Upgrading my Technics 1200G

[JWars]

I'm looking to upgrade some of the parts of my Technics 1200G turntable.

The mat: is Airborne cork and rubber any good?

Record weight: any recomendations of a decent weight that would be a good match for a Technics TT please?

Interconnects: I'm looking at a 1m length Graham Slee CuSat50 to connect TT with phono stage (Graham Slee Reflex X) and 1.5m length of the same to connect phono stage with preamp.

I have a KabUSA tonearm fluid damper on the way as well.

I will address the headshell at some point as well but need to be careful with that because I'm conscious that it will need careful matching in order not to mess with tonearm mass, etc.

Currently using the original headshell and an AT VM95ML cartridge. Amp and preamp are Naim.

[CageyH]

Biggest upgrade possible will probably be the cartridge. The VM95ML is ok, but the cartridges higher up the range are better.

[Mikeandvan]

People are gonna say upgrade the arm, I have the 1200GR, which came with a Jelco 750 tonearm base fitted, so I just slotted in my 750 cos I'm a bit lazy. I have the original arm, which is unused, which I've yet to fit, I hope it sounds as good as the 750 so I can flog the 750! I wonder how much effect the Kab fluid damper will have? Got my 1200GR up and running now, after 2 months with no TT shelf, its a wonderful little machine.

[JWars]

People are gonna say upgrade the arm, I have the 1200GR, which came with a Jelco 750 tonearm base fitted, so I just slotted in my 750 cos I'm a bit lazy. I have the original arm, which is unused, which I've yet to fit, I hope it sounds as good as the 750 so I can flog the 750! I wonder how much effect the Kab fluid damper will have? Got my 1200GR up and running now, after 2 months with no TT shelf, its a wonderful little machine.

Changing the arm is an absolute No No. Some people enjoy chaning everything they can on their TT but that is not my cup of tea. Otherwise I would have never bought a Technics but would have gone for a Linn instead. The arm and base on the 1200G are a lot better and I have no complaints. I'm prepared to change some of the smaller accessories such as the ones mentioned above but will not touch the main components.

The KAB fluid damper has had very good reviews on various sites and frums and allows for use of high compliance cartridges so it comes highly receommended apparently.

[SiT4]

You have a superb deck there which is capable of handling some seriously good MC carts.

Surely that should be the first upgrade to cure the rest. Not sure of your budget but how about moving up to an AT33PTG11, or if funds permit an ART- 9.

That should give you many hours of pleasure.

[chris@panteg]

I really liked the Oyaide B10 mat, I would recommend a better headshell and cartridge like the above post.
Definitely do not touch the arm, it's a magnesium arm and a lot of work went into it, you don't really need to do much with the deck.

[JWars]

I was leaving the headshell and cartridge topics to the side because I am aware they are rather complex. It is quite difficult to find adecent headshell that is of similar weight to the Technics one. They are generally heavier and that starts to mess with tonearm mass, etc.

As for MC cartridges, that would involve a lot of cost. First I would have to change my phono stage to a MC suitable one. And second the cost of the MC cartridges is rather prohibitive sadly. There are some cartridges like Hana EL and HL and some others that are below the £500 however I am not sure how they compare against MM cartridges of similar price.

[SiT4]

I was leaving the headshell and cartridge topics to the side because I am aware they are rather complex. It is quite difficult to find adecent headshell that is of similar weight to the Technics one. They are generally heavier and that starts to mess with tonearm mass, etc.

As for MC cartridges, that would involve a lot of cost. First I would have to change my phono stage to a MC suitable one. And second the cost of the MC cartridges is rather prohibitive sadly. There are some cartridges like Hana EL and HL and some others that are below the £500 however I am not sure how they compare against MM cartridges of similar price.

Fair enough. I was gonna say the AT MG10 headshell. Only 10g mass and a lift in sound from the stock headshell. Also saves messing about with alignment. If MC is too expensive and requiring a new Phono stage then in the MM camp i would go for the AT VM 540ML or 760SLC but not compared them against the VM 95ML to see how much of an improvement in sound it would be ?

[Jason P]

IME with Technics decks, Mats are a personal preference. I tried various on mine - from cork to leather to a Ringmat - and found either an Achromat or Herbies was best for my ears. YMMV as they say. I'd not buy a weight - it wasn't designed with one in mind, and I think the benefits of such can be spurious at best. I'd look at the cartridge for sure - bung a better stylus on there and live with that for a while until you can go MC (if you even want to!)... HOMC is an option too. The KAB damper will well and truly open up that world to you.

[lovejoy]

Watching this thread with interest. I'm 99% happy with my 1200G as it is, but as I'd mentioned in my thread yesterday, I'm noticing quite a lot of sibilance. My last tonearm was a bearingless Well Tempered so my suspicions around the sibilance lie with the arm bearings and a lot of reading around forms a general consensus that the arm is indeed the weak point of the turntable, so an arm change may end up happening, but thanks to Kevin's recommendation yesterday I've ordered a Funk Firm Houdini which I am hoping might address this rather niggly shortcoming. £300 seems like quite a lot of money for such a small device, but if it cures the sibilance I'll be 100% happy and reading around on the other benefits it can bring, it may well be another step up. It's also a much less obtrusive change than an arm replacement, so if it works I'll be happy to stop there..

In terms of mats, I've replaced the original heavy rubber one for an Achromat 5mm and that has worked very nicely. I didn't much like what the Achromat did on my Well Tempered giving everything something of an etched sound, but on the SL1200G it's very natural sounding.

I've also fitted my Funk Firm Boing feet to the 1200G which I was on the verge of selling on, but they're a definite improvement on the stock feet. It's gained quite a bit more insight into everything, and that's with the deck already on a solid wall shelf.