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So why not an SL1200 instead of a Rega P3

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I guess I have never understood why the 1200 fans get so upset when people say that the 1200 can be improved.

So the 1200 is bettered by a table that costs twice as much. How is that such a horrible thing? Why is it so bad to say that the Technics arm is not the best thing available, but can be bettered by a selection of arms that cost more than the entire 1200 arm and table cost. Gosh, I would take that as a compliment!

What is really being said is that the 1200 is such a great turntable that it is worth putting an Origin Live or Rega or even SME 309 arm on it, as has been done. THAT is a combo I would love to hear.
 
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Ok, enough!

Audiokarma's Turntable forum is not the 'Technics 1200 vs. the world' forum. There are a lot of people here very tired of every thread asking for opinions or recommendations on a turntable turning into this steam-roller assault by a brand-specific mob that allows for no opinions but their own.

Knock off the personal attacks - either direct or indirect ("snob appeal", "DJ table", etc.) - and stick to sharing your experiences, opinions and thoughts WITHOUT the trash talk.
 
Bigerik said:
I guess I have never understood why the 1200 fans get so upset when people say that the 1200 can be improved.
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I don't understand this either. I myself like the 1200, but if somebody else likes the Rega better, who am I to say they made the wrong decision? The great thing I've noticed about this forum is that it's generally full of enthusiastic people that encourage others to trust their ears above anybody else's. I don't know why this can't apply to a discussion about the 1200 or Rega tables.
 
Billfort said:
Ok, enough!

Audiokarma's Turntable forum is not the 'Technics 1200 vs. the world' forum. There are a lot of people here very tired of every thread asking for opinions or recommendations on a turntable turning into this steam-roller assault by a brand-specific mob that allows for no opinions but their own.

Knock off the personal attacks - either direct or indirect ("snob appeal", "DJ table", etc.) - and stick to sharing your experiences, opinions and thoughts WITHOUT the trash talk.
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Awesome response. I never thought I would see the day.
Thank You. Your every written word is so very true.
 
To change it up a bit...

With the quality of gear the OP is running, I think that both the Technics and lower end Rega tables are kind of struggling to keep up. What about the Clearaudio Concept? It's a step up in price, but you won't be wondering for a long time whether or not you're getting all you need to out of your vinyl. To my ears (and maybe or maybe not only my ears...just an opinion) new turntables seem to take a pretty significant leap in sonic capability around the $1200 or so mark. It's a steeper outlay at first, but if you find you really are into it, it's less than buying one table, then turning around and selling it for a loss to upgrade to something better.

Just another thought to consider.
 
Billfort said:
Ok, enough!

Audiokarma's Turntable forum is not the 'Technics 1200 vs. the world' forum. There are a lot of people here very tired of every thread asking for opinions or recommendations on a turntable turning into this steam-roller assault by a brand-specific mob that allows for no opinions but their own.

Knock off the personal attacks - either direct or indirect ("snob appeal", "DJ table", etc.) - and stick to sharing your experiences, opinions and thoughts WITHOUT the trash talk.
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Quoted with emphasis.

Leave personal attacks at the door, or you'll loose your key to it.
 
Thanks for your responses, everyone. Sorry to open up old wounds, also didn't realise this subject had come up just recently.

I'll let you know what I end up with.
 
I have owned the SL-1210 and a Rega P2. (the older better built one)
I didn't have them both at the same time so I cant comment on differences
in sound> I think the Technics is a great budget TT. But, it is no giant killer.
You mentioned in one of your posts that you want your new TT to go with
the rest of your equipment. I would go with the Rega in that case. When I
had my SL-1210 It did not look good with my vintage tube equipment. I just
could not get over the differences in asthetics so I sold it. Both TT's can
be upgraded to improve the sound over time. So what I am saying if
asthetics is really important to you go with Rega........:thmbsp:
 
Puma Cat said:
The criticism of the arm is well-justified and the part of the table that is really the weak point. It's dark and muddy sounding. Put an SME arm on your table to find out what the table is really capable of.
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The Dark and muddy sound as you put it isn't do to the arm it's the way the plinth is designed. Put that arm on the older SL series such as the 1800 or 1700 or 1600MKII and as I said it comes to life. [Insulting comment removed by Moderator]
 
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JohnVF is right. I have owned P3's since I started and still have one on my wifes system. And while they are respectable tables they are far from what vinyl has to offer. I have never owned the 1200 but from what I gather it's either a lttle better, a little worse or on par with a P3. So it is far from vinyls potential as well. So I recommend you go higher than both and then your done.

I think the 1200 fans have done themselves a huge disservice by comparing it to a P3. Because though I have been a P3 fan for 25 years it's nothing to write home about and was never intended to be. It seems to be viewed as a "audiophile" table today but that is only because the bar is set so low today. It is and always was intended to be an entry level table that was capable of giving a glimpse of what vinyl was capable of. And a glimpse is all it's capable of. Audiophiles in the 80's bought a P3 if they could not afford anything else.

BTW I was actually intrigued by the 1200 based on what many have said here over the past year or so. But if a P3 like level is what it's really about I won't bother.

marc mc
 
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Let me start off saying I don't have anything against direct drives, but I am just not a fan of 1200's. If I were going to go the Japanese DD way I would get a nice Sansui or Kenwood. I just think that for what you spend on a 1200 you could do better, not that they are bad tables or anything, they were just engineered to be durable DJ tables and I find them uninvolved and sterile. And these are JUST MY OPINIONS!!! Listen to one and decide for yourself, I think that is the most important thing you can do.....PERIOD!!!

And seriously hope you get something that satisfies you and makes your Vinyl come to life:thmbsp:
 
JohnVF said:
To change it up a bit...

With the quality of gear the OP is running, I think that both the Technics and lower end Rega tables are kind of struggling to keep up. What about the Clearaudio Concept? It's a step up in price, but you won't be wondering for a long time whether or not you're getting all you need to out of your vinyl. To my ears (and maybe or maybe not only my ears...just an opinion) new turntables seem to take a pretty significant leap in sonic capability around the $1200 or so mark. It's a steeper outlay at first, but if you find you really are into it, it's less than buying one table, then turning around and selling it for a loss to upgrade to something better.

Just another thought to consider.
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My ears agree with this idea. If you can swing the extra $$$ the Concept is really a step up. It's also (to my eye) a very attractive table. If I were starting from scratch with a middle of the road TT budget I'd put my money on one. For that matter I'd lay out for one right now if there were any way to swing it....
 
i've had a p3 since 1994 and have been extremely happy with the sound and reliability... personally i think the arm takes some
beating and its an excellent sounding package for a fixed plinth design...
i find that regas (both p2 and p3) tend to sound better using cartridges from other manufacturers like the better ortofons and audio technica..the rega bias cartride that comes as standard is good..but not as 'musical' as say an ortofon 520 or an at 110e...

imho ...i think the most significant 'change' (or upgrade perhaps:scratch2:) in musical presentation you can opt for in the regas price category would be to switch to one of the 3 point suspended designs that it competed with back in the 80's...

something like a stock Acoustic Research EB 101 vs a rega p3 vs a technics 1200 would be an interesting shootout using the same cartridge..:scratch2:

my 'musical' money would be on the AR EB101...
 
The Regas suffer from one thing for sure: the exchange rate, putting them into a price bracket for which maybe the lower models weren't intended. I'm just guessing. I'd have to imagine that they compete at a lower price in the UK, making them that much more of a bang for the buck. This isn't a knock on them, just economics. Where does the P-5 fall price wise in the UK?
 
JohnVF said:
The Regas suffer from one thing for sure: the exchange rate, putting them into a price bracket for which maybe the lower models weren't intended. I'm just guessing. I'd have to imagine that they compete at a lower price in the UK, making them that much more of a bang for the buck. This isn't a knock on them, just economics. Where does the P-5 fall price wise in the UK?
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Relative to the Canadian dollar at least the pound is having a real struggle these days. Used to be nearly $2.50 Can/£, now more like $1.50. I don't know how much that has affected the price of Regas, but it should make them more competitive in that way.
 
fiddlefye said:
Relative to the Canadian dollar at least the pound is having a real struggle these days. Used to be nearly $2.50 Can/£, now more like $1.50. I don't know how much that has affected the price of Regas, but it should make them more competitive in that way.
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To the USD, last I checked it was about .66 to 1 in favor of the pound, so certainly this is a country by country thing. I was looking a Harbeth speakers recently and noticing how the dollar/pound rate was not helping my cause, at all. Or maybe it was, as I don't need to be spending that kind of cash on speakers right now :)
 
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