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

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

  1. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Thanks! Someone else mentioned something similar so I am going to chalk it up as casting is what it is.
     
  2. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    Nothing.

    No assumptions. It was a question, not a statement, followed by a suggestion. Relax man, I’m not on a rant too. You are the one making assumptions here.
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2019
  3. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Your question didnt come off as serious, it came off as sarcastic.

    But thanks for being a concerened forum member when it comes to my enjoyment of the music. Cause you know, the cosmetics really distract from the music as the platter is spinning.

    Next time I will burn my eyes out before a listening session.
     
  4. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    Do as you wish.
     
  5. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    I can understand your issue with someone possibly calling you out on something, but I can personally vouch for @4011021 and how helpful, pleasant, and overall just really nice to interact with he's been on this thread for its many pages. I personally didn't read any snark into his post, but can understand your perspective on why you did. You also made it clear you enjoy the sound of the table, so no worries there.
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  6. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    Suggesting that someone "relax" doesn't usually go over very well in just about any context, unless maybe it's coming from a medical professional. I mean this as an actual observation on the connotation of the word, not as sarcasm.
     
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  7. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    Yeah, even their review sample of the very first GAE (#0000) has it a bit wobbly strobe dots (@ 7:12):


    If one TT would've got the most attention at the factory, it would probably be this one.
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  8. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    Just relax, it won´t do you any harm.
     
    Andrew Littleboy likes this.
  9. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    It’s perfectly reasonable to wonder if a $1700 turntable is unusually defective, even if it’s just cosmetic. The return window is the time to sort that out, and, even if it doesn’t affect playback, a cosmetic defect is still a defect. Future resale value may be a consideration, after all.

    As far as suggesting anybody relax, I think we may be dealing with regional differences in connotation. To me, “relax” doesn’t have the same connotation as saying “calm down” or “chill out” but I think that was likely the way it was taken here. It seems to me everyone has been well-meaning.
     
  10. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    Relax is more dismissive than chill out.
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  11. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Im meditating right now.
     
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  12. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    You are probably the most helpful here and its appreciated.
     
  13. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    The issue about the misaligned dots on the platter hsa come up before and since this is a cast part I would assume every platter coming off that tool would have the same dot alignment.

    Now Panasonic may have more than one tool to cast these platters, depending on the volume they need to make to meet sales forecasts, but I would also expect all the tools to be the close in spec as they are created using the same drawings so every platter should be the same irrespective of the tool that cast it.

    The misaligned dots may be distracting to some owners but they are not necessarily a defect or quality issue if that is how Panasonic created the tools and might be within the spec they created.

    The fact that the dots are not aligned perfectly straight may not impact their purpose so in that case, Panasonic may feel the far from perfect alignment does not impact function and do not consider it a defect/ quality issue. Just speculation on my part of course.

    I am not trying to minimize the concerns of those this issue bothers but rather just stating what I know and speculating on how Panasonic would view the issue from my experience working for an audio company.
     
    Andrew Littleboy and bru87tr like this.
  14. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Wow, that looks worse than mine with actual wobble. Mine doesnt have wobble, but sure looks like it by the design of the dots and lines. Glad mine isnt that bad. Bad enough rubber mats arent perfect, adding actual platter wobble cant be good.

    Makes me feel a lot better about mine. But for $1700, I expected better. I guess nothing is perfect, but close as the rest of the table has lived up to expectations.

    Makes me wonder how hard it is to cast a platter.
     
  15. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    See, I disagree, which shows the differences in how we perceive connotation. “Relax” is a reassuring suggestion, like “hey, man, it’ll be fine, you can relax,” whereas “chill out” is more of a command you give to somebody who is worked up about something. Maybe it’s not regional, maybe it’s just personal perception, but I don’t see anything worthy of taking offense in his post. I could be biased by having some familiarity with him on this forum, of course.

    I will say, again, if I pay $1700 for something, I’m definitely making sure I didn’t get one that is out of spec, even if the problem is only cosmetic. So I don’t agree that “as long as it sounds fine, don’t worry about it” is the right advice, but I don’t see any malice in giving that advice.
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  16. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I believe I read that after they are cast, they are then machined to ensure they are flat? Does that make sense, or am I making that up? I actually think it was way back in this thread, but I can’t find it.
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  17. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I'm not a native English speaker. I'm sure I didn't choose the best words. I apologize.
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2019
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  18. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    I think I took offense cause I was pretty clear I love the table and the performance. I never took issue with the performance of the table. I was pretty clear it performed perfectly and just noticed a cosmetic imperfection. It wasnt like I was going off about it, but inquiring with you guys as I am a newbie to this table. This is my first 1200.

    I thought it was silly for someone to ask and comment to relax and enjoy music and be blind to anything else. Not sure how I gave the impression I wasnt enjoying the music, cause I was so "focued" on the cosmetic imperfections. That was not the case at all and thought I was pretty clear about that.

    So I took it wrong ? Maybe.
     
    Big Blue likes this.
  19. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Its cool and I get it. Sometimes text comes off wrong on a message board.

    Makes sense and all is good! :)
     
  20. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    And just think, the GAE/G are more than twice as expensive! Those seem to more commonly have wobble reported because of issues with the plate on top. We lowly GR owners don’t have that factor at play, but it seems even just casting a platter with perfectly level strobe dots must be more difficult than we would think.

    Other than that potential imperfection, though, yeah, it lives up to expectations. At $1700 MSRP, you get a turntable that just works the way you expect a turntable to work, with push-button operation, no weird noise, stable and accurate speed, and it just feels like a real audio component rather than a piece of wood or plastic with some mechanical parts attached. It sucks that it takes $1700 to get something that is actually good, but here we are.
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  21. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    I did hear about the G platter issues before I bought the GR. If I spent that much and got a platter that wobbles, I would not be happy. I did think when I first read about it, that maybe 2 different metals sandwiched together might be a contributing factor.

    I never thought a Technics turntable would have this issue old or new. I never heard of it till now, but I never owned one either.
     
    Big Blue likes this.
  22. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA


    And your expectations are not unreasonable IMHO.

    Again all the platters that come off the tool should have the same dot alignment as this is part of the tool and the positioning shouldn't vary.

    Now if you are talking about a platter warp, that can contribute to wooble, that is a different matter and can vary from platter to platter due to molding conditions not being under control, variable cooling process, environmental conditions etc.

    Also, it may not be the platter that is warped but it could have to do to the spindle and how the platter fits into the TT etc. There could be many factors that could contribute to a platter wobble outside of a warped platter.
     
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  23. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    The platters coming off the same tool should have the same alignment of dots as the pattern is fixed in the tool. Thinks of it as being like a cookie-cutter where every cookie is the same shape.

    Now if the platter is warped the dots could seem to be out of alignment.
     
    bru87tr, Oelewapper and Big Blue like this.
  24. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    Well, you're lucky, because I had all the time of the world (work called off, again) to find the video in my history, if not for that, I would've been bored to death this afternoon :p
     
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  25. Oelewapper

    Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing it on the floor.

    The main issue with the brass on the platter is that it's coefficient of the thermal expansion is different from the aluminium, so it can become warped over severe temperature changes, but also when metal isn't rolled/pressed/forged to form the right structural patterns on microscopic level. Some people also tried to remove the philips screws that are mounted into the brass plate; I think that can also be very detrimental to the reliability.
    But as far as I know, in most cases it just seems to have a wobbly surface, but it's actually only the dots that wobble.
     
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