Petition launched to reintroduce Technics turntables (Update: The SL-1200 is Back!)*

Yes, I agree - I've sent a long email to Technics about it and now I'm just waiting to see what they say. In the meantime, there's not a lot more to say or do and anyway, now I understand what's going on, I can in fact set up the turntable with correct VTA so it's not even a problem for me any more. But I do think they need to establish whether there's a manufacturing error in the tonearm or whether it's just mine.

Haha, is that all? What about an arm that's long enough to allow for a conventional Baerwald alignment?!

BTW I meant to say thank you for posting those bubble level pics. In my experience, the ideal two spots to take bubble level measurements are 1) along the centre section of the tonearm, between the two bends (not spanning either bend), and 2) long ways along the flat top of the headshell, being careful to avoid the ring fastener which sticks up above the headshell level. You need quite a short bubble level to achieve this which unfortunately most people don't have. But for anyone who does have such a bubble level, the thing we need to know is, if you get either one of these level, is the other one level at the same time? If yes, your tonearm is straight, and if not, it's out of true, like mine.

 

More for the wish list... How about tiny red LED lasers on the head shell and a pop up scale for alignment?

 

None of these alignment problems. ever.... with the T4P system that Technics developed.... (ducks)

 

Yep. Close enough for most of the world (SHF members excepted, of course ) and might have become standard if LP sales hadn't nosedived due to digital.

 

vinyl2vinyl,

If your arm tube is twisted, can you get proper azimuth alighnment?

 

Buy a better head shell because the Technics standard one is too light for MC anyway. If you still can't adjust VTA correctly and arm remains too high the obvious solution is a spacer in the head shell to drop the cartridge. Alternatively send to Dave Cawley at Sound Hi-Fi and have his arm mod - (SME) and outboard PS fitted (expensive). Looks like DC gave you similar advice re spacers !

 

OK read the entire thread. Just return TT as faulty to dealer and get a refund. That misaligned arm is not on even if it has some advantage with a shallow cartridge.

 

Assuming the arm/turntable is damaged a return is appropriate. That's not brain surgery, so ask yourself why hasn't that been done? Looking back I have found this whole thread a little odd. I own a GAE and know how it was packaged. Solid is the word that comes to mind. I've also viewed the segment on how the arms were hand built. Assuming the headshell is of a standard type I can see perhaps a problem there. But the arm? Don't really see that. Nothing's impossible but do you think QA/QC on a handmade arm for a limited edition turntable would pass a bent arm and then package it to the nines?

No, I think were just in the middle of a couple of folks saying its just a 1200 mk 2 "re-creation" and making the OP doubt the wisdom of his purchase or make themselves feel better about what they have, a lot just trying to be helpful and share what they know, or in a few cases what they don't know, and a few wiz kids with microscopes. These latter are deserving of real admiration even if that's something I could never find the patience to do myself. Bottom-line, if its damaged, return it as the damage should have been obvious on delivery and in opening the box. If not, I think the OP will do just fine left on his own to work it out with his dealer. It's a great little turntable.

 

Yes, tack that on too. Longer slots would probably take care of it. Maybe one made of a different, less resonant material. Honestly, the AT headshells sound so much better that the stock Technics shell it was kind of shocking to me the first time I used them.

You're welcome about the pics. A couple of notes about them. I got the same results measuring from a number of different points along the tonearm. But I agree it would be easiest with the right level to take a reading between the two bends. The top of AT-MS9 headshell is completely flat and sits above the collar, so that reading is accurate also.

 

I'm waiting till I hear from Technics before deciding what to do but there's no sign of damage and that's why I think it's more likely to be a manufacturing error. As someone remarked earlier, it wouldn't be surprising if there were some teething troubles with what's pretty much a new product, especially a fairly complex one like this with many moving parts.

It's interesting that you have a GAE too. It may be asking too much for you to test the straightness of the arm, but just out of curiosity, can you tell me if your GAE has either or both of the following?

1. It's not possible to adjust the arm height (and thus VTA) on the fly, in the way that people could with previous models. That's because if you release the lock on the arm height control ring, and then adjust the ring in one direction or the other, the whole arm assembly jerks in the same direction for a millimetre or two, which would obviously flick the needle out of the groove and send it flying across the surface of the record.

2. The arm rest is at the wrong height. Every time you put the tonearm arm back on its arm rest, you have to push down against resistance from the arm lift in order to get the tonearm back into its seat and close the clip. I don't feel this is very good for the arm lift because it keeps it under constant pressure when the turntable's not in use. It is possible to adjust the height of the arm lift, but if you lowered it enough to overcome this problem, it would be so low that it would never lift the needle off the playing surface, not even with the cue lever in the fully raised position!

Also, going back to the original problem of the headshell, does your headshell have that funny little set screw on the bottom, holding the black part of the headshell onto the silver barrel connector? And if so, does it give you a rock solid connection between the two or is there a bit of wobble?

Sorry about all the questions but not many people have these turntables yet so there aren't many opportunities to compare notes.

 

I can actively adjust the VTA on my GAE while playing vinyl. If you can't, something is wrong IMHO

 

Brillwill

How do you do that given the comment on page 18 of your manual Number 3 second footnote under Attention? Am I missing something big time?

Cheers

 

You didn't forget to lower the lever, no?

 

Exactly TAKE THE DAMN THING BACK.

Seriously. My friend had one of the first Mazda RX-7s in the county. His RX-7 was burning a quart of oil every hundred miles. The dealership made an appointment for him to bring the car in and when he got there, there were two engineers FROM JAPAN there to find out what the hell was wrong. They wanted to know what could possibly be wrong with their new car! So you may have a similar case where Technics may have a manufacturing or design problem. No one here is going to fix this problem, you need to go to Technics!

 

I really don´t understand anything of this.

1. Surely the pivot has bearings.
2. If the lift is pressing on the arm, how can a record be played.

 

I never read that portion of the manual. It works pretty much like the old 1200 - you make sure the VTA "lock" is off, then you can carefully turn the VTA dial (while making sure not to be clumsy and knock the tonearm) while the needle is in the groove. With a good pair of headphones you can definitely hear audible changes to the sound based on the on the fly VTA adjustment

Just curious back2vinyl as I want you to have the same experience with the GAE that me and SamS have had - do you have any previous experience with the 1200mk2, or is this your first foray into the Technics SL1200 platform?

 

I have to agree with ghostworld. From what Backtovinyl is describing about the arm as well as the lift alignment and inability to adjust VTA properly on the fly this is obviously faulty. The simplest solution is to reject it ASAP and get a refund as per UK consumer law and let the retailer sort it out with Technics.

 

Are you saying that you have to lower the tonearm into the playing position in order to place it on the arm rest?

I've never known such an arrangement with any other turntable. Obviously the "up" position on the cue lever is the safe position and that's where the arm should be at all times except when a record is actually being played.

If you're telling me the Technics requires the arm to be lowered into the playing position in order to put the arm on its rest, I'll be amazed.

 

There should not be excessive downward force when trying to secure the arm. it's busted bro. call Technics

 

Many thanks for that, brillwill. Obviously it's not really advisable to adjust the VTA during playback (using the arm height ring) because there's a risk you could knock or nudge the arm. But many people have found it's possible if done with care and from what you say, you can do that on your GAE too. However, I can't do it on mine because however carefully I turn the ring, it initially jerks the entire bearing and tonearm assembly a degree or two in the same direction of rotation as I'm turning the ring. It's such a sharp jerk that I could never do this while playing a record because it would jerk the needle out of the groove and send it skipping across the playing surface.

I've never taken a video or posted one but I'll explore whether it's feasible so I can show you.

No, I've no previous experience of Technics turntables. My most recent experience has been with the Michell Orbe and the Rega Planar P3 turntables, with SME V and III arms and the Rega RB301 arm.

 

It will almost certainly end up going back but as I say, just for the moment, I'm waiting to hear from Technics. This does raise an issue, however - normally they would just replace it with a new one but they can't do that for me because it's a limited edition and it's sold out. I suppose they may have kept a few back for cases such as this but I'd lose my nice low number - 102 - which as we all know is almost important as an Obi strip.

 

Surely we need some objective view on this whole whining thread. As I can see there are two possible faults; one is if the securing screw on the headshell doesn´t work as intended. The other is possibly if the arm is twisted/leaning differently than it is supposed to. These are the possible faults.
These things are extremely easy to work out, just let some technically knowledgeable person look at the TT, it won´t take minutes to see if something is wrong or not.

That the lift should be in up position when securing the arm, and that you can´t adjust the height on the fly, this is just silly talk. Obviously Your experience with TTs are very limited.

 

Don't wait more than a few days - get your money back and buy the standard version which should be available in October. I believe it will be cheaper due to discounts being allowed and practically the same spec. I can't see there being any audible difference from what I have read.

Personally I don't give a toss about limited editions but would be more fussy about having the OBI strip on a Japanese pressing. Ignore advice from mk 2 owners as there are big differences.

 

The arm needs to be lowered into the playing position in order to put the arm on its rest. Yes, yes it does. At least on my MK2 it does, and considering it had just been serviced at the shop I bought it from, I'd say that is intentional.

 

Yes, I've just been looking at the instruction manual and on p21, under "When play finishes", it says: "1. Lift the cue lever, return the tone arm to the arm rest and lower the cue lever." That seem extraordinary to me because it means, when you come back the next day and take the arm off the arm rest, it's already in the down position and if you forget, you could easily damage stylus or record. But that's just how it is - it's definitely not a fault.