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

What a small world. He sold me most of my gear lol

 

Actually, the SL-1200GR is missing many features that modern DJ have grown used to in Hanpin "Super OEM" decks, and the reviewer in the video above opines that the SL-1200GR's feet are not designed for DJ use.

 

Damn this thread because now I've got my eyes on one and lo and behold shot an email to a dealer in NY and he's got one available on next weeks shipment lol. I've been happy with my uturn but I feel my rig downstream can handle the upgrade and I get a nice bedroom headphone rig out of it too.

With the GR, are we talking essentially 1200g sound but at a significant lower price point? Also, an ortofon 2m blue should be plenty for this table, no?

 

Different tonearm, bearing, platter, motor, feet, etc, etc, really hard to say, not any reviews comparing them yet, at least to my knowledge, but probably safe to say; no.

 

The tonearm from what I gather seems to be the most different between the two and the biggest compromise that was needed in order to reach the lower price point.

 

I'd actually say that the tonearm is the least compromise, I think it's just aluminum instead of magnesium (which they were planning to use on the G initially, before apparently deciding that they gave up too much in the switch from the limited 'GAE' to the 'G'), and lower grade bearings. I don't think either is especially much different from the 1200 tonearm of old (in fact, tests earlier in this thread have shown the G tonearm still has a distinctive resonance signature). The platter and motor are the huge differences, in my view, the G seems world class in those areas, while the GR seems more like the old 1200, though the platter does have some damping rubber added on the GR. But we'll see, there should be some interesting comparisons in the coming months. It's all just guesswork right now on most of our parts, and I'm just a curious onlooker with nothing invested, and you may be completely right. Be easier for a user to update the tonearm than the motor and platter, that's for sure.

 

Thanks for the points and I concur for the most part, and aligns with my biggest fear being the GR as closer to the 1200 mk5 than the new G. The G is clearly world class and I need very little convincing of that but the price compromise with the GR may not get as much trickle down as one would hope

 

Burned through most of this thread over the last few days. I'm seriously interested in hearing one of these machines.

I've read all the reviews, including ToneAudio, Absolute Sound, Fremer & Stereophile. If you haven't seen the AS review definitely check it out, it's fairly recent and on their website.

I also found some reviews in the German magazine Connect. They've reviewed the GAE, G, and even the GR. Below is a link to the translated GR review, which to my surprise they have rated almost on par with the G (score of 79 vs 80). The other reviews are online on the Connect.de website also.

Colour me very impressed, just not too many dealers in my neck with these tables for some reason...

Google Translate

 

I think your conclusions are the opposite of what most reviewers have said.

 

Yeah, everything I've seen says the GR gets you about 90% of the way to the G.

 

Do you guys have some links or sites where you saw that comparison? I haven't seen really anything of much value being so new but I'll gladly bite on the GR if that is the case.

 

Please see the link to connect.de translated I posted above marked "Google Translate".

 

See here:

Technics Introduces Appx. "half-priced" SL-1200 GR Direct Drive Turntable

And here:

 

I read it. The translation is pretty rough and I would say as a result it's hard to really get a feel for the sound after reading the review.

 

I tend to agree with some in here that the GR is more like a refreshed Mk. 5, whereas the G/GAE is a completely different beast (motor, platter, plinth, tonearm, etc.). I would think the GR being 90% of the way to a G is a bit wishful thinking. Not to say the GR is bad in any way, but that line of thinking sort of shortchanges the improvements that are in the G/GAE.

 

The issue persists of appearances being misleading. The GR compared to a MK5 has a completely different/new motor, new tonearm, new platter, new internals, new feet. So it's also an entirely new design but instead based on trickle-down/knowledge from making the GAE/G.

The German translation was awkward but what I gleaned was the sound rating was virtually the same (79 vs 80).

Would have loved to have been invited to the demo of the G against the GR at Abbey Road by Technics. Hopefully some more reviews start to come out on the GR.

 

What I forgot to add was without a doubt the GAE/G appear to be aesthetically stunning compared to the GR, with the special top plate, magnesium TA & less black bits etc. So that extra aluminum machining, magnesium TA construction handwork etc. surely do add to the labour/ultimate cost of the G.

 

The Technics Rep at Axpona this year said you'd need at least a $12000 system to hear a difference between the G and GR.

 

Thank you for understanding my skepticism

 

Makes me wonder how much system I'd need to hear a difference between my lowly SL-D2 and the GR.

 

That is just silly rep talk.

 

GR should suit me well then!

The GR is as different from the MK5 as it is from the G/GAE. It really seems that it is a blend of both tables.

 

This is opinion is wrong. The GR is essentially a decontented G and has much more in common the the G than the mk5.

 

Right. The only significant difference between the G and the GR is that the GR has the one rotor version of the new motor, rather than the G's two rotor version, and a slightly lighter weight platter. The tech specs among the GAE, G, and GR are identical, if you are a "numbers" person.

 

The 1200 GR also uses an aluminum arm vs. the magnesium arm on the G.