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

This is one reason why I verify with the acrylic block. Get the headshell level in both directions, then make sure the cantilever is actually perpendicular.

 

What do you like about The Mat over the Technics mat?

 

I measured the GAE tonearm. I got 21pF without the headshell. No guarantees, it is difficult to precisely measure such small capacitance with a handheld LCR meter. No matter, 10 or 20 pF is immaterial in the big scheme of things. It certainly isn't anywhere as large as 100pF.

 

When I received my table with the Lyra Delos I noticed the cantilever was slightly off to the left. Having been playing with antiskate and watching the cantilever in the grooves I've found a setting off 1.1 actually straightened the cantilever.
My next order will to be okay with VTF and VTA and see if the sound can be improved.
For those of you curious it is currently 1.755 and 0.3.

 

I am actually beginning to thing the Delos needs only between .50 grams and .75 grams antiskate.

 

I've been steadily dropping mine.

 

As is often the case, just getting it level will not result in optimum azimuth unless they have managed to get the cantilever and stylus perfectly mounted. Having the degree markings is great when adjusting for equal crosstalk.

 

I guess I’m not understandin how angle markings would tell you anything about the crosstalk. I know you won’t get azimuth optimal just by setting the headshell level, but if you are actually measuring the crosstalk and adjusting accordingly, what is the level for, then?

 

Something like Analogue Productions test record has 1khz left channel then right channel, so you can measure the crosstalk level. Dr Feickert's level (or whatever it's called) has degree markings, so you can just alter it by a degree or so to get the crosstalk between channels as close as possible, and voila you have optimum azimuth. About 1.5 degrees deviation either way is ok. I used to do it so L&R channels were equal level, but the crosstalk way is apparently the best way.

 

Decided to tweak the TT some more tonight. VTA is now 0 and reset VTF after to 1.75.
A definite improvement all-round. Soundstage opened up and better stereo imaging.

Listening to Queen live aid gave me goose bumps

 

Question. For those who are buying their tables through Guitar Center, how long has the wait been to fulfill a back order? I ordered mine a month ago, and they keep kicking the can down the road. I’m getting notifications every week and the ship date keeps getting delayed

 

The demand has been much greater than the supply for the past 7 or 8 months. These things are build by hand in Japan, and they literally can't build them fast enough to satisfy the demand.

There have been lots of other posts complaining about slow delivery by guitar center. But they always came though. It just took time for the backorders to get fulfilled.

 

...and still the price is the same, actually with some discount sometimes. Economic theory is flawed.

 

Sorry but, economic theory actually says that if a product is priced below its demand is, then you will have shortages of the product until you raise the prices to meet the demand. And since they haven't raised the price (yet), the shortages are persisting...

 

Yeah, that was my experience, too. I think I had four different backorder dates, and then one day I got a shipping notification even though the last date had not come yet. Seems to be the way it goes, just hang in there.

To answer your question, I think it was about five weeks from order to delivery.

 

I was kidding actually. Not an economist here as you might have guessed. But since you answered, shouldn't the prices raise to a new equilibrium the demand being higher than the offer?

 

It’s possible they don’t want to decrease demand by raising the price. A backorder isn’t exactly undesirable from Technics’ perspective.

 

Neither am I. But I play one on Steve Hoffman .TV.

Technics certainly could raise prices a bit if they wanted. But the demand would almost certainly drop-off quickly as the value prospect of this table decreased.

The big question is just how long will these shortages persist? If Technics would rather keep the production pipeline full and their workers super busy rather than slow the demand, that is their choice as a company. But it will mean shortages until the public's demand for these Tables has been satiated.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I just have to be patient.

If it wasn’t for getting it for 15% off, I would have just gotten it from Glen Carol Audio

 

They’re hopefully working on getting the plater straight!

 

I believe that this has been exclusively a G issue, not a GR issue.

And as I have state before on this forum, I strongly suspect that the Gs have been having this issue due to the bi-metal design of their platters causing warping due to extreme temperature fluctuations while shipping around the globe.

 

It’s pretty easy to feel like they’ve lost your order or something, but they haven’t. It’s just a crazy backorder list they need to work through. 15% is a pretty great discount on one of these!

 

Actually I've seen a couple of people in forums complaining of warped platters in the GR too. I've seen that before I bought mine more than one year ago, so it was the fist thing I checked when it arrived. Haven't seen any recently though.

 

I'm clueless about tone arm and cartridge compliance. I'm using an Audio Technica AT440mlb on an SL 1210 GR, set up at my local stereo store. But I was just told this cartridge and tone arm are not a good match. Could anyone advise me?

 

As I understand it AT ‘s compliance specs are a bit different from how others list it. I am running the replacement for the 440 (VM760SLC) on my GR and its great. The compliance specs on the two are identical.