Technics SL-1210G Turntable

Technics SL-1210G turntable is a stunning black version of the silver SL-1200G turntable. This mid-priced unit features a highly accurate coreless direct-drive motor and a heavy platter that resists speed variations.

This is a two-speed turntable with 33rpm and 45rpm, selectable by a couple of touch switches. Pitch control and a strobe light allow for very accurate speed adjustment.

The heavy platter has a three-layer construction and is balanced to eliminate platter wobble. No cartridge is provided however this turntable would benefit from a good moving magnet (MM) or ideally moving coil (MC) cartridge and good quality separate phono stage. Please contact us for advice if you need help choosing.

Coreless precision motor

Conventional direct-drive turntables can have issues with minute speed variations known as cogging. Therefore Technics developed a coreless motor that eliminates this problem. As a result, the motor has no iron core and twin rotors. This reduces the load on the bearing and also provides a high torque. The result should be a warm and detailed sound. The SL-1210G uses the same precision motor control technology that was developed for blu-ray players. The motor then uses different drive modes, depending on whether it is in start mode or running normally.

Precision three-layer turntable platter

The precision manufactured platter has a three-layer construction. A thick layer of brass provides the weight, while two layers of aluminium provide the rigidity. Furthermore, the entire rear surface is rubber coated. This is designed to dampen any vibration or resonance. A smooth rotation should be assured by the high mass platter and quality bearing.

Additionally, uneven weight distribution can cause the player to ‘wobble’. This can cause wow as well as vibration, degrading the sound. Therefore the SL-1210G uses highly precise balancing weights, that ensure there is no wobble. After balancing a ‘Balanced’ sticker is attached. The SL-1210G is essentially built to broadcast standards, as used by many radio stations.

Lightweight magnesium tonearm

The SL-1210G features a lightweight tonearm that is made of magnesium metal. This has a high damping factor that resists vibration. Cold drawing is used to improve the rigidity of the metal. The tonearm has a high motion sensitivity due to the very precise bearings used. The gimbal suspension has both axes of rotation on the same plane for accurate tracking. Finally, the counterweight and anti-skating adjustments have accurate markings.

Four-layer chassis construction

The heavy chassis is made of die-cast aluminium with a thick rubber base. At the same time, the top panel is made of 10mm thick aluminium. This four-layer construction provides rigidity and a high quality feel. Finally, the output RCA connectors are brass milled and gold plated for a reliable connection. They are also mounted in a shielded enclosure to prevent any noise from getting into the sensitive cartridge wiring.

A choice of cartridge

The SL-1210G does not come with a cartridge, however, a turntable of this calibre would benefit from a good quality moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MM) cartridge. The latter has better tracking, as well as an improved high-frequency response. With MC cartridges, manufacturers go to great lengths to reduce the mass. This enables the stylus to capture all the detail of the music.

In design terms, moving magnet (MM) cartridges have the magnet mounted onto the cantilever. This increases the mass. However, moving coil (MC) cartridges have lightweight coils mounted onto the cantilever. These have a much lower mass. The cartridge body is often made of more exotic materials to reduce weight. Top-end MC cartridges may also have a naked stylus, with no guard, which reduces the mass even more.

Selecting a phono stage

Not all amplifiers have a phono preamp. So what is available? In order of expense, the easiest option is an integrated amplifier with a built-in phono stage. This should be switchable between MM and MC cartridges as they have different gain and impedance requirements. For example, MM cartridges have an output of around 5mV and an impedance of 47K. However, MC cartridges can have outputs of less than 1mV with much more variation in impedance.

A better type of preamp for turntables is a separate standalone phono stage. As these are optimised for performance, they should provide better sound quality and performance than a built-in phono stage and are sometimes even dual mono in design and feature separate power supplies. There are also valve phono stages, to give a warm sound. Most of the high-end units will have selectable gain and impedance settings, to most accurately match the cartridge in use.