The Technics SL-1200 GAE/G/GR general questions thread

absolutely wonderful! My run in time shouldn’t be too long, AQ told me upfront it wouldn’t take more than 40 hours to get it to bloom nicely. While I’m not surprised I’m getting that extra sense of air and shimmer up top, I am surprised at how great the bass is coming through, it’s digging really deep which is awesome. I’m coming from an AT vm740ml which uses the same namiki MR stylus, but it’s clear the Delos/aleph ono pairing are taking it a step up.

 

For reference the weight of the 1200 MK2 was 24.2 lbs, that's unboxed with no lid.

 

Had a Lyra Helikon years ago and the transparency was amazing- so the Delos must be great!

 

It sounds like the pioneer plx1000 is a good deck at it's price point but the GR beats it. When I was reading up on them most people who'd heard both prefered the gr. For me speed/pitch stability is the key to any turntable I buy and being able to play 78rpm with variable pitch (80 etc) so the short list was very short!
I will say though, having a good turntable makes records that are off centre (which is a lot of my classical piano stuff) very obvious, the real shocker is every single test record I own has audible wow, they're all vintage ones.

 

I have a Technics SL1200GAE. I opened it up to install a timestep outboard power supply. When doing that I discovered significant difference between the Sl1200G, and the SL1200GAE. if you can afford a GAE, i highly recommend it.

 

Can you be more specific as to the differences? The GAE I'm slated to get is the new 1210.. Not the 1200. Same differences apply?

 

Such as...

 

Yeah, don't keep us in the dark here, tell us more!

 

Here's a review: Timestep HE V Linear Power Supply – For Technics SL1200 Family of Turntables | Hifi Pig

 

Here's a YouTube lossless audio files comparison:

 

I can't fathom what a new power supply would improve on even my 1210gr? Noise? Speed stability?? ..The noise of the GR (and G and GAE) is already well below the surface noise of the LP, and it's speed stability exceeds the detection threshold of our hearing. ..So to open up a $5k GAE is install such a thing is a bold move. ..I wish anyone contemplating such a thing the best of luck.

 

The makers of that power supply don't claim SQ improvements only that it eliminates hum with certain valve phono stages. I can't hear much of a difference to be honest from the video. You also need to take into account the high price and effect on warranty. The switch mode PS in the new models does not impact sound as did the old PS in the 1200 mk II.

 

..Effect on warranty AND possible negative impact on resale value. ..Personally, I wouldn't even consider buying a used G, GR, GAE that has been opened up and had wires snipped and soldered. That would include swapping out tonearms as well. ..But that's just me.

 

You don't need to do soldering with that italian PS. It's a swap out that can be reversed. But only something one would consider out of warranty and if there is proof of a substantial sound improvement in relation to cost. I don't see that from the files posted. As for the arm it is of high quality on the 1200G and GAE and with Jelco and SME gone from the market there is no really viable alternative other than the Funk Firm arms.

 

I wonder how much bennefit there'd be to swapping the gr's arm, but at this stage I'm just glad it doesn't ring like the pro-ject's arm or feed back! and would have no idea what to swap it with. It is definitely not on my current to do list...

 

Nothing wrong with buying modified secondhand/vintage equipment.
As long as you get to demo it and look inside before buying, of course...

 

Vintage/ second hand equipment.... Sure. ..But a $4k turntable still (or even recently) in production....no. ..I wouldn't want it if it's been disassembled. But that's just me perhaps.

 

What do you mean?
If the Technics SL-1200G/GAE was owned by another person before you, it's second hand, right?

Edit: I mean, if you're the second owner, the product you've bought is second hand?
English isn't something I'm good at tbh...

 

No worries... ..I'd consider buying a second hand component that has been opened for maintenance. ..Or a vintage component that has been opened for repair, etc.. ..But I would pass on any component that is fairly new that has been opened up or modified in any way apart from, say, having a damper installed. ..But that's just me. ..I'm incredibly fastidious about my gear. ..If someone opened up a 1200G - for repair (why?), curiosity, modification, etc. - I'd almost certainly see evidence of it and would pass.

To illustrate how nutty I am about my gear, I won't touch my SL-1200GR without first washing my hands ..There are no swirl marks on the cover, nor fingerprints on the rest of the table

 

Ah yes, I also try to avoid those annoying swirl marks and fingerprints on the dust cover by never placing anything on top, always holding the left corner to open it up and by dusting it off very gently.
But washing hands specifically before using my equipment is a bit overkill to me since I already wash my hand fairly frequently (especially now that the pandemic is going on)

How can you see if something has been opened, when most of those things are closed with screws/bolts?
I don’t really see how, unless wear is visible at the screws when either aluminium screws are used or the previous owner used the wrong/worn out screwdriver.

 

I wonder if anyone has seen this video of someone analyzing Fremer's comparison. Very interesting.
BarakaPDub: "My Analysis of Michael Fremer's Caliburn vs. SL-1200G Shootout."

 

The guy pronounces Technics 'techniques'. Is that right? I always thought it was 'tech-nicks'.

 

I remember this. As noted in the description, the video and labels were not swapped. Fremer claimed the relatively poorer showing for the Caliburn was due to the record being warped.

 

Techniques is apparently the correct way. I'd say probably only 1% of people would pronounce it that way though.

 

He did two videos and I don't remember both records being warped. Anyway the Caliburn has a suction system to correct warps. Judging by his videos my Michell Orbe clamp does a better job of flattening records. This comparison of a comparison really did not produce anything useful since the reviewer got it wrong. I did identify this right at the time mainly on the grounds the Caliburn sounded slightly warmer with a bit more textured, but not a lot in it given the limitations of Youtube. A more valid comparison might be for him to do this with the more recently introduced SU-R1000 and fit a SAT arm to it. The R1000 is still a fraction of the Caliburn cost.