Originally manufactured from 1972 until 2010, Technics SL-1200 turntable, otherwise known as “Tec 12’s”, “Wheels of Steel” and the “Ones & Twos,” has evolved into an iconic piece of equipment for turntablists, radio and club DJs in the hip-hop and electronic music circuits alike due to its high fidelity, top-notch performance abilities and sound quality. Its unprecedented reputation is due mostly in part to its direct drive high torque motor design which allows for optimal pushbutton cueing, beat-mixing and scratching with consistency and accuracy. After ceasing production in 2010, Panasonic recently announced the revival of the revered turntable with two new direct-drive models of Technics SL-1200: the limited edition, magnesium-cased 50th Anniversary Grand Class SL-1200GAE and a non-limited, aluminum-cased Grand Class SL-1200G.
These new Technics models contain a newly developed coreless direct-drive motor, eliminating the common problem of “cogging,” or tiny motor vibrations and rotational speed fluctuations that degrade the sound quality. Technics’ unique, coreless motor mixed with its new highly sensitive tonearm, three-layered turntable and high-precision, twin-rotor surface-facing direct drive motor guarantees for an optimal record playing experience.
It’s worth noting that What Hi Fi? is reporting that this new model is going to cost you around $4,000, which is more than double the price of its predecessor. Panasonic says this is due to the fact that this latest edition is much more advanced than the previous model.
