More iconic and more fun than an Ipod. (Technics SL 1210 II)

Member Name: LaptopAcidX

Product:	Technics SL 1210 II
Date:	03/06/09 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent sound quality, rugged.

Disadvantages: Very heavy, expensive.

The Techics SL-1200mk2 is ubiquitous and arguably the most famous record player in the world. Originally a hi fidelity consumer turntable, it was adopted by club DJ's for it's reliability, ruggedness and sound quality. It is still used almost universally not just by dance music DJ's but hip hop and scratch DJ's also.

The original SL-1200 was released in 1972 as a hi-fi turntable, the SL-1200mk2 was released in 1978 originally with a shiny (very seventies style) silver finish. Later 1200mk2 models became available in a more subtle silver or matte black, Technics also improved the motor, shock resistance, added a ground wire, and changed the rotary pitch control to a slider. This version is now the base model and is the oldest still in production and is the model I have owned since 2001.

The turntable is a very heavy piece of kit at 12.5kg due to the milled steeled base which contains a very powerful motor and some big magnets. Personally I think it's worth paying extra money for something that can be user maintained on the off chance something goes wrong with it. One year at the DMC world DJ championships a scratch DJ stood on the unit and span around.

The 1200 is not an audiophile turntable despite, and as a result of, the high quality of the signal processing electronics that make it possible to hear a slight rumbling from the motor. As it is a direct drive design the motor is directly under the platter the record sits on, whereas audiophile turntables are belt driven with the motor offset away from the platter.

It's difficult to extol the virtues of a turntable when so few people listen to vinyl records, and of those that do the majority are audiophiles obsessed with squeezing every last khz out of their music. For me personally I was influenced by club culture when I bought mine but eight years later even though I've all but stopped buying records I wouldn't get rid of it.

Overall I love mine, I love to look at it, I love the positive action of the on off button but most of all I love to listen to records on it as most importantly the sound quality is superb.

Summary: Fantastic sound quality and excellent build quality.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Features:
Sound quality: