Just how good is the Technics SL-1200?

I have to agree with Elizabeth. That table is just not that great. If all you want to do is rock out, it would be fine. There are good things about it, and good reasons why the DJs loved it. But if you listen to classical or jazz, and want a table that has great resolution of instrumental timbres, a big soundstage, etc., look elsewhere. Also agree that the 1200's, especially the modded ones, are really overpriced. You can do much better for that money. It is certainly the least good of the tables I have owned, and I include a cheap Sony one in that list...

Hi Learsfool, I use a 1200 for classical music, and I hear great resolution of instrumental timbres (my number-one priority), a big soundstage, etc. So one of us must be nuts, right? Isn't it great to have a hobby whose enthusiasts are absolutely intolerant of the opinions of others?! :-)

-Bob

How exactly does the turntable have an effect on the soundstage? Please exclude te wiring, the cartridge, and the phono stage. Just the turntable. In my experience, the table is not the deciding factor in things like that. The only difference I can hear between tables is noise and speed stability.

Hi Hessonn11,

You're absolutely right. It's a great turntable for any genre of music. And a great turntable period. The price/performance ratio is way off the charts.

Hi Hesson11 - different strokes for different folks. The 1200 is a very well made table, but IME it appeals mostly to audiophiles who are more interested in build quality and the technical side of things than the actual sound, believing that if it is built out of materials they prefer, that it must sound better (not saying this is true of you, this has just been my experience). Also, most of them listen primarily to rock, apparently you are an exception here. IME, the 1200 does not have as much of the qualities I spoke of in relation to the vast majority of high end tables out there. A similarly priced Rega, to choose Elizabeth's example, will beat it for me every time. As Elizabeth said, I think if the table really was that good, it would not have gone out of production, with no similar replacement. I also never quite understood the popularity of a table that even most who love it think needs to be heavily modified. Again, I suspect this is because some people are more interested in tweaking their toys than actually enjoying the music. And that's OK.

There are many who do love the table, and no two audiophiles will have the same set of sonic priorities exactly. That's part of the beauty of this hobby. If you truly do enjoy it's sound in comparison to others mentioned in this thread, knock yourself out! Enjoy your music! As a professional orchestral musician, I am very glad to hear that there are still many fans of classical music out there. I hope you also attend live performances of your local orchestra or chamber group or university ensembles.

My personal sonic priorities are formed by the fact that I get to hear live music in a great hall almost every day. So while I actually dislike the term "the absolute sound," I do consider the sound of live acoustic music in a great hall to be a sort of benchmark, though an unattainable one in reality. For me, the Technics 1200 does not come nearly as close as many other high end tables.

Dconsmack - as my expertise is in music, not electronics or engineering, I cannot truly answer your question - I just know that I have heard many different tables in many different systems over the years, and the differences most definitely exist, especially when comparing different tables in the exact same system otherwise. This type of direct comparison can be especially shocking. Rather than thinking negatively about it and wasting time figuring out why I don't like something, I tend to ignore things I don't like as much, and focus on the things I do like, and when I have time, trying to learn why they might sound better. Folks like Atmasphere and Almarg and several others in these forums I have learned a great deal from in this respect.