“The legendary Technics SL-1200 turntable has been a mainstay of the DJ scene for decades now, but the tanklike direct-drive turntable has also long had a quiet reputation for sound quality as well. And for the 50th anniversary of the SL-1200, Technics is releasing two new “Grand Class” models aimed at audiophiles: the aluminum-cased SL-1200G and the magnesium limited anniversary edition SL-1200GAE, of which only 1,200 will be produced. (Get it?)
Apart from the case, the new models all have new “high-dampening tonearm” and a “three-layered turntable,” which are words that audiophiles who buy a limited edition magnesium record player are sure to be excited about. There’s also a new microprocessor controlled direct-drive system which eliminates something called “cogging,” a scrouge so terrible that Technics devotes a full paragraph to it in the press release. Here is that paragraph. Behold its majesty:
Direct drive turntable systems have been beloved by HiFi enthusiasts since their birth in 1972. However, one problem that direct-drive systems have always faced was sound quality degradation caused by ‘cogging’, or tiny vibrations of the motor and rotational speed fluctuations. However, by combining the knowledge and expertise gained as the originator of direct-drive turntable systems with a newly developed coreless direct-drive motor without iron core, this ‘cogging’ can be eliminated. Any potential minute motor vibrations are suppressed even further by high-precision rotary positioning sensors guided by a microprocessor controlled system; a feature unique to the new Technics turntable.
Vinyl record sales have been booming lately, so it’s not at all surprising that Technics is capitalizing on the SL-1200’s mystique here — we’re actually expecting to see a few high-end turntables at CES 2016. No word on pricing, but expect these to be crazy expensive when the 1200GAE arrives in summer and the 1200G hits late in the year. (Also, 50 years’ worth of SL-1200s are also available on eBay and Craigslist in virtually every city in the world, if you’re that impatient.)
We’ve seen a few different rumblings around the web about a seriously overboard pricetag on the just-announced new Technics turntables that have made a splash at CES 2016. It has mostly been hearsay, but now we have pretty close-to-official confirmation that to buy either of the SL-1200 models, you’ll need to spend four grand.
The Evidence From CES
So Technics hasn’t made an official statement about the price yet, but we have talked to a few people who have reported that at the Technics showcase at CES 2016, representatives have estimated the MSRP to be $4,000 for the limited-edition SL-1200GAE. But on Facebook, we’ve seen a new post from Louis Overfiend of Bassdrive.com who detailed the specific differences of the new 1200s as reported to him from the lead engineer on the project. The most shocking part is that the engineer also noted that the MSRP on the non-limited edition would also be $4,000.
Let’s take a moment here to clarify – MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) can and often is very different from street pricing/MAP (Minimum Advertised Price). Because turntables are a commodity product (anyone who is a dealer can sell them), most stores will sell them as low as they are allowed to stay competitive.
This is all to say that Technics might be reporting $4,000 as the MSRP, but they could actually end up selling for 15-20% less than that. An example: Pioneer DJ’s PLX-1000 has an MSRP of $899, but actually sells for $697 in stores. Applying that same 17% MSRP markup to the Technics SL-1200G/GAE would mean that street price would be $3,320 – still absurd.
How Many Other Turntables Could You Buy For $4,000
$4,000 is a lot of money. We decided to do some back-of-the-envelop estimations of what that money could get you if you went with a different brand of turntable:
- 5 Technics SL-1200 MK2s (in 2009): Even as demand increased in the late 2000s for turntables, list prices stayed at $699 on a lot of major online retailers. This was considered expensive at the time.
- 6 Stanton STR-8.150s (on Amazon right now): These decks have been highly praised for years as being the potential new industry standard (before Pioneer coming in with their own model). They’re reliable, well-built, and
- 5 Pioneer PLX-1000s (on DJTT’s store): Pioneer put a lot of work into these turntables, but at the end of the day, they’re Technics in spirit and design.
- 16 Audio Technica AT-LP120s (on Amazon): These are a pretty popular low-cost OEM turntable for DJs – they might not be as fancy as some of the other models listed, but loads of DJs pick these up as reliable turntables to start mixing on.
Would you drop $8,000 on a new pair of Technics SL-1200G/GAE?”
Source:Https://www.facebook.com/ndpatel. “The Technics SL-1200 turntable returns.” The Verge. N.p., 05 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.
Source::”New Technics SL-1200G/GAE Turntables Will Cost $4,000.” DJ TechTools. N.p., 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.