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Technics SL-Q300 or SL-5200? Which would you recommend as replacement for SL-B200?

A

Audio Newbie

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I had a nice Technics SL-B200 that bit the dust a few months ago; the motor seems to have died. I really liked the streamline look of that table and the sound I got from it, so I'm looking for a sort of comparable turntable, probably in the Technics line. Because I had a motor problem with the SL-B200, though, I'm a little reluctant to get another one of those, or maybe even another belt drive model, so I was looking into some of the quartz or direct drive models (I'm new to this).

I'm having the most luck finding SL-Q300s on eBay and am leaning toward one of those. Would you recommend? I've also found a promising SL-5200, but I don't know much at all about that line. The design is a bit different on that one, but I've heard it's a good unit. Which would you recommend? Or are there other models I should be looking into as well?
 
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But I see that the B200 had been a P-Mount. Transitioning to a standard mount can be a pain. The specs for the Q300 are a little bit better than for the B200. If you were content with the B2oo the Q3oo should do well.
 
Your cartridge choices are much better with the standard mount, if that is not a concern and price is an issue - the q300 would do just fine, The 5200 is just the better deck, IMO
 
Super helpful! Thank you!

Yeah I got sucked into the s-mount/p-mount debate with my last table and realized I actually liked the p-mount better; it was easy to use, easy to replace the cartridge with something fairly cheap and pretty good. So that does kind of tip the scale toward the q300 for me.

Are there any other models like the q300 I should be looking at? Maybe slightly earlier models of the same thing? I've been warned that Technics' quality kind of dipped during the 80s (the guy I had tried to fix my SLB200 said the motor was one of the cheap Chinese motors the company started using around that time). Hoping I can get at least a few years of life out of whatever I buy.
 
Either one would be an improvement. I own both.

More cartridge options with the 5200, but the two I own had solder joint issues that caused runaway platter speed.
 
I have a SL-Q300. I bought it off CL for $50 and it's in perfect condition. One of the best P-mount tables. Never have any issues with mine. You can also be on the look out for a SL-QX300 (my table in my second system), which was THE best P-mount Technics ever made, as it has a metal top plate, same suspension as the tables in the SL-1xxx series, adjustable pitch, AS, and tracking weight. Also look for a SL-QD33 (yes I own one of these too) which is a newer version of the Q300 with a separate motor driving the auto functions. Look for an SL-Q200 too, which is the same as the Q300 just without repeat, same for the QX200. I like P-mount too, I'm a firm believer that they can sound just as good as anything else with the right cart.
 
VinylDan1 said:
You can also be on the look out for a SL-QX300 (my table in my second system), which was THE best P-mount Technics ever made, as it has a metal top plate, same suspension as the tables in the SL-1xxx series, adjustable pitch, AS, and tracking weight.
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Better than the M series? I have an SL-M3 and I find it hard to believe that Technics last hurrah for a P-mount would be beat out by a SL-QX300.

BillWojo
 
Samokan said:
Is a replacement mat available for the SL-QX300 since it has some sort of sensor on the platter?
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Technics mats should be available from KAB, but they're meant for the SL-1200 series, which didn't have any sensors (or automatic mechanism, for that matter). You'd have to manually cut holes in the new mat to accommodate the sensors. Really, any mat should work for the purpose once the proper holes are cut.
-Adam
 
BW: The SL-QX200/300 only were the best among the slimline T4P radial trackers. Higher ranking T4P radial trackers would be the T4P variants of the SL-M1 and SL-M2 as well as the SL-MA1. And of course the best T4P configuration ever offered by Technics was the SL-1000MK3D.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
I started this hobby with a SL-Q200 and a SL-BD20, I did like the simplicity of p-mount at first, and I thought i couldn't live without semi auto. I've owned at least a dozen TTs since then, and now I've settled down to only 3 in use, 2x SL-1200 and a SL-j33. So still have a p-mount in use, but I find myself using the 1200s every day, and missing them when I travel.
 
Newbie, did you ever give that B200 motor a shot of oil? I'm not discouraging your upgrade thoughts but a lot of motors simply seize and I have seen that happen to Technics more than any others. A few drops and some twirling of the pulley has brought a number of them back from the dead.
 
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