New turntable: Technics 1200 vs rega rp6

[Kermit100]

Greetings!!
My 21st is approaching and I am going to receive some money towards a new turntable. I have narrowed it down to two options. The technics 1200 I can get for around $500 or the rega rp6 with a dynavector 10x5 for around $1500. Which of the two would you recomend? I'm willing to mod the technics but would the total mod costs exceed the price of the rega? My current system includes a dual 601, luxman l-30, yaqin mc-84L and a yaqin ms-12b. I greatly appreciate any contributions and thoughts.

 

[Cobra2]

I would get the Technics...and first mod; get rid of the MS-12B/get a better riaa!

Arne K

 

[JRKO]

Technics - rock steady sound and a solid platform to tinker with

Could you swing some extra $ for a toy or two on the Technics?

 

[Kermit100]

depends how much $$ and what mod that includes. Please explain

 

[JRKO]

KAB Electro Acoustics http://www.kabusa.com good for starters

new arm boards give big upgrade options as well

 

[Nanook]

Neither SL1200 or RP6...

...but it depends on the intended use of said turntable.

The RP6 has been extremely well reviewed. The Technics is a long standing workhorse "king". Both have their own merits.

If you have the coin and must have a DD then consider the Technics SP10, SP15 or perhaps a Sony TTS-2250. Then use whatever arm you lust over and build or have built a good plinth. If the electronic controls fail, they can be almost impossible to replace and sometimes more difficult to repair.

The RP6 stands out due to it's improved chassis, arm, motor (and included outboard motor power supply), feet, and improved wiring. The Rega turntables are about as simple as a hammer and even the oldest Regas can be easily put into serviceable condition. By the way, the RP6 is a much better value than the RP3, and sounds superior.

As a caveat: I have spent a fair bit of time with Rega turntables and some with the Technics, but own neither of the tables you have mentioned.

Here's another consideration: an idler drive. Until you hear one for yourself you'll wonder what all the hoopla is all about.

 

[Kermit100]

Thanks for your input guys
At this point i am leaning towards the Rp6. I cant dispute the fact the Technics turntable is well built (i also have a sl-23 so i know) but to me, The Rega looks to be more on the Hifi side of things. I am still open to arguments as to why the Rega or the Technics is a better choice than the other also.

 

[JRKO]

I'm a big DD fan. I went thru the Project range with power supplies & carbon arms etc. A half decent cart in a stock Technics arm did pretty much the same thing for way less.

You can still buy NOS/OEM bearings etc for the SL1200 and ALL parts are widely available. There is a good upgrade path (outboard power supply, strobe bypass, arm etc) if you want to upgrade. The abuse these things can take at the hands of a DJ is epic. A friend of mine had residency in Ibiza and before that owned a 3000 cap. club in Japan - he is still using the same 3 decks after many years professional (ab)use. In other words as a regular deck it has a good chance of outlasting you

Pitch is perfect (as you'd expect from a DJ deck where timing IS everything even after being smashed bashed and stuffing in an airplane hold) and background noise of zilch. Pick one up and compare build quality to a modern resin/mdf etc body, glass platter deck and you'll wonder why they cost so much. Panasonic/Technics no longer makes these decks so they will get more expensive over time. They were built like no other deck is built today (until you get into loony Caliburn/Clearaudio decks in the $$$$$ range)

As you can tell I love mine! There is a big following on AK for more stories with happy SL1200 endings!

I'll shut up now

 

[Nanook]

if leaning towards the SL1200...

...I'd strongly suggest a good aftermarket bearing. Can't recall the name, but there are some out there that suggest the bearing change is like a complete upgrade to the whole turntable.

The RP6 would be a fine choice, if I was starting out in audio today I'd most likely start with a RP3 or RP6 (although the RP6 represents a better value)

Why not an SP10, SP15or a TT2250 if you can find one? The SP10 and SP15 are clearly superior to the SL1200 from Technics, and the TT-2250 was developed to compete against the SP10.

Idlers have a flavour all their own and even lowly ones can be built into something special (see At Dudley's Rek-o-kut rebuild). Even the lowly Dual and Miracord idlers can sound good if you strip the changer parts and service the remainder. Not all idlers are huge money.

 

[audiostar]

Applied Fidelity improved Technics bearing.
Paul Hynes Design power supplies SR7EHD for the Technics turntable. Where is
the DIY power supply for the Technics turntable that is state of the art and
competes with the Paul Hynes?

 

[Sprags]

As soon as I am able I'm splurging on a Technics SL-1200. Those were around when I was 21 and they'll be around in another 33 years when I'm 87. The Rega will be at the bottom of a trash heap....but what do I know? Those 21 year olds are way smarter.

 

[Calvin]

Hi,

May I suggest another option?
Since major parts of the various Technics models are the same, as bearing, drive and tonearm, a different Technics -say a 3310 or a 5210- would come cheaper but offers the same.
No doubt about the basic qualities of the 1210 but its vastly overhyped and expensive. Its less hyped brethren are also great performers.
I got my 5210 in good condition for just 15€ on ebay. Stripped it, made a new plynth, serviced the electronics and mounted a Rega RB300 and a nice pickup.
Was still cheaper than a 1210 and probabely even an sonic improvement

jauu
Calvin

 

[Nanook]

Calvin, your proposed option...

...makes good sense to me, particularly if the motor and bearings are interchangeable.

Hi,

May I suggest another option?
Since major parts of the various Technics models are the same, as bearing, drive and tonearm, a different Technics -say a 3310 or a 5210- would come cheaper but offers the same.
No doubt about the basic qualities of the 1210 but its vastly overhyped and expensive. Its less hyped brethren are also great performers.
I got my 5210 in good condition for just 15€ on ebay. Stripped it, made a new plynth, serviced the electronics and mounted a Rega RB300 and a nice pickup.
Was still cheaper than a 1210 and probabely even an sonic improvement

jauu
Calvin

And any comments that I may have made were not intended to offend (I don't think I slammed the SL12XX tables).

Having never experienced a great DD set-up (but still having fond memories of my first table, an Akai AP207 or 307 with a Goldring G820 cartridge), I won't dismiss them completely. And as stated, a respectable DD table will most likely be running 100 years from now. A Rega will too, as long as it is taken care of and belts and motors are available. The problem with the Technics is that Matsushita has ceased production so if spares are needed, they could become difficult to get hold of.

As far as a tonearm goes, many have reposted good results with an RB300 or other aftermarket arm.

 

[Calvin]

Hi,

well I couldn´t detect any offense at all.
Basically most of the Technics are the same with regard to bearing and motor.
Electronics differ more in kind of chipset and drive current. If one doesn´t need the fast speed-up and breake of the discotheca models one could perfectly happy with the home-hifi models.
This is a SL-5210 like I ebayed. The SL5210 belongs to the first Technics that employed Quartz control.
While the plinth and lid showed clear signs of age and wear, the important parts like the bearing were in mint condition. I stripped it, since I wanted to give it a new look.
Fortunately the unneccessary comfort as Repeat and other automatic functions are switched by a mechanical switch. I omitted with them just leaving two functions On-Off and 33-45. Using simple FilpFlops I replaced the remaining mechanical switches by small pushbuttons.
The original power supply, a low-quality transformer, putting out way too much voltage - with associated heat losses in the regulator-circuit, was replaced by a small encapsulated SMPS.
Old Electrolytics were replaced by new ones. PCB inspected, cleaned and serviced.
A new plinth was made, from sandwiched layers of wooden and damping materials, topped by a slate plate. The wooden plinth holds the motor and electronics, while the tonearm is held by the slate plate. Plinth and plate are separated by a soft layer.
The old lid was replaced by a new one which is a replacement part for Numark TTs. It allows to play the deck with lid on and certainly looks more stylish than the old brick-style lid. Besides it was also alot cheaper
The TT-platter unmounted, was ringing like a bell. I damped it with layers of self-adhering Bitumen. worked like a charm.
As tonearm I use an old Rega RB300 I had laying around for a while.
I stripped the old internal cabling and made a new one.
Especially for MC-Pickups balanced signal transmission offers certain advantages, so I mounted balanced Lemosa and unbalanced RCA/Cinch connectors into the back panel.
Last modifikation was a new excentrical counterweight for the Rega, since my Pickup was too heavy for the standard weight.
Four simple rubber feet, left overs from a amplifier casing finished the package.
All in all the costs were lower than the appearance might suggest

jauu
Calvin

 

[Kermit100]

Thanks for all the input guys. The choice (as i anticipated) is becoming more and more difficult. That is a very nice turntable you made there calvin by the way. I am very impressed indeed. and Nanook i have always dribbled over those turntables you posted pictures of. But being here in Australia the price of them is ridiculous.

 

[Sprags]

Well...despite my earlier comment about technics being around for another 30 years that was prior to finding out they've ceased production. The turntable I considered prior to technics was a Thorens TT. They are still being made and there upper quality TT's are supposedly better than a lot of the multi multi thousand dollar turntables. The nearest distributor is in Chicago with a showroom. I have to mark a trip there anyway, I'll have to see the Thorens TTs plus the other brands they offer. I'll be able to see there other offerings. As much as I'd like a TT I always gravitate towards the general poor quality sound you get from vinyl LP. Now I know I just will be shot down by vinyl purists but if you listened to vinyl as long as I have from the late 60's to the mid 80's you know that vinyl wears out. CD sonic quality was actually quite good and the CD itself lasted much longer than vinyl. I still have CDs made in the mid 80's that are sonically in good condition. Of course both media types were fragile in their own way and were easily damaged if not handled properly. The problem with vinyl was that no matter how hard you tried to keep them clean the records still developed clicks and pops and hiss as the vinyl wore out. But everybody's heard this before and everybody heard the best ways to preserve both. That being said ...even though I don't trust computer hard drives either storing and listening to high quality FLAC files or variations thereof seems to be the best source. Personally I've had HDD's die too. So I'm skeptical with that as a media source as well.

When large capacity SSD's become more affordable I think that may be the best sound source in the longest run.

 

[6L6]

I don't know if this comment is late to the party, but

I recently sold my (completely wonderful) Rega Planar 25 after buying a SL-1200.

That decision was made for 2 main reasons -

1) The Technics has pace, drive, stability and timing that the Rega always has been shy of.
2) As I am a terminal DIYer, the Technics has much more ability to be tweaked and modified.

Essentially the Techie has something that the Rega will never have - a drive motor that is with few equals; and that is put into the music with authority. I'm sure I can voice the rest of it to emulate what the Rega does really well. (Which, arguably, is due to the superb Rega tonearms.)

 

[vinylkid58]

Essentially the Techie has something that the Rega will never have - a drive motor that is with few equals; and that is put into the music with authority. I'm sure I can voice the rest of it to emulate what the Rega does really well. (Which, arguably, is due to the superb Rega tonearms.)

A Mitchell Tecnoarm would look pretty sweet on an SL1200.

jeff

 

[rif]

Another factor to consider - resale value and ease of sale. What are the chances that you'll want to try something else in the foreseeable future?

 

[6L6]

Either are very easy to sell.