Bizzare comment, the person who assembled/made or whatever your cd player is probably retired now, the people in Japan and Malaysia doing those jobs now are most likely 20 - 30 somethings who grew up during the mp3 and streaming era, with training they will have exactly the same skill sets.
We're talking about Technics turntables and I'm willing to bet you haven't had the opportunity to crack open a Malaysian Technics and a Japanese Technics to compare the soldering work between the two. I think it's unfair of you to generalize that the Malaysian Technics will be inferior to the Japanese Technics and it speaks poorly of your character to discredit Malaysian manufacturing on your assumption that there will be glue all over and lacking in the fastidious tidiness and attention to detail you feel the Japanese assemblers are inherently capable of. Considering that Malaysian GR's are only beginning to be produced, how can you be so sure of your asserted sloppy work? Not that I really care what your beef is, I just find your dismissal of Technics from Malaysia to be in poor taste. You should at least give Technics, and their employees, a chance before you poo poo their work. As stated in other threads, the Japanese GR's have not been issue free, even with the incredible pride of the Japanese workers responsible for the assembly. Try not to hate, just enjoy the music.
Nowadays a lot of PCBs are wave soldered on a machine, especially with a factory made product like this. We have a poster in this thread that is wasting everyone's time and clogging up this thread with nonsense. Hopefully the mods step in soon.
Would hope to see some "where to purchase" info soon. I like the looks of this and will probably buy one.
I hope Technics does well enough with all their current models to justify re-introduction of a linear tracking model(s). That would surely get attention (at least mine).
I love, love, love my mid-80's Technics SL-QL1 which is hooked up in my LR system. However, IMO, I think we're going to have to see a few more options with carts for linear trackers than we have currently. I run the AT450 with the nude elliptical stylus in mine (and have two spares). The original Technics cart with the boron cantilever stylus was, as I recall, a really good cart on their linear trackers. The above said, I am in love with my GR/VM95ML which is hooked up in the FR system with Celestion speakers that bring out more of the details on my records than when I had the SL-QL1 down there.
I agree, they should do a full size machine with an arm that supports standard 1/2" mounts, then you could use almost anything available today. I have a 1983 SL-Q5 also using the plug in T4P system, I use AT311EP or equivalent and I still have to find a viable option for a better stylus than the standard elliptical.
You just couldn't be more wrong. ..I had a Malaysian NAD Integrated. ..And had to open to install a DAC card (or something - it's been a while). And it was superbly made. "glue all over"? Where do you come up with this?
Comparing different brands with different QC. OK. Still doesn’t seem compelling enough to rule out that the QC of the Technics brand amidst a wholesale relocation can be maintained, or in turn to assume it will be a nonstarter on the QC side based on the new location. Of course, as with any significant changes, it does bear watching.
Here is an old 1200MK2. Strobe dots are not even. This is very common on old 1200s, but people around here often don't know that. People also seem to not understand that the machining of the strobe dots on a cast platter has no real effect on performance. What we need to be concerned with is if the top of the platter is flat. The only way to measure that precisely is with a runout gauge. A couple members here have done that on their new Technics turntables.
This video does not implicate Malaysian craftsmanship but rather it highlights some of the design and material decisions Technics made in order to build the Mk7 To a lower price point. I have not seen an Mk7 up close up but I’m pretty confident you would have a hard time finding a better built a table for the price. It still has phenomenal rotational stability, very low rumble, and a tonearm with tremendous adjustability and a removable head shell. Again, if you know of a better table for the price, name it. What exactly is the point you’re trying to make?
Especially in a thread that is about the new SL-100C, which was only ever going to be a Malaysian-built model...
The construction differences between all of the new Technics turntables are laid out in detail on the Technics website. I don't know why anyone would be surprised about anything. Mr. DJ repairman brings up the same things over and over, none of which are a concern to anyone using a 1500C, MK7, or this new model in a home listening/hi-fi use case. 1) Analog pitch control went away with the M5G, dead spots between 7-8 are an issue with those as well as all of the new ones AFAIK, though there is some report that newer examples of the MK7 have corrected this with a running model change. 2) Platter strobe machining and edge trim evenness have no effect on actual performance. Old 1200s often had the same problem. 3) None of the MIM decks include a rubber or rubberized base. Neither does the 1200GR. Only the 1200G has the rubber base. In a non-club DJ environment, it does not matter. In that type of environment, club DJs have used isolation solutions going back decades even with the MIJ decks - because the rubber base alone is not sufficient. It's not an MIM vs. MIJ issue at all.
Built-in preamps limit options for loading. Vintage cartridges often need higher capacitance or if you keep the capacitance very low, increased resistance. It is nice being able to adjust those values before they hit the preamp.
From another thread, info direct from Technics The specs of the SL-1500C's internal preamp are as follows: 56kohm/390 pF Not going to work well with many newer MM/MI carts.
The frequency response will way off with that loading. You may not know that unless you verify with a test LP though. Many people on this forum are older with diminished high frequency hearing ability - it's a fact of life unfortunately - so they won't necessarily notice anything either. AT specs loading for their carts for a reason though, as do other manufacturers.
I understand. ..But loading switches could also be built into the turntable OR the integrated amplifier. ..My larger point is that there is nothing so complicated about phono preamps that necessitate it having it's own chasis/ case, cables, etc.... Manufacturers promote the notion that "separate is better" b/c it is gives yet another "up-grade path" (ugh) - ie., more things to sell. Like I said earlier in the 1200G/GAE thread (or maybe here), in any other field of engineering the decision to separate into two (or more!) boxes that which could be combined into one would be considered flawed engineering unless there is an evidence-based, provable rationale. But yes, if I had a fondness for a cartridge that isn't compatible w/ the built-in preamp, I'd buy a (cheap) external.
There is also the issue that, my preamps each seem to have a favorite spot where they pickup the least EMI/RFI. It varies from one model to the next. The best location for the turntable often isn't ideal for the preamp. I get your point, I'd just avoid having those electronics built into the turntable.
EMT made some turntables with a phono preamp built into the chassis. However, those things were big, heavy, expensive, and built for broadcast use. Not an ordinary turntable at all and they were made to be used with the company's cartridges. Ordinary turntables don't need a built-in phono preamp. When they do include one, even Technics gives you wacky loading that's going to result in some FR anomalies. The preamps built into common or mass market integrated amps aren't that good either, usually. Often a cheap throw in with very high capacitance. High end gear is a different story. Often those will provide a load more in line with today's carts, but I don't know too many people shopping for a $5K-10K integrated amp.
I've been calling and emailing around about the SL-100C, got this response today from Richer Sounds in London: Good afternoon Sir, We haven't heard anything official on this, but I believe we will be stocking this item. In the meantime, we do have a SL-1500c on display if you'd like to pop in and have a listen? I've also sent emails directly to Technics UK + US, still waiting for a reply. I then spoke to BHP (U.S.) customer service, they admitted knowing nothing and could only see what was announced on the Technics UK site. Then he gave me a direct phone number to 'Thunderball Marketing', he said they are the North American distributor for Technics. If anybody would know it would be them he said. I called the number and some guy in a warehouse with a thick NJ accent picked up the phone and wondered how I got his number lol. He just kept repeating 'We're just a warehouse'. After a few more questions I was finally able to get him to admit they were in charge of bringing Technics decks into North America. I asked if they would be bringing in the newly announced 100C, he said 'No sir'. After some more teeth-pulling he admitted they were the only company that can import Technics decks into North America, and they will only be bringing in SL1200-MK7s and SL1200GRs (maybe he just didn't care enough to mention the other Technics models). Of course I asked why he would not be willing to bring in any new Technics model, he said 'We're not bringing in any more turntables'. I really don't know what to make of this interaction. I give up until there's another announcement, nobody knows anything about this deck. Period. Maybe I'll call the Malaysia factory next and speak directly to one of the assembly technicians LOL. (FWIW, BHP also confirmed their next shipment of 1200GRs is due in early July, and are showing Malaysia as the country of manufacture.)
Speaking of Technics, I believe their 2k integrated amp, the SU-G700, has a very good phono preamp, for a built-in one. I think the Yamaha A-S series integrateds are also affordable with a decent phono preamp... But those examples are more the exceptions than the rule.
IIRC high capacitance is still an issue with the Yamaha integrated amps. It's very rare these days to find an integrated amp with 100pf or less input capacitance in the built in phono preamp. I can't speak to the Technics integrated amps because I don't know much about them.
