Its probably an attempt to try keep the cables from having any clearance issues on belt drive TTs with floating sub-chassis.
For those of you have helped me out regarding my hum - thanks for your patience, and I'd like to run something by you (please suggest if I should start a separate thread for this). It's planned that an exchange is being dropped off / this one collected on Tuesday. Before I pack it up I thought I'd do some more testing. I removed the cart from the technics headshell, put it in the arm, and as per my old Jelco one, there's no hum. Just for fun, I tried different connecting cables twixt cart and Technics headshell, and the hum returns - mostly in the right channel, just as before. I played about moving the grounding wire, but no change. Now here's a thing - rather than wiring directly to my Rotel phono input, I put back in my Lehmann Black Cube 2 (which is currently for sale) - and everything is absolutely silent. I mean almost eerily dead silent right up to the max of 100 on the amp. Now, this might suggest there's a problem with the phono input on the amp. But there can't be, because the problem switches to the left speaker when I swap the inputs over, and it never did this with the same cart on my Jelco arm on my old turntable. So what on earth is going on there? It doesn't seem to make sense! Which leads me to think that replacing the table is NOT the solution. That said I still have the other "problem" of the slight whooshing/roaring sound in the table at 45 and 78. Can other owners please put their ear to the platter and check theirs for me?
Just tried it on my SL1200G - no sound whatsoever at any of the three speeds, even with my ear close to the spinning platter.
Lots of things are possible, but as far as I know no such issue has ever been reported for the SL120GR/G/GAE. It’s far more likely that bending over to listen is a causing a circulatory issue that is affecting your hearing. Happens to many people. Or not. Maybe you just got the very first SL1200 G dud. Seems like an odd set of problems though. At all speeds, my SL1200G in a quiet listening room with very low background noise level is mechanically and electrically silent.
OK just to prove I'm not going nuts / deaf, the 3 women in my house (2 with ears at least 30 years younger!) hear it too. I removed the platter, which I thought may be scraping something, and fired her up. Maybe you aren't meant to do that, but anyway, here's a little video with sound https://photos.app.goo.gl/se6z2NphKLhEnU2M6 Not only can you hear the problem, but you can also see that the motor is not turning smoothly. By the way, sadly I'm not the first. A chap on a UK forum had to send 2 back.
Bummer you've had this much trouble. Who know's what the table was subjected to during shipping. I'm sure the replacement will be perfect. It is a bizarre set of observations you've experienced.
That video looks and sounds like precisely what happens when a motor or bearing becomes misaligned when a turntable has been dropped heavily in transit, or when a platter has been dropped heavily onto the spindle during installation. The point is, the bearing is most likely badly damaged. The other possibilty is that the bearing well is dry. We don’t how exactly how your turntable was packaged or the degree to which is was diasassembled in the box. Was there an assembly instruction to lubricate the main bearing with some supplied oil. If so, and if that step was skipped, that could be the problem. So far, I haven’t heard of an SL1200GR/G/GAE requiring bearing lubrication during assembly though, so that’s admittedly a long shot.
It definitely sounds like a bad, or at least a dry, bearing from that recording. Considering that the instructions explicitly state never to place the platter on the unit until after it has been set into position, bearing damage to the spindle by itself during transit seems unlikely.
Thanks, Agitater. No, there's no oil or instructions along those lines. Definitely something badly wrong though! (And for the record, pardon the pun, I didn't drop the platter onto it!)
OK, now for my own question: How well do these units match-up with MC cartridges? I only ask because most MCs carts have lower compliance than do most MM carts, and I'm wondering if these arms have enough mass to handle lower compliance cartridges. If anybody here is running an MC cart on their 1200G/GR, I'd love to hear about it.
SME are not an easy fit on the Technics. I don't even like the pairing aesthetically. It's great match and fairly easy fit on Michell and other TTs. Does it actually sound better than the supplied arm fitted with a more rigid headshell?
I've used a couple of AT MCs on a PLX1000 so there should not be an issue with these new Technics arms. It would be advisable to use a heavier (solid) headshell and the additional counterweight.
Likely got shunted in transit between Japan the dealer and yourself. Something must have gone out of alignment. Hum is likely a dodgy earth connection but a better designed earthing path may hide the issue.
I run a Koetsu Urushi Sky Blue on mine, but I also changed the arm to a Jelco TK-850S. I did also use a Kiseki Blue NS with the stock arm and it sounded great. I just used a Yamamoto Ebony head shell in place of the stock one.
I am using a Benz-Micro Wood SL on my SL-1200G. It’s a really great match for the Technics arm and sound fantastic. Incidentally, this cartridge has amazing specs and sound and is truly a bargain for the price. Highly recommended.
I love the aethetics of the 309 and the 1200G, but with the very tight fit of the arm cable underneath the deck (pictured on the previous page), I felt happier reinstalling the original arm. So never got to hear the 309 in action on this deck. I think the only way it would have worked satisfactorily was to buy a custom arm cable with a right-angled connector that pointed straight down out of the bottom of the deck. I feel strongly that those selling SME arm bases for the SL1200G really should mention this issue, but of course then they might lose sales... I actually have no issue with the original arm, but as I had the 309 just had to try it to ‘scratch that itch’.
I had expected there'd be some "shipping screws" or some arrangement to stop things spinning and bashing around in transit. Maybe also some kind of "double boxing" type packaging for added protection.
Double boxing certainly wouldn't hurt. But I'm surprised that the bearing could have been damaged in transit if the unit was packed properly inside of its original container. They don't need shipping screws because there is no sub-chassis to lock-down, and because the platter is completely removed during shipping. The spindle has very little mass all by itself, so it would take a pretty serious shock to damage its bearing, one would think. Was the box still factory-sealed when you received it?
Ok, now that my 1210GR arrived (my initial impressions are positive), I am tempted to try my Thorens record weight on it. But after reading the above story about a damaged bearing, I'm now concerned about putting that much extra weight on it. Does anyone know how much weight these bearing are rated to support?
I tried a weight & also a Michell clamp on the 1200G - in both instances the music noticeably lost some of its pace & timing so I don't use them on this table (the weight works well on an RP10 hybrid though).
I have been using this Clearaudio Concept Clamp (re-purposed from my previous Concept Wood 'table). It weighs 215 grams, or .47 pounds. Hopefully that's not problematic...I haven't been able to find anything suggesting a weight limit.
