My very much anticipated review will be in my next post under the picture. Yes my wall needs painting. And I am in hock to Guitar Center. But one only lives once.
So the "clone" is in fact, a very good clone. Not inferior, not superior, just a clone. For $300+ less though.
So I'm still a bit uncertain. If one has the SL1200Mk7, which cartridge and headshell fits the best, without a lot of customization? The AT VM540ML or maybe the AT VM95SH/H cart and headshell, or other? A$350 or less ($50 wiggle room).
You might be confusing the 1210GR with the 1200Mk7. The Mk7 is a $1000 ‘table, the GR is a $1700 one. And I don’t think he was saying the PLX1000 is as good as either, only that, for a lower-cost clone, it’s pretty good... which seems to be the general consensus. Indeed, it seems to be the case that the PLX1000 is about the cheapest ‘good’ turntable (if u don’t count used)... with ‘good’ being defined as ‘sounds better than entry-level’. That said, there are some reports of loose tonearm bearings with it that bear researching. .
I'm not sure I'm confusing the two, or three, just confused! Yes, I get the other Technics tables are of high quality, the newest mk7 is quality (but still too new to be reliably reviewed) and the PLX1000 is a clone, but pretty decent quality. Pick a high quality cart and phono preamp, and you should be happy overall. That's where I'm at currently.
Yeah, there’d be nothing wrong with that front-end, aside from possibly the tonearm bearings issue already mentioned. Would do a search on that before committing. .
First Impressions Day One I am a sort of turntable newbie, especially as far as tracking force and protractors go. It is a bit lighter than the SL 1200 MK2, noticeably so but still pretty heavy for a turntable. I have an old beat up 1200 MK2 that still sounds really good. It is a lot lighter than my Denon VL12 but the tonearm on the MK7 is superior without a doubt. I had to turn in my first VL2 last year because of bad bearings. The replacement Denon V12 sounds great but the in the long run I am really worried about that not up to par Gemini tonearm. Earlier this week it was being pushed back by the dead wax. This is why if you are going to spend more than $500 on a DJ table get a Technics. I had trouble getting rid of sibilance earlier in the day had to change out some carts probably more operator error on my part. I finally put on one of those budget AT3600L carts and aligned the cart and the sibilance is gone...yayy! It does not stop as fast as the MK2 but I did not turn up the break torque settings yet. I am not a DJ so I can't really comment on that aspect of the table. I am using a Jolida tube amp 6BQ5 output tubes about 20 watts a channel and an old Realistic phono amp pushing some B&W 201i speakers (those speakers give really good bass response for the Jolida despite probably being meant for solid state). The Technics sounds a bit more brash to my ears than the Denon V12 but it is just the first day. I actually think the VL12 sounds better...I was using it with the same equipment I listed above. However like I said the tonearm on the Denon makes the Technics a better buy I am sure I will get all the quirks of new gear matching out in a few days and if any issue comes up I'll let you know. Oh btw don't wear your Rolex when you put the platter on there is a big magnet under it lol.
I’m almost as tired of praise for Ian as I am of praise for everything Technics. And I like the 1200 series.
I. Have two orig sl1200 mkII’s And one newer black sl1200 mk1210. All three still work as new, no reason to spend 1K on a mk 7 When these three turntables go bad, I’ll go new, til then, I’ll keep playing my old dogs!
So posting a useful video that allows the listener to hear differences between two decks is heaping praise? Isn't that what this forum is all about: helping people make decisions between equipment and media sources?
I didn’t take simply linking as praise, but I don’t really understand the objections to Ian, in general. You can disagree with his conclusions and take his comparisons with a grain of salt considering he can only present how things perform in his system and room, but his videos are very well recorded and produced, and they do clearly illustrate the differences in performance he observes. I’m really not sure what people don’t like about him...
I don’t have one, but if the effective mass on it is the same the 1200mk2, the AT VM540 has a resonant frequency of 9.1 while the AT VM95L is 10.9. Both sitting mighty fine.
See this review Technics SL-1200MK7 Review It is a dj review, but it raises a possibly important concern: the resonance. Is it true that being lighter (compared to older 1200s and the GR) could cause this problem?
Sure, since the Technics approach to reducing resonance is mass and damping materials. I would fully have expected this to be the main drawback of a mk7 vs. a GR, so it’s interesting to see that play out in a review. Cheaper materials with less density are not likely to achieve the same rock-solidness of the more expensive models, and that’s just going to be part of the “get what you pay for” factor here.
I just watched the video. I think for home use, and not mobile DJ, the Mk7 is still going to be a great choice. I have one on order. The lighter weight concerned me a bit. And if I heard it correctly, he compared other turntables and the Mk7 finished last, when placed on a 15" sub. Um, who does this in real world applications? I'm guessing this is a concern for DJ's (I've never been one, nor frequent clubs that have them) but still, nobody sets their tables on a sub, do they lol? So in the end, the guy said for home use, it would be his choice still. I think for my application, home use, I won't have these resonant issues. I have a Uturn now, with my sub about 4-5 away from it, and it gives me zero issues. So if that works, I have no doubt the Technics will be fine.
Near the end he states it has that 1200 “magic” all the same. He clearly likes it. I guess a DJ could duct tape a sapi plate to the bottom of the deck before a show. I am curious as to the real market Panasonic is targeting its turntable marque: DJs or audiophile (in other words home use only). Did we bring the table back or did DJs?
Good question. The 1200/1210 GR's have the DJ features but were they targeted at DJ's? I am guessing the mk7 and 1500C were in development before the GR was released as I work for an audio company and it takes time to develop new products, get the tooling created etc. Would not surprise me if the Mk7 was targeted at both markets.
He meant home use for DJs. Is like saying that a drum kit is good enough for you to practice at home but not for a real show in a big stage. Not exactly a compliment.
