Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

[displayname]

Do you like the 1300G?

View attachment 224259

My main issue with the 1300G is that I know myself, and I know the entire time I owned the 1300G I would just be wishing it was the 1200G.

So my initial desire was to get a VPI Prime but I've heard such nasty things about how finicky the tables are and how much of a pain the arm can be. Have you heard similar? I need to look more into Clearaudio decks, I haven't even considered them. Also havent heard of the Mark Levinson, checking that out now!

The gimbal is supposed to be much easier to work with, but like a lot of precision things their arms are a blessing and a curse. You can dial it in to be more precise. I've even heard of people who makes notes of VTA settings for different pressing weights. But with that, it means that the first time you dial it in, it can be more tricky. And if you ever make changes, getting back to perfect might take a little doing.

Wonder how risky it is to buy a used 1200G? Seeing a couple closer to 3K then the 4.3K retail.

In my experience in hifi, the higher up you go, the more likely it is that it's owned by another equally obsessed audiophile. The biggest risks are shipping damages, poor packing, or in the case of the 1200 series, someone mislabling a GR as a G.

Was looking at some yesterday. Do you think they stack up sound wise against something like a 1200G?

Apples and oranges. It's like comparing a rebuilt vintage sports car to an equally priced modern sports car.
A $60k rebuilt vintage mustang has a real appeal to it. But a $60k modern mustang would smoke it by all objective measures (except cool factor).

 

[kvetcha]

Yes! I'm always hearing about the unipivot being a nightmare. Some said "they knocked it and spent the next year trying to "reset" it." IDEK WHAT THAT MEANS BUT IT SOUNDS ANNOYING

Unipivots are finicky but I feel like you're really have to belt it good to knock it that far out of alignment.

 

[OMC]

Unipivots are finicky but I feel like you're really have to belt it good to knock it that far out of alignment.

I would say, my experience with VPI uni for 20 years, that they aren't inherently finicky as once set they stay that way. The finickyness comes from the ability to make changes somewhat easily is what makes them so fiddly as you are always hunting for the best sound for just about every record. I finally tired of the nervosa. YMMV

 

[Jbraswell]

My main issue with the 1300G is that I know myself, and I know the entire time I owned the 1300G I would just be wishing it was the 1200G.


The gimbal is supposed to be much easier to work with, but like a lot of precision things their arms are a blessing and a curse. You can dial it in to be more precise. I've even heard of people who makes notes of VTA settings for different pressing weights. But with that, it means that the first time you dial it in, it can be more tricky. And if you ever make changes, getting back to perfect might take a little doing.


In my experience in hifi, the higher up you go, the more likely it is that it's owned by another equally obsessed audiophile. The biggest risks are shipping damages, poor packing, or in the case of the 1200 series, someone mislabling a GR as a G.


Apples and oranges. It's like comparing a rebuilt vintage sports car to an equally priced modern sports car.
A $60k rebuilt vintage mustang has a real appeal to it. But a $60k modern mustang would smoke it by all objective measures (except cool factor).

Yeah I don't think about upgrading from the G.
The next step up in Technics line is now $27K.

I could have sworn it was previously at $19k for the R.

What a freaking hike!


Yeah not in this lifetime...

 

[Nee Lewman]

Yes! I'm always hearing about the unipivot being a nightmare. Some said "they knocked it and spent the next year trying to "reset" it." IDEK WHAT THAT MEANS BUT IT SOUNDS ANNOYING

This is why an orbit theory may be my endpoint. lol

 

[Nee Lewman]

View attachment 224276View attachment 224277View attachment 224278
View attachment 224279
All easily adjustable, no weirdness and tracks like a beast. Obviously a lot of great options on here, but yeah don't let the unipivot write off VPI as an option...

Your cart with those bolts on that arm looks like some kind of concept drawing for a new Disney movie about ducks in space.

 

[Nee Lewman]

"The world is my basement."

-NIGHTMather-

Well, I’m never sleeping again.

 

[kvetcha]

I would say, my experience with VPI uni for 20 years, that they aren't inherently finicky as once set they stay that way. The finickyness comes from the ability to make changes somewhat easily is what makes them so fiddly as you are always hunting for the best sound for just about every record. I finally tired of the nervosa. YMMV

I've gotten pretty comfortable with it after just 14 months.

 

[Splunders]

Wonder how risky it is to buy a used 1200G? Seeing a couple closer to 3K then the 4.3K retail.

I bought mine used for $2,700 via US Audio Mart. Turned out the guy was local, which alleviated some concerns

 

[displayname]

Yeah I don't think about upgrading from the G.
The next step up in Technics line is now $27K.

I could have sworn it was previously at $19k for the R.

What a freaking hike!


Yeah not in this lifetime...

Well, since we're living in imagination land - Upscale has the 1000R for $20K Technics SL-1000RE-S Reference Direct Drive Turntable, lol.

I'm a few vacation homes away from getting a table like that. And if we're going that crazy I would certainly go VPI Avenger. I've heard and simply adore that table. Finicky or not.

 

[Joe Mac]

Well, since we're living in imagination land - Upscale has the 1000R for $20K Technics SL-1000RE-S Reference Direct Drive Turntable, lol.

I'm a few vacation homes away from getting a table like that. And if we're going that crazy I would certainly go VPI Avenger. I've heard and simply adore that table. Finicky or not.

I think if I was going for that id get the SP10R and then get a third party arm and a nice fancy custom plinth.

I’m still thinking that my endgame might still be an SP10 MkII with a nice arm and plinth. Although the 1300G has caught my attention. I just can’t with the look of the 1200s.

 

[Ghost]

This guy on youtube got himself a nice wooden plinth cover and custom fit acrylic dustcover and suddenly I'm almost turned on by the look of this thing.

 

[Ghost]

Upscale audio guys, they carry both the Technics 1200G and the Dr. Feickert Volare and they seem to think the Volare is the better table if you're pursuing hifi sound. I'm kind of shocked. They cited the arm on the Technics not being as good as it should be for the money, at least not in comparison to the Origin Live arm that ships with the Volare. They said the ability to also upgrade to ClearAudio or Kuzma arms down the line makes the Volare a bit more extensible.

 

[Jbraswell]

Well, since we're living in imagination land - Upscale has the 1000R for $20K Technics SL-1000RE-S Reference Direct Drive Turntable, lol.

I'm a few vacation homes away from getting a table like that. And if we're going that crazy I would certainly go VPI Avenger. I've heard and simply adore that table. Finicky or not.

I bet that price doesn't last long.

 

[displayname]

This guy on youtube got himself a nice wooden plinth cover and custom fit acrylic dustcover and suddenly I'm almost turned on by the look of this thing. View attachment 224306

You could do this for "only" and extra $1200ish. It does look nice though.

SkyFi Acrylic Dust Cover (Clear or Smoked) for Technics SL-1200G, GR, GR2, and SL-1300

Limited pieces in stock, order Now. Price Includes Shipping. While Technics makes some of the most outstanding turntables in the industry, we've noticed that the metallic industrial Japanese look just doesn't work in some living rooms. To combat this, we first designed and commissioned a wood...

skyfiaudio.com

SkyFi Wood Plinth for Technics SL-1200G and Other Models

First batch sold out, few pieces left from second batch. Third batch arriving mid winter. Pre-Order now to get yours. Matching drop in acrylic cover also available. While Technics makes some of the most outstanding turntables in the industry, we've noticed that the metallic industrial...

skyfiaudio.com

 

[displayname]

Upscale audio guys, they carry both the Technics 1200G and the Dr. Feickert Volare and they seem to think the Volare is the better table if you're pursuing hifi sound. I'm kind of shocked. They cited the arm on the Technics not being as good as it should be for the money, at least not in comparison to the Origin Live arm that ships with the Volare. They said the ability to also upgrade to ClearAudio or Kuzma arms down the line makes the Volare a bit more extensible.

I'm not shocked at all. The arm is a big part of the price, and it's something that can be more of a variable for the Feikert tables. I've heard similar arguments for the VPI as well. It's not that stock table bests the Technics. It's that it can be fairly easily built up to best the technics.

There are 3 big things you're paying for with the Technics, and it's not that dissimilar to cars built in the same region.
Reliability. Brand. Simplicity. And I think it goes in that order.
If you want to open the box, sit up once, and still having it running just as well 20 years later without ever thinking about it - the 1200G is going to be VERY hard to beat.

But if you might change a tonearm... well that's harder. Upgrade a platter, forget about it. Internal wiring, not worth the effort. The only major advantage the Technics has for a tweaker is the ease of changing headshells/carts. A significant advantage for some. For others, a flawed connection point with too many parts in the start of the signal path.

Feickert and VPI make these types of upgrades much easier. Either can easily be built to surpass the 1200G. It very much comes down to the type of ownership experience you are looking for: Set it and forget it, or progressively upgrade, tweak, and continue to squeeze out performance.

I love the idea of tweaking, but then when I look back at the ownership experience I've had for the past 10 years... everything is still stock. Kind of makes me realize I might be the Technics type of customer.

 

[Jbraswell]

You could do this for "only" and extra $1200ish. It does look nice though.

SkyFi Acrylic Dust Cover (Clear or Smoked) for Technics SL-1200G, GR, GR2, and SL-1300

Limited pieces in stock, order Now. Price Includes Shipping. While Technics makes some of the most outstanding turntables in the industry, we've noticed that the metallic industrial Japanese look just doesn't work in some living rooms. To combat this, we first designed and commissioned a wood...

skyfiaudio.com

SkyFi Wood Plinth for Technics SL-1200G and Other Models

First batch sold out, few pieces left from second batch. Third batch arriving mid winter. Pre-Order now to get yours. Matching drop in acrylic cover also available. While Technics makes some of the most outstanding turntables in the industry, we've noticed that the metallic industrial...

skyfiaudio.com

I'm going to take a shot at building a similar plinth.
I've had the maple wood in the garage for months now.

Can't decide if I want to delete the dust cover hinges.
It looks better with the hinges removed.
I think I can just keep the existing dust cover if I do pull the hinges off.

Damn sure don't want to fork out $400 for another dust cover when I have a perfectly good one now

 

[SnowmaNick]

So my initial desire was to get a VPI Prime but I've heard such nasty things about how finicky the tables are and how much of a pain the arm can be. Have you heard similar? I need to look more into Clearaudio decks, I haven't even considered them. Also havent heard of the Mark Levinson, checking that out now.

What about a (used) Michell GyroDec SE?

 

[Ghost]

I'm not shocked at all. The arm is a big part of the price, and it's something that can be more of a variable for the Feikert tables. I've heard similar arguments for the VPI as well. It's not that stock table bests the Technics. It's that it can be fairly easily built up to best the technics.

There are 3 big things you're paying for with the Technics, and it's not that dissimilar to cars built in the same region.
Reliability. Brand. Simplicity. And I think it goes in that order.
If you want to open the box, sit up once, and still having it running just as well 20 years later without ever thinking about it - the 1200G is going to be VERY hard to beat.

But if you might change a tonearm... well that's harder. Upgrade a platter, forget about it. Internal wiring, not worth the effort. The only major advantage the Technics has for a tweaker is the ease of changing headshells/carts. A significant advantage for some. For others, a flawed connection point with too many parts in the start of the signal path.

Feickert and VPI make these types of upgrades much easier. Either can easily be built to surpass the 1200G. It very much comes down to the type of ownership experience you are looking for: Set it and forget it, or progressively upgrade, tweak, and continue to squeeze out performance.

I love the idea of tweaking, but then when I look back at the ownership experience I've had for the past 10 years... everything is still stock. Kind of makes me realize I might be the Technics type of customer.

Very well said, I appreciate you taking the time!

 

[displayname]

What about a (used) Michell GyroDec SE?

View attachment 224309

I didn't bring it up because of the price. And I've heard they are finicky which was the initial turn off to the VPI.

But for looks... this one wins for me all day long.