Upgrade for Technics SL-1200 MK2

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by grooveme, Oct 21, 2014.

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  1. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    I have a stock 1200 MKII sitting right next to a modded version. Big difference.
     
    Nielsoe and 56GoldTop like this.
  2. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    You'd be the perfect candidate to provide the forum with some needle drops with the same cartridge on each deck. I did the same recently with a stock Technics vs a Rega Planar 2.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2014
  3. A few years back I purchased a 1210MKII off eBay. A friend had a modded 1210MKII, he had changed the stock arm to a Jelco 750. We performed a side by side test. Both 1210’s had Denon DL-160 cartridges. The difference was not HUGE, well to me anyway. My stock 1210 sounded laid back and slightly dark. The modded 1210 had a more open presentation without being bright.

    I decided to keep mine stock for a while and changed the cartridge to the AT-150 which had been reviewed as having a bright presentation. For me it was a nice balance. I really like the way the 150 seems to pick up less surface noise which is great on old records.

    I eventually modified my 1210 with a Jelco 750 arm and stuck a Denon DL-103r on it.
     
  4. ClausH

    ClausH Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    I have made needledrops with it in stock form but have upgraded it with the Fluid damper and Cardas tonearm rewire.
     
  5. Wngnt90

    Wngnt90 Forum Resident

    If my hobby/passion was vintage cars or motorcycles I would leave them as close to stock as possible too. All of the gear in my collection is pre 1980 and was acquired for the way it performed when it was built not for what it might sound like after a series of updates. I just prefer original over modified. ...but anyone that's in to modding can knock themselves out.
     
  6. 2xUeL

    2xUeL Forum Philosopher

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    Indeed, I would love to hear this 'big' difference. ;)
     
  7. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    That's certainly a valid stance, as is modifying for increased performance. I own an almost 40 year old car. It's looks the same as it did when it came off the lot. Just don't look under the hood. ;)
     
  8. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    For the record, I like the Shure M 97xE fine on the Technics, but like the Audio-Technica AT 120E even better. And the AT 100 E can be had mounted in an AT magnesium 10 gram headshell for $100 on ebay often. A nice combo. Plug and play easy. And performs well.
     
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  9. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    Not saying it would be so in your case (not calling you out by any means); but, I don't think (as a generality) that folks who are set against there being a difference, will hear a difference. So, at least for me, I'm starting to think unless folks are willing to plop themselves on my couch, close their eyes and listen, it might not be worth the time to type the words. I'm actually good with that. I know this. When I visited a friend with a pair of reference Maggie's and Krell amps, I was certainly open to the idea that what I would hear would be "better" than what I was using at the time. I left any kind of negativity at the front steps. I put what the reviewers said, good or bad, out of my mind. I sat on their couch and listened attentively with ears wide open. Though, they kind of over powered the smallish room, yes, that setup was better. A modded 1200 will no doubt give more of what it can give. But, maybe we shouldn't waste time with needledrops. Just like with amps and speakers or whatever, maybe we should spend a bit more time on "being there". Just thinking out loud. :)
     
  10. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Not quite sure what you mean about wasting time with needle drops. The ones I provided recently were quite telling to me and hopefully others. If someone has a modded and stock deck and can pop the same cartridge on each and provide needle drops of each I'm sure many would appreciate hearing the difference.
     
    2xUeL, Robert C, Bolero and 1 other person like this.
  11. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    Being there is being there. I don't know how else to say that. No offense meant. I guess that's what audio clubs (or friends that share the passion) are for. Wouldn't you rather go over to a friends house than listen to his/her needledrop?
     
  12. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Not sure what that has to do with comparing a stock Technics vs one that is modded unless this is what is being done at someone's home who has each. Listening to any given turntable on its own in an unfamiliar system with nothing to compare it with tells me very little.
     
    missan likes this.
  13. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    That's exactly what I mean. (I happen to have both a modified and a stock 1200. Actually, I have 5 1200s in various stages, from stock to heavily modded.) In the UK, they call such events "bake offs".
     
  14. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    To be frank, if I was really interested in sorting out the differences between two turntable setups, I would much rather evaluate quality needle drops of each setup over a few days in my leisure. Plugging and unplugging turntables and switching records between decks several times back and forth in an unfamiliar enviroment is not an ideal situation IMO.
     
    Bolero likes this.
  15. Nielsoe

    Nielsoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Aalborg, Denmark
    Running any signal through a computer sound card tells me very little. Sorry, no offence, we've been here before John76 :)
     
  16. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    :D

    [​IMG]
     
  17. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    That's your opinion, but not my experience based on the needle drops I've provided and done for myself over the years. Especially helpful when making involved and hard to reverse modifications to turntables.
     
    Bolero likes this.
  18. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    I agree, it´s the best one can do IME.
     
    Bolero likes this.
  19. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    No place to be ending; but, a needledrop is a good place to start.

    As you know, though; most (all I know of barring cementing the plinth) modifications for the 1200 are 100% reversible with no ill effects to the table. What always remains the same is the most important, the motor controller/circuit.
     
  20. ClausH

    ClausH Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    Here are two samples:

    One is the stock 1200MK2, the other is modified with Cardas wire and KAB fluid damper.

    Eqipment used:
    Shure V15VxMR v/ Jico SAS
    Pro-Ject Phono Box RS
    Asus Essence STX
    Reaper
    All files are 24/96 and normalized to -0.3

    I normally delete my needledrops so I only had a few old ones from the unmodified table.

    Ashley Monroe - Like A Rose

    Stock

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/1e42rc6yhwao6s8/Like A Rose - Stock.wav?dl=0

    Modified

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/76u7kgc52yawn34/Like A Rose - modified.wav?dl=0

    Daft Punk - Get Lucky

    Stock

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/3cnf79jxr6q2fv1/Get Lucky - Stock.wav?dl=0

    Modified

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/yzdsx57oduqckom/Get Lucky - Modified.wav?dl=0
     
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  21. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Most any modification would take several minutes to reverse, more time than one would want to mess with switching back and forth evaluating the same piece of music multiple times. Much easier to make before/after recordings once and then evaluate in a relaxed state with minimal time and hassle between listening to one vs the other.
     
  22. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    I just wanted to be clear with folks that almost all modifications to a 1200 are reversible. Like you said, in house, I have a modded 1200 topping one rack and a stock 1200 topping the adjacent rack, which makes real world comparisons very easy.
     
  23. John76

    John76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    You would then be another perfect candidate for providing the forum with quality needle drops of each using the same cartridge, much better than secondhand opinion IMO. I would suggest if you did, not telling us which was which.
     
  24. Nielsoe

    Nielsoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Aalborg, Denmark
    Anyway, once you've added a Timestep PSU to your 1200 you do not under any circumstances want to reverse it :)!!!!!
     
    56GoldTop likes this.
  25. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    I've also heard nothing but great things about the Paul Hynes SR7-EHD psu. That's on my bucket list. He also has well spoken of regulator mods.
     
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