I have three Technics SL1210mk2's. Two are In the Radio Station. And the Other Is In the Living Room, as a main Hi-Fi. That one has a Nagaoka MP-100, I do have a 110 as well as a stand by. It goes Into a Schit Mani Pre-Amp. The sound Is just Brilliant. People come round, and can't believe the Quality I get. They say things like, I can hear things I have never heard before, In some of the Records They own, that they bring along with them. I use Acrylic 5mm thick Matts, they fit perfectly. They are super flat, and You can Wipe them clean now and again. Thanks for sharing these.
The biggest difference between what people hear, imo, is how well their hearing has been protected over the years against loud noises? Losing those upper frequencies, i believe, are first.
I have a similar Hanpin-based turntable, the AT-LP140xp, and it also came with loose bearings. Because I had gotten the thing during lockdown and I had already sent one back to Zzounds already for a really loud hum, I decided to attempt to fix mine myself. Fortunately I had a jeweler's screwdriver set I had gotten from Micro Center, so I picked the two largest ones to loosen the outer ring. It was nowhere near a professional job, but it definitely tightened (no pun intended) up the sound. It ended up being only slightly less musical than my Music Hall mmf-2.2. It ended up being my primary vinyl ripping deck for almost a year.
I didn’t have much luck with Pro-ject either and I owned 4 of them. All suffered from the same problems noisy and poorly isolated motors, poor tracking tonearms and weird electrical inferences with the output signal. I kept getting offered deals on turntables farther up the line so I kept upgrading and hoping that would eliminate the problems of the old turntables. Eventually I just gave up and bought a technics 1200gr and never looked back.
I actually started with the 50$ table and cheap records and have been hooked ever since. Of course my settup now is almost a down payment on a house but the humble beginning was enough to get me hooked.
Thanks for the video! I dipped my toe in analog with the Audio Technica 120 with an shure 97se cart. It looked cool, like the Technics it was a copy of. After a couple of years and visits to friends houses I decided that the sound just wasn't that good (even with the onboard phono amp disconnected). After 6 months of looking I got the Rega P3 with a Schiit Mani2 phono amp. I've since fully upgraded it with pretty much all available upgrades from Tango Spinner (looking back I should have just bought the P6, but hindsight and all). I couldn't be happier with the the sound of my LPs. punchy bass and an incredibly low noise floor that I can easily hear every tiny detail from Echoes by Pink Floyd. The Audio Technica was a very noisy TT. You could easily hear the direct drive motor "chunking" between songs. That being said vinyl is a labor of love. No album hits my player without getting a bath in a vinyl styl record cleaner and then vacuumed dry, before they get new inner and outer sleeves which I now only buy from Audio storage solutions, as he's a small business with good quality products. The double pocket outer sleeves are crystal clear and I never have to touch the actual sleeve again if I don't wish to. While I do love popping on a record, CDs are still in a large rotation at my house. I think that DAC's have come a long way and "loudness wars" of the early/mid 2000's have largely disappeared. Even the newer Cds from the Metallica super deluxe box sets are actually very well done. Spin on You Crazy Diamonds.
i'm an old dude. got my first turntable around 1972; a BSR. i have a PLX1000. got it when they first came out. didn't have the bearing problem. very satisfying turntable. i use a Denon DL-103. for all the $5k and up turntable guys... in the real world, people can't pay $5k. also, you can buy a lot of records for the extra $4k
I love my Pro-ject E. It’s head and shoulders better than what all my non-audiophile friends have. My one audiophile friend hates on it. I don’t lose any sleep over that. The clamp vs weight discussion was very helpful. I’ve been wondering. Since I have an acrylic platter I don’t need more weight. Thanks.
I'm going to be in the opposite camp of the two by saying, I'm glad this guy is enjoying his turntable, irregardless of price. Analog takes work like anything in life that is worth having, but the rewards are so sweet. We don't listen to measurements, we listen to music and that doesn't mean that measurements can't help you solve problems but they can't replace your ears because we all hear differently and have our preferences that no measurements can account for. You don't need to spend alot in audio to get good performance, especially with the used market, but you have to be delligent. I agree with what you said about vinyl as a whole and especially about using streaming to pick out the records that I'm going to buy. I like to own as much of my music as possible because if a streaming service goes out of business you have nothing. I use the 5mm thick Achromat and I own a VPI Classic 30th Anniversary.
After years of pleasure my first "big boy" table, a Technics SL-5 with a cheap $30 cartridge (automatic, linear-tracking) bit the dust and had to replace it last month. I ended up getting a Rega P2 and had the cartridge upgraded to an Audio Technica VM540ML. I also added a Spin Clean record cleaner. I think I appreciate my modest collection (about 110 or so records) a little more now that I have to pick up the arm and position it before lowering it to the album and repeating the process at the end. They also sound better.
I have a Nagaoka MP-200 amongst other cartridges and didn't realize the price discrepancy between the stylus alone. Most companies are not that generous. Thanks for pointing that out. It sits in its box in a drawer on my nightstand. It's almost too good for that Pioneer. You should hear it attached to something great.
I enjoyed your video. It’s not easy to do a video on analog without stressing folks out about their gear. I still have my Technics SL1700 Mk2, which is a semi auto variant of a SL1200. 44 years in service, still going strong. I also put a Nagaoka MP110 on it… wow! Great cart for the $! The MP200 will be next. Cheers!
As someone who is looking to get into vinyl and somewhat mechanically inclined, TH-cam certified ASE mechanic here, there is a meme out there if you were in doubt of the humor. I am looking forward to a turn table build. I enjoy the challenge and savings of a giant killer type build or 95% of the quailty for half the budget build. The cartridge is great.
I would recommend the new audiophile to consider Rega turntables. Planar 1 - 3 models are all HIGHLY accessible, take zero setup, totally modular / upgradeable, excellent price points, and even their older P1-P3 models are competitive.
I haven't listened to a Rega other than an old P-2 and that was a long, long time ago. Lots of great reviews on the Regas and certainly make a nice arm!
I used to have Stereophile class B solid state preamp and amp. They were very good. And I switched to vacuum tube preamp and amp with specs way behind my solid state rig but the sound is better, now. Better dynamics, better resolution and better sound overall. So, specs is not everything.
Funny how that works. Clearly, we can measure/identify some but not all variables that the ear perceives and that impact sound quality. Thx for the post! Happy Audio!
It was heartwarming to find a fellow music enthusiast with history back to the 90s......you had that Sonographe turntable when I had a Thorens TD 180 MK IV......now have a Technics 1200G with a Lehmann Black Cube phono pre (upgrading to the SE Power Supply soon). My stereo is 90s audiophile, and some of my favorite pressings are 90s Audiophile reissues (Classic Records/Speakers Corner). I've learned so much in the journey, and glad I have my process now :) CHEERS
If you had bought the Technics SL-1200 instead of a knock off you wouldn't have worry about the ring or the record matt. Not casting stones, I did the same thing after a few months I got rid of it and shelled out the cash for the real deal.
Yes, I'm currently using a 1200GR. I also acquired a G magnesium tonearm as an upgrade. The Pioneer can make music but it does have the known arm barring issue is isn't so straight forward to fix. The GR is better made but it is almost 3x the price. I am enjoying the GR.
A lot of belt drive turntables are rated very good and don't cost very much; a good cartridge also can be found at under $100. Setup is important. There are fails in digital. It is not capable of multichannel; it is always one digital stream which then has to be split decoded and output. So if you were to attempt to compair a single short note that was quadraphonically recorded and try to replicate that via digital; it won't sound good because syncronizing the outputs will be a problem; where as the stylus on a record is moving up down left right and in the case of quad - its velocity is also being used without delay; so output is inherently in sync.
Analogue is not for the faint hearted thats for sure. Ive been into records since the early 80s and got my first PROPER turntable in 1991. Never looked back and never stopped buying the black stuff (and i dont mean Guinness 😂) that Nagaoka cart you're running is a really nice one. I have the MP150 and it sounds great
Good call, yes the into clip I use doesn't really feature the best speaker placement. I'm actually using totally different speakers at present while the Linton's are awaiting mods/upgrades or I may actually be making a big speaker change this weekend we'll see! Thx for feedback!
@@hificonspiracyI would advise you to do whatever you want to do, all the people try to tell you about speaker placement and all of this crap like there are some sort of authority. If the way you have your speaker sounds good to you then go with it. I mean my speakers are too close to the wall but it sounds good to me so I leave them like that
Enjoyed the video, regarding the Record weight concern, by using the Michell reflex style clamp you are pushing down and twisting the collet mechanism each time you engage the clamp. This is worse than using a record weight with less than 400 grams in mass. The Record weight has other advantages over this style of clamp. A threaded spindle type clamp is superior to both IMO. Turntable bearings and motors on "most" turntables are over engineered to handle much more mass than what the platter has.
I'm not trying to usurp your advice because I find it's spot on, but I would make the suggestion to newcomers if you're looking for a good basic turntable at a certain lower price point I cannot recommend enough the music hall MMF 1.5. it's a belt drive it's three speed and it has a technics like arm in the sense that you can swap cartridges out easily and it sounds great. It also has a built-in phono preamp so it makes it easy to hook up to basically anything but you could also defeat that and hook it up to an outboard one as well. I mean I'm not saying it's the best turntable ever made but for $400 it's got everything you need and nothing you don't and as I've already said it sounds great as well.
I desperately wanted that Pioneer turntable.They were becoming difficult to find. I eventually got an Audio Technica 120, but I can't find the right cartridge yet
The 120 is a nice deck! Consider adding the Soundeck platter damping kit:soundeck.bigcartel.com/product/platter-damping-kit and find a genuine Jelco HS-25 headshell. You wont miss the pioneer at all! a Nagoaka 110 is really nice for $
I was frustrated with vinyl at first but I stuck with it and now it’s my favourite way to enjoy music. The only thing that bugs me with my modest setup is I have to boost the high end slightly with the eq on my amp to get it to sound right, is that normal? I’ve got my turntable setup as perfectly as I can get it so I don’t think that’s the problem. My preamp is a cheap pro-ject one so may not be the best. Cartridge is an ortofon om10. I don’t know? It’s not a huge problem though as it sounds great I just need to eq a little bit.
Some of the older second hand TT, if one knows what to look for, may be a diamond in the rough. Both my Technics SL-5 and Denon DF-7 pulled above their weight. The RTs from Fluence are performing very well and mate well with Shure M97xe, although the stylus is now going for astronomical price. The SL-J11 have grounding issue and i haven’t find time to open it up to fix it since my regular hobby is now back on my schedule. Thinking about adding one more linear tracking to play with but otherwise I will stop my collection, maybe add a VM95ML or a MC cartridge from Denon to compare with the Shure. All and all, all the TT are very quiet in terms of grounding with one exception and the RT-80’s motor noise maybe more apparent then the others since I use it on my work desk until I switched to the Denon, which has a lot more quiet motor, but on a regular 2 channel setup, it works well.
Nagaoka makes realy good cartridges .............even the basic MP110 sounds and tracks better than most ........The needle of a MP200 fits on the body of a MP110 indeed.........the difference is that that electriclacoils are more fineed on the the MP200...........BUT it sounds GOOD ...........MP110 AND MP150 share the same body .........upwards theyare different.......as the price..............the needle from a MP200 on a body of a MP100 is a good compromise and a real financial deal ..............and next you can always look out afterwards to someone selling the body nof outweared MP2OO hahaha.... I the budget permits it , the GOLDRING 1042G is also a winner , closer to the sound of a MC for witch one should pay a lot more besides the need of a very good MC transformer witch are VERY EXPENSIVE if you want quality !
Hi Frank! Yes, actually I just acquired the Roksan version of the Goldring 1042g. It has a threaded mount! Its quite high output but looking fwd to trying it. Probably in the fall at my slow pace.
@@hificonspiracy I have a 1042G and when someone does not have the budget for a high quality MC I recommend the Goldring .........it realy sings ...and is better than some lower qualiy MC cartridges ...
I had, bought and sold a lot of fancy and ridiculously expensive turntables during the last decades. I lost interest to be honest. I still love my records and I still use them. Don't misunderstand that! But all that technical stuff got more and more boring. I kept my 1210s and my good old standard Denon and that's it.
Fun video. I believe the idea behind a clamp or weight isn't to add mass to the platter, but to mate the record to the platter, effectively adding mass to the record. Between people preferring tubes and vinyl, I wonder if the human ear just isn't predisposed to liking the sound of distortion?
So true, it takes patience, and when you get that arm / cartridge right and aligned properly , with a separate Phono stage , the you will love Records much much more, does not need to be high end ... Great video, I have been into Vinyl for over 20 years ...somehow the mid base on Records sound better
I can see that your mat, that rubber/cork thing is slightly to small in diameter. It should have been as a vinyl LP in diameter or as your platter. It´s not much but you get some vibrations on that missing 10mm.
Do you really think, that the mat do a difference ? I'm very sceptical. I have an older SL-1200 MK2 and the biggest improvement was to buy a better cart.
Hey. Andrew here from Australia. The rubber mat that comes with all Technics turntables starts out thick and gets thinner near the centre. This is because the record is only supported on the first 2 cms of it to keep the record well away from the motor as far as possible. I own an original SL1200 MK 2, brand new out of the box and fitted it with an Ortofon Black cartridge. After I dialled in the correct weight tracking angle anti-skate etc, it sounds a million bucks. I,ve been a club DJ for over 40 years as well as sound engineering and if you have to start using computers to compare one deck to another, you,ve really lost the point.
As someone with a small lp collection of about 700 and who loves analog my advice to anyone looking to start is DON'T DO IT!!! Just stick to your streaming or whatever you're doing, don't start messing with records and turntables if you want to keep your sanity.
I think I might correct you...nit everything sounds better on Vinyl. Old albums sound better on Vinyl. I am a firm beliver that albums from the 90s and later should be kept digital, yet prior to the 90s they should be on lp
Sorry, but telling new vinyl users to spend $1000 on just a turntable as their first one is just.... eh. There are so many good cheap used Technics out there, like an SL-J3 if they like the buttons, or something like a Denon DP-11F or JVC QL-F320 or Pioneer PL-570, etc... All can be had for $100 in excellent condition and are great units. Especially for a new listener. Or for a new one, how about an Orbit for $250 if they want to go the "old school" route.
I've just bought my first new Audio Technica turntable for less than 300 USD and I don't understand the sound... Haha! I came from a fully digital world I must say! Hence, I reframe my thinking and think analog and not digital, i.e not comparing apples to oranges in terms of sound quality, SNR and those technicalities. Having studied Electronics engineering, I fully understand the differences between analog and digital and in terms of how sound is reproduced by either domain, I keep an open mind and not pass a judgement saying which of them is better or more superior. The main goal is not fidelity but fun and fulfillment. Does the music engage and elicit some fond memories? So, I gave the turntable some time to open up, maybe the belt will not be so stiff and loosen up a little, the stylus not so sharp, the motor warms up and spin the platter smoothly like how a car engine needs to be run in etc! I must say the sound is improving by the day (currently Day 3 only). I'm still fiddling with the grounding as I hear hum (grounding loop), clicks and pops on a brand new 2-disc record (just one disc is producing that) but I am having lots of fun! So, I'm definitely going to try those upgrades suggested here. I won't necessary say that starting at 1k is steep for a beginner unless we assume all beginners have a budget constraint. However, the learning curve is steep and to fully appreciate the hobby, one has to be baptized with fire and plough through learning the quirks of the game and that suggests throwing lots of money to achieve the desired outcome. Therefore, entering the 1k entry level seems quite doable and you can spare yourself a lot of hurdles that you ought to overcome from the start which might even return you to the fully digital world of music. Just a 2 grand long thoughts to share with everyone. Happy listening and digging (new vocabulary unlocked)!
You keep referring the "90s" as if it were the "50s"! I mean, if the records were made of vinyl, and not shellac, it wasn't a LONG time ago! 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
"It sounds better than my digital setup" Weird because records have a 0.5% up to 5% harmonic distortion, mono bass below 100 Hz, limited dynamics, a high noise floor, 30 dB of channel separation at best. and speed variation all over the place. So no way in hell it sounds better than digital. My phone plugged into that stereo would sound better than that turntable.
You're waffling too much Alex. At 7 mins, still didn't hear about the secrets so bailed out. You desperately need to get to the point. You're so mixed up and incoherent
I’m a ‘66 model, so I’m definitely analogous… but of course digitised music can be wondrous if done properly. However I totally agree, analogue has that “something” that goes all the way into your system. I’m on the pace of upgrading my turntable, the NAD 5120… 40 years in service and it has taken its last breath.. been looking at Pro-ject back and forth but recently I found a brand that is making direct drive Technics SL1200 like turntables and they really look fabulous and there are a lot of positive reviews… Reloop. It’s a German company, founded in 1996, specialising in DJ turntables, I’ve gone as far as sending an order for their Turn 5 model, direct drive but without the pitch slider. Wonder what you think.. as for the S type tone arm, I have a Denon DL110 MC pickup that I want to try on, so I ordered a second shell to replace the original. This model is here, their web site: www.reloop-hifi.com/reloop-turn-5. Great video, thanks!
I do like the aesthetics on the Reloop. Thanks for the heads up. I think this might be a similar platform as the Pioneer and others with Hanpin motor control vs an actual Technics sl1200. I do get good sound out of my Pioneer however many say the Technics is better. I'm still tempted by a used SL-100C for the $ or new and cry once. Let me know how it works if you pick one up.
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I have three Technics SL1210mk2's. Two are In the Radio Station. And the Other Is In the Living Room, as a main Hi-Fi. That one has a Nagaoka MP-100, I do have a 110 as well as a stand by. It goes Into a Schit Mani Pre-Amp. The sound Is just Brilliant. People come round, and can't believe the Quality I get. They say things like, I can hear things I have never heard before, In some of the Records They own, that they bring along with them. I use Acrylic 5mm thick Matts, they fit perfectly. They are super flat, and You can Wipe them clean now and again. Thanks for sharing these.
The MP-100/110 and Schit Mani are awesome. Happy Listening!
The biggest difference between what people hear, imo, is how well their hearing has been protected over the years against loud noises? Losing those upper frequencies, i believe, are first.
I have a similar Hanpin-based turntable, the AT-LP140xp, and it also came with loose bearings. Because I had gotten the thing during lockdown and I had already sent one back to Zzounds already for a really loud hum, I decided to attempt to fix mine myself. Fortunately I had a jeweler's screwdriver set I had gotten from Micro Center, so I picked the two largest ones to loosen the outer ring. It was nowhere near a professional job, but it definitely tightened (no pun intended) up the sound. It ended up being only slightly less musical than my Music Hall mmf-2.2. It ended up being my primary vinyl ripping deck for almost a year.
I didn’t have much luck with Pro-ject either and I owned 4 of them. All suffered from the same problems noisy and poorly isolated motors, poor tracking tonearms and weird electrical inferences with the output signal. I kept getting offered deals on turntables farther up the line so I kept upgrading and hoping that would eliminate the problems of the old turntables. Eventually I just gave up and bought a technics 1200gr and never looked back.
Man, you must have a big house, why dont you replace the rest of the project players? What project do you have? So i know what to stear away from👌
@@Error2usernameWhenever I got a new one, I would sell the old one.....
I had pro-ject too..Well still have in the attic now.
I bought a Technics 1200 Gr too and it's beautiful.
I'm done with belt drive.
@@yardleylfc For all its sonic abilities, one thing I wouldn't ascribe to SL1200 and its lookalike copies is beauty. I think they are as ugly as sin.
@@richardsinger01 How about the SL 1300 ?
I actually started with the 50$ table and cheap records and have been hooked ever since. Of course my settup now is almost a down payment on a house but the humble beginning was enough to get me hooked.
Thanks for the video!
I dipped my toe in analog with the Audio Technica 120 with an shure 97se cart. It looked cool, like the Technics it was a copy of. After a couple of years and visits to friends houses I decided that the sound just wasn't that good (even with the onboard phono amp disconnected). After 6 months of looking I got the Rega P3 with a Schiit Mani2 phono amp. I've since fully upgraded it with pretty much all available upgrades from Tango Spinner (looking back I should have just bought the P6, but hindsight and all). I couldn't be happier with the the sound of my LPs. punchy bass and an incredibly low noise floor that I can easily hear every tiny detail from Echoes by Pink Floyd. The Audio Technica was a very noisy TT. You could easily hear the direct drive motor "chunking" between songs. That being said vinyl is a labor of love. No album hits my player without getting a bath in a vinyl styl record cleaner and then vacuumed dry, before they get new inner and outer sleeves which I now only buy from Audio storage solutions, as he's a small business with good quality products. The double pocket outer sleeves are crystal clear and I never have to touch the actual sleeve again if I don't wish to. While I do love popping on a record, CDs are still in a large rotation at my house. I think that DAC's have come a long way and "loudness wars" of the early/mid 2000's have largely disappeared. Even the newer Cds from the Metallica super deluxe box sets are actually very well done.
Spin on You Crazy Diamonds.
i'm an old dude. got my first turntable around 1972; a BSR.
i have a PLX1000. got it when they first came out. didn't have the bearing problem. very satisfying turntable. i use a Denon DL-103.
for all the $5k and up turntable guys... in the real world, people can't pay $5k. also, you can buy a lot of records for the extra $4k
Very true! A lot of records for the $4k! You got one of the good ones (PLXs). I do enjoy mine as well!
I love my Pro-ject E. It’s head and shoulders better than what all my non-audiophile friends have. My one audiophile friend hates on it. I don’t lose any sleep over that.
The clamp vs weight discussion was very helpful. I’ve been wondering. Since I have an acrylic platter I don’t need more weight. Thanks.
I'm going to be in the opposite camp of the two by saying, I'm glad this guy is enjoying his turntable, irregardless of price. Analog takes work like anything in life that is worth having, but the rewards are so sweet.
We don't listen to measurements, we listen to music and that doesn't mean that measurements can't help you solve problems but they can't replace your ears because we all hear differently and have our preferences that no measurements can account for.
You don't need to spend alot in audio to get good performance, especially with the used market, but you have to be delligent.
I agree with what you said about vinyl as a whole and especially about using streaming to pick out the records that I'm going to buy.
I like to own as much of my music as possible because if a streaming service goes out of business you have nothing. I use the 5mm thick Achromat and I own a VPI Classic 30th Anniversary.
After years of pleasure my first "big boy" table, a Technics SL-5 with a cheap $30 cartridge (automatic, linear-tracking) bit the dust and had to replace it last month. I ended up getting a Rega P2 and had the cartridge upgraded to an Audio Technica VM540ML. I also added a Spin Clean record cleaner. I think I appreciate my modest collection (about 110 or so records) a little more now that I have to pick up the arm and position it before lowering it to the album and repeating the process at the end. They also sound better.
that 540ML is a damn fine cartridge. very glad to have one.
I have a Nagaoka MP-200 amongst other cartridges and didn't realize the price discrepancy between the stylus alone. Most companies are not that generous. Thanks for pointing that out. It sits in its box in a drawer on my nightstand. It's almost too good for that Pioneer. You should hear it attached to something great.
I enjoyed your video. It’s not easy to do a video on analog without stressing folks out about their gear. I still have my Technics SL1700 Mk2, which is a semi auto variant of a SL1200. 44 years in service, still going strong. I also put a Nagaoka MP110 on it… wow! Great cart for the $! The MP200 will be next. Cheers!
Glad to hear you like the Nagaoka!
shure V15
As someone who is looking to get into vinyl and somewhat mechanically inclined, TH-cam certified ASE mechanic here, there is a meme out there if you were in doubt of the humor. I am looking forward to a turn table build. I enjoy the challenge and savings of a giant killer type build or 95% of the quailty for half the budget build. The cartridge is great.
You tube certified 😅😅😅😅
I would recommend the new audiophile to consider Rega turntables. Planar 1 - 3 models are all HIGHLY accessible, take zero setup, totally modular / upgradeable, excellent price points, and even their older P1-P3 models are competitive.
I haven't listened to a Rega other than an old P-2 and that was a long, long time ago. Lots of great reviews on the Regas and certainly make a nice arm!
I used to have Stereophile class B solid state preamp and amp. They were very good. And I switched to vacuum tube preamp and amp with specs way behind my solid state rig but the sound is better, now. Better dynamics, better resolution and better sound overall. So, specs is not everything.
Funny how that works. Clearly, we can measure/identify some but not all variables that the ear perceives and that impact sound quality. Thx for the post! Happy Audio!
It was heartwarming to find a fellow music enthusiast with history back to the 90s......you had that Sonographe turntable when I had a Thorens TD 180 MK IV......now have a Technics 1200G with a Lehmann Black Cube phono pre (upgrading to the SE Power Supply soon).
My stereo is 90s audiophile, and some of my favorite pressings are 90s Audiophile reissues (Classic Records/Speakers Corner).
I've learned so much in the journey, and glad I have my process now :)
CHEERS
Thank for the feedback! 1200G is a super nice rig!
If you had bought the Technics SL-1200 instead of a knock off you wouldn't have worry about the ring or the record matt. Not casting stones, I did the same thing after a few months I got rid of it and shelled out the cash for the real deal.
Yes, I'm currently using a 1200GR. I also acquired a G magnesium tonearm as an upgrade. The Pioneer can make music but it does have the known arm barring issue is isn't so straight forward to fix. The GR is better made but it is almost 3x the price. I am enjoying the GR.
Get the 1200gr 2
Thank you for the support! I should have sent you a discount code, next time for sure:)
A lot of belt drive turntables are rated very good and don't cost very much; a good cartridge also can be found at under $100. Setup is important. There are fails in digital. It is not capable of multichannel; it is always one digital stream which then has to be split decoded and output. So if you were to attempt to compair a single short note that was quadraphonically recorded and try to replicate that via digital; it won't sound good because syncronizing the outputs will be a problem; where as the stylus on a record is moving up down left right and in the case of quad - its velocity is also being used without delay; so output is inherently in sync.
Right? Right> Right? Right? Right?
Analogue is not for the faint hearted thats for sure. Ive been into records since the early 80s and got my first PROPER turntable in 1991. Never looked back and never stopped buying the black stuff (and i dont mean Guinness 😂) that Nagaoka cart you're running is a really nice one. I have the MP150 and it sounds great
Pull those speakers further out into the room, about 1.5 feet past that system rack.
Good call, yes the into clip I use doesn't really feature the best speaker placement. I'm actually using totally different speakers at present while the Linton's are awaiting mods/upgrades or I may actually be making a big speaker change this weekend we'll see! Thx for feedback!
@@hificonspiracyI would advise you to do whatever you want to do, all the people try to tell you about speaker placement and all of this crap like there are some sort of authority. If the way you have your speaker sounds good to you then go with it. I mean my speakers are too close to the wall but it sounds good to me so I leave them like that
Enjoyed the video, regarding the Record weight concern, by using the Michell reflex style clamp you are pushing down and twisting the collet mechanism each time you engage the clamp. This is worse than using a record weight with less than 400 grams in mass. The Record weight has other advantages over this style of clamp. A threaded spindle type clamp is superior to both IMO.
Turntable bearings and motors on "most" turntables are over engineered to handle much more mass than what the platter has.
I'm not trying to usurp your advice because I find it's spot on, but I would make the suggestion to newcomers if you're looking for a good basic turntable at a certain lower price point I cannot recommend enough the music hall MMF 1.5. it's a belt drive it's three speed and it has a technics like arm in the sense that you can swap cartridges out easily and it sounds great. It also has a built-in phono preamp so it makes it easy to hook up to basically anything but you could also defeat that and hook it up to an outboard one as well.
I mean I'm not saying it's the best turntable ever made but for $400 it's got everything you need and nothing you don't and as I've already said it sounds great as well.
Thanks for the recommendation for the MMF 1.5. I will check it out! Always great to learn about new gear that works well.
I desperately wanted that Pioneer turntable.They were becoming difficult to find. I eventually got an Audio Technica 120, but I can't find the right cartridge yet
The 120 is a nice deck! Consider adding the Soundeck platter damping kit:soundeck.bigcartel.com/product/platter-damping-kit and find a genuine Jelco HS-25 headshell. You wont miss the pioneer at all! a Nagoaka 110 is really nice for $
I was frustrated with vinyl at first but I stuck with it and now it’s my favourite way to enjoy music. The only thing that bugs me with my modest setup is I have to boost the high end slightly with the eq on my amp to get it to sound right, is that normal? I’ve got my turntable setup as perfectly as I can get it so I don’t think that’s the problem. My preamp is a cheap pro-ject one so may not be the best. Cartridge is an ortofon om10. I don’t know? It’s not a huge problem though as it sounds great I just need to eq a little bit.
Some of the older second hand TT, if one knows what to look for, may be a diamond in the rough. Both my Technics SL-5 and Denon DF-7 pulled above their weight. The RTs from Fluence are performing very well and mate well with Shure M97xe, although the stylus is now going for astronomical price. The SL-J11 have grounding issue and i haven’t find time to open it up to fix it since my regular hobby is now back on my schedule. Thinking about adding one more linear tracking to play with but otherwise I will stop my collection, maybe add a VM95ML or a MC cartridge from Denon to compare with the Shure. All and all, all the TT are very quiet in terms of grounding with one exception and the RT-80’s motor noise maybe more apparent then the others since I use it on my work desk until I switched to the Denon, which has a lot more quiet motor, but on a regular 2 channel setup, it works well.
Yes most defiantly many good vintage Tables out there. Thanks for info!
I have the Fluance RT85 which came with an Ortofon Blue cart. Sounds very nice to my 65yr old ears.
A 1200 is a good entry level table to get your feet wet and learn about vinyl playback, solid and reliable ..!
Regards
I heard that they moved the manufacturing of the technics 1200gr to Malaysia. So try and find one of the Japanese ones before they shoot up in value.
Yes a Japanese built unit would be nice. However they have good QC out of Malaysia too.
Yes production started in Malaysia as of , 1/4/21 .
Nagaoka makes realy good cartridges .............even the basic MP110 sounds and tracks better than most ........The needle of a MP200 fits on the body of a MP110 indeed.........the difference is that that electriclacoils are more fineed on the the MP200...........BUT it sounds GOOD ...........MP110 AND MP150 share the same body .........upwards theyare different.......as the price..............the needle from a MP200 on a body of a MP100 is a good compromise and a real financial deal ..............and next you can always look out afterwards to someone selling the body nof outweared MP2OO hahaha....
I the budget permits it , the GOLDRING 1042G is also a winner , closer to the sound of a MC for witch one should pay a lot more besides the need of a very good MC transformer witch are VERY EXPENSIVE if you want quality !
Hi Frank! Yes, actually I just acquired the Roksan version of the Goldring 1042g. It has a threaded mount! Its quite high output but looking fwd to trying it. Probably in the fall at my slow pace.
@@hificonspiracy Always a pleasure !
I find the "sweetspot" of the Nagoaka line is the MP-150
@@MrNicks-gn8jc Yes it is .....but on a budget the 110 is decent , good news is that the body can accept the replacement needle of the 150 ...
@@hificonspiracy I have a 1042G and when someone does not have the budget for a high quality MC I recommend the Goldring .........it realy sings ...and is better than some lower qualiy MC cartridges ...
I had, bought and sold a lot of fancy and ridiculously expensive turntables during the last decades. I lost interest to be honest. I still love my records and I still use them. Don't misunderstand that!
But all that technical stuff got more and more boring.
I kept my 1210s and my good old standard Denon and that's it.
Fun video. I believe the idea behind a clamp or weight isn't to add mass to the platter, but to mate the record to the platter, effectively adding mass to the record. Between people preferring tubes and vinyl, I wonder if the human ear just isn't predisposed to liking the sound of distortion?
Good thoughts! How about this.. ~Perhaps the ear is disinclined to pulsed quantize digital algorithms and noise shaping. lol!
@6AM Spot on, Martin. 👍🔊🎶😊
@@hificonspiracy 😂
Why aren't you using the felt washer with Michell clamp? That felt washer is very important to use.
So true, it takes patience, and when you get that arm / cartridge right and aligned properly , with a separate Phono stage , the you will love Records much much more, does not need to be high end ... Great video, I have been into Vinyl for over 20 years ...somehow the mid base on Records sound better
I can see that your mat, that rubber/cork thing is slightly to small in diameter. It should have been as a vinyl LP in diameter or as your platter. It´s not much but you get some vibrations on that missing 10mm.
The link for the mat doesn’t work. It says the product can’t be found.
100% owning stuff is important.
Say No to Audio Serfdom.
So, what were the secrets and who are ‘they’?
Do you really think, that the mat do a difference ? I'm very sceptical. I have an older SL-1200 MK2 and the biggest improvement was to buy a better cart.
Not enough to notice
Hey. Andrew here from Australia. The rubber mat that comes with all Technics turntables starts out thick and gets thinner near the centre. This is because the record is only supported on the first 2 cms of it to keep the record well away from the motor as far as possible. I own an original SL1200 MK 2, brand new out of the box and fitted it with an Ortofon Black cartridge. After I dialled in the correct weight tracking angle anti-skate etc, it sounds a million bucks. I,ve been a club DJ for over 40 years as well as sound engineering and if you have to start using computers to compare one deck to another, you,ve really lost the point.
Mo Fi has settled tha analog vs digital debate😊
Funny..
As someone with a small lp collection of about 700 and who loves analog my advice to anyone looking to start is DON'T DO IT!!!
Just stick to your streaming or whatever you're doing, don't start messing with records and turntables if you want to keep your sanity.
Too Late! Based on the amount of audio gear I keep buying tearing apart/modifying my wife would say I've already lost my sanity.
"Just one more piece of audio gear, and then I'm finished." When is Stanley going to learn...?
Imagine doing this, but with reel to reel.
I think I might correct you...nit everything sounds better on Vinyl. Old albums sound better on Vinyl. I am a firm beliver that albums from the 90s and later should be kept digital, yet prior to the 90s they should be on lp
I have a special reciever where in the amp menu. A number has to be set for turntable to put out the best sound
Sorry, but telling new vinyl users to spend $1000 on just a turntable as their first one is just.... eh. There are so many good cheap used Technics out there, like an SL-J3 if they like the buttons, or something like a Denon DP-11F or JVC QL-F320 or Pioneer PL-570, etc... All can be had for $100 in excellent condition and are great units. Especially for a new listener. Or for a new one, how about an Orbit for $250 if they want to go the "old school" route.
I've just bought my first new Audio Technica turntable for less than 300 USD and I don't understand the sound... Haha! I came from a fully digital world I must say! Hence, I reframe my thinking and think analog and not digital, i.e not comparing apples to oranges in terms of sound quality, SNR and those technicalities. Having studied Electronics engineering, I fully understand the differences between analog and digital and in terms of how sound is reproduced by either domain, I keep an open mind and not pass a judgement saying which of them is better or more superior. The main goal is not fidelity but fun and fulfillment. Does the music engage and elicit some fond memories? So, I gave the turntable some time to open up, maybe the belt will not be so stiff and loosen up a little, the stylus not so sharp, the motor warms up and spin the platter smoothly like how a car engine needs to be run in etc! I must say the sound is improving by the day (currently Day 3 only). I'm still fiddling with the grounding as I hear hum (grounding loop), clicks and pops on a brand new 2-disc record (just one disc is producing that) but I am having lots of fun! So, I'm definitely going to try those upgrades suggested here. I won't necessary say that starting at 1k is steep for a beginner unless we assume all beginners have a budget constraint. However, the learning curve is steep and to fully appreciate the hobby, one has to be baptized with fire and plough through learning the quirks of the game and that suggests throwing lots of money to achieve the desired outcome. Therefore, entering the 1k entry level seems quite doable and you can spare yourself a lot of hurdles that you ought to overcome from the start which might even return you to the fully digital world of music. Just a 2 grand long thoughts to share with everyone. Happy listening and digging (new vocabulary unlocked)!
You keep referring the "90s" as if it were the "50s"! I mean, if the records were made of vinyl, and not shellac, it wasn't a LONG time ago! 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Pro ject is a austrian company, not ukrainian
6 minutes in i gave up ,,he just rambles on about his gear conquests ..never made it to the vinyl "secrets" part
Have you tried Magnesium supplements for your ADHD? 🤣
Come on man. Get it right the first time, it’s Technics SL-1200 Mkii, if you’re going to talk about vinyls and turntables.
I'll try to step up my game.
In the vein of "getting it right", dont call vinyl vinyls.
@@richieb1125 it’s debatable.
Or better still, no clamp
To clamp, or to not to clamp. That is the question.
"It sounds better than my digital setup" Weird because records have a 0.5% up to 5% harmonic distortion, mono bass below 100 Hz, limited dynamics, a high noise floor, 30 dB of channel separation at best. and speed variation all over the place. So no way in hell it sounds better than digital. My phone plugged into that stereo would sound better than that turntable.
You're waffling too much Alex. At 7 mins, still didn't hear about the secrets so bailed out. You desperately need to get to the point. You're so mixed up and incoherent
Really a S H I T preamp?
I’m a ‘66 model, so I’m definitely analogous… but of course digitised music can be wondrous if done properly. However I totally agree, analogue has that “something” that goes all the way into your system. I’m on the pace of upgrading my turntable, the NAD 5120… 40 years in service and it has taken its last breath.. been looking at Pro-ject back and forth but recently I found a brand that is making direct drive Technics SL1200 like turntables and they really look fabulous and there are a lot of positive reviews… Reloop. It’s a German company, founded in 1996, specialising in DJ turntables, I’ve gone as far as sending an order for their Turn 5 model, direct drive but without the pitch slider. Wonder what you think.. as for the S type tone arm, I have a Denon DL110 MC pickup that I want to try on, so I ordered a second shell to replace the original. This model is here, their web site: www.reloop-hifi.com/reloop-turn-5. Great video, thanks!
I do like the aesthetics on the Reloop. Thanks for the heads up. I think this might be a similar platform as the Pioneer and others with Hanpin motor control vs an actual Technics sl1200. I do get good sound out of my Pioneer however many say the Technics is better. I'm still tempted by a used SL-100C for the $ or new and cry once. Let me know how it works if you pick one up.