New lower cost Technics turntables

[DSJR]

A pal of mine sent me this link, to a couple of new 'solid-plinth' style Technics decks. priced above the oft-discussed AT models and below the SL1500C-level of decks they make. The looks are maybe a bit too much like the 'deck for every season' huge Project range, but the maker's name alone should find them many friends I suspect.

A Beloved Japanese Hi-Fi Maker's New Audiophile Turntables Are Unexpectedly Affordable

They are the most affordable audiophile-grade turntables that the iconic brand currently sells.

www.gearpatrol.com

40 model has a VM95C fitted plus a phono stage (this would be crying out for a stylus upgrade - they could have fitted a VM95E FFS!). 50 model has no phono stage but they fit a 2M Red instead

In the US, I suspect they'll find a good market and the maker's name should find it many friends - hopefully someone can properly test the motor unit for torque and dynamic wow as well as tonearm resonances in the audio band, something which seems to be all but neglected these days. Over this way and with the LP5X still available from a 'trusted' UK chain (John Lewis) for £299, not so sure a £749-ish price is very competitive when a 1500C, also with 2M Red and a phono stage built in, can be got for £799 from, you guessed it, John Lewis again -

https://www.johnlewis.com/technics-...RPK4nAMRz6oe9VskdPwneCEbMpGP8dN_K1hfEl1z_Y-UE


Just thought I'd mention it. Over here, the classic Technics lower-cost models, seem to be fetching more serious money now (ten to twenty years ago you couldn't give 'em away), and of course it's hoped these new ones will be similarly long lasting.

There's also a powered? speaker too - This guy (a dealer?) has obviously never done the hierarchy comparisons with vinyl sources and I'd respectfully suggest an MC pickup almost the price of the deck is NOT the way to go here. Mind you, if the deck was properly sited well away from the speakers in a fair sized room, perhaps he may have a point, but the better 2M styli are so damned good I'd suggest it'd be a waste of money to change pickup in all honesty...

 

[Power Pop 23]

Perhaps in the 'next' iteration of a lower cost turntable, Technics will offer the convenience of their P-mount cartridge system.

 

[Joe Smith]

These look like a good new price point for them. Nice looking and nice feature differentiation between the two models. Still not even close to the price of the AT-120xUSB, though. But the styling makes them competitive with Rega tables and others.

 

[DSJR]

Perhaps in the 'next' iteration of a lower cost turntable, Technics will offer the convenience of their P-mount cartridge system.

Inferior mounting and measurable resonances due to the weak mounting format - Check the mid 80s HiFi Choice cartridge reviews (worldradiohistory in the UK section). The 'SME style' headshell is bad enough in objective terms.

 

[Sono]

[Quote from www gearpatrol com:]
A Beloved Japanese Hi-Fi Maker’s New Audiophile Turntables Are Unexpectedly Affordable [...]

... and are not made in »beloved« Japan but in Malaysia.

I would never pay 900 bucks for them, sorry.

 

[IPunchCholla]

Inferior mounting and measurable resonances due to the weak mounting format - Check the mid 80s HiFi Choice cartridge reviews (worldradiohistory in the UK section). The 'SME style' headshell is bad enough in objective terms.

Those resonances do look bad. You can easily see which are p-mount from the FR curves. But are fairly narrow and not reflected in the listening descriptions. Interesting.

 

[Subwaffler]

I really like the look of these.

No they're not as cheap as the Audio Technica and others Technics knock-offs, but i'll bet they both measure and sound better.

 

[Balle Clorin]

For some reason I like the 1979 design of my first turntable better

 

[Hiten]

For some reason I like the 1979 design of my first turntable better

That is because controls are on right side. A convenient way to operate turntable and tonearm in one place.
regds

 

[DSJR]

For some reason I like the 1979 design of my first turntable better
View attachment 475512

I disliked this one I remember, because it suffered with wow under a 2g tracking pickup. The arm didn't seem fine enough for a Shure M95-ED at 1.25g for whatever reason (long forgotten now), but fitting an M95-EJ at 2g, on our demo one, we could see on the strobe and hear too, the servos hunting back and forth - a classic criticism of some direct drives, many/most using the OEM Matsushita direct drive motor. Maybe ours was faulty, but we didn't re-order.

The top Technics models were immune from servo hunting and if the pre-quartz models were slowed by hand, they quickly returned to speed with next to no overshoot.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Never had any such problems, speed stability was as current Technics when ai sold it 3 years ago