You need to know what little distinguishing features to look for to recognise the difference between the various turntables in Technics’ SL-1200 series. This one, for example, is in the price range midway between the SL-1500C and SL-1200G. The former is a best-in-class player with a built-in phono stage. The second is a high-end player that is not made for DJs at all, but for audiophile music enthusiasts.
So where does the Technics SL-1200GR2 fit in?
Technics SL-1500C is the turntable for those who love music, whether you are hi-fi interested or not.
The first version was introduced in 2018 and costs less than half the price of an SL-1200G, but looks exactly the same. The SL-1200GR has a simpler design with one electric motor, a simpler chassis and a different arm tube and arm suspension.
The new SL-1200GR2 has actually received extensive upgrades on the inside, which Technics believes has made the player even better.
In addition to being available in matte black, the new version features a new motor system, a multi-stage power supply with lower noise levels and better motor control. This should give the player even finer running precision with lower deviations, more stable rotation and less vibration.
If you are going to buy a new turntable, you need to hurry if this is on the wish list.
A bonus of all this, according to Technics, is better tracking precision for the needle arm, which is not affected by irregular movement and vibrations – albeit microscopic – in the same way as before.
The motor controller uses a 1-bit pulse-width modulated digital signal – Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ), not unlike what they use in the JENO Engine amplifiers, to control walking precision.
A player for eternity, but first and foremost for DJs. Insensitive to resonances, can be matched with expensive pickups without fooling around.
The power supply utilises a noise cancelling circuit from the high-end SL-1000R player, which operates at 100 kHz, and uses inverted phase to eliminate any residual noise in the power supply.
The chassis is built on two layers of BMC, which is a dead rubber-like material that dampens vibrations. The platter is double-layered with a thick rubber mat and the s-shaped tonearm has an aluminium arm tube.
The turntable will be available in October in silver grey and black, but the price is not set at the time of writing.