New Technics SL-1210 owner

Well, I just bought a 2nd hand SL-1210 turntable to see what all the fuss is about. The seller has it fitted with a DJ cartridge and he sold the original Technics headshell. Since I need to get a replacement should I try and get a cheap Technics or buy something else to use? Cartridges I have are Goldring 1012GX and Nagaoka MP-150. Eventually I'd like to try a Denon 103.

Future plans will include a replacement mat and some of the other tweeks described on AOS. I'm looking forward to some tinkering over the next few months.

Hi Bernie

I suggest get a Sumiko Headshell and try the MP150 , add a 1200 Achromat and see how you get on with it :)

If it grabs you then start thinking about an external psu and isonoe feet ;)

Which model Chris? HS-12? Anybody know the cheapest place to get one from? Fleabay? (~£30)

here you go as good as anywhere !

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sumiko-HS-12-H...item5add81bbc5

Yep, that's the one I was looking at. I'll order one.

It's a good shell (I use an ancestor of this with the Decca) and the wiring's fine as well.

The Achromat 1200 will work on any deck, not just the Techie, so you won't lose out if you sell on later.

I will be trying to convince the missus that the Achromat would be a great Christmas present. :eyebrows:

Well my SL-1210 has arrived. Wow! The build quality on these things is amazing! I couldn't believe how much it weighs! Makes my Rega feel flimsy by comparison.

I'm still waiting for a headshell to arrive so I can have a listen to it. The Ortofon DJ cartridge it came with has a stylus the shape of a tit! I'm not putting that anywhere near my vinyl. It doesn't even seem to have a point!

Anyway, I gave it a good clean and checked that the speed was accurate etc. I found the pitch control needed recalibrating so I did that last night. It doesn't look like it's ever been opened so that's a good indication it's been looked after.

Now if only that headshell would arrive.

Looking forward to getting to know it better in my system. I can then think about carrying out a few of the mods others on this site have done. I can't wait!

One question I did have. How often should I oil the spindle bearing and what sort of oil should I use? My guess is it has never been done. Can anybody tell me how I could find out how old it is?

Hi Berni

Serial no ? perhaps , you can buy the oil off the bay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TECHNICS-TURNT...item3cb2a72c7c


every 2,000 hours or so but yeah oil it straight away.

Get the 1200 Achromat ' you owe it to yourself :) the heavy rubber mat might be a little dull sounding but may sound better upside down ? try it .

Received the headshell in the post (Sumiko) and tried to fit the Nagoaka cartridge to the tonearm. I couldn't balance it and need the additional counterweight. There isn't one included with the table. Does anybody know of a good spare parts supplier for these decks I can order one from?

I fitted the Goldring 1012GX I have and tried it and everything works OK. I set it up roughly, just to make sure both channels played OK.

I downloaded the protractor from VE to set it but the tonearm won't go all the way to the inner reference point. It's the correct version for the Technics. Has anybody else had this problem? Should I just use the details in the mnual and set the distance from the mount on the headshell to the stylus at 52mm and leave it at that? What procedure do you guys use?

Chris, thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

Thanks in advance. :)

You can get the additional weight off Ebay too. It screws into the back of the tonearm.


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TECHNICS-SUB-W...#ht_1012wt_814


Regards D S D L

Hi canetoad
These are incredibly well built aren't they?
Previously I only ever came across them when I was DJing and it never entered my head to use one at home. But I bought one a few weeks ago to see what all the fuss is about as loadsa pople on various forums are extolling their virtues.
And I loved it so much I bought another!!!...

Cartridge wise the stock arm seems to work well (IME) with carts for lightweight arms or with high(ish) compliance - AT440MLa, Ortofon VMS20e MKII and Pickering XV15 625e.

How does the Goldring sound? I have a 1042 in need of a new stylu and was gona try this cart / stylus on the SL1210 when it arrives.

Some folk lambast the stock arm but I actually think it is pretty damn good.
Are you thinking of swapping the arms on it eventually?

The people who lambast the stock arm are Denon 103 users, for which the stock arm isn't really adequate in terms of mass and rigidity. Cerainly, for mm types, this arm is fine IMO.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bubba45

Hi canetoad
These are incredibly well built aren't they?
Previously I only ever came across them when I was DJing and it never entered my head to use one at home. But I bought one a few weeks ago to see what all the fuss is about as loadsa pople on various forums are extolling their virtues.
And I loved it so much I bought another!!!...

Cartridge wise the stock arm seems to work well (IME) with carts for lightweight arms or with high(ish) compliance - AT440MLa, Ortofon VMS20e MKII and Pickering XV15 625e.

How does the Goldring sound? I have a 1042 in need of a new stylu and was gona try this cart / stylus on the SL1210 when it arrives.

Some folk lambast the stock arm but I actually think it is pretty damn good.
Are you thinking of swapping the arms on it eventually?

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Hi 'bubba',

Just a quickie, mate...... When you get a chance, could you add your real name to your profile? :)

Cheers! :cool:

Marco.

Hi Marco
Hopefully all done now? :)

Nice line up of kit Jason and an SP10 to come :) spoilt for choice ehh

Hi Chris
Cheers. I will probably sell on the Systemdek and the Mission Original arm shortly. I had an idea to remove all the nextel and repaint it, but in all honesty I haven't touched it since I put the 774SM and LAD arms on my 1210's.
Once the SP10 returns I think it will go even further down the pecking order so it may as well go to a good home.
The SL1210 with the LAD arm is actually one I picked up for peanuts as it had no arm and some scratches to the plinth.
Electronically and mechanically it is perfect so I bought it primarily as a source of readily available spares if needed or maybe to have a go at repainting the top plate.
Anyway the LAD arm will be removed and placed on the SP10 when it returns and this 1210 will be stored away until needed. Its just on there at the moment so the wires can 'run in' as it was literally new old stock when I bought it a couple of weeks ago.
I believe these LAD arms are essentially 9" versions of the Sumiko MMT / Jelco 370H? And I know that the Jelco 750D is the updated version with better bearings etc, but they sound fabulous IMO so the 750D must be truly excellent.
You've got some nice kit yourself. An SME 309? My long term ambition is a 309 / 310 for the SP10. Do they sound as good as all the reviews suggest?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bubba45

Hi Marco
Hopefully all done now? :)

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Cheers, Jason - much appreciated! :cool:

Marco.

SP10 lower down the pecking order? I'm not sure that's right and certainly not once the SP10 is sorted properly ;) - IMO.....

In terms of sound quality if the SP10 ends up further down the order than my other TT's there'll be something seriously amiss with either it or me.
If that happens one of us will need proper setting up and re-tuning and my money would be on the SP10 being in full working order not me.;)

Hi Jason

Yes a 309 or 310 would be superb on your SP10 , if i were you i would go for the 310 and run it with the LAD and whatever carts you fancy , that would be rather cool :cool:

That combination of arms on a deck kinda has my mouth watering. Anyway it will be a while before I can afford an SME.
Canetoad have you tried either cartridge on your 1210 yet?

I'm still waiting for the additional weight for the tonearm to fit the Nagaoka cartridge but I currently have the Goldring fitted. I was listening to it the night before last and was surprised with how the Techie sounds.

The soundstage is bigger than my Rega. The music really filled the room and the speakers really did disappear! The Rega produces a bit more bass I thought. Overall, the Rega sounds better to me still. I find it hard to describe exactly why. It just sounds more right at the moment. Considering the Rega has been modified quite a bit I would probably expect it to be better.

The Techie is still standard so there's plenty of room for improvement.

An Achromat 1200, Isanoe feet and the Nagaoka cartridge will hopefully make a big difference once I'm able to fit them all.

Future mods will include a tonearm rewire and a separate PSU. Haven't decided which one yet.

Bernie

Go for an external psu , different ball game ' it may really surprise you:)

Wait until you hear the Techie with the Nagaoka and Sumiko headshell, and the feet and mat, Bernie - I'd be very surprised if it isn't a big improvement... over how things are now.

Don't forget though, that the Rega Planar 3 (not sure what mods you've done, or arm etc.) is a bloody good deck in it's own right, and I suspect this is one of those situations where one won't necessarily trounce the other - you will get differences, but I doubt it is going to be a whitewash - the law of diminishing returns kicks in pretty early with turntables, I feel.

Agree with Alex ! and Bernie ' very interested to see how you get on with the Nagaoka MP150 in your Techie .

I find the Techie has a very clean sound at the moment but it lacks a bit of the dynamics the Rega has. The Rega is a Planar 3 with RB300 arm, Deepgroove subplatter, Acrylitel acrylic platter, Michell Technoweight and the Rega motor upgrade so it's hardly stock. I run it through a CA 640p phono stage.

I'm looking forward to hearing what the Nagaoka sounds like too. It seemed to give music more punch on the Rega than the 1012 did. I'm hoping for the same improvements on the Techie.

To any Rega Planar/P owners out there -

Before condemning it and "upgrading," make sure that everything that bolts to the plinth is firmly tightened, as any looseness here affects sound badly, also that the belt is clean and not stretched. Also, their wall support isn't just there as an add-on, as it really works in this case, improving bass reproduction noticeably.

I only ask the above as we can talk all day about Techie mods, yet very little about possible improvements for other, simpler decks. proper isolation is first IMO and long before add-on platter assemblies and tonearm mods :)

I'd agree there with Dave. Bernie, I'll comment later on your current situation, but you seem to be doing pretty well so far :)

Talking of Regas, I compared my Techie to one of these chaps (a P3-24) at a friend's house last night:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1156/p324nolid.gif

...also fitted with off-board T/T PSU, and the results were very interesting to say the least!! ;)

Right, I'm off to play with this Oyaide T/T mat and record weight, which I have to say are lovely looking bits of kit - we'll see how they stack up sonically to my current references....

Laters! :cool:

Marco.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

I'd agree there with Dave. Bernie, I'll comment later on your current situation, but you seem to be doing pretty well so far :)

Talking of Regas, I compared my Techie to one of these chaps (a P3-24) at a friend's house last night:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1156/p324nolid.gif

...also fitted with off-board T/T PSU, and the results were very interesting to say the least!! ;)

Right, I'm off to play with this Oyaide T/T mat and record weight, which I have to say are lovely looking bits of kit - we'll see how they stack up sonically to my current references....

Laters! :cool:

Marco.

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:lolsign:

Oh dear, I expect another "told you so" lecture later :uhho: :D

Mind you, if the P3/24 was fitted with an Elys of any description, I wouldn't hold out much if any hope ;)


On a hopefully more pertinent note, just how much is a virgin Techie these days?

I paid £168 for mine on ebay. Had a crappy DJ cartridge and no headshell or aux tonearm weight. Came in the original box. Condition is very good with just a few marks that are hardly noticeable. Lid has a few scratches, which is normal. After a good clean I was really pleased with it.

I couldn't believe how much it weighed compared to the Rega.

The only other turntable I've owned was a Pioneer PL300, which was mostly plastic and had an out-of-round platter so the strobe dots went back and forth as it played. Piece of crap really. Still, what did I know back in '82?

Dave,

I'm not condemning it at all. I think it's a cracking turntable for the money. It would wipe the floor with the Pioneer. I just thought I'd like to try something a bit more high tech. I also like to tinker with things. Can't do a lot more with the Rega. I had thought of making a custom plinth for it and might do that if I decide to keep it.

Hi Bernie,

Once you've put a new mat, feet and off-board PSU on the Techie, it'll see off ANY Rega, providing the same cartridge (MM) is used on both decks, trust me ;)

If you want any advice on what to choose in terms of the above, just ask!

Dave,

Quote:

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On a hopefully more pertinent note, just how much is a virgin Techie these days?

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The model I've got (MK5G - the nicest finished one) before it was discontinued cost £699:


http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/637/imageuycl.jpg


http://www.decks.co.uk/products/technics/sl1210mk5g


Observe the glossy top plate and 'cool looking' blue lights (compared to the blander, more 'sober' looking usual Mk II for £599.95, below):


http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2...1210mk2med.jpg


http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...Product_ID/228

Quote:

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Mind you, if the P3/24 was fitted with an Elys of any description, I wouldn't hold out much if any hope.

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Indeed it was which undoubtedly hindered it somewhat. I told my mate that to cheer him up him (a little), when we swapped back to his deck after playing mine, and it sounded thick, muddy, shut-in, and quite frankly, broken in comparison.

Oh, and the Techie only had a stock DL-103 fitted (through the Lentek) - no SPU.

That Elys MM is not good and lets the side down pretty badly, IMO. He's thinking of buying a Dynavector 10-X5 (to use with the Naim MM boards in his NAC102) in the hope that it will wake things up a bit! :eyebrows:

Ultimately he (thinks) he wants a Mitchell Gyro, but I'm still hopeful of saving him from elastic band-land ;)

Marco.

Hi Bernie
Even with the extra weight I couldn't get my Nagaoka MP20 to sound 'right' on the stock Technics arm. It sounded very good but just something missing, so it will be good to see what you make of it.
A couple of other carts on the stock arm sounded marvellous but it didn't seem to be an ideal match for the MP20.
The MP20 on my LAD arm on a Technics sounds superb on the other hand. The best I've heard that cart sound by a country mile. A great match to be honest.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bubba45

Hi Bernie
Even with the extra weight I couldn't get my Nagaoka MP20 to sound 'right' on the stock Technics arm. It sounded very good but just something missing, so it will be good to see what you make of it.
A couple of other carts on the stock arm sounded marvellous but it didn't seem to be an ideal match for the MP20.
The MP20 on my LAD arm on a Technics sounds superb on the other hand. The best I've heard that cart sound by a country mile. A great match to be honest.

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Hi Jason

Some photos of your interesting kit in the gallery would be very interesting.....(I don't think I have missed them)

Just checked no photos.....please pretty, please post some.


Regards D S D L

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marco

Hi Bernie,

Once you've put a new mat, feet and off-board PSU on the Techie, it'll see off ANY Rega, providing the same cartridge (MM) is used on both decks, trust me ;)

Marco.

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Thanks Marco. I just might do that. Ooooh, blue lights!:)

Hi D S D L
I'll post some pics at the weekend as I have no decent ones of my current set ups at the moment.
The SP10 won't be back for a while but I'm doing some cosmetic restoration of the plinth it came with. It should look OK when its finished and will last me for a while.

Hi again D S D L
There's a few pics of some of the TT's and tonearms I've owned in the gallery now. Some pics are good and some poor quality.
I've owned god knows how many other TT's in the last 3 or 4 years that I have no pictures of. Another 7 or 8 maybe?

Finally sorted out the 1210 today and cleaned and played a few LPs. Additions to the deck are Isanoe feet, Funk Akromat, Nagaoka MP-150 cartridge, Sumiko headshell and Bruil record weight. I'd been waiting for a couple of items thanks to the wonderful service provided by the Royal Mail. :steam:

I had a listen to the following:

Boys Light Up - Australian Crawl
Eye in the Sky - Alan Parsons Project
Boston - Boston
The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby
Misfits - The Kinks
Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs
Hydra - Toto
Points on the Curve - Wang Chung

Wow, does this turntable sound musical! I kept cranking up the volume (much to the annoyance of the missus) and had a real toe-tapping session! Foreplay/Long Time (Boston) and Psychobabble (APP) made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! They have never sounded so good to my ears before! Downhearted (Aussie Crawl), another favourite, sounded bloody good as well! The saxaphone solo sounded great.

To put my comments into perspective, I haven't had a good listen to these albums for over 10 years. They've been sat in storage because I've mostly been listening to CDs and, lately, Flacs on my Squeezebox Touch. They all needed a serious clean and new antistatic sleeves. From memory they NEVER sounded this good! A good indication I've moved my system in the right direction I guess.

The Nagaoka cartridge sounds much better than the Goldring 1012 I was using previously. It has much more musical impact than the Goldring it replaced. Sorry I can't describe it better.

Next mods in the coming months will be a tonearm rewire and a DIY PSU. I can't wait!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Canetoad

Finally sorted out the 1210 today and cleaned and played a few LPs. Additions to the deck are Isanoe feet, Funk Akromat, Nagaoka MP-150 cartridge, Sumiko headshell and Bruil record weight. I'd been waiting for a couple of items thanks to the wonderful service provided by the Royal Mail. :steam:

I had a listen to the following:

Boys Light Up - Australian Crawl
Eye in the Sky - Alan Parsons Project
Boston - Boston
The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby
Misfits - The Kinks
Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs
Hydra - Toto
Points on the Curve - Wang Chung

Wow, does this turntable sound musical! I kept cranking up the volume (much to the annoyance of the missus) and had a real toe-tapping session! Foreplay/Long Time (Boston) and Psychobabble (APP) made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! They have never sounded so good to my ears before! Downhearted (Aussie Crawl), another favourite, sounded bloody good as well! The saxaphone solo sounded great.

To put my comments into perspective, I haven't had a good listen to these albums for over 10 years. They've been sat in storage because I've mostly been listening to CDs and, lately, Flacs on my Squeezebox Touch. They all needed a serious clean and new antistatic sleeves. From memory they NEVER sounded this good! A good indication I've moved my system in the right direction I guess.

The Nagaoka cartridge sounds much better than the Goldring 1012 I was using previously. It has much more musical impact than the Goldring it replaced. Sorry I can't describe it better.

Next mods in the coming months will be a tonearm rewire and a DIY PSU. I can't wait!

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Nice choice of music :)


Regards D S D L

When I bought my LP of Eye In The Sky, I thought it sounded awful, stripped and, well, "digital" were my feelings at the time. I now realise it was the Asak, CB Naims and 'briks doing it, as when I last played the LP, it sounds fine now. the Wang Chung LP is still in the house from recent playings and that's a bit toppy in tone too. Love the music on both these though :)

"... and still the waves crash on the beach at night..."

Eye in the Sky is the only Alan Parsons album I have. After listening to it I think I might have to buy a few more. There's more information there than I originally thought there was.

Didn't he produce Dark Side of the Moon?:scratch:

Hi Bernie,

Quote:

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Wow, does this turntable sound musical! I kept cranking up the volume (much to the annoyance of the missus) and had a real toe-tapping session! Foreplay/Long Time (Boston) and Psychobabble (APP) made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! They have never sounded so good to my ears before! Downhearted (Aussie Crawl), another favourite, sounded bloody good as well! The saxaphone solo sounded great.

To put my comments into perspective, I haven't had a good listen to these albums for over 10 years. They've been sat in storage because I've mostly been listening to CDs and, lately, Flacs on my Squeezebox Touch. They all needed a serious clean and new antistatic sleeves. From memory they NEVER sounded this good! A good indication I've moved my system in the right direction I guess.

The Nagaoka cartridge sounds much better than the Goldring 1012 I was using previously. It has much more musical impact than the Goldring it replaced. Sorry I can't describe it better.

Next mods in the coming months will be a tonearm rewire and a DIY PSU. I can't wait!

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That's good enough! Nice one - glad the Techie worked out well... Yet another convert! :eyebrows:

Oh, and more people (who like MMs) should be using Nagaoka cartridges, as they're far better than some of the pish from Goldring, Ortofon and AT! ;)

Marco.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Canetoad

Eye in the Sky is the only Alan Parsons album I have. After listening to it I think I might have to buy a few more. There's more information there than I originally thought there was.

Didn't he produce Dark Side of the Moon?:scratch:

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I believe he engineered some or all of it :)

The APP did some excellent thoughtful albums and I have most of them. The vinyls were ok, the early CD transfers weren't, except for the total re-mix of Tales Of Mystery And Imagination back in 1987, which can sound incredibly well done. The new CD remaster by Alan himself includes both mixes and it's one on my wish list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Canetoad

Next mods in the coming months will be a tonearm rewire and a DIY PSU. I can't wait!

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I'm looking at this too! any suggestions? I've seen cable on eBay that could be braided?? Silver plated copper, enamelled copper silk litz??? All pretty cheap but are they any good?

Also as I'm running a 103, I'm racking my brain trying to work out how I can add mass to the arm. I'm already running a custom couterweight but I'm sure the arm could be further stabilised with some creative thinking!