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

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Halloween_Jack, Aug 1, 2018.

  1. Davey

    Davey NP: Rosali ~ Bite Down (2024)

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Yea, this and the Darlington Labs MP-7 on audiogon and you've got a great vinyl frontend for under $2000, end game for many :)
     
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  2. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    If that Darlington had the mono switch I would buy it.
     
  3. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    750SH just arrived, I guess let's find out
     
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  4. aunitedlemon

    aunitedlemon Unity is in the pith.

    Location:
    Oregon
    The 750SH brought my ears great satisfaction. Curious to read your impressions after it gets a few hours on it.
     
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  5. MikeJedi

    MikeJedi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Las Vegas
    I am curious as well. ! About ready to pull the trigger in a 750SH and install on my 1200G and will be done with it , along with my upcoming JC3 JR.
     
  6. aunitedlemon

    aunitedlemon Unity is in the pith.

    Location:
    Oregon
    Sounds like a winning combo to me. However, I think the Parasound phono stages are loaded w/ 150pf of capacitance? That doesn't leave you much room for wiring and interconnect capacitance to stay within AT's 100-200pf window. An important consideration.
     
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  7. MikeJedi

    MikeJedi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Agreed. Altho I might just get away with it. My system is on the just slight warm side of neutral. With my Klipsch RB 5 and Yamaha AS2200 ..
     
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  8. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    Perhaps it would be of interest to say a few words about my first impressions.
    I've played songs off a few different LPs, no complete album, as a way of maybe not letting my ears become used to the new sound.

    So, coming from a 95SH the overall flavour is comparable. There's no wow moment going on. Bit more action going on in the lower mids. It's not like hearing stuff you never knew was there but let's call it a bit more separation and/or detail. Texture is nice.
    Don't believe I've noticed much change in the higher frequencies, maybe that'll come later (and would be nice).

    Considering it's a 2x jump in price over the 95SH, but also considering that jump is to a cartridge that costs a still reasonable 400€, what I'm getting seems fair.
    I'll be happy with it and my focus will now go towards improving the acoustics of my room as I believe any further investment will pay more dividends that way.
     
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  9. Mike70

    Mike70 Forum Resident

    You need to wait for some suspension "burn in" ... comment again after 50 LPs.
     
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  10. mkane

    mkane Strictly Analog

    Location:
    Auburn CA
    or the stylus get some wear.
     
  11. Mike70

    Mike70 Forum Resident

    ????

    do you think 50 hours get some wear on a stylus with 1000+ hours lifespan?

    and ...

    do you think there's no "burn-in" in a totally mechanical device? We're talking about a cartridge, not an opamp.
     
  12. aunitedlemon

    aunitedlemon Unity is in the pith.

    Location:
    Oregon
    I too noticed the improved channel separation between the 95SH and 750SH. With the cartridges I had I did find better high frequency detail w/ the 750. One of the things I've missed since going from ML to SH is that incredible high frequency sustain and precision that I loved about the ML. My move from the 95SH to the 750 was w/ hopes that I'd regain a bit more of that sustain, which I especially notice in cymbal "chic" and decay. It was a minor gain but that counts.
    Do give the cartridge many hours of playing (20 or so) before being too critical. It will definitely bloom as it settles in.
     
  13. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    Apologies for the longish post, this is my 9th day of Covid isolation and I'm bored.

    One of the things on my wishlist is to really hear Paul Chambers play his double bass on Kind of Blue (cliché, I know). Both SH give me that. I guess that principle applies to many other jazz albums.
    I had a 95ML for a while and it was not to my liking on that criteria. But definitely more pop up there, like you say. There's always a tradeoff.

    Now that I think of it, perhaps the closest I got to having both was with the Tube Box S2 and 2M Bronze combo, on my 1500C.
    But since then I snapped the cantilever off the Bronze, got a 1200GAE and decided the Lehmann was a better match for it, sold the Tube to a guy who's actually buying my 1500C as well.

    But I'm fine with my decision of keeping the Lehmann and moving to the 750SH. As much as I liked the Bronze, it was a pain in the ass to live with, always grabbing every bit of dust that came its way. And on a GAE that big orange thing would've looked a bit ridiculous whereas the 750SH is a very good match in the looks department.

    Since my last post I've played a few more records and I had a very enjoyable listen with Neil Young's Live at Carnegie Hall.

    Two questions for you fine experienced guys out there :
    1/ Thinking about getting a second stylus, so ML or SLC. Any suggestions ? SLC is pretty expensive.
    2/ I'm pretty basic when it comes to cartridge setup, I just follow the Technics manual and use the overhang gauge. Am I missing much by eyeballing it ? I tried adjusting VTA and I can't hear much of a difference.
     
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  14. aunitedlemon

    aunitedlemon Unity is in the pith.

    Location:
    Oregon
    1/ I'd get the ML. Then you have the best of both camps, IMO.
    2/ I'd strongly recommend printing out an arc protractor. It can really help verify that the cartridge is square and the overhang is optimized. I think this is the applicable protractor. Make sure you've printed it to scale by measuring the 150mm off the side. Have fun!
     
  15. mkane

    mkane Strictly Analog

    Location:
    Auburn CA
    Its about stylus wear and your ears IMO. Who really knows?
     
  16. mkane

    mkane Strictly Analog

    Location:
    Auburn CA
    I've never been bored a day in my life.

    A protractor's the way to go. And align the cantilever not the cartridge body.
     
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  17. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    Just keep using the overhang gauge if you’re fully satisfied with it - it works just fine.
    Overhang gauge vs bearwald, Stevenson, lofgren, etc is just a matter of preference… there’s no definitive best.
    But the overhang gauge is easiest to use.
    That’s why I use it for all my cartridges for some years now.
    But it might be worth a try though… for curiosity’s sake.
     
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  18. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I had a Tonar mirror protractor lying around, which from what I could find online is Baerwald, so I set it up again earlier today.
    Won't give to much credit to anything I hear considering the cart is presumably still breaking in. At least I believe I set it up correctly, one less thing to think about
     
  19. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I suggest you pull that trigger. I don't know if it's the new alignment or the break in (or both) but until I find a pot of gold somewhere or win the Powerball, the 750SH will stay. Don't think I'll even bother with a second stylus.
     
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  20. Joel S

    Joel S Forum Resident

    You can buy the same cables for $26.95 US at the Panasonic parts online store, as well as the Technics alignment gauge for $5.95 or a rubber mat for $36.95: SL1200GR Panasonic Replacement Parts - Panasonic
     
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  21. MikeJedi

    MikeJedi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Las Vegas
    I am actually planning on using the 1200G rca cables to go from the 1200G to my Parasound jc3 jr and the going to use AQ Columbia RCAs to go to my line in on my AS2200. It’s good enough for them to include it’s good enough for me to use it :)
     
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  22. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I used the stock phono cable for 2 weeks after getting the deck. It is decently made and it works fine.
    My business partner and I spent a lot (a LOT) of time doing interconnects and power cables comparisons, at both our places, in the most controlled and fair way we could think of. It's very easy to get cables on loan from shops here.

    TLDR is we thought (not speaking in absolutes) there wasn't much to chase after but there seemed (again, not absolutes) to be something. We both got some aftermarkets cables, some cheap (AQ Tower) some more expensive (Zu), some DIY and speaking for myself, I accepted the fact that a decent of chunk of the amount spent went towards better looks, peace of mind (shielding) and some perceivable sonic benefits.
     
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  23. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I've noticed a few guys using Isonoe feet on their decks and I'd be interested to get some feedback from all of you but mostly G/GAE users.
    From what I could read online, the GAE feet might not need to be upgraded.
    I do find them ugly though, I would prefer black feet.
    Not sure it matters but I live in a concrete building with woodflooring glued to the actual concrete. I can honestly jump smoothly 3ft away from the deck and not hear feedback in the speakers.
     
  24. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    No need to change the feet then.

    They’re also available in black.
     
  25. Mabonnebiche

    Mabonnebiche Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I meant I find the GAE feet not so good looking, don't like that extra silver at the bottom, I'd rather have a black base and only have silver on top, like the G.
    Reason I'm asking about Isonoe is not so much about isolating the deck from the floor, but rather from itself.
    When I contacted Funk to cancel the Boing feet I had ordered for my now sold 1500C, Arthur mentioned something about vibrations from the (something about the deck itself)) going back to the (tonearm?) and finding their way to the stylus.

    Come to think of it, that simple email exchange asking for an order cancelation turned into a non-solicited avalanche of technical stuff and somewhat funky (pun intended) claims dumped into my inbox and now I find myself annoyed not wanting to buy a new Achromat to replace the one I sold with the 1500C.

    So I think my first question was really : do feet upgrades matter to isolate a deck from its surroundings or can it make sense as a way of decoupling the stylus from the table as a whole ?
     

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