The SL1700 has a different and massier tonearm than the SL1200 today (I have an SL-1500 tonearm assembly fitted to my SL150 and these arms are very similar).

The SL1700 is a deck I'm intimately acquainted with and I should say the tonearm wires are fine as-is unless the passing decades have affected them. The internal arm wires look to be very good copper and the exit cable is a solid core, foamed dielectric and well shielded cable, the moulded plugs not looking posh, but I'm sure they're fine..

used as standard with the suspension working properly, the 1700 has a slightly "dark" presentation with no "tonearm harshness/ringing" that I can hear. We sold loads with the Dynavector 20A at the time and it's a fine match, even in the standard Technics headshell of the period.



Before dismantling the arm and possibly ruining the sensitive auto-return mech (so handy), get the Herbies/Timestep mat for it (or possibly a Funk one) and a Sumiko headshell. I think you'll be very surprised indeed


P.S. I'd suggest the lid be totally removed when playing, as although of good quality, it transmits loads of airborne vibration into the deck structure - terminal on the 1300/1400/1500/150 mark 1 models and all Techies that preceeded them. Just slacken the fixing screws and it easily comes away from the hinges.