Audio Asylum Technics Testimonials

Posted by B.Zak (A ) on August 5, 2007 at 18:39:18

In Reply to: RE: I wouldn't say one is better.... posted by jjk12 on August 5, 2007
at 18:05:25:

I have a similar story only the table that my KAB modded 1210 mk5 replaced was an
Aries w/JMW 10 using an SDS for greater speed accuracy. (The SDS was a "must"... as
without it, the Aries was all over the place with speed instability.)

Thats the main reason the Technics sounds better to me is its spot-on speed control...no
pitch instability...something most,if not all belt driven tables have a hard time getting
right.

In the case of the VPI...it took the purchase of an SDS... (an extra $1000.00 that pushes
the grand total for the VPI package to well over 5g's)... to get the pitch stability to a level
almost as good as the Technics.

I wouldn't say one is better.... - doodlebug 14:17:21 08/05/07 (4)

In Reply to: RE: How much better is a VPI over a KAB 12xx? /nt posted by jjk12
on August 05, 2007 at 13:59:27
than another but they are slightly different. I switched from a VPI HW-19MkIII with a
Rega RB-900 arm to a Technics SL-1200 about 15 months ago. Frankly, there's not that
much difference, IMHO, outside of the bass, which was slightly better on the VPI. The
Technics, on the other hand, has better speed stability. I use a Stanton 681EEE or a Denon
DL-103R for carts, for reference to my statements.

Given the difference in price, however, the Technics wins hands down. I was able to sell
the VPI and arm separately, purchase the Technics and some KAB upgrades and still had
money left over!

A word of warning on the Technics, though: I do not recommend a used Technics

purchase if it was used for DJ purposes. Its too easy to get one that's been thrashed while
new ones are available for so little online.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

David
 Posted by Ken Perkins (A ) on December 17, 2007 at 12:18:42

In Reply to: Good post! posted by joeljoel1947 on December 17, 2007 at

12:09:21:

Don't forget me. Remember, I retired my VPI jr./OL-1 for a 1200. I may bring it out of
retirement for mono use with my Audio Technica APT-12 arm and Denon DL-102 mono
cartrigde through a Bellari phono stage over the holidays and use both tables.

Me to...kind of.. - DBerry 09:41:20 12/17/07 (3)

In Reply to: RE: Oh man here we go.... posted by joeljoel1947 on December 16,
2007 at 15:09:10
I sold my VPI HRX w/ 12.7 arm / XX-2 MKII cart for the KAB Technics 1210M5G. The
only modification (beyond Kevin doing extra QC and a heavier mat) is the tonearm
damper. I am much happier now as I really only listen to music on my main system about
2-3 hours/week. The sound and convenience of the 1210M5G is all that I want.

Posted by notop (A) on January 02, 2008 at 13:30:37

In Reply to: RE: Gonna buy a VPI Scout...I think. posted by Marky P on January
02, 2008 at 12:38:16

I know the Scout is a favourite around here and I will ge blasted but here goes.
I owned a Scout for about a year, complete with Benz Glider then a Dynavector DV-
20XL. I used a SDS form VPI in an attempt to dial in the speed, also used interconnects
supplied by VPI.
The bottom line to me anyway is the table is ok but not outstanding.
I sold it and went back to a modded Rega (originlive tonearm) and a Technics SL-1210
mk5. Both of these are much easier to setup, maintain and are ultimately more enjoyable
to listen to.
Since you are in the UK, you have great access to tables that will eat the Scouts lunch.
Waiting for flames.
Good luck,
Bill.

Posted by Conductor (A) on January 02, 2008 at 14:23:58

In Reply to: RE: A different view. posted by notop on January 02, 2008 at
13:30:37
I own a Scoutmaster and a Technics SL1210. I prefer the Technics for a number of
reasons. The Technics is built like a brick shithouse and is much easier and more fun to
use. As for sound quality, I have used both with the Dynavector 20XH and the Technics
beats the VPI in rhythm, drive, and pitch stability, and the differences in these areas are
easily heard. Otherwise the sound quality is almost the same. I have to concentrate really
hard to discern any other differnces. The way I see it, if you have to try really hard to tell
any difference, there is no differnce, and what you think you hear might just be imagined.
I don't get hung up on minute differences that may or may not be real as opposed to
imagined. I know that I enjoy the Technics more than the VPI and that my fully modded
KAB SL1210 cost about a third of what the VPI did. This is not to say that the VPI is not
a great table. It is, and the people at VPI are too. I would be happily living with my
Scoutmaster had I never tried the Technics. I just prefer the 1210. I think that we are not
the only ones.

Add Your
Review by foomh@simedarby.com on December 09, 2007 at Review
22:48:21 for the sl-1200
IP Address: 202.146.93.33
mk2
To start with, I must say I already owned as my main system a Linn LP12 with Moerch
UP4 arm and Ortofon Kontrapunct a cartridge and have been truly happy with it. But
when a "bargain" SL1200 mk2 became available at USD 300, I thought why not give a
try! Reading the whole lot of info on the various forums and reviews by TNT etc, I was
indeed intrigued by the division of opinions throughout the hifi audiophile world and
recently when HIFI world came up with quite a good review of this deck, I decided to
take the plunge.
I took the table to my Ortofon cartridge supplier to fit an mc15super 2, and then at the
shop played the first track of a Linda Rondstadt album. Surprise! The sound was
immediate, bass attack was fast and deep, midrange was good although not truly first
class and the treble, well quite bright! There was a slight etch to the sound but not to the
point of being irritating. On the whole, very good for the money being less than just the
price of my Kontrapunct a!
Things became alive by the 3rd track with warmth creeping in and the etch receding. It
became apparent that speed stability is much better than the Linn or for that matter most
tables I've listened to previously. It was altogether now quite clear why the advocates of
this deck sing praises of it. It brings a punchy tuneful bass and a good midrange and
clearly defined treble to give an overall lively sound. Quite unlike a Linn with the slightly
bloated mid bass that I thought stood for musical tones. The technics sounded from a
distance closer to the sound you get in a club with a live jazz band ie more lively.
There are downsides of course. Maybe its the cartridge cos complicated bass notes are
not so well resolved and voices are perhaps a bit thinner than I would prefer. On the other
hand trailing notes are much easier to discern and certainly that helps to make the whole
seem more livelike.
The real winner here is that speed consistency is world class and the tunes are carried
very well. The pace and timing of music is portrayed much better. My daughter who is 12
years old said when asked:
Daughter....Sounds better...
Daddy(me)... how is it better?
Daughter.....Just better... Can follow background music better...
Daddy..... What do you mean?
Daughter....Well, I can count to the music...

Well there you are, my girl has no idea how much money is involved or the battles
between Linn and non Linn or belt drive vs direct drive or has any idea about the brands.
She just can count to the music as she has been trained to do in her music lessons.

I am not trained in music but I am tapping my feet to the music more than when I listened
to the Linn set up . Do I think the Linn is not as good? No I don't think we need to make
such a distinction. Each has been designed to fulfil a certain expectation and price vs
value proposition. On the second criteria of price vs value the technics wins hands down
and in fact the sound quality vs price factor is way off the chart compared to almost all
other decks. The Linn is very good but the money involved is down right crazy for what
you get. The latest iteration of the Linn is really for the moneyed kind although some
magazines still say its value for money! Yes compared to the coliburn or something like
that.
In the recent issue of Stereophile, a new direct drive deck has arrived and it cost USD15k
above. Many blogs have suggested that for a similarly engineered deck to be developed
like to the level of the technics, it would cost many thousands and now we have proof. I
am delighted to own the technics for the kind of money I paid for it.

As a DJ machine, the technics has proven itself for many years. Audiophiles looking for
real value for money, handmade in Japan and superior engineering and an heirloom to
hand over to the next generation, look no further.
Product Weakness: Brand consciouness among audiophiles
Superior sound vs price factor, very well engineered and
Product Strengths:
compact. Easy maintenance and ease of use

Or the Moth Alamo S that I used to own. - olddude55 16:42:39 12/10/07 (0)
In Reply to: RE: My SL-1200MK2 with KAB damper easily betters the posted by
HenryH on December 10, 2007 at 15:29:06
FedEx dropped off the Technics one Saturday, I pulled the cart out of the Moth, set it up
in the 1210 and the improvements were noticeable from the first grooves. The Technics
arm tracked better than the RB250, the music (especially the bass) was much tighter and
more detailed thanks to the quieter drive system in the SL.
The Moth was a piece of junk as well. The motor was suspended with double-sided foam
poster tape, the hinges for the dustcover were flexible plastic like a kid's toy. Wow and
flutter were constant companions.
The arm had the notorious canted "headshell" which required shimming the cartridge.
Did I mention that the Technics was $300 less than the Moth?
Just did.

RE: It's funny how things can change... - bboroski 06:21:37 12/10/07 (31)
 In Reply to: RE: It's much more accepted around here than it ever has been...
posted by VynylTap on December 10, 2007 at 06:08:45
For many years I had wondered about the 1200 series. I had never
heard one and had read all of the negative comments from the
naysayers. When I grew tired of the acoustical feedback and footfall
issues my non-suspended belt drive table had, I decided to try out
a 1210M5G. I moved my Benz ACE HO from my SOTA to the Technics for
a direct comparison, and the Technics stomped the SOTA in all apsects.
I kicked myself in the Arse for not trying one of the Technics earlier.

My only advice to someone considering one of the Technics tables is

go and listen for yourself. I honestly don't think they can be
touched in the under $1K market.

Interesting... - bboroski 13:09:00 12/10/07 (4)

In Reply to: RE: It's funny how things can change... posted by
l1945@sbcglobal.net on December 10, 2007 at 11:51:57
I am a bit surprised when you say you had feedback issues. My older
SOTA Moonbeam had severe feedback issues basically because it had no
suspension. And given my room and rack setup, my table sets on top
of a short rack within 2 foot of my right speaker(Vandy 3A) and
also within 2 foot of my subwoofer. And I am running the stock feet
on my 1210M5G. The elimination of feedback was one of the
biggest selling points for me on 1210M5G. As well as bigger, deeper
bass and a much bigger soundstage. While the 1200 series might not
have the high end sound you mention, I don't think anything in
the sub-$1K market new will touch them if they are setup right
and have a decent cartridge. I paid ~$500 for my 1210M5G brand
new and ~$500 for my Benz ACE HO cartridge. And while some would
say I spent too much on the cartridge for that table, I would
say that I am very happy with the synergy I get from the setup.

Posted by texanater ( A ) ) on December 29, 2007 at 11:18:41

Greetings All,

I have good news for Technics owners. A while ago I posted a review of the cardas
tonearm rewire of my 1210. In the review I raved about how significant an upgrade the
rewire was but it still didn't match up to my idler drive Rek O Kut. Some of the responses
got me thinking along with some footstomping by Fretless et al about the overdamped
nature of the table.

So I took the feet off and replaced them with spikes. This is a very simple and cheap
thing to do. I just went to Madisound and got their cheapest cones. I don't suggest getting
the smallest ones because they are not quite tall enough to clear the motor. I have to
unscrew them a few turns and that can't be ideal. Just make sure they are the standard 1/4
20 thread.
Further I contacted Olly and requested he send me some of his cork foam combo. I've
experimented with about a billion diy and commercial matts and his cork foam combo is
clearly the best I've heard.

Finally, my parents came out here for Christmas this year and my dad brought his
AT440MLA so we could do a direct head to head comparison. First impression was the
Rek still was top dog but the Technics came surprisingly close. I made one fatal flaw in
the set up and placed the Technics where my cd player sat. I have the cd player on a sand
box and didn't remove it out of laziness. Out of fairness to the Technics I took the effort
to remove the sand box and viola, we have something special. There was just a hare's
breath of difference between the rek and the Technics. The Rek O Kut seemed to not try
as hard. It seemed a little more veteran if that is a good way of putting it. This may be
because I wasn't able to get the VTA quite as low as I on the Technics because the
cork/foam pads are not as thick as the Technics mat. In hindsight, I probably should have
raided the vta of my Rek but didn't. But, the Technics had all the PRaT, detail and
everything else. I'd say the Technics had a little more detail in the upper register. I'd say
these adjustments cost nothing in sound quality and paid big in livelyness and toe-
tapability.

I'd say the Rek is still top dog but only barely and maybe only because I gotta respect a
50+ year old table holding ground against the new and more expensive Technics.
Anyway, I can't wait to hear the Technics when I get the power supply.

FYI the set up was

Rek O Kut L-34 with custom 6 layer 3/4" birch ply/mdf plinth - Syntec S-220 (aka Japan
Piezo) with an AT440MLa on a Empire like headshell
Technics - AT440MLa with an actual Empire Headshell - Kab fluid Tonearm dampner -
Cardas rewire

Both tables had the same spike feet, Olly's cork/foam pads, and were sitting on Ikea Lack
tables also with the same feet spikes.

Its not how many people you shoot ... its who you shoot

Another Vote for the KAB - Gaucho1 08:15:55 08/06/07 (3)

In Reply to: RE: Advice needed. Next logical step above my MMF-5?? posted by
jjk12 on August 05, 2007 at 13:49:05
I traded my MMF-5 for a KAB 1210 M5GSE with the external power supply, strobe
disabler, tonearm re-wire, and fluid damper. I put a Benz Micro MC20E HO cart on it
(which I'll be replacing). I couldn't be more happier. I had considered the VPI Scout, but
there was so much enthusiasm and pride in ownership over the Technics, I had to try it.
I'm glad I did.

This is why Technics is better than any table... - centaurus3200 15:25:59 12/18/07 (0)
In Reply to: RE: I'll go ahead and throw in the stimulus "Technics" suggestion
posted by texanater on December 16, 2007 at 13:23:38
thought that would get your attention ;-)

well, let me clarify. with vinyl, minute weight or geometry changes have HUGE effects
on the resultant sound. being this is the case, there is NO deck and arm that is so versatile
and easy to tweak than technics.

i made DRASTIC changes (for the better) on my SCottRT modded Technics SL-
1600MK2 just by backing off the VTF .2 grams and lowering the VTA (with the handy
dandy VTA adjustment collar) .5mm. AMAZING!

couple that with the removable headshell so you can actually get a good grip on the
cartridge to adjust overhang. i swear, you'd be farting around with shims for HOURS
with other decks.

BANG - DONE - LISTEN! GO TECHNICS!

see ya,
Robby

A comparison with another $$$ table. Are Oracle Delphi Vs any good? - Ugly 16:16:10
12/16/07 (0)
In Reply to: RE: henry, How does the Technics compare to the Scout? posted by
artemus on December 16, 2007 at 14:59:18
I was reading this the other day and wishing the dude had already compared the different
tonearms. I hope he posts his findings when he compares them.

• Dude w/ Oracle Delphi V says the fully KAB'd SL1200 is the best thing hes ever
heard or something like that. (Open in New Window)