Technics SL-1000R Reference Class Direct Drive Turntable System

The motor that forms the heart of the direct drive turntable is
based on the coreless direct drive motor that was developed for the
SL-1200G launched in 2016, and further improved. The double coil twin
rotor-type coreless direct drive motor that was newly developed for this
purpose had coils on both sides for 12-pole, 18-coil drive, with high
enough torque to drive the heavyweight-class platter (approximately
7.9-kg). Offsetting the coils on both sides 60 degrees improved the
rigidity of the substrate, suppressing fine vibrations and reducing
self-inductance. These improvements achieved stable rotation of 0.015%
wow and flutter or less, which is considered to be the measurement
limit. Also, the thrust bearings supporting the heavyweight-class
platter use a special engineering plastic to provide both high rigidity
and reliability.

The motor that was developed for the SL-1200G served as the
platform for the direct drive motor. The double coil, reinforced thrust
bearings, and a chassis with increased rigidity achieved a stabilised
motor with low centre of gravity. By positioning two stainless steel
weights with high rigidity and high specific gravity at the bottom of
the chassis, the rigidity and low centre of gravity are maintained.
These thorough measures to prevent unwanted vibration help to achieve
overwhelming rotary precision and improve S/N.

The turntable platter positions tungsten weights, which have an
extremely high specific weight and are difficult to process, on the
outer periphery of a 10-mm-thick brass weight. The brass weight is
laminated onto the aluminium die-cast, giving the platter a total weight
of approximately 7.9 kg and an inertial mass of approximately 1 ton･cm.
A deadening rubber for eliminating unwanted vibration is also attached
to the rear surface to form a 3-layer construction and achieve high
rigidity and excellent vibration damping characteristics.

The control unit is separated from the main unit to suppress the
effects of unwanted noise on the main unit. In order to achieve a power
supply circuit that provides good regulation for high torque, a
switching power supply is used. To reduce the noise reaching the pickup,
the switching power supply is equipped with a unique technology that
provides a voltage supply with minimal noise by a newly developed
“unwanted noise reduction circuit”. Also, to minimise the noise even
during communication, a highly reliable system that resists the effects
of external noise is used for communication between the main unit and
the control unit. These thorough noise-reduction measures achieve the
world’s highest-level S/N.

This turntable supports not only LP (33 1/3 rpm) and EP (45 rpm)
analogue records, but also SP (78 rpm). Rotation (rpm) can also be set
down to two decimal places (maximum ±16%) from the control unit. The
OLED display is also capable of displaying rotation with accuracy down
to two decimal places, so the user can both hear and see extremely
precise rotation.

To enable the tonearm to precisely track the record’s rotation,
Technics has traditionally used the static balance, S-type universal
tonearm with a lightweight, high damping magnesium tonearm pipe. The
gimbal suspension construction tonearm uses high-precision bearings.
Highly skilled Japanese craftsmen handle all assembly and adjustment to
achieve a high initial-motion sensitivity to precisely trace the grooves
cut into the records. OFC is used for internal wiring, so the music
signal relayed from the cartridge is not dampened and the musical energy
cut into the record is not lost, thereby producing highly vivid sounds.

The tonearm base, to which the tonearm is mounted, is
strongly integrated with the turntable part. Comparing the turntable
base part with the tonearm mounting construction, the relationship of
the tonearm bearings, turntable bearings, and needle position is always
constant, providing a structure in which the vibration caused by the
rigidity of the turntable base materials has minimal effect, and the
tonearm performance is maximized. An optional tonearm base can also be
purchased, enabling, in addition to the standard tonearm, an existing
short or long-type tonearm from SME or Ortofon to be mounted (up to
three including the standard tonearm).

See more details for Sub tonearm base options

A gold-plated 5-Pin DIN terminal is used, enabling the user to
select the desired PHONO cable. An integrated, machined, high-rigidity
aluminum housing also suppresses external noise from reaching the
pickup.

The cabinet has a 2-layer construction consisting of BMC (bulk
molding compound) and a 30-mm-thick aluminium top panel. The turntable
part is a 3-layer construction comprising BMC, aluminium die-cast, and a
25-mm-thick aluminium top panel. This gives the system a construction
of 5 layers of different materials to ensure sufficient rigidity. The
insulator that supports the cabinet is a special silicon rubber that
combines high vibration damping characteristics and long-term
reliability. Reinforcement with a cylindrical tube made of a microcell
polymer absorbs vibrations in the horizontal direction. These parts are
contained in a zinc die-cast housing with high specific gravity, for
isolation from external vibrations.