Technics

After teasing it last week, Technics has unveiled a new direct drive turntable: the SL-1200MK7. It is the company’s first DJ turntable in about nine years.

According to the company’s press release, the new model “inherits the traditional design of the same series and maintains the same operating ease, reliability, and durability …”

The SL-1200MK7 also adds new DJ features, such as reverse playback, +-8%/+-16% pitch control, and replaceable phono and power cables for improved maintenance.

According to What Hi-Fi?, the SL-1200MK7 will cost $1,200 in the US and £899 and €1,000 in the UK and EU, respectively (where it’s called the SL-1210MK7).

The announcement was made at the CES event in Las Vegas, where DJs such as Skratch Bastid have taken the turntables for a test drive.

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Additional details can be found on Technics’ website.

Updated on Jan. 9, 2018

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Technics Grand Class SL-1210G turntable. (source: Panasonic)

Technics clarified its commitment to the DJ community over the weekend in a press release for its new SL-1210GR turntable.

“The SL-1200GR and SL-1210GR combine the best of both worlds,” Michiko Ogawa, director of Technics at Panasonic, said in the statement. “Our goal was to extend our top range for audio enthusiasts as well as professional DJs.”

Ogawa’s comments follow a New York Times article from January about how the company has shifted its focus from DJs to audiophiles. In the piece, Technics Creative Director Hiro Morishita said that marketing to DJs was “problematic” and that Panasonic doesn’t “want to sell the 1200 as the best tool for DJing.”

The statement led many to believe that the company had turned its back on DJs and that the SL-1200G and SL-1200GR models were not suitable for DJing.

The SL-1210GR is a black version of the SL-1200GR, which was announced in January.

The press release said that both models will be available in April. According to the DJ TechTools, the price will be roughly $1,600 in the US.

Related: Technics Unveils Grand Class SL-1200GR Turntable

Technics introduced a new direct-drive turntable, the Grand Class SL-1200GR, at the annual CES conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Like the SL-1200G, the SL-1200GR is aimed at audio enthusiasts rather than DJs. It inherits technology from the SL-1200G, which was released in 2016.

The company’s press release states:

“Parts from the SL-1200G were newly developed to create the SL-1200GR, such as the coreless direct-drive motor and precise motor control technology, high-rigidity platter and high-sensitivity tonearm. This ensures audio enthusiasts using the SL-1200GR can enjoy music with the rich, robust sound of analogue records.”

The press release doesn’t say anything about the price and release date, but DJ TechTools reports that it will cost $2,000 (the SL-1200G retails for $4,000).

DJ TechTools also points out that the SL-1200GR has a slightly lower starting torque and a slightly lighter aluminum die-cast platter (the SL-1200G has an aluminum and brass platter).

A full list of features and specifications can be found on Technics’ website.

Related: Technics SL-1200G Now on Sale in the US

After announcing in January that it was remaking the iconic Technics SL-1200 series of turntables, Panasonic has made the new SL-1200G available in the US.

The model has been redesigned from scratch, according to Technics CTO Tetsuya Itani. It features a triple-layer platter, an iron-free direct drive motor that reduces rotation irregularities, and a sensitive lightweight magnesium tonearm.

The 1200G is the first SL model since the MK6 in 2008. As a result, demand is high and retailers have begun to sell out.

The suggested retail price for the 1200G is $4,000 USD per unit.

Visit Technics’ website for a full list of retailers.

This article was written by Hugo Pacheco.

Related: Customizing and Upgrading Technics SL-1200 Turntables