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My MKE SL-1200 MK2 Project

Thank you.
I will take some better "money shots" when I get the rest of my parts delivered and installed. I got a dust cover today and finally got notice that the copper mat shipped as well as the external PSU.

I must confess that I have started listening to it already, I couldn't stand waiting anymore. I got it spinning this weekend. I still need to get the cart/arm set up better, but I can say it's already significantly improved over the stock unit. As it should be of course.

Once I get these last details worked out and get things set up properly I'll be doing a little shoot-out comparison with the stock deck and some better pictures of the final product. As well as a complete run down of what was done.
 
awesome. im in the middle of refurbishing an old deck of my own, its turning out pretty sweet so far! like you, im waiting on parts to arrive... its like christmas every other day! lol
 
Nice work, very well thought out. For sure, we'll need a full compilation of the upgrades and lots of pictures when you're done.
Just thinking here but I bet it wouldn't be that hard to DIY an extenal PSU for this deck. There are a lot of off-the-shelf supplies that would fit this use, also. I don't know what KAB gets for their product so that may be the most effective.

Waiting for the finale :thmbsp:
 
List of upgrades/mods:
  • Audioquest PT-9 Tonearm
  • Armboard from seller in Greece
  • Improved Bearing by Applied Fidelity
  • KAB USA External Power Supply & Strobe Disable
  • TT Weights Copper Mat
  • KAB Super Mat
  • Isonoe Feet
  • Removed & Bypassed Pitch Slider
  • Custom Mirror to cover Pitch Slider hole
  • Gloss Black Powder Coating
  • Also, custom MintLP Best Protractor
I spent a little time tonight setting up the arm (after I took the pictures). I'm still going to have to spend some more time on that though. It's pretty darn close for right now.

How does it sound?
I'm afraid I don't have enough experience with other tables to form a very informed decision. I have no clue if it sounds better than *this" one or *that* one. I've been listening to this one since last weekend, so now I can't even remember what the stock one sounded like! I've been running an M97xE for the past week to get some hours on it and break it in, I'm trying get it to about the same "used" level as the one on the stock unit.
As my time allows I'll be doing some straight-up A/B testing/recording between the MKE and the stock one so I can listen side-by-side and judge more definitively.

But, for now let me introduce you to the SL-1200 MKE by LEVLHED

IMG_1723.JPG

IMG_1720.JPG

IMG_1721.JPG
 
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I have an M97 on it specifically for doing the A/B testing with the stock 1200. Cheapest way for me to get two of the same decent cart since I already had one.

I will be applying a DL-103 in due course.
 
Very nice!

No fingerlift on the headshell???

Maybe just me... but that would drive me absolutely nuts. I never use cueing levers.
 
The screws that came with the Shure cart aren't long enough to install the finger lift :( They are just barely long enough to catch the nuts.


I will address that when I install a new cart.
However, I've found using the cue lever to be not such a big deal for me. It lowers slow enough for me to turn around and put my headphones back on just in time...right before the stylus makes contact :)
 
DL-103R and Bobs Devices Cinemag SUT installed today :) The cart is still breaking in though it sounds really nice right now after about an hour.

Last night I stayed up too late making my A/B recordings of the Stock table and the MKE because I knew the 103r was going to get here and I wasn't going to waste any time getting on there.....

I haven't actually had time to listen to the tests yet!
In the end I actually used the same stylus on each table. They both had a Shure M97xE cart installed and I just transferred the stylus between them. I took time to be as scientific as I could about the whole thing. Both tables were set up as well as possible and both carts were at the same VTF (2.0g on a digital scale, giving an effective VTF of 1.5g w/the brush down).

The recordings were done using an NAD 1020 preamplifier with the "high output" going to an Alesis io26 channels 1 & 2 quarter inch jacks (RCA to 1/4" adapters) recorded using Sound Forge @ 16bit 96khz. The preamp was "zero'd out" with everything set to 12 o'clock. The recordings were not edited in any way (yet). Being 96khz they are in the 200mb/each ballpark in .wav format.

The Stock 1200 has a new stock bearing and a rubber mat about an 1/8" thick. no other tweaks

The test records consisted of side one of my Shure test record and and 5 other tracks that generally typify the stuff I like to listen to. None of it is female vocals, pianos, orchestras, or guitars. I wasn't doing this test for anyone else's benefit but my own :)

I believe posting such recordings is against forum rules here, but if someone were interested in satisfying their curiosity I think I could arrange for that by tomorrow sometime.
 
levlhed said:
List of upgrades/mods:
  • Audioquest PT-9 Tonearm
  • Armboard from seller in Greece
  • Improved Bearing by Applied Fidelity
  • KAB USA External Power Supply & Strobe Disable
  • TT Weights Copper Mat
  • KAB Super Mat
  • Isonoe Feet
  • Removed & Bypassed Pitch Slider
  • Custom Mirror to cover Pitch Slider hole
  • Gloss Black Powder Coating
  • Also, custom MintLP Best Protractor
I spent a little time tonight setting up the arm (after I took the pictures). I'm still going to have to spend some more time on that though. It's pretty darn close for right now.

How does it sound?
I'm afraid I don't have enough experience with other tables to form a very informed decision. I have no clue if it sounds better than *this" one or *that* one. I've been listening to this one since last weekend, so now I can't even remember what the stock one sounded like! I've been running an M97xE for the past week to get some hours on it and break it in, I'm trying get it to about the same "used" level as the one on the stock unit.
As my time allows I'll be doing some straight-up A/B testing/recording between the MKE and the stock one so I can listen side-by-side and judge more definitively.

But, for now let me introduce you to the SL-1200 MKE by LEVLHED

IMG_1723.JPG

IMG_1720.JPG

IMG_1721.JPG
Click to expand...

gorgeous!!!
i love whats been done with the mirror.
 
I said this in a different thread, but beautiful job!

Could you give some more info on the cart? It looks like the body has been swapped out, and is that a Sound Smith ruby cantilever I spy?
 
thank you

and yes! Aluminum body off the auction site from a seller in UK.
Of course I snapped the cantilever off the practically new 103r right at the end of installing it :( So I sent it off to sound smith for the ruby/contact line re-tip, 8 weeks and $250 later...delivered today....installed about 2 hours ago.

I was SCARED TO DEATH while installing it.
 
Now that you've spent a couple of months with the MKE, how are you liking it? Any listening impressions or updates to report?

I don't know how I missed this thread before, but I absolutely love what you've done with this deck. I have an SL-1200 as well, and lately I've been thinking about doing some mods to mine. It's a great table as is but it's really cool to see all the different things that can be done to hot-rod it.
 
Thanks for the compliment.

I love the thing!
I don't get to listen to any other high-end tables so I can't really say how it compares, I just know that it's pretty sweet. If there are decks out there that sound better than this, I don't know in what ways they would be better because just can't hear anything that mine lacks.
 
I like to see these TT's with good arms on them. Not that the stock arms are bad or anything, I just think that an arm upgrade changes the whole perspective of the 1200. Great job and beautiful deck! Stay tuned for my arm upgrade/modded SL1200 MK II.
 
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