[bbophead]

+1.

 

[analogsurviver]

Yeah, just like NTSC television. Always such nice perfect colors. (you know what NTSC is said to stand for, right? Never the same color twice.)

It's a DJ turntable. The slider is meant to adjust the BPM to match another record so that neither of them has the exact pitch. If you are using it just to listen to music I wouldn't worry too much. There are better sounding TT's. I'm not trying to be cruel or put you down but describing the 1200 as a great TT is true as far as it is used for it's intended use as DJ TT. As far as using it for hifi it is just nostalgia.

I think we have covered this before. It is true what you say regarding SL1200 in its stock form - yet possible ways to have it upgraded to and beyond any audiophile dream has also been covered. Costly compared to the stock - but small change compared to what truly great TTs cost today. 
 
I could have described what is wrong with 1200 to exceed the entire lenght of this thread - yet its positive attrbutes are worth improving what is not so stellar. There 
are better sounding less well known models of Technics TTs out there - but the sheer number of 1200s produced means they are relatively affordable and will likely be sustainable for considerable time to come - by canibalizing, if necessary. No other TT on the planet can be expected to be sustainable for so long - and there are rumors that Matsusiita will perhaps bring it back into production - or its improved , hopefully a pure audiophile version without the compromises that had to be made to adapt oroginally audiophile TT into a DJ TT.
 
All of the above makes it a viable alternative even in 2014 for audiophile use - but then expect it to cost without the arm and cartridge from 2K and up. Speed stability and freedom from noise are its strong points - and these are hard to equal or exceed at any cost. So, basics are more than OK - other issues with resonance contol (the weakest point of 1200 ), feedback etc can be improved trough modifications. 

 

[analogsurviver]

  It is not a DJ turntable. The 1200 was first released as a hifi consumer record player. 
It was later adopted by DJs because of it's build quality, wow and flutter control and low resonance made it most suitable for clubs etc. 
It was first adopted by radio DJs because the direct drive high torque motor design, making it, initially, suitable for pushbutton cueing and starting of tracks on radio.
Later when when the use of slip-mats for cueing and beat-mixing (and scratching) became popular, the quartz-controlled high torque motor system enabled records to be mixed with consistency and accuracy. 
 
I think it would be nice if we don't make critical comments when people post pictures of their rigs.
This is a photo thread. No one wants to post pictures of their turntable only to have others tell them how mediocre their system is.
This only serves to discourage posting pictures of turntables.
IMO, this happens too much in this thread! 

I totally agree regarding the above.
 
I am the culprit #1 regarding the critical comments on posted pictures. I realize that someone may feel "bad" if I or anyone else wries something negative regarding the turntable in question - but I never intended this to be personal.  But merely patting everybody on the shoulder for posting the picture, no matter what the true performance of that TT, is in my view hypocritical. I would have far preffered my friends to tell me right out if something does not work exactly right - rather than saying, after a couple years AFTER I made change/improvement : ....yeah, that XY back then really sucked ... - just to stay on the polite side ...
 
Life is too short for that kind of thing IMO.
 
But I promise to hold my horses in this regard as much as possible in the future.

 

[bbophead]

Well, if you can't resist criticizing, then I guess you just can't.
 
For me, I simply enjoy the turntable porn, which is basically what this thread is about.
 
I thought.
 
Thanks for not hammering the Rega owners.

 
Perhaps there should be a turntable thread that addresses problems, design or otherwise, separate from this thread.

 

[matthewh133]

Yeah, just like NTSC television. Always such nice perfect colors. (you know what NTSC is said to stand for, right? Never the same color twice.)

It's a DJ turntable. The slider is meant to adjust the BPM to match another record so that neither of them has the exact pitch. If you are using it just to listen to music I wouldn't worry too much. There are better sounding TT's. I'm not trying to be cruel or put you down but describing the 1200 as a great TT is true as far as it is used for it's intended use as DJ TT. As far as using it for hifi it is just nostalgia.

Is this guy for real? At this price point, you'll definitely struggle to find anything clearly better than a SL1200, especially with some fairly economical upgrades.

 

[]eep]

Is this guy for real? At this price point, you'll definitely struggle to find anything clearly better than a SL1200, especially with some fairly economical upgrades.

May I counter with another question? Is this guy for real? What do you consider real? Price and demand? Just go on glorifying the 1200 and you will get prices like these and prohibiting new upstarts like the U-turn. I am not saying the U-turn is great (it's in the category 'close but no cigar'), but is is really cheap for what you are getting new.
As I was looking for some info on the U-turn I came across this reviewThe Best Turntable for Casual Listening which is rather fair and balanced. He does not recommend the U-turn. He does recommend the AT-LP120-USB, the step up being the Pro-Ject Debut carbon. And as I am reading, pOp, there is the SL1200 again.

The Music Hall MMF-2.2 bears a lot of similarity to the step up Pro-ject Carbon. In fact, they come from the same factory. But the MMF-2.2 lists for $450 despite coming with what most feel is an inferior tonearm and cartridge.

A go-to forever had been the Technics SL-1200 turntable, but now that it’s off the market, the price has risen and it costs from $450 for a used model to over $1,000 for a new one. It still has a large cult following and is the perennial choice of DJs everywhere. However it also came in a clear third place to the Rega P1 and Music Hall MMF-2.2 in the Sound & Vision review, surprising the author, who owns a Technics himself. If you plan to DJ, the SL-1200 is worth looking into, but setting up a used turntable can be a difficult job.

I was even willing to give the 1200 more credit. But I rest my case.

I hadn't seen this little TT before. It is half the price of the Pro-Ject Carbon and it's little brother called the Elemental. It costs GBP150, or €200. And you can't buy it in the US (yet!). I think it looks a lot better than... ow, I'm not going to even compare it. It looks stunning as is.

I think it would be nice if we don't make critical comments when people post pictures of their rigs.
This is a photo thread. No one wants to post pictures of their turntable only to have others tell them how mediocre their system is.
This only serves to discourage posting pictures of turntables.
IMO, this happens too much in this thread! 

Please read what I said. I do not want to put people down or discourage them. As long as you say "this is my turntable and I am happy with it" then that is something I have no right to argue with. Nor do I want to. I even like the posted photo of the 1200.

We have talked about the SL1200 in length. So why does he have to push the same buttons again? The thing that nags me is this comment.

Nice! Great TT, too bad they stopped producing them..still miss the perfect pitch sometimes...

And that is what I am trying to argue. That is far from objective and logically warped. What is 'perfect pitch" if there is a slider to correct it? Sliding is synonymous for incorrect, let alone imperfect.
Not to argue comments like:

It is not a DJ turntable. The 1200 was first released as a hifi consumer record player. It was later adopted by DJs because of it's build quality, wow and flutter control and low resonance made it most suitable for clubs etc. It was first adopted by radio DJs because the direct drive high torque motor design, making it, initially, suitable for pushbutton cueing and starting of tracks on radio.

That is just saying in different words that it is a DJ TT. It was not adopted for its hifi qualities.
That is like saying the glue for post-it notes was invented as a semi-adhesive when it actually was a failed experiment for superglue. Or the Toyota Hilux was intended as a weapons platform for terrorists. It is arguably the best car ever made. That does not mean it can win a formula one race. Or a dragrace. It is the only car that ever made it to the north-pole though.

Do you see where I'm getting at? I am trying to separate the nostalgia for PA equipment from just enjoying high fidelity music in the home.

 

[parbaked]

Do you see where I'm getting at? 

No, you are so full of contradictions it is really a waste of time.
 
Having a slider does not mean the 1200 is not capable of great accuracy. I'd argue the accurate drive system allowed Technics to incorporate the slider.
 
1200 was designed as a consumer HI-Fi TT
Hiace was designed as a consumer work truck.
DJ's adopted the 1200 because it was the best available consumer product for their needs.
Terrorists adopted the Hiace because it was the best available consumer product for their needs.
Therefore calling the 1200 a DJ turntable is same as calling Hiace a terrorist weapons platform.
So we are not saying the same thing at all.
 
The Hiace and 1200 share similar qualities e.g. absolute reliability and performance in unfavorable conditions. 
You argue that the Hiace may be the best car ever made, but others can't call a 1200 "great TT"....really?
Judge the 1200 as you do a Hiace and you will see why millions think it is a great TT like millions think the Hiace is a great truck.
 
Nostalgia is part of this hobby, especially vinyl. We are not all using vinyl for the highest possible fidelity.
When one see a picture of a TT that one has great fondness for, the reaction is "great TT".
Just like with an old car or restaurant or any number of things. 
You really don't need to police and correct these emotions.
It just brings a lot of unpleasant and unnecessary negativity.

 

[bbophead]

"Do you see where I'm getting at?"
 
No. 

 

[]eep]

Do you see where I'm getting at? (here it comes) I am trying to separate the nostalgia for PA equipment from just enjoying high fidelity music in the home.

"Therefore calling the 1200 a DJ turntable is same as calling Hiace a terrorist weapons platform."
Sure. Both are true. But that's not what I am trying to explain.
You are just trying not to understand what I mean. "The 1200 was first released as a hifi consumer record player." is just a dumb argument. You are actually arguing that the little fact that it was first released as a hifi turntable makes it a good hifi turntable. You can dissect my argument to shreds but you cannot see your own flawed logic.

My analogies are only to convey that often products are not always used as they are intended. They even named a prize after that; the Nobel Prize, because Nobel never intended his dynamite for killing people. There the analogy stops.

And I am not policing; I'm just warning; don't push my buttons (or anyone elses ftm).

 

[Quinto]

chill

 

[bbophead]

  chill

+1 and many more.
 
Where are pics?
 
Here's a new one:
 

 

 
 
1954 mono re-issue in great sound with quiet surfaces, we have Naxos(!) to thank for this Bethlehem lp.  Big mono image sounding a lot like stereo.  On the back is the logo above.  Gotta love it.  Or not.

 

[bbophead]

Do you see where I'm getting at? (here it comes) I am trying to separate the nostalgia for PA equipment from just enjoying high fidelity music in the home.



And I am not policing; I'm just warning; don't push my buttons (or anyone elses ftm).

Why do you feel compelled to do this?
 
You're warning us?

 

[parbaked]

  Where are pics?
 

Here's a little Technics nostalgia:
 

 

[Skylab]

This thread definitely needs LESS banter and bicker and MORE pics! As such, I've really been enjoying my Denon DP-59L/Dynavector 20xH combo lately:

 

[bbophead]

 

  Where are pics?
 

Here's a little Technics nostalgia:
 

Fantastic!  Love the nostalgia.