Music dynamics. Bullet proof constructed

after seven months of intensive use I can´t find any

I was very lucky in find out a SL-1000mk2 in pristine condition, with EPA-100 arm , obsidian base and remote also!! Compared to all other products I´ve ever listened to, this one is for sure the better build. Impressive torque. It´s a rock. Beautiful Turntable but most important is that it sounds terrific, bass drum and transients are stupendous. Very musical with Sumiko cart.

Similar Products Used:

Linn Sondek, Sumiko Project, Thorens 124

Absolutely neutral sound, controlled and very tight, like an analog cd player.... Immense torque, inherent clear and controlled sound, this adds to the "live " sensation of the sound i.m.h.o.

Should this ever break down it's almost impossible to repair.(parts go for insane prizes on E-Bay)

Traded this turntable (in original SL1000 version )for a good bottle of wine, the previous owner had no way of fixing the speed fluctuations it had. Tried to repair, even bought a 2nd unit, finally the 1$ 78RPM Led was the cause. Now there's just music and the pride that comes with owning an SP10 or SL1000, this thing is built to last a lifetime, sound with Denon mc cart is Superb....... The stories about this TT are true, it's an amazing piece af craftmanship. If yo can get your hands on one buy it !

Similar Products Used:

Denon DP2000, Denon DP80, Technics SP15, Transrotor Hydraulic Reference, Dual 1229, Technics SL1200 MK1+2

massive outboard power supply built for the long run starts & stops in a fraction of a second (literally) huge torque silky smooth bearings

they do not produce them anymore so parts may be hard to come by

This is the component that took my stereo system over the top. I had been building a system over the last several years and though I was reasonably happy with the system as it developed, it was the SP10 with an EPA 100 arm and a Grado Statement Sonata cartridge that brought things to a new level. I built a cabinet for the turntable that, combined with a 1 1/2' thick lexan plinth and some lead ingots, uses mass ( well over 100 lbs. total ) to dampen unwanted resonance and stray vibrations from feeding back into the turntable. It is dead quiet. The SP10 is built like a tank and has massive torque for a turntable. I see no reason to ever trade this for a belt drive model no matter what its pedigree might be. You can find many turntables that are far more pleasing to the eye than the SP10 and you can spend a ton more money on a turntable but you will be hard pressed to surpass it's performance. Other components in my system; Cary amps Audible Illusions L1 preamp Marchant crossover North Creek Rhythm Speakers

Similar Products Used:

several consumer grade tables

extremely dynamic and detailed sound, dead quite, quick start and stop is really handy! About neutrality I don´t know, because my speakers aren´t that neutral.

aluminum wears out easily unit doesn´t leave you too much space to mount an arm

Bought an SP10-MKII new in box. Some small problems, though, with LED´s not burning and two screws touching the platter. I shortened the screws and built in the SP10 in a wooden base on three springs. The turntable now is suspended at a few Hz. and I can play as loud as I want, never heard any feedback at all. This player caused some sonic disaster in my system. Now I realise how UN-dynamic my other players are. The system became too analytic, but that is caused by my Tannoy Dual Concentric speakers on a Treshold amp, not by the SP10. I use it with a new Ortofon arm and AT-OC9 cartridge. Sounds very detailed. Only two priciples are right, either a belt drive with a very high mass (>10kg) platter, or a direct drive with such a strong moter like the SP10. You can brush the record while playing it, you wont even hear that. The platter is screwed to the motor, why nobody else ever thought of this good idea?

Similar Products Used:

Sony TTi4000, Thorens TD 160, I also have a Garrard 401

A friend of mine bought twenty ex-ABC broadcasting studios Technics SP10mkII direct drive turntable at an auction. I bought one from him and started a project to get the best performance possible out of it. It is the great grand daddy of DD turntables and is one of the few examples of DD done right. The construction is massive, the aluminium casting is thick. One of the problems with lesser DD's is that because the motor sits directly under the stylus, stray magnetic fields can affect sensitive moving coil pickups. The SP10 is one of the few to address this issue. The torque is unbelievably good. It is very hard to even slow the platter by hand. It has a separate DC power supply which is itself a high quality item.

I had heard that a high mass damped plinth is necessary for ultimate performance with this turntable. The problem is that the high torque works against the plinth which must have the mass to resist. Technics did produce synthetic stone bases SH10-B7 and SH10-B3 which I have only seen in photos. I set out to duplicate or exceed the performance with the stone base. After much research, I selected the kitchen benchtop material Corian™ and constructed a five layer plinth. Corian™ is a very dense stone and acrylic material. It comes in 12mm sheet form in many patterns and looks very like granite. It is less fragile though and has good damping properties. The plinth is essentially solid except for the cut-out for the turntable and arm mounting hole. There are two layers of lead sheet sandwiched between the Corian base plate and the turntable taking the plinth weight alone to 30kg. The turntable and arm adds another 10kg for a total of 40kg.
The bass quality is stunning. The bass punch and tightness have taken a quantum leap forward.

I have been experimenting with hard mats and clamps. The ribbed stock mat has circular spaces for 10" and 7" diameter records. A flat thorens hard rubber mat is better.

In the right plinth, a truly neutral turntable, with rock solid speed stability and without the euphonic colourations of most suspended sub-chassis designs.
Photographic details of my SP10mkII plinth can be found at
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=968699&a=7101274

Similar Products Used:

Garrard 401, Linn LP12.

High torque, no rumble, very speed stable, indestructable
build

Can't find any

This table has to be the bargain of the century on the
used market. I bought mine about 5 years ago, on the
recommendation of a friend who has owned a vast
assortment of tables including Linn LP-12, Goldmund,
Thorens, and many others. This table is built to
over-engineered standards, unmatchable torque, speed stable,
no rumble. Just about everything you'd ask for in a quality
table. Bass is superb, music just flows. I'm using it
with a Fidelity Research FR-64 and a new Denon DL-103D
cartridge. Forget the high-priced spread.....go for
the real thing! Now....back to my music......

Similar Products Used:

Sony 2251, Thorens TD-124, Denon DP-60L, Rek-o-cut

very detailed

none

this set is almost formidable,heavy and well built.just change the arm base to 1/4" acylic and sme 309 arm.the result is remarkable to any hi-end turntable .very reliable,
detailed in the mid and strong bass.price: it doesnt hurt
your pocket at all.have own this set for about a year and
had not a single discrepancy.

Similar Products Used:

none

A real sleeper! I picked it up almost by accident...what a surprise! But I know DD tables aren't by nature necessarily bad. One of my first good (and still favorite) TT's is the Goldmund Studio, itself a DD! The bad reputation applies mainly to units with cheap motors and the SP 10 is definately free of that malady! Impressive build (even by ex-broadcast engineer standards) and fine sound. Find one reasonable in price and you have a real gem. It is really not too far from my treasured Verdier/Morch combo. Stable, solid extended sound. My unit is a Mk2, but I also have a Mk2A that needs work (Mk2A seems to have much more LSI/far fewer parts in single control board). Hope to find a schematic so I can resurrect that one as a spare.

It is not better than everything, just most everything.

If you want almost reference performance at a decidedly non-reference price, find a used unit in good working order.

Similar Products Used:

All the usual suspects...(over 30 yrs)

I thought I was a belt-drive devotee until I heard this. Remarkable bass, dead-on precision speed control, much less of the smeary highs I've experienced with very expensive belt-drive tables.
The SP-10 can be had for a rasonable sum used; mine came from a radio station. I built a solid plinth for it and have an Infinity Black Widow tonearm on it. The only thing I've heard that tops it is a Garrard 401 (monsterous idler drive TT) with an SME 3009. I'm sure a Thorens 124 would squarely clean it's clock, too. However, the SP-10 is seriously cheaper than either of those.

Conclusion: shop with your ears, and let the audio press rag on about the virtues of belt drive. They're all wet.

spins records without adding anything unwanted

performance influenced very much by plinth

Lovely piece of equipment to own and operate. Mine's a Mk-2A and came from an audio transcription service, complete with stand and turntable suspension.

What can I say? Crisp controls, zero rumble, fast start-up and braking, quartz lock speed control, separate power supply, intermittent strobe (which when on, effectively completely freezes strobe markings).

The "sound" of the turntable is most influenced by the plinth it is mounted to. With the suspension it came on, it is effectively free of feedback and ringing at all reasonable volumes. But the industrial stand doesn't fit with my decor. So I have a temporary plinth, which isn't quite as effective, though the heavy construction of the unit still makes it less susceptible to feedback than most turntables.

Conclusion? The perfect turntable for somebody willing to spend some time tweaking the plinth and suspension. A joy to own.

Similar Products Used:

garrard 301, technics sl120, mayware, sme, ariston