Marantz SL-1200 clone

[Kris]

Well, I never knew this existed:

http://www.hifido.co.jp/KWMarantz/G0301/E/0-50/C05-25534-63142-00/

:stalks:

I wonder how many they made?

I want one, I want one, I want one . . . .

[StanleyB]

Marantz did a couple of far better turntables than that. Surely one of those would be a better idea?

[leo]

Looks a bit like an Audio-Technica AT-PL120 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=ProductDetail&A=showItemLargeImage&Q=&sku=352373&is=REG

[DSJR]

I think Stanton may have had a clone too...

I was told ( I think by an ex Technics Sales manager?) that the SL1200 is made in large batch runs. When they've made a few thousand, why not use the production lines for other people if they order enough...

I don't know quite how different things in the far east are, but at one time, you could order a new style of control knob in the morning and have samples by early afternoon with production later that day if you wanted it. Cambridge (under Stan Curtis) had to take 1500 badly cast CD2 front panels 'cos that's what they were given after a two to three month delay and with no option to return them....... so told to me by Angie Curtis..

[Kris]

These clones must be pretty rare beasts, and very collectable. . .

I'm always amazed that Technics have never revived the SP-10 Mk3. The 1200 has paid for itself many times over and could have paid for a restart of the SP-10 production line. They must still have all the blueprints, castings, dies, tooling etc, and I'm sure there's enough people out there who would want to upgrade from a 1200. And it would be very desiravble in its own right. There is a market for Japanese DD turntables, continued sales of the 1200 prove that. So why no SP-10 Mk4? It's a travesty!

[Beobloke]

Piece of badge-engineered tat I'm afraid. If you want a modern Marantz DD, there's always the TT-8001, although Ken Ishiwata was a bit tight lipped about it when David Price and I tried to quiz him about it at the Munich Show this year!

http://www.marantz.jp/ce/products/audio/other/tt8001/index.html

[Marco]

Piece of badge-engineered tat I'm afraid.


Indeed, Adam!

Kris, why on earth would you want one of those when you can get a proper bonafide Technics SL-1210? :scratch:

I agree with you about resurrecting the SP-10... It would certainly be nice if that became a reality :)

However, with the new bearings Dave Cawley's doing, and further significant upgrades in the pipeline (new platter, etc), I'm confident that the SL-1200/1210 can be made, with the use of modern technology, to eventually outperform the SP10.

My deck, as it is, gets 95% of the way there (I've done the comparison on a few occasions), so when I get the Mike New bearing fitted, I'm expecting to all but close the remaining gap! ;)

Marco.

[Kris]

If you want a modern Marantz DD, there's always the TT-8001

You've totally misunderstood me. I don't want a modern Marantz TT. I'm very happy with my Tekky.



Piece of badge-engineered tat I'm afraid.
Indeed, Adam!

Kris, why on earth would you want one of those when you can get a proper bonafide Technics SL-1210?

So with a Marantz (or other) badge it's tat, and with a Tekky badge it isn't?

The Marantz clone does appear to be a badge engineered version, so under the skin it'll be the same. But it's different and rarer. I'm an individual. I don't want or like to 'follow the crowd'. The only reason I have a Tekky 1200 is because I know it will work the same day in day out this year, next year, and in 10 years time. It sounds good and is well engineered, reliable, and needs little maintenance, more than you can say for the majority of British turntables I've had which frankly have been a joke. The fact that everyone else has a Tekky 1200 is enough of a reason for me to want the Marantz (or other badge) version.

I'm at a bit of a loss to understand why some here think the 1200 is a solid machine worthy of buying and modifying to make it sound even better, yet regard the same TT but with a different badge (and therefore rarer and more exclusive) as a piece of 'tat'.

:scratch:

[Marco]

Kris,

I suspect that 'under the skin' it won't be the same as a genuine SL-1210, which is what Adam was alluding to. There are a lot of re-badged fakes around. Why would you want something that's worse just to be "different"?

If you want to be genuinely different, then get one of these:

http://www.thevintageknob.org/MARANTZ/TT1000/TT1000.html

;)

Marco.

[Alex_UK]

If you want to be genuinely different, then get one of these:

http://www.thevintageknob.org/MARANTZ/TT1000/TT1000.html


I think the Tt 1000 looks amazing, (and know David Price is a fan/owner) but isn't that "badge engineered tat" too, :lol: not actually being a Marantz either, but a Micro Seiki?

If the Marantz "SL1200" is just a badge engineering exercise, (i.e. Technics make SL1200s but with Marantz not Technics on the label) then I don't see any reason why it would be inferior, unless you are saying that Technics would have kept the best components for their own badged versions? I would have thought that would be a pretty quick way for Technics to lose a customer (Marantz) who was presumably buying in quantity?

I don't think "badge engineering" is actually the right description in this case (which implies taking a much inferior product and associating it with a premium brand - i.e. 1980's Seat Ibiza's with an "Engineered by Porsche" sticker in the rear window, intended to give the car more caché because Porsche helped in the engineering design, but implies more than reality) - wouldn't a more appropriate term be "re-badged" (tat, or otherwise! ;)) Of course, I stand to be corrected! :)
:fence:

[The Grand Wazoo]

Morning Alex,
I think what Marco is saying is that it's built to look like a Technics, but that the likeness is only skin deep.
I think Kris thinks that it's a Technics with a Marantz badge on it.

I don't know (or really give a monkeys to be honest!).

[Alex_UK]

Morning to you too Chris.




I don't know (or really give a monkeys to be honest!).

Neither do I really, but when my "Avatar" kept me up 'til half two, then wanted to get up at six, you find yourself embroiled in all sorts that isn't anything to do with you, and even find researching 1985 Seat Ibiza's 'fun'! :lol:

[The Grand Wazoo]

Aha, I see.
I also see that 'your avatar' has goalkeepers/wicketkeepers hands!

[Alex_UK]

"Snowboarder's Hands" actually - what do you do when you go out to the park in the snow and then realise you've forgotten your daughter's gloves? Lend her yours, of course! :)

[DSJR]

Alex, your "Avatar's" wrapping you around her fingers already. You poor man, you'll be trapped in deep for ever now :D

[Sgt.Pepper]

Piece of badge-engineered tat I'm afraid. If you want a modern Marantz DD, there's always the TT-8001, although Ken Ishiwata was a bit tight lipped about it when David Price and I tried to quiz him about it at the Munich Show this year!

http://www.marantz.jp/ce/products/audio/other/tt8001/index.html

Hmm ,I'm not surprised he was tight lipped about it,that looks like a modded SL1210 to me.
The arm looks very similar to the stock Technics one, the mat also has the same styling cues as the SL1210 one and the lid/hinges also look very similar,except for the bump in the lid of course.

I would guess Panasonic have made this for Marantz,as opposed to just slapping a sticker on the front, should sound pretty good then if it's using SL1210 running gear ;)

Wonder how much it'll be ?

[Beobloke]

Yes, if I can just clarify what I meant in my previous posting - all these cheap DJ turntable clones that are to be found everywhere from Amazon to you local Cash Convertors most emphatically DO NOT have anything to do with Technics.

By "badge engineered tat" I meant that other makers have attempted to make their units look something like the Technics in order to lull unsuspecting punters into thinking that they must be just as good and contain the same technology underneath. They're not and they don't!

As to price of the Marantz TT8001, I seem to remember the £1,000 mark was mentioned briefly before the subject changed..........

[Dave Cawley]

The problem with the Marantz TT8001 and probably why Ken was reluctant to talk about it, is that is a generic DJ deck with an awful bearing dropped into a nice piece of Perspex. The exact same motor, circuit and bearing are used in nearly half a dozen cheap DJ decks. Unfortunately the bearing is not upgradeable.

I have looked at several SL-1200 type DJ decks, and not one is a true clone, simply a device that provides DJ functionality.

The more I look, the more I like the Technics. Remember it was designed for Hi Fi use and came with a cast SME tonearm mount. All the DJ decks were designed for DJ use.

Regards

Dave

[Marco]

Indeed! Kris, please take note ;)

Marco.

[DSJR]

The HiFi shame is, that by the time the SL1200 mk2 came out, the market had moved on and for some reason (Thorens, Rega etc) we all but gave technics up around this time (probably because of the ever cheaper tat amps tuners etc they were flogging by the late seventies, as none of their proper stuff was brought into the UK by then).

The "Terrible Two" in the UK did a fantastic hatchet job on the competition and direct drive in particular. Interestingly, both Ivor and Julian had much respect for the Garrard 301 and 401 I remember from ancient conversations.....

[chris@panteg]

I was in cash converter's a while back and had a look at the Dj deck's they had in there .

There was 2 or 3 different Vestax gemini ' a numark ' Stanton and some other pretty naff belt drive affair , i thought i would have a bit of close look at the Gemini decks .

The build quality is not a patch on a 1200 ' the Platter especially seemed poor ' and the arm ' and the bearing ' so on .

A little while back in 2008 ' i found an ebay auction for one of these Vestax deck's with the seller claiming it outperformed the 1200 ' :eyebrows: he also claimed it could live with top spec LP12's ' NAS ' Roksan :rolleyes: well i just kept smiling to myself almost :) .