02-Sep-2016, 13:59
It's always a wonderful event when you find a very inexpensive component whose performance is so much superior to its asking price that it borders on insanity. Thanks to the D400, we can now literally turn "a sow's ear into a silk purse" for vinyl playback. In this case, for all those who are still wary of dipping their toes into vinyl playback, have I got the deal for you!
Technics is well known as the maker of some of the world's finest turntables, such as the SP-10 Mk1, Mk2, and Mk3, widely used for decades in recording and broadcast studios around the world. These command a stiff price on the used market, and are not easy to work with, so I am not recommending these. Technics also makes the SL-1200 Mk2, known to DJ's all over the world as the "Wheel of Steell", for its absolute bullet proof reliability and rock solid performance. These sell for around $400 or more, depending on the condition. No, these are not the tables I am going to crow about.
In the 1980s, Technics released a revolutionary line of linear tracking automatic turntables, the SL-5, the SL-10, and the SL-15. They were so elegantly designed that the SL-10 is on permanent exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, no mean feat. They were fairly expensive at the time, e.g the SL-10 sold for $600. The design of these tables was sheer brilliance. Because a linear tracker was used, the arm was extremely short, barely an inch long. The cartridges were designed to be P-mount (meaning plug and play, no adjustment needed of tracking force or connecting wires etc.). There is no antiskating adjustment involved either, because these are not the usual curved trajectory arms. No, these turntables are about as simple as you can get in terms of vinyl playback.
I bought the Technics SL-5 for $125 on eBay recently, completely tuned and overhauled by the seller, and fitted with an Audio Technica cartridge. When I played back the first record using the D400 on my Quad 57s (see pictures), I was literally blown away. Here was a bargain basement component, if there was ever one, that would put multi-thousand dollar vinyl systems to shame. One that is so easy to use that a 5 year old child could operate it. Put the record on the table, close the lid, push one button, and it plays the record and stops.
Of course, one can gild the lily, so to speak. For a price, one can put in a nicer cartridge. The only cartridges these linear tracking turntables take are P-mount, which are not as widely available as the more standard half inch kind. No matter, there is a huge supply of such cartridges on eBay and also from vendors. Many are extremely good. I got (for $500) the creme' de la creme, the Shure V15-VP cartridge, the best P-mount cartridge ever made, and as scarce as hen's teeth. On the SL-5, it takes the playback to a whole new level. This system would challenge $10,000 vinyl playback systems.
The advantages of these linear tracking turntables from Technics are many. They are small, just the size of an LP. They are light, about 10-15 pounds. Most amazing of all, they do not have to lie flat to play back an LP, they can play back an LP when placed at an angle, or good heavens, even wall mounted or placed upside down! They are incredibly robust against outside vibration -- if you have wooden floors, you can party away listening to your favorite rock and roll. You can easily operate these tables even if you are drunk!
Highly recommended in every way! Pictures of my SL-5 and my new setup attached.
Technics is well known as the maker of some of the world's finest turntables, such as the SP-10 Mk1, Mk2, and Mk3, widely used for decades in recording and broadcast studios around the world. These command a stiff price on the used market, and are not easy to work with, so I am not recommending these. Technics also makes the SL-1200 Mk2, known to DJ's all over the world as the "Wheel of Steell", for its absolute bullet proof reliability and rock solid performance. These sell for around $400 or more, depending on the condition. No, these are not the tables I am going to crow about.
In the 1980s, Technics released a revolutionary line of linear tracking automatic turntables, the SL-5, the SL-10, and the SL-15. They were so elegantly designed that the SL-10 is on permanent exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city, no mean feat. They were fairly expensive at the time, e.g the SL-10 sold for $600. The design of these tables was sheer brilliance. Because a linear tracker was used, the arm was extremely short, barely an inch long. The cartridges were designed to be P-mount (meaning plug and play, no adjustment needed of tracking force or connecting wires etc.). There is no antiskating adjustment involved either, because these are not the usual curved trajectory arms. No, these turntables are about as simple as you can get in terms of vinyl playback.
I bought the Technics SL-5 for $125 on eBay recently, completely tuned and overhauled by the seller, and fitted with an Audio Technica cartridge. When I played back the first record using the D400 on my Quad 57s (see pictures), I was literally blown away. Here was a bargain basement component, if there was ever one, that would put multi-thousand dollar vinyl systems to shame. One that is so easy to use that a 5 year old child could operate it. Put the record on the table, close the lid, push one button, and it plays the record and stops.
Of course, one can gild the lily, so to speak. For a price, one can put in a nicer cartridge. The only cartridges these linear tracking turntables take are P-mount, which are not as widely available as the more standard half inch kind. No matter, there is a huge supply of such cartridges on eBay and also from vendors. Many are extremely good. I got (for $500) the creme' de la creme, the Shure V15-VP cartridge, the best P-mount cartridge ever made, and as scarce as hen's teeth. On the SL-5, it takes the playback to a whole new level. This system would challenge $10,000 vinyl playback systems.
The advantages of these linear tracking turntables from Technics are many. They are small, just the size of an LP. They are light, about 10-15 pounds. Most amazing of all, they do not have to lie flat to play back an LP, they can play back an LP when placed at an angle, or good heavens, even wall mounted or placed upside down! They are incredibly robust against outside vibration -- if you have wooden floors, you can party away listening to your favorite rock and roll. You can easily operate these tables even if you are drunk!
Highly recommended in every way! Pictures of my SL-5 and my new setup attached.
