But if you want to avoid heavily DJ used gear, then why go for a tt meant for DJ use

[Techno Commander]

I bet the Linn dealer's face must have been a picture if deep inside he thought the SL1210 had any merit at all, let alone beating them all

[DSJR]

i have no idea why these conversations about techies happen ... why people haveto argue weather or not they are good... if theywerent good people wouldnt buy them and if they werent improved by modding people wouldnt mod them.... if you have a problem with people using techies as hifi turn tables and dont like what they sound like based on hearing them, that is your own personal preferance ... other people have different preferance for sound... going on to a forum that contains members from all over the world who are hugly happy with them and saying they are bad is so pointlessly moronic it beggars belife

Hamish, you have to understand that nigh on thirty five years have passed since Technics decks were taken seriously by the HiFi fraternity and in the UK were banished to oblivion for a few years by the late seventies as Linn (and springy belt drives in particular) attracted all the attention. I suspect most Linn dealer staff today wouldn't have been born in the mid seventies, let alone known anything other than the Linn, Rega or Pro-ject way of record playing. I was lucky, working for a large upper-range dealer, latterly in the West End as I did, because we had all sorts of decks through our hands and I'm familiar with most of the important ones from this time span.

If it wasn't for the DJ fraternity, the SL12**mk2 would have died forever in the late seventies/early eighties, so we owe these people a lot in that so many were/are made and sold.

Now of course, with Linn now a minor player in the mainstream audio scheme of things, even oldies like me and HiFi dave have memories of iffy, speed over-shooting, feedback prone direct drive abominations and even the best directly driven masterpieces could sound muddy and bland given half a chance. I fully appreciate (jests with Marco apart) that modern TLC in terms of support, tonearm/cartridge choice and meticulous setup can transform these decks and of course there are now several ways of refining the current SL1200's into something Technics would market themselves if they thought there was a large enough market for it (tens of thousands rather than a very few hundred). Fortunately for the modders, Matsushita don't seem in the least bit interested.

[prestonchipfryer]

Hi, I have been reading these posts with great interest as I have a SL1200/SME V with MN bearing, Lyra Dorian, Isonoe feet, Herbies mat, see attached thumbnail. Imho this t/t is now one of the finest sounding machines at this price. I know it's not the greatest t/t in existence but I believe it is all I will ever need. The rest of my system is a Cyrus 8vs pre, Quad 909 power, Spendor 5se speakers. Cables are a mixture of Atlas and Kimber, power cables are all d-i-y. I also have a Denon 2910 universal player.

Regards

John

[Techno Commander]

I have a SL1200/SME V with MN bearing, Lyra Dorian, Isonoe feet, Herbies mat,

John

Respect.

[MartinT]

Imho this t/t is now one of the finest sounding machines at this price

Nice, and I couldn't agree more

[DSJR]

How could you define the "best" turntable over a fully tricked out SL12**?

I mean, there are many lavish concoctions out there with acres of gold and chrome, platters ten feet tall and the hair of vestal virgins driving the platter round from a separate motor pod that weighs more than three techies stacked together. A Rockport model claims to have virtually zero friction in the bearing, which takes hours, days or weeks to slow to a stop Mugs' eyeful all, but I doubt any of them would be significantly better as the LP itself is already the final arbiter...

[prestonchipfryer]

How could you define the "best" turntable over a fully tricked out SL12**?

I mean, there are many lavish concoctions out there with acres of gold and chrome, platters ten feet tall and the hair of vestal virgins driving the platter round from a separate motor pod that weighs more than three techies stacked together. A Rockport model claims to have virtually zero friction in the bearing, which takes hours, days or weeks to slow to a stop Mugs' eyeful all, but I doubt any of them would be significantly better as the LP itself is already the final arbiter...

How right you are! Yes the piece of pressed black plastic has the final word of all. Through a tricked Tecchie aforesaid sounds better than most imho. Who wants to be forever tuning (call it whatever) those springy things, why, twood make oneself paranoid.

[DSJR]

"They're coming to take me away, haha, hehe hoho......................"

[bigmoog]

How could you define the "best" turntable over a fully tricked out SL12**?

I mean, there are many lavish concoctions out there with acres of gold and chrome, platters ten feet tall and the hair of vestal virgins driving the platter round from a separate motor pod that weighs more than three techies stacked together. A Rockport model claims to have virtually zero friction in the bearing, which takes hours, days or weeks to slow to a stop Mugs' eyeful all, but I doubt any of them would be significantly better as the LP itself is already the final arbiter...

Dave, my AS chrome superduper lavish deck, wot is fishing line thread driven, sounds better when I change the fishing line to cryofrozen dentalfloss....unfortunately I pulled a tooth out and its stuck on the floss....which rilly ruins speed stability.......the high end eh

[farook]

Hi could somebody put pics up of the 1210 in all its guises from the earliest to the last? that includes all its "forerunners" as well,you know the decks that share its dna!

Originally released in 1972 as a high end hi fi turntable. It has been around longer than most of the DJ's that play on them.