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

Not really.


The OC9Xml would probably sound good, that phono preamp should work well with it.
Although it would probably work fine it's not the perfect compliance match you seem to be looking for. The EN version is an excellent match compliance wise, though it's an elliptical.

As mentioned you can just get a ML, Shibata or pricier line contact replacement tip for that 150MLX, but no Boron cantilever.
People really seem to like the 540ML on these decks, so either that or the SH version (supposedly gets a slightly warmer sound due to the difference in the way the diamond is cut, which may be closer to the way the 150 sounded originally, IDK) would be an excellent match and a good deal.
The all metal bodied 700 series are almost 2g heavier. If you ran the 150 mlx successfully then either one of the new 500 or 700 series carts should work just as well, just pick one that has the similar tip and try it, the cool thing is that the stylus could switch over to the 150 body for comparison, you could of course just get the new tip and try it on the 150 body, but a whole cart is not much more.
if the new cart is mounted on the factory headshell then dialing the vtf up or down to optimize should be simple.
Edit:
Not trying to muddy the waters, just hopefully offering an opinion that helps.
I'm not really sure what tip the mlx came with originally, if a ML then you probably already know that as well as tracking and sounding excellent, they last longer than all the other types and do less if any damage to records than other shapes.

 

2M black in stock head shell. At least I've seen videos using that set up. Alternatively they have their own cartridge made by Nagaoka on the 1210GAE for Europe. I would suggest an AT OC9 variant as that is the right height in the stock head shell and it's higher compliance suits the lighter head shell. Most issues using spacers or thicker mats involve 3rd party head shell designs which are higher.

 

Thanks. I am leaning toward an AT OC9 model, but stuck on which one! They have three in a price range not too wide. There seem to be very few user reviews available. I'm not usually one for magazine reviews, but one magazine I do respect is HiFi News - they still do lab tests. The OC9XSH was given an "outstanding product" award. Audio-Technica AT-OC9XSH Cartridge Page 2

I'm tempted however to move up to the XSL which can be had for about £80 more...I prefer the black finish (god help me ). AT also make a headshell specifically for it and it looks niiiice.

 

The test results look good. It's too bad they didn't test more from the line. I would've liked to see the XML version tested, even though I'm not a prospective customer. Whichever way you go you'll get good value for the money it seems with that line.

 

Yet another headshell question-
Does anyone know of a replacement headshell for the G/GR that puts the cartridge at the same height as the stock headshell?
I would prefer not to spend $100 on the Technics shell.
Not looking for a copy unless it is well made. I have a copy from either KAB or LP Gear and the cartridge screws have a poor fit. Thanks.

 

I purchased a used Technics shell - 80's vintage.
Works great and much cheaper than new.

 

Zupreme 10g should be close. Not cheap though, will be at least 70 or 80 dollars.

AT has a new 11g model that looks good. Haven't tried it though.

 

Kab I thought offered it at 75ish dollars at one point? The other option is finding an “older” headshell like from the mk5 or mk2 decks, there essentially the same thing and I seem to find them anywhere from 25-50 dollars in my neck of the woods.

 

Buy one of those old ones, NOS or second hand.
Even NOS it's about 50 bucks and exactly the same as the Technics headshell for the G/GR, except that those old ones don't have azimuth adjustment.

 

KAB has a few of the old M5G headshells left for $65.00. They’re the silver ones with the 4g weight that can be attached to the top. Pretty rare now. I bought one on Amazon years ago.

 

thanks all, i bought a new technics 1200 shell on auction for $49 from a US source.

 

Too funny, literally put that on my to-do list yesterday - already have a few Technics headshells lying around --- right now I've been using the Zupreme 10g with an AT33PTGii on my 1200G, requiring a near 6mm mat --- I never tried the AT carts (33 series, OC9, ml) with a stock headshell on the G yet for some reason!

 

must be a lot of taller mats going around with the new G/GRs etc. when those zupreme and other head shells are being used. my 18mm tall cart has a slim margin for adjustment with my 4mm mat. i guess technics thinks we all use those anteater carts.

 

The Zupreme 10g is really a great option.
I like them because they come with nice wires, are not terribly heavy and made of a magnesium like alloy which sounds good. Also they can be used for different overhang/alignments easier than with the stock shell.
I also see a lot of those old ADC magnesium shells for sale on ebay, it is actually about the same weight or less than the Technics stock (7-/+g with no hardware or wires) HS, and sounds awesome being solid magnesium, no azimuth adjust though.
I also picked up an older factory HS with the azimuth adjust for about 50$, it has their logo on the front which is the only difference, so I guess it originally came on a MK2 or MK5.

 

That's a good one, haven't heard that one before..
I actually have quite a few mats right now because of the issue you bring up.
I ended up with a cork/rubber blend mat on top of the Washi thin paper mat, then on top of the 3mm stock mat.
Originally I just had the rubber/cork on top of stock and I thought it might be dampening too much (speculating/assuming really) and then I tried the cork/rubber on top of a 3mm all cork -no real difference, so back to stock rubber on the bottom.
Then about 3 weeks ago I slipped the Washi in between and I think it's a keeper, the combo seems to isolate more than dampen and really does nothing wrong.
What prompted me was that even with around 6mm thickness the arm just won't go down enough for some setups, so in general leaving it at that height just makes life easier.

The sound character is I think dampened too much if a clamp is used on top of that, but good luck finding a clamp that attaches to so little spindle sticking up... actually I have the KAB clamp and I can attach it -so if anyone was wondering if it is a good clamp, it is - but I think it's design does too much dampening and would prefer one that had a metal spindle clip and only contacts the label with a metal ring as opposed to a plate of plastic.

 

Yeah, one thing I scratch my head on with 1200's, even the G, is why the VTA baseline is so high....

 

Not anymore. I bought the current headshell from KAB in November for $99, I think. That was the cheapest I could find it in stock from a vendor that I knew would be selling an authentic one.

I still need to mount a cartridge on that Jelco headshell I bought. I’m not sure how the height compares, but I think it’s fairly light.

 

Absolutely. These kinds of opinions tend to come from audiophiles who attach waaayyy too much significance to the limited set of published specifications for amplifiers/preamplifiers and DACs and have no knowledge or experience designing and building circuits. Even measurements using state-of-the-art instrumentation can only provide enough information to help narrow the field of potential candidates. A final selection should never be made without auditioning first - preferably in the target listening environment. There can even be small variations in sound between each item of the same model built. Some of what you pay for with the real high end models is that every single one built is checked for proper voicing before it leaves the factory to ship out to the dealer or customer - by listening. This is different from confirmation bias - which is very real and would apply to a larger degree in the area of cables (but not entirely).

 

The Oyaide BR-12 mat and Michell R clamp is a winning combo on my SL1500C. I actually prefer clamping the records into a concave shape (thanks to the -1mm taper from rim to spindle of the BR-12) as opposed to making the LP's take a convex shape over the felt washer. Better mating to the mat and less required force to flatten the LP. Either approach, great results using the Michell clamp to tame wavy vinyl.

 

As you mentioned above I put an atn150sa stylus on the 150mlx cartridge. It’s not a ML but it sounds pretty good to me on my table.


Audio-Technica ATN150Sa stylus

 

Not sure if you answered it yet, but why do you prefer the sound of the Oc9 over the 33PTG?

 

Looking to upgrade the stock interconnect and wondering what other people have got ? Currently looking at something like the chord clearway and other cables in the price range (£100 max).

cheers

 

I've seen some people really liking the BlueJeans LC-1 cable, which is well shielded and low capacitance.
It's about 60 bucks so that's decent, worth looking in to.
If you're into making cables yourself, both Belden and Mogami are worth a look.

 

I'm not a fan of audiophile brand cables and do not recommend them. What I recommend is finding a vendor in your area that sells no b.s. cables made to order out of industry standard materials.

Often these folks cater more to the pro audio market vs. the audiophool crowd. They should be using good quality wire from a manufacturer such as Belden, Canare, Mogami, etc. and good quality connectors. Detailed specs sheets for the cable should be there on the site or readily available with a quick Google search.

Look for something with good shielding, no more than 1 meter long, with low capacitance. I would try to get something with multiple layers or shielding and less than 20pf capacitance per foot.

Here in the U.S. there are a few vendors of such cables, not sure about the UK. I'm sure there is something.