NEW Music Hall 5.1SE or Second Hand Technics Sl-1200 MK2

[XenneX1968]

Hi there. I am a complete newbie but am very keen to buy a decent turntable for my system.

I have a opportunity to purchase a new Music Hall 5.1SE with Goldring 2400 cartridge for around $1100.

I hso been looking at some second hand Technics 1200 Mk2 decks on Ebay and there are a couple coming up that look to be in great nick but are around 6-12 years old and have Shure M44h cartridges.

Would I be better off forking out $600 to $700 on a good second hand Technics Sl1200 Mk2 or $1100 on the brand new Music Hall?
Prices are Australian dollars. Any advice much appreciated.

[cafe latte]

I had a Project rpm 6.1sb and I ran it side by side with my Technics sl1210 mkii for a while until I sold the Project. I sold the Project as the Technics is a far far better sounding turntable so as music hall and Project are similar and the rpm 6.1sb is one of the better Projects IMO the Technics is the far better turntable. I also have a restored Commonwealth idler with a 12 inch Jelco arm and the arm alone that almost as much as my Technics. The Commonwealth has a 32kg plinth and is considered to be one of the better idlers, all the same I would not say it is better than my Technics, just different and I will not be selling either. Despite the recent price increase of Technics IMO they are still a bargin for how they sound stock standard never mind the tweaking possibilities.
Get the best Technics you can there will always be another one on ebay, they are very fixable and there are plenty of cheap parts but there are thousands available so wait and get one that has not been abused and you will have a turntable for life.
Regards
CL

[Trackside]

The Music Hall is a modern belt drive audiophile turntable so it has to be better than an obsolete direct drive deck designed for DJ's - well doesn't it?
If you really must buy a technics and add to the increasing number of delusional fools who prefer a neutral and uncoloured sound with perfect pitch stability then I'd advise getting the MK5 version as it has better tonearm wire which will avoid the temptation to go through the hassle of rewiring it like you will if you get a MK2 (even if it doesn't sound any different you will always have a nagging feeling that it will). Don't get hung up on what cart it comes with right now and if it's not got one all the better for a getting a low price. Top technics buying tip - they come cheaper as a pair - choose the best one and sell the other.

[raphaelmabo]

I had a Project rpm 6.1sb and I ran it side by side with my Technics sl1210 mkii for a while until I sold the Project. I sold the Project as the Technics is a far far better sounding turntable so as music hall and Project are similar and the rpm 6.1sb is one of the better Projects IMO the Technics is the far better turntable.

No, Pro-Ject and Music Hall is not similar.
The Music Hall 5.1 SE has a different plinth than the Pro-Ject 6.1. The Music Hall has their own split-plinth construction with the tone arm and platter on one plinth and the motor on the other plinth. The two plinths are isolated from each other by special rubber material. What is similar between Music Hall and Pro-Ject, is the bearings, the tone arm and the motor. They are both made in the same factory in the Czech-republic that makes turntables for many companies. They make turntables after the turntable makers own designs, so it is an OEM factory. This factory is the largest manufacturer of turntables in the world.

Now, the more advanced plinth the Music Hall has means the motor is more isolated from the tone arm and plattern than on the Pro-Ject, so the Music Hall is the better turntable in this sense than the Pro-Ject. The Goldring 2400 is an expensive and very detailed performer with a flat tonal response and extended frequency range, it is a modern cartridge that suits modern contemporary recordings well. However, it does not have the old vintage vinyl cozy warmth to the sound.

Regarding which is better - the Technics or the Music Hall. Well, it is a matter of personal taste of course. I have noticed that in this forum the Technics has a large fan base and according to them, Technics is always the better turntable and it's always the best buy - no matter what question you have, Technics is the only and the holy answer. You can expect some postings from them...

I am not a convinced Technics devotee, and my suggestion to you is - try them out. Go and listen to them, with your favorite records. Sound is such a matter of personal taste. Buy the one that makes you forget time and space and just listening to music and dancing around in the house and then when you believe 10 minutes has passed, the clock says that it was actually 3 hours... That turntable is the one to buy!

[AudioSoul]

If you are a complete newbe, buy one ofthe Technics SL-1200 variants and don't look back. I have owned many TT's, belt drive, rim drive (TD-124) and the Technics. They all sounded different. But for the money you cant beat the Technics. You don't want to get on the turntable merry-go-round. It's frustrating.....

[majick47]

Easy question to answer, get the Technics SL-1200Mk2. Nothing new even in the $1100 price range is going to be able to compete with the build quality, reliability and performance. To set the record straight the 1200 was not designed for DJs, it was Technics TOTL consumer turntable based on the Technics R&B (recording & broadcast) SP-25 model. The 1200 became popular with DJs due to its excellent reliability/performance. As for it being direct drive there are no negatives here with specs (speed/wow/flutter) that would be the envy of many of todays high end turntables.

[XenneX1968]

Thanks heaps for all the advice everyone. Can anyone advise what a reasonable price for a second hand Technics 1200 mk2? There are a couple I'm watching on eBay and both look to be in excellent condition.
The first is a unit around 10 years old but has only been used 20 times in the last 5 years. Current bid is $325 with a day and a bit to go.

The second unit is around 6 years old but has apparently only been used for 5 hours and has been in storage since... Current bid is $665 with a day and a bit to go....

Appreciate all the wisdom.....

[youngdand]

The Technics is a fantastic deck, bettering many a higher priced deck. as said before, buy the best example you can get. 1 careful lady owner that only used to to go to the supermarket on a sunday kinda thing!

Note that a shure m44 is a dj cart that is primarily used for scratching so, this may go some way to explaining what the deck has been used for in the past.

Sorry i cant give you any ideas of local cost, but if you can find a good example, you wont lose a penny on it should you not like it and then want to buy the Music Hall. whereas the otherway round you would be looking at half the value.

[XenneX1968]

Thanks heaps for all the advice. The problem with auditioning any tt where I am is that I'm about 700km away from a decent Hifi shop..... I'm in Rockhampton Qld. There is not even an electronics store that sells tt. Much as I would love to do the audition thing it ain't gonna happen. I find that if I put the hours into research and take on board the advice of ppl like yourselves then I usually end up with a result that I'm very happy with.

Cheers

[CF-105]

In that case, do you have any mail order audio stores with a good return policy? The best option is if you can try it at home. See how it sounds to you and how it feels to operate it.

[JaS]

Topic Split

The SL-1200 discussion has moved here

[youngdand]

Topic Split

The SL-1200 discussion has moved here

Fantastic editing!

[bubba45]

Great editing!!!!

Couldn't we just have a couple of 'open' stickies / subforums:

1. `The Technics controversy`.

2. `The LP12 heresy / conspiracy`.