When does the SL-1200 become too expensive?
I've been pondering whether the Technics SL-1200 remains good value, when large amounts of upgrade cash are bestowed upon it; and felt that the question merits a dedicated thread. I'm not talking specifically about the £5k deck reviewed in HFW, nor do I wish to do so.
Certain Techy upgrades are complete no-brainers, eg upgraded PSU and (I am certain) a modified main bearing. Re-wiring the standard arm is also a good thing, costing around £100 through Audio Origami. That little lot brings the cost of a new SL-1200 to a little over £1000. Taking the upgrade process further, along the lines of those recommended here by Marco and others, a new mat, feet, armboard and a good but inexpensive replacement arm like the Jelco SA-250 bring the total tally to the wrong side of £1500, before a cartridge is added. It's very easy to push the bill significantly beyond £1500 without too much thought: I have spent that much, and admit to feeling uneasy about getting a little carried away!
Now, that £1500 may still represent good value in terms of performance versus price, but the deck is now up against some serious retail competition, eg Townshend Rock, Avids, Funks, Clearaudios etc (not to mention a refurbished SP-10). I should add that I have no experience whatsoever of those decks, so I'm not in a position to comment on their relative performance.
Some AoS members may be in a position to comment on the basis of personal experiences with the Techy, upgrades and comparisons with other decks that compete on price; and I would be very interested in hearing their thoughts.
One has to think outside of the box when determining 'value'....
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Well for less than the price of any of the Linn options, I now have a pretty heavily modded 1210 including the TimeStep psu, Herbies' Way Excellent mat, SME 309 (love that arm, it really is a work of art) and Isonoe feet, I think you can guess where it came from! Since then I've got hold of a Zu 103 and I would happily put this combination up against anything, yes anything. It might not come out on top but it certainly wouldn't be disgraced, in fact if the comparisons were done truly blind I think some people would get the shock of their lives.
Hear hear, Ralph! I completely agree. Trust me, it would be the same with a 103SA and Jelco SA-750. Excellent posts above from Clive, Dave and Shuggs, too :)
The point about the Techy in relation to this discussion is that, as Clive correctly says....
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its development and tooling costs well and truly amortized many years ago. For a company to make a similar product from scratch today would result in a very expensive product.
.....Therefore, taking this into consideration, a modified SL-1200 or 1210 *cannot* be viewed as anything else other than a hi-end turntable in its own right that's in a similar performance ballpark as the SMEs, Brinkmanns, Clearaudios, and Kuzmas of this world - and indeed would probably cost just as much to produce if what Clive correctly said were not the case. It's crucial always to keep this in mind.
Sorry, Shuggs, but that's the mistake you're making when analysing the perceived 'value' of the Technics. Think of it this way instead: how does a £1500 modified Techy compare in value to a £3000 SME 10, or a similarly priced Avid Volvere? Personally, though, I think it can compete at an even higher performance level than that. I've heard, for example, an £11k Brinkmann La Grange, and can tell you that my own Techy definitely didn't disgrace itself in comparison!
I've got plenty more to add to this discussion, but right now I'm too busy listening to music on my "DJ deck"... :ner:
Codifus, I'll deal with you later my boy! ;)
Marco.