventional sources. By the time I tweaked and platformed my SL1210 M5G, it no longer looks particularly DJ either. |
I agree with Audiofeil w/regards to the arm of the 1200. Nice table, especially with some of the mods mentioned, and the arm will be better too with the mods mentioned. But- regardless up updates, the arm of that table is the bottleneck. I've had a few of them apart and they are built for the expedience of semi-pro DJ work, which is the market to which the product is aimed. Its cool that there are after-market armboards for the 1200 platform, after the initial surprise at what a reasonably well-engineered unit like this can do I think you will find that an upgraded arm will yield even more delight. At some point, with the new power supplies, motor mods, modified or replaced plinths, etc, one wonders where the mod is and why not just build a new machine from scratch? I used to go through that a lot when I would update/modify Dynaco PAS-3 preamps. These days I like to make all the mods fit in the original box so the preamp retains its original looks and is thus a 'sleeper'. If you are thinking of building up a 'table from a stock unit like this, you might look at the 'Vintage DD turntables- are we living dangerously?' thread http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1317949815&openflup&65&4#65 From the sounds of it, that Dual DD motor is the one to start a new build with... of course, $80 is a nice price of admission :) |
- 115 posts total