How does the Technics SL 1200 compare with....

08-16-07: Ghosthouse
jmoog08 -
I was looking at the same TTs as you are now. I contacted a well respected on line retailer. The guy I talked to had a VPS Scout...he recommended the Technics from KAB. His store didn't eve carry Technics. That impressed me. I ordered a pretty heavily optioned SL1210M5G this past winter along w/KAB mod'd. Stanton audiophile stereohedron tip cart.

Given that the VPI Scout is considered the price/performance leader at $1650 (bolstered by Art Dudley's review in S'phile where he said the Scout whaps it out of the park [in its price class] so far it isn't even funny), it makes me wonder, given your dealer's recommendation, whether the SL1200 can be better than even *I* think, and I own one. I haven't listened to a Scout, but I know they're very highly regarded and appear to be very well built. I wonder what all a KAB-modded SL12x0 can
do by comparison.

I have to say, I get just tons of musical enjoyment out of my SL 1210 M5G. Always did, but the tweaks and cartridge/headshell improvements have resulted in an outsized increase in enjoyment. I'm going to get a fluid damper soon. Should be interesting.

Johnnyb53, I had the exact same thoughts. I spent $900 (shipped) for my limited ed. 1200 and have it now at KAB for another $900 in upgrades. There's a barely used scout listed today for less than that so it makes me think.

However...I owned an Aries 3 and without the SDS (which adds another $900) the speed was unstable and sounded like it so I figure the Scout must also need the SDS.

I also loved the idea of playing 78s and of starting and stopping on a dime with the 1200.

Who knows?

Discuss the SL1200 tonearm with Kevin at KAB and you might be persuaded not to swap it for a Rega. He makes some cogent points about the true cost and performance of each.

Also, I would respectfully disagree with my friend jaybo regarding the MMF-7 being on par with the Technics SL1200. The Technics is far preferable to my ear. It might be the MMF-7's stock Goldring cartridge that was objectionable, and changing it out for something else might make a significant difference.

Also, the SL1200 tonearm's anti-skate and VTA adjustments are far superior to those on the MMF-7's Pro-Ject tonearm.

Being a Rega dealer and a DJ at a local radio station that uses the 1200 I did a quick but well controlled comparison and posted the results on an earlier thread that was removed for some reason. I used the latest P3/24 with its outboard power supply, with a barely broken in Rega Exact on both tables. I played them through my reference system. Unfortunately the record I used was punched out of round so speed stability issues were clouded. I would assume the Technics to have noticably superior speed stability. The Rega however was noticably more dynamic and transparant although a bit edgier on sibilance. The Technics was warm but muffled in comparison. Ideally I would have liked to have had more time to experiment though.

Addendum to my other reply:

Bear in mind that the new Rega P3/24 I used now sells for $845 and the outboard PS is an additional $345 totalling $1190 compared to the $550 for the 1200. Comparing the Rega P2 would be would be more apples to apples pricewise. Also, comparing the 1200 with the same Rega RB301 would have been interesting.

Bear in mind also that Although I am a Rega dealer, I also have access to the Technics tables, so no particular conflict of interest there.