Upgrading Technics 1200....PSU

[RickeyM]

It was just a heads up to the OP as it's not just a try it then revert back that easily, if they didn't like the change then it's awkward to remove.

Be handy to have a spare platter to try it on.

I can dig it.

[RickeyM]

I'm looking into this. Thanks for the tip.

Here's a link I used when I mounted my PS externally. The thing with a Techie, IMO, is you do a mod and hear an improvement. Then you mod something else and along with the improvement from that, you get a better picture of the improvement from the previous mod.

SL1200MK2 external power supply

[1200reasons]

Can someone please educate me better here?

As far as I can see, the only point of a PSU upgrade is if you're noticing transformer hum, right? Since it uses a quartz mechanism, I don't really see how a PSU upgrade would affect the function of the motor. At 0.025% speed stability, it's verging on audible perfect anyway, right?

Even with the volume pumped on a sensitive LoMC I can't notice any hum with the stylus sitting 1mm above the platter. EMI doesn't seem to be a problem. Once the needle hits the record, a quiet hum appears from the physical vibration of the transformer. If this is the case then there's nothing that any PSU can do aside from removing the 50/60hz hum. no reason for a "house sound" or anything. merely stock SL-1200 sound minus a 50/60 hz hum

[Stratmangler]

Once the needle hits the record, a quiet hum appears from the physical vibration of the transformer

You have it!
Take the transformer away from the deck, which in stock form has sod all suspension, and you've removed a constant vibrational source.
Site the PSU away from the deck with a wire umbilical, and the vibrational path is gone.

The result is that the stylus is tracking the rotating record, minus the 50/60 Hz injected by the mains transformer sat beneath the platter.

[RickeyM]

Imagine if you will, sanding something made of wood. A table top maybe. Imagine things like transformer hum, platter resonance, tonearm resonances as things you can sand smooth to get a fine furniture grade finish. Remove the transformer from the chassis and you've removed a source of vibration reaching the stylus. Okay, you've smoothed out your finish as far as the grit of the sandpaper will take you. You then damp the platter by either replacing the under matt or selecting a matt which helps damp the platter or even selecting an aftermarket platter. You've now isolated the stylus from more mechanical and airborne vibrations. Your table top is a now little smoother than before. Your stock tonearm has that steel tube which very resonant. You can either mod the stock tonearm or replace it altogether. Another path of mechanical and airborne vibrations wrestled into submission. Boy, that table top is as smooth as a baby's bottom now.

Your cart sends whatever signal it picks up (music and) to the rest of your system for amplification. The cleaner (less vibrations and resonances) that signal, the better the remaining music will sound. I use a humble AT120e cart and with these mods, I'm surprised at how good it sounds.

PS, even with just the PS removed from the chassis, I noticed better sound. Things like low level sounds became clearer and easier to discern.

[1200reasons]

What are the external PSU options? I know of the KAB and the timestep, but I'm pretty sure there are others that I can't think of. As noted above in a previous post, I'm of the opinion that all external PSUs have the same impact, so it's mostly about finding the most affordable one for me

[Stratmangler]

Just take the one you already have out from under the platter, and rehouse it in an external box.
Use flex to make an umbilical connection to the deck.

[Spectral Morn]

Different PSUs have a different effect as does better PSUs improve the sound over lesser ones. So while an improvement will be found by removing the PSU from out of the turntable adding a better PSU on top will give improvements as well.

Try this http://www.adventuresinhifiaudio.com...ong-dog-audio/

[1200reasons]

Different PSUs have a different effect as does better PSUs improve the sound over lesser ones. So while an improvement will be found by removing the PSU from out of the turntable adding a better PSU on top will give improvements as well.

On what basis would this be? It's quartz locked direct drive, so I really don't see how different PSUs can have different impacts. As long as the transistors get a DC voltage within their operational range, it should run perfectly regardless of the source of that DC. The only benefit that I can see is removing the internal transformer which vibrates slightly.

On the factory inbuilt PSU I measure at 0.02% speed stability (or similar. I forget), but I get a quiet hum while the needle is touching the record

It's temping to just put the factory PSU in an external box, but for the sake of not screwing anything up and keeping the resale as high as possible, I might prefer to buy one

[walpurgis]

I wonder too. Surely the motor only draws as much power as it requires and presumably the standard PSU is specified adequately?