Technics new SL-1200MK7 and SL-1500C*

Joe Cox on Twitter

 

Press release:
Technics Introduces the New, Long-awaited Direct Drive Turntable SL-1200MK7* Series with Technology for Outstanding Sound Quality | News | Technics US

 

Cool! New design coreless motor and black tonearm.

 

another poll: which would you buy: 1200mk7 or 1200gr for listening to music?

 

Besides reverse play and being able to change the LED color to blue or red what are the major differences? and how much does the MK7 cost?

 

the debate over led color is over, they give you a choice. technics listens.

 

By the press release, the major difference is that for the GR motor they used the G design and made it more simple and less expensive, and for the MK7 they created a new design. This is probably what makes the reverse play possible. Other are cosmetic differences only I suppose, like the lights and tonearm. Not sure if the price was announced yet.

 

looks like someone was right the other day. mk7 is not a light version of gr, but a version optimized for dj use. so the price may not be lower if not higher than gr

 

They also introduced this SL-1500C

Technics Announces the Complete Direct Drive Turntable System SL-1500C Which Inherits Technics Sound-quality Technology | News | Technics US

Las Vegas, NV, United States, 7 January 2019 – Technics today unveiled the new SL-1500C Premium Class Direct Drive Turntable System. The SL-1500C inherits the brand's high-end sound quality concept and adds a host of original Technics technologies, such as a coreless direct drive motor and high-- sensitivity tonearm. To simplify the playing of analogue records, the built-in Phono EQ connects to a wide variety of devices. The SL-1500C also comes equipped with a high-quality Ortofon 2M Red phono cartridge.
The SL-1500C is a complete turntable system designed for a wide range of users, even outside of strictly dedicated audio enthusiasts.

 

The weight is 9.6 kg. About 2 kg. less than the GR.

 

Interesting so they eliminated the pitch control mech but added a phono preamp. Will be interesting to see if and how much less expensive this may be then the GR models

 

really a comeback, with high and mid lineup.

 

Price is still to be seen of course, but it's good to see the revamped Technics give something for everyone, while -- at the moment at least -- keeping the lineup slim enough to be able to focus on quality, instead of churning out random models without little differences like in the 80s for example.

 

Looking at the specs sheets for the 1500C/ GR and MK7 they are pretty similar. And the 1500C removes the pitch control but adds the phono preamp (can it be bypassed?)

Differences between 1500C/GR. The Mk7 has the same numbers as the 1500C unless otherwise noted.

Platter weight= 4.5lbs/5.51lbs (Mk7=4lbs)
Starting Torque= 1.8kg-cm/ 2.2kg-cm
Unit weight= 21.9lbs/25.35lbs (Mk7=21.2lbs)
Power consumption= 8W/11W

 

just noticed platter on mk7 is the lightest among mk7(1.8kg), 1500c(2kg), 1200gr(2.5kg).
i take back my earlier comments about mk7, it does seem to be a light version.

 

Looks like Technics has decided vinyl will be around for a while.

 

It is the lightest overall as well, but not by much over the SL-1500C:

SL-1200GAE/G: 18 kg (39.7 lbs.) (platter w/mat is 3.6 kg)

SL-1200GR: 11.5 kg (23.35 lbs.)

SL-1200MK7: 9.6 kg (21.2 lbs.)

SL-1500C: 9.9 kg (21.9 lbs.)

 

I see they abandoned the 1200-1210 color differences of the past, both 1200MK7 & 1210MK7 (EU version) are black. There's no difference in sound but aesthetically I prefer the previous 1200 and the G/GR models over the all black design. Especially matte black.

 

a link to the mk7 in action, it looks like they added an electronic brake on the mk7. something that was absent on the GR

Technics SL-1200 Mk7 turntable

 

with phono preamp, stock 2m red, i think 1500c would become a great choice for entry level turntables. the only question is price.

 

Unless they get greedy, this should hopefully be pretty close to 1k. At that price, this would be a no-brainer. If they push it too close to $1500, they are going to have some pretty stiff competition.

 

My guess is MSRP of $999 for the SL-1500C. If the SL-1500C is priced at that level and build in-house by Panasonic/Technics in Japan, it will be quite an attractive buy.

I think Panasonic can manufacture cost effective products in Japan. I remember even their last portable CD players were made in Japan.

 

Interesting this article claims the SL-1500C has an autolift at the end of the record. Requires more hardware so makes me questions if this is accurate

https://www.portlandmercury.com/blo...new-turntables-including-one-designed-for-djs

 

The 2M Red belongs on turntables <=$599. I sure hope they don't push this thing to >=$999 and fit it with a 2M Red. I'd rather they go with $799 or $899 with no cartridge. Although, a significant portion of their target market may be folks less-experienced with turntables and the vinyl experience, so having an inexpensive cartridge pre-mounted makes sense.

 

I love the looks of the SL-1500C.