Can a Technics SL-1200G challenge the state of the art?

BRAVO! You got the WAND Master 10.3"! Nice. :cool:

I remember when we swapped-out our beautiful LINN Ittok LVII for the WAND Plus on our springless LP12 hot-rod... My wife and I sat down for the first listen and the same word came to both our lips: "Effortless."

How would you describe the change in sound from your TECHNICS deck?
 
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I have the old Technics SL-1210 MKII and I have the SL-1000R too.

No match...
SL-1000R is better....

 
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@SONDEKNZ - I can’t give you a meaningful before / after comparison as not only had the arm been changed but also the cartridge and the input valves in my amp, since I last listened to the stock arm. I did however have some friends around yesterday and they insisted on coming back after dinner to listen some more. Like you, the word ‘effortless’ was used. They clearly enjoyed the sound also.

My takeaway from adding this arm is just how good the SL1300g can sound with a handful of mods despite the relatively modest cartridge (mp500) and an inbuilt mm card.
 
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I just got aTechnics SL 1300G and a Nagaoka MP-700 MM. I am doing some writing about them. But I intend to mod the 1300G and get a Supatrak Blackbird arm once I've finished initial articles. I don't know what cartridge I will ultimately end up with.

Spending the next week figuring out WallyTools!
 
It would be interesting if someone opened a thread dedicated to the Technics 1300G, since the discussion here is about the 1200G.
Respectfully, they are much the same thing. Almost identical once you upgrade the arm and feet, though the 1300G benefits from a more evolved motor control and cheaper price.
 
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Respectfully, they are much the same thing. Almost identical once you upgrade the arm and feet, though the 1300G benefits from a more evolved motor control and cheaper price.

This would be an interesting discussion, but remember that there is a 5kg difference between the two turntables, which in theory should favor the 1200G. But how can we really know this if not by comparing both using the same tonearm?
 
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I didn't get to do a side by side comparison as I sold my SL-1210G before I got the SL-1300G, but my subjective hunch is that the SL-1300G is the more energetic, exciting-sounding deck which finally confounds the hackneyed criticism that the Technics decks sound clinical and dull. I think I've found a modern deck which leaves my Garrard 301s behind. Everything I throw at it, the SL-1300G turns into a thrilling ride. The 5kg of built-in lightness might well be an advantage, and certainly suits me for flying to shows. The cheaper arm makes the deck cheaper for those of us who have other plans. I like the fact that the new chassis casting has stiff but light webs between motor and arm mount, but I can't judge how much satisfaction is due to the delta sigma drive. I don't rule out that delta sigma is actually a significant improvement in the perceived energy. At any rate, I won't be going back to a 1200G. For me it's no longer a question of whether the 1200G can keep up with the 1300G, but whether an SP-10R can.

Buy it, put a better arm on it, listen till you die.
 
@SUPATRAC it was conversations with you at Axpona and other that convinced me to go this track. Also J.R. Boisclair at WAM Engineering.

After thoroughly examining the 1300G with a stethoscope and other bits, I am convinced there are some mods to do that will raise performance. I also don't think just extra mass is a positive.
 
Bear in mind that you should not assume that parts which ring spoil the sound.
 
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Bear in mind that you should not assume that parts which ring spoil the sound.
Absolutely, but its the challenge! I've modded/improved most turntables I've owned.
 
Both J.R. and Mark Doehmann rave about the Supatrac. Mike Fremer, too. That's quite a trifecta of support for the product!
 
My nephew went to a Döhmann Helix presentation at KJ West One and said to Mark "my uncle makes a tone-arm - you should check it out". The next morning I got an email from Mark who had looked at the web site and just got it straight away. He seemed excited, and so was I! We met at Munich '23 and he has been a brilliant supporter since then. I always admired his designs in pictures even though I never had the chance to hear them or the budget to contemplate them. Now every time I see one of my arms installed on a Helix I have to pinch myself. And then I hear it, and it's even better. JR, Mark and Michael have all been straight as a die and treated my crazy idea with an open mind and kindness. I never knew it would be so much fun to share my slightly unhealthy interest in gramophone equipment.
 
My nephew went to a Döhmann Helix presentation at KJ West One and said to Mark "my uncle makes a tone-arm - you should check it out". The next morning I got an email from Mark who had looked at the web site and just got it straight away. He seemed excited, and so was I! We met at Munich '23 and he has been a brilliant supporter since then. I always admired his designs in pictures even though I never had the chance to hear them or the budget to contemplate them. Now every time I see one of my arms installed on a Helix I have to pinch myself. And then I hear it, and it's even better. JR, Mark and Michael have all been straight as a die and treated my crazy idea with an open mind and kindness. I never knew it would be so much fun to share my slightly unhealthy interest in gramophone equipment.
Sounds like a fine nephew… “I haven’t even met the fellow and I like him already.”
(Which is a classic Aussie expression.)
 
Very imformative and timely discussion since I am researching the purchase of a 2nd turntable as an alternative to my vintage Kenwood KP-1100 DD TT. The KP-1100 is a brilliant design, looks attractive and sounds great w/ my DV 20X2L cartridge. I'm hoping to up my game w/ a 5-8K investment (w/o cartridge). The Technics sl-1300g or sl-1200g appear to be great offerings and I would most likely upgrade the tonearm.
Generally I like DD but am open to belt drive tables - I have owned a Linn LP-12 and two Oracle models, but found them to be somewhat finicky and challenging to dial-in. Since I live in the SoCal/OC, I have reached out to Tom Vu @ TriangleArt and had a good listening session of the Hathor/Horus w/ Zues MC cartridge. The setup was VERY dynamic and revealing - almost too much so in playback of trumpets and some vocals sounding a bit harsh to my aging ears. Our systems our quite different in scale (me more mid-fi solidstate vs. Tom's esoteric mono tube amps, etc.).
In my ponderance and challenge with deciding how to go (or explore other options), I was hoping to solicit any feedback or input from the WB forum members on this. Also, for starters I am planning on using a inventoried cartridge - Benz Micro Glider SL w/ Ruby cant/stylus upgrade by SoundSmith.
Thanks for reading this!
 
Another thing to keep in mind regarding the difference between the 1300g and the 1200g is that the only differnece between their arms is that the 1300g armtube is aluminim and the 1200g is magnesium. This comes directly from William Voss at Technics. I think the 1200g platter is a couple of mm higher than the 1300g, so that is the only deviation when it comes to setup as well.
 
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