Slimwhit33
Well-Known Member
Congrats! Looks great! What made you change your mind about G or bust? You keeping your MoFi as well?
The Technics Turntable Fan Club - Questions, Advice, Discussion
- Thread starter Turbo
- Start date
Thanks. I honestly couldn’t see $2300 in difference between the two.
I ran some measurements last night before I even spun an album.
Technics is .46% fast
MoFi is 1.29% fast
Technics measures .10% W&F
MoFi measures .19% W&F
Measurements with my phone, so not gospel, but does show a difference.
I like it. Completely different from the MoFi though. Got the MoFi sold.
I ran some measurements last night before I even spun an album.
Technics is .46% fast
MoFi is 1.29% fast
Technics measures .10% W&F
MoFi measures .19% W&F
Measurements with my phone, so not gospel, but does show a difference.
I like it. Completely different from the MoFi though. Got the MoFi sold.
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately my honeymoon period with my 1500c ended abruptly last night.... the auto lift mechanism got completely stuck. I'm certainly no stranger to Technics automatic decks so I tried about everything I could to reset the damn thing to no avail. Thankfully I bought it with Crutchfield and they agreed to send me a new 1210GR to trade up to. Their "turntable expert" and I talked it over and both agreed it was a mechanical failure in the mech. The GR is more than I wanted to spend but didn't want to risk it with another 1500C.
Posting here vs elsewhere because y'all are a lot nicer and less histrionic. Personally I can't really recommend this deck or the 100C without reservations. I don't think this has happened to many units but the fact that it can happen is disconcerting. Usually when a deck's auto mechanism fails it kills the auto mechanism — deck still functions in manual form. Just search eBay and see all the 1600s that are essentially 1800s with useless buttons. The 1500c on the other hand uses a spring loaded system with an electronic trigger, so despite the switch it can't truly be defeated, meaning when rains, it pours.
Been a really bad stroke of luck for me with gear recently, broke the speed pots on my 1700 a few months ago (my fault and got that fixed) got involved with an old 1200MK1 that started giving me issues even after a recap, and had a really bad string of luck with tape decks! Hopefully this GR is the ticket.
Posting here vs elsewhere because y'all are a lot nicer and less histrionic. Personally I can't really recommend this deck or the 100C without reservations. I don't think this has happened to many units but the fact that it can happen is disconcerting. Usually when a deck's auto mechanism fails it kills the auto mechanism — deck still functions in manual form. Just search eBay and see all the 1600s that are essentially 1800s with useless buttons. The 1500c on the other hand uses a spring loaded system with an electronic trigger, so despite the switch it can't truly be defeated, meaning when rains, it pours.
Been a really bad stroke of luck for me with gear recently, broke the speed pots on my 1700 a few months ago (my fault and got that fixed) got involved with an old 1200MK1 that started giving me issues even after a recap, and had a really bad string of luck with tape decks! Hopefully this GR is the ticket.
You should be really happy with the GR. And @Kris needs to see your post.
One issue with my GR. There is about a 1.5” scratch on the dust cover that I absolutely did not do. I woke up at 4 this morning and instead of risking going back to bed and oversleeping work, I decided to listen to music. The lighting was different than last night, and I saw it this morning.
I’ll be calling MD tomorrow.
Yeah, probably what has kept me from pulling the trigger. If I want auto return I should be listening to my CDs instead. Also why I’m not really comfortable importing. If something goes wrong it’s that much more of a big deal.
Slimwhit33
Well-Known Member
Great news and not surprised!
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
I too, am curious to see a G/GR side by side but I can't comprehend there being that kind of money's difference between them.
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
I can see why it costs substantially more with the enormous heavy piece of brass for the platter, the whole turntable weighs 6.5kg more, and the magnesium tonearm.
Whether that’s worth the difference when it comes to sound quality, particularly if you are suing the KAB damper and glass substrate mat, is a different thing.
Last edited:
That was my thinking. $260 for the Funk Firm APM-1200 mat and $169 for the KAB damper and $95 for the Jelco magnesium head shell is still a hell of a lot less than the G. And I would have still purchased the KAB and Jelco for the G.
The mat is beautifully made. I can see (and hear) why it costs what it does. Funk Firm says the GR with their Technics specific mat is as good as a G platter. Grain of salt, I realize.
Also, here’s a tip: don’t math when you are tired. I had my VTA way off. Not anymore. The GR is stunning- and that’s before the KAB which arrives tomorrow.
Here’s a part of an exchange with @AnthonyI regarding VTA:
The math: the standard mat is 3mm tall. The new mat is 7 mm. So if a 17 mm tall cartridge should be set to 0, the new mat is 7 mm so set VTA to 4. Makes sense?
Listening tells me bass is lean, so the VTA must be too high. I got to thinking about the mat. The glass part sits down on the platter. So that part doesn’t count. It sits in the inset created by the platter ridge. The Acromat part sits above the glass. This part counts. I measured 4mm or 1mm taller than the factory mat. So VTA is set on the dial at 1, not 4.
But the Technics guide is only valid with the factory headshell, which I’m not using. So I set the dial at 1 and used my VTA block. It’s actually perfect with the Jelco and the dial on 2. And the RigB and Grado are the same height. So I don’t have to change VTA between them.
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
Curious what you think of the KAB damper as far as your own listening, especially since you spent some time without it. I'm assuming it should actually have some noticeable improvement in resonance measurements with that cart stock arm (looks like a vm540?) but I'm always curious to know if that makes a real-world difference.
psemeraro
Member
Have you played with vta in real time while listening? It’s amazing to hear it “lock in” when you get it just right. Then realize it changes from record to record… due to how they’re cut.
psemeraro
Member
Tonearm damping is like magic. Remember that the cartridge moving up and down not in perfect symmetry with the record not only changes the vta randomly but also equals wow and flutter.
Low compliance cartridges suffer less from this effect but it can be quite pronounced on mid and high compliance carts. There is a calmness with damped arms, particularly with piano music that sounds more natural and less fatiguing.
Low compliance cartridges suffer less from this effect but it can be quite pronounced on mid and high compliance carts. There is a calmness with damped arms, particularly with piano music that sounds more natural and less fatiguing.
I have, but not with this table. I’m not going to change VTA for different album thicknesses. I’ve got RCA Dynaflex to 200 gram MoFis and everything in between. I’m going for a “close enough for government work” compromise. As Ron Popeil used to say- “set it and forget it.”
Good catch. It’s an A/T 540ML with a threaded billet aluminum mounting block by IPT in the UK.
Back 5-6 years ago before the MoFi, I had a Pioneer PLX-1000 with the KAB damper. It made a big positive difference with that arm. Whether or not the difference will be as great with the GR remains to be seen. The arm is worlds better on the GR, so the damper theoretically has less to correct. Of course, the records are the same, so there’s that. I shall see.
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
So I'll chime in now that we've spent a week with the GR, still letting it all kind of sink in. First and foremost, the PLX is still a fantastic table and I'd still recommend it in that price pool wholeheartedly, but if I was going down to one system I wanted to A. Cherry pic from what I had, B. Simplify and C. Still have a deck that I've wanted.
The interesting thing about the GR is that right out of the box, just putting it together, it felt more "solid" than the PLX, not in weight, because the GR is actually a little lighter, but components, hinges, mechanically if you will. Simple things that I was ok with, and still would be ok with, but since we're here, they did stand out. The obvious, a hinged cover, the soft drop on the tonearm, the soft open on the stylus LED, the arm itself in it's movement, the more fine tuned and accurate counter weight and anti skate, all little things that I think add up to why there's a $1k difference between the PLX and GR.
The carry overs from the PLX were the Funk Firm mat and the Isonoe feet, the feet on the GR suck, just like the ones on the PLX, if you have either, I'd recommend replacing them with something, lot's of options at varying price points. The KAB damper couldn't be swapped, but I'm holding off on that for now.
How does it sound? Fantastic, so much so I spent some time being irritated with the Quintet Bronze, I was like, man, is the Quint Bronze falling into the same pit as the 2M version???? It turns out that's not the case, what is the case is that the PLX masked a lot of pressings and the GR is much more resolved and transparent. As I worked through different albums and it became clear that the GR was just doing what it does best. I don't think the PLX ever sounded this smooth and clean, between the tracking of the cart and the accuracy of the tonearm, a clean record with just a quick brush off presents a perfect experience, and the GR is dead, like deepest darkest parts of the sea, dead quiet.
Like I said, I'm still kind of letting it all sink in, not wanting to get too much into the weeds quite yet outside of it being a really nice balanced sound, highs, lows and mids. Also one of the reasons we're holding off on the KAB for now, things sound good, let's see how it goes.
PLX, yes, it's still a yes. Is the GR better?? Oh, ya, and it should be for a grand more.
The interesting thing about the GR is that right out of the box, just putting it together, it felt more "solid" than the PLX, not in weight, because the GR is actually a little lighter, but components, hinges, mechanically if you will. Simple things that I was ok with, and still would be ok with, but since we're here, they did stand out. The obvious, a hinged cover, the soft drop on the tonearm, the soft open on the stylus LED, the arm itself in it's movement, the more fine tuned and accurate counter weight and anti skate, all little things that I think add up to why there's a $1k difference between the PLX and GR.
The carry overs from the PLX were the Funk Firm mat and the Isonoe feet, the feet on the GR suck, just like the ones on the PLX, if you have either, I'd recommend replacing them with something, lot's of options at varying price points. The KAB damper couldn't be swapped, but I'm holding off on that for now.
How does it sound? Fantastic, so much so I spent some time being irritated with the Quintet Bronze, I was like, man, is the Quint Bronze falling into the same pit as the 2M version???? It turns out that's not the case, what is the case is that the PLX masked a lot of pressings and the GR is much more resolved and transparent. As I worked through different albums and it became clear that the GR was just doing what it does best. I don't think the PLX ever sounded this smooth and clean, between the tracking of the cart and the accuracy of the tonearm, a clean record with just a quick brush off presents a perfect experience, and the GR is dead, like deepest darkest parts of the sea, dead quiet.
Like I said, I'm still kind of letting it all sink in, not wanting to get too much into the weeds quite yet outside of it being a really nice balanced sound, highs, lows and mids. Also one of the reasons we're holding off on the KAB for now, things sound good, let's see how it goes.
PLX, yes, it's still a yes. Is the GR better?? Oh, ya, and it should be for a grand more.
Slimwhit33
Well-Known Member
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I knew that wasn't going to make you happy, lol. BUT, when I had 2 systems with the PLX being the second, I was more than happy with the PLX, while the GR was an itch, I don't think I would have ever scratched it, there just wasn't enough of a reason to do so. The PLX is more than a solid, capable TT. I wouldn't jump the gun too quickly, if at all in your circumstance.............just my opinion of course.
I agree mostly with this.
The feet initially are not impressive. They look/feel like they cut corners here. But internally they are far more advanced than budget feet like the Pioneer. They get the job done. I’m in no rush to replace them.
The one part that does suck is the cueing. You are right, it’s got a smooth drop and also doesn’t drift. But the action and feel are miles behind a MoFi or a Rega. About 75% of the lever is dead. It actually doesn’t lift at all until the lever is almost all the way up. Same on a drop- the stylus is in the groove long before the lever is all the way down.
If an aftermarket manufacturer comes up with a better mechanism that looks original, I’m a buyer.
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I did have to adjust the cue lever a bit and it works fine now, or fine in my opinion. Ya, it goes down most of the way without the cushion, but mine, now, hit's the breaks and eases into the groove well in advance of hitting the album.