FS: Technics SL120 TT

[NRG]

Marco, to answer your earlier Q, I bought it off Ebay a couple of years ago when I was looking at the Belt drive vs DD vs idler thing. In the end my Gyro lost out as did the SL120 to a Lenco '99. It just ticked all the right boxes for me.... Then a while later I heard an SP10 and well....I just had to get one. It needs a plinth and I rather fancy one of the SlateDeck ones so I need to free some capital and space LOL!

[NRG]

Oh! forgot... you all probably know about this link but I'll post it anyway, it's a good resource on some of the DD decks....

http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/museum_eng.html

[Vinyl Grinder]

Oh! forgot... you all probably know about this link but I'll post it anyway, it's a good resource on some of the DD decks....

http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/museum_eng.html

Anyone remember the Monitor Audio 'ET500' turntable? Used the Matsushita DD motor as JBE did..

[NRG]

So!.... whats so good about the SL110 then?

Not trying to be funny here BTW, t'is summat I've never seen/heard thats all!

Mark, the SL120 was nearly the best of the Technics 'domestic' range when it was launched. The SL110 really sits above it having the broadcast SP10 motor but mounted in a domestic style plinth.

[Vinyl Grinder]

Here got this info off the web but simplified it as not to bore you too much

1970: 'SP-10' motor unit
1971: 'SL-1100'
1972: 'SL-110 (Armless version of the 'SL-1100'),
Introduction of the 'SL-1200'(pitch on pots)
1973: 'SL-120 (Armless version of the 'SL-1200')
1974: 'SL-1300 (Essentially a Fully auto 'SL-1200)
1975: 'SP-10 MkII'
Introduction of 'SL-1350' (Cross between 'SL-1100 & 'SL-1300')
Introduction of 'SL-1500' (Manual 'SL-1300) & 'SL-1400 (Semi auto)
1976: 'SL-1200', 'SL-1300', 'SL-1400', 'SL-1500' Introduced as '1210', '1310', '1410' & '1510'
1977: 'SL-1300', SL-1400' & 'SL-1500' Introduced as MKII version..
'SL-1650' & 'SL-1950' auto changers introduced.

1979: 'SL-1200' with slide faders for pitch
1980: 'SL-1200'Mk.II with diecase/rubber housing
Introduction of 'SP-12'

Nothing really new after that apart from small improvements & Ltd edition model.

[shane]

So do all of these have the same motor and electronics?

[Marco]

Marco, to answer your earlier Q, I bought it off Ebay a couple of years ago when I was looking at the Belt drive vs DD vs idler thing. In the end my Gyro lost out as did the SL120 to a Lenco '99. It just ticked all the right boxes for me.... Then a while later I heard an SP10 and well....I just had to get one. It needs a plinth and I rather fancy one of the SlateDeck ones so I need to free some capital and space LOL!

Hi Neal,

Thanks for that - interesting.

I've never had a serious listen to a Lenco, properly fettled, so can't really comment, but I know Garrards and TD124s well. I'd have a TD124 before I'd have a 401, but I'd have a 301 over either of those. Yes I know the 401 is supposedly better, but not to my ears, and it looks like plastic shit compared to a 301. Gyros do nothing for me, sorry.

Regarding SP10s, I've heard a few - the last one was Guy Sergeant's one at the Manchester show, and the same deck at the London show before that, and whilst it was bloody good (and it was!), trouncing all other belt-drive T/Ts demonstrated at the show (some of them very expensive!) there was nothing I heard with the SP10 that would make me jump out and swap it for my KAB-modified SL-1210... It didn't 'blow me away' like I thought it would.

Maybe I've never experienced an SP10 at its absolute best (Guy's was heard at a show after all) or maybe the KAB modifications raise the performance of an SL-1210 to levels way above its normal capabilities? Those are questions that can only be answered if I tried an SP10 at home in my own system and compared it to my deck. The same arm and cartridge would also help, I suppose!

Thing is, the KAB-modified SL-1210 sounds so shockingly good that I can be arsed even going there.

Marco.

[Vinyl Grinder]

So do all of these have the same motor and electronics?

Don't know but the SP10 MkI&II used different motors.

[Marco]

That's the thing, though, Andre... It's all very well having superior motor units *IF* they actually perform now as they did when they were new 30-odd years ago! I'm not convinced that's definitely the case...

I've got no doubt the motor unit in the SP10 and SL-110 was originally better than that in the SL-1210, but I'm not sure if a brand new motor in an SL-1210 when compared to the 30-odd year old motor in an SP10 doesn't level the playing field somewhat.

Remember that the vast majority of SP10s owned these days were bought second hand from being used professionally in a TV or radio station, and in most cases were pretty used and abused, so it's difficult to judge how much of the SP10's original level of performance you're actually getting.

That's why I've opted for taking the headache out of the decision and going for a KAB-modified SL-1210, which I truly believe is as good, or at worst, not far off the performance of a 30 year old SP10 to make it virtually insignificant.

Marco.

[pure sound]

Some Technics info here.

http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/technics_eng.html

I had a 110 briefly. It looked nice but didn't sound great. When that was made the motor control system was still being developed by Technics. The Mk2 version of the SP10 is a different animal to either the 110 or the original SP10 and was properly sorted. I'd agree with Marco about perhaps steering clear of ex broadcast SP10's. Even ex domestic ones would probably benefit from having many of the PSU caps replaced particularly if the TT has been unused for several years.