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Is the speed stability of my Technics 1200 acceptable?

Fedesioux

Fedesioux

New Member
First of all: I’m extremely detail-oriented and tend to obsess over my turntable.

While closely observing the platter on my deck, I’ve noticed a slight oscillation in the strobe dots. It’s almost imperceptible and I don’t hear anything unusual in the sound.

It might be due to wear on the strobe dots themselves (they have some scratches from use). Just to clarify, the platter is completely flat.

I ran a few tests using apps to check the speed and wow/flutter, and these were the results.

I’m attaching some images and a few videos I filmed of the turntable in operation. Is this within normal range?

45 rpm test:

33 1/3 test:
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Goodness those dots look absolutely rock solid to me from your vids. The other results noted seem fine. If your turntable degrades to the point that W&F becomes audible you will know it. Even on pretty inexpensive machines with belt drive I have never heard W&F. Your Technics, unless in bad repair, is one of the most speed-stable machines produced.
 
The platter is a flywheel and it's unlikely it could change speed the way you see the dots jitter. It's the placement of the (cast?) dots. It's also hard to see wow with a strobe disc because you can almost never get the centering good enough to eliminate it. Let your ears be your guide!
 
ConradH said:
The platter is a flywheel and it's unlikely it could change speed the way you see the dots jitter. It's the placement of the (cast?) dots. It's also hard to see wow with a strobe disc because you can almost never get the centering good enough to eliminate it. Let your ears be your guide!
Click to expand...
Be happy, don't worry!

:thumbsup:
 
I will note that many of the turntables that use the outwardly canting platter sides, the technics SL series, Super OEMs, OEMs, etc, seem to struggle with QC-related imperfections in the dots on those sides. I've seen it myself in machines I've owned and used and a quick search on google or youtube reveals same.

Even the widely loved new SL-1200GR models have been noted to have their problems with 'dot wobble' on otherwise true platters. I can only guess that it is difficult or expensive to manufacture these platters such that the dots are without perceptible wobble.

OP's speed looks great but a closer look reveals what I'm talking about above. The entire rows of dots wander up and down during rotation.
 
Guessing, but with a fair amount of manufacturing experience. The platter starts out as a casting. The dots are cast in. The casting is machined to make it true and have all the features the right size, but it wouldn't be practical to machine the dots, other than the top surface. Thus, they have the precision of a casting, but not the precision of a machined part. If you have a decent printer, you can use my arc template generator to make a nice strobe disc. The bars will be very even, so not much jitter, but you may still see some wow because it's difficult to cut the center hole absolutely perfect.
 
Fedesioux said:
First of all: I’m extremely detail-oriented and tend to obsess over my turntable.

While closely observing the platter on my deck, I’ve noticed a slight oscillation in the strobe dots. It’s almost imperceptible and I don’t hear anything unusual in the sound.

It might be due to wear on the strobe dots themselves (they have some scratches from use). Just to clarify, the platter is completely flat.

I ran a few tests using apps to check the speed and wow/flutter, and these were the results.

I’m attaching some images and a few videos I filmed of the turntable in operation. Is this within normal range?

45 rpm test:

33 1/3 test:
View attachment 3561032View attachment 3561034
Click to expand...
Totally normal, it is variations in the paint and the dots, all sl1200mk2 are like this.
Re the phone app, the phone messes with platter balance and thry are uncalibrated. If you want to measure wow and flutter get a Shaknspin.
Chris
 
cafe latte said:
Totally normal, it is variations in the paint and the dots, all sl1200mk2 are like this.
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:

4b3c8901-67be-4dcb-ac65-3ec51cf6b100.gif
 
Platter speed is easy to measure as precisely as you want. Use your phone, but not the way you think. Use a stopwatch app. Put a small Post-it note or piece of tape on the platter. Time 100 revolutions. Or less. Or more. Calculate speed. If it's adjustable, use the strobe disc!
 
I may be all alone in this sentiment and I acknowledge the excellence and popularity of Technics models. However, if I spent the $2,000-5,000 it costs to buy the newest GR, SL-1300 or G model and I saw the wandering line of dots I would absolutely not live with it.
 
DavidTT said:
I may be all alone in this sentiment and I acknowledge the excellence and popularity of Technics models. However, if I spent the $2,000-5,000 it costs to buy the newest GR, SL-1300 or G model and I saw the wandering line of dots I would absolutely not live with it.
Click to expand...
Whew! I spent $ 1,000 for mine, which was new in the box.

Is that okay? :idea:


For giggles, I recorded a short video of the speed dots.
 
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ConradH said:
The platter is a flywheel and it's unlikely it could change speed the way you see the dots jitter. It's the placement of the (cast?) dots. It's also hard to see wow with a strobe disc because you can almost never get the centering good enough to eliminate it. Let your ears be your guide!
Click to expand...
Many of the Technics tables have a few of the dots out of place and if you stare at it it will start to look wonky, but it is not a problem to anything other than an individuals level of OCD :). Some of the platters were cast with a whole row out of wack, giving the appearance that the platter is warped even though it is level. That would drive me nuts and be a reason to send it back. Yours looks just fine, enjoy the music .
 
I have 2 MK2's and the strobe dots on both display near identically to yours. I've checked both with a KAB speed strobe and both are spot on. I'm with the majority - your speed is fine.
 
ConradH said:
Platter speed is easy to measure as precisely as you want. Use your phone, but not the way you think. Use a stopwatch app. Put a small Post-it note or piece of tape on the platter. Time 100 revolutions. Or less. Or more. Calculate speed. If it's adjustable, use the strobe disc!
Click to expand...
That's an even worse and less accurate way than using a phone app!
 
Beobloke said:
That's an even worse and less accurate way than using a phone app!
Click to expand...
How do you figure? Your phone clock gets reset periodically, but over a short time it's still very accurate. By timing a large number of revolutions, you can get a speed that's good to at least three places. It's also the same clock the phone apps use, but without the phone spinning around. So, free and probably more accurate.
 
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