Technics SL-1210GR Grand Class Direct Drive Turntable – IN STORE SPECIAL

SL-1210GR

Grand Class Direct Drive Turntable System (Black)

Also available in silver as SL-1200GR

This new Technics turntable sets the standard. It looks familiar on the outside, but has been redeveloped on the inside as a direct-drive turntable for the next generation of music lovers.

Coreless direct drive eliminates cogging and achieves smooth rotation

• The newly developed coreless direct drive motor can reduce minute vibration during rotation while maintaining high torque.
• The high-precision motor control technology switches the drive mode depending on the operational status of the motor and thus enables high torque and stability.

Tonearm with high-precision bearings achieves high initial-motion sensitivity

• The tonearm pipe is light, highly rigid aluminum.
• The use of traditional Technics gimbal suspension construction and high-precision bearings attains high initial-motion sensitivity.

High rigidity and improved vibration damping capacity

• Reinforcing ribs on the back side of the aluminum die-cast platter and rubber coating for removing unnecessary resonance can deliver high rigidity and improved vibration damping capacity.

Vibration-proof cabinet and insulators

• The newly developed coreless direct drive motor can reduce minute vibration during rotation while maintaining high torque.
• The high-precision motor control technology switches the drive mode depending on the operational status of the motor and thus enables high torque and stability.

High-quality terminals

• Gold-plated PHONO output terminals prevent degradation in sound quality.
• The case has a metal shielded interior to protect from external noise.

Highly accurate turntable speed with pitch control

• The digital control method is adopted to achieve constant pitch control.
• A pitch variable range select button (×2) is provided, allowing for pitch control with a range up to ±16 %.

The rotation control, which verifies and corrects the precision of the motor, uses the latest motor control technology cultivated in the development of Panasonic Blu-ray disc devices, just as that used by the SL-1200G. Sine waves stored in ROM are used for the control waveforms at constant speed, and this achieves smoother and more stable rotation compared with using the simple sine wave generation with an external coil as in the conventional SL-1200MK5.

In addition, the electrical circuitry has had tuning performed so that the newly developed motor of the SL-1210GR achieves maximum performance. The starting torque achieves 2.2 kg x cm with only a single rotor. The same startup time of 0.7 s (at 33 1/3 rpm) as the SL-1200G has been achieved.

Rigidity and Vibration Damping

The platter achieves high rigidity and vibration damping characteristics by using a two-layer construction with deadening rubber applied to the entire rear surface of the aluminium die-cast to eliminate the unnecessary resonance that is otherwise relayed to the record, thereby producing clear sound.

To increase the inertial mass and reduce vibration, the shape of the aluminium die-cast portion was optimized by simulation. At 2.5 kg (including the rubber mat), the SL-1210GR platter is 0.8 kg heavier than that of the previous SL-1200MK5. Also, the back surface of the platter has strengthening ribs added to improve rigidity. Increasing the surface area of contact with the deadening rubber achieves damping characteristics that are more than twice those of the SL-1200MK5.

Tonearm Achieving High Initial-Motion Sensitivity

The tonearm tracks the rotation of the record and enables reading with high precision, and the tonearm inherited by Technics is the traditionally used static-balance universal S-shaped tonearm, employing an aluminium pipe with light weight and rigidity.

With its gimbal suspension construction, the tonearm bearing section uses a cut-processed housing that employs high-precision bearings, as in the SL-1200G. The high initial-motion sensitivity of 5 mg or less is achieved through manual assembly and adjustment by skilled Japanese artisans. This enables the grooves etched into the records to be accurately traced.

In addition, one type of auxiliary weight comes included, and the cartridge can be swapped with a variety of other cartridges to match the listener’s preferences. (Applicable cartridge weight when using the supplied auxiliary weight: 10 – 16.4 g, not including the supplied headshell)

High-quality Terminals

The turntable uses gold-plated phono terminals for detachable cables, and so a wide variety of cables can be selected. Also, the use of metal shielding construction inside the case reduces the effects of external noise.

High-rigidity Body and High-damping Silicon Insulators for Smooth Sound and Isolation from Vibrations

The SL-1210GR ensures high rigidity by using a body with a two-layered construction solidly unifying the BMC and the aluminium die-cast chassis. For the insulators supporting the body, as with the SL-1200G, the SL-1210GR uses special silicon rubber that ensures both high vibration damping characteristics and long-term reliability.

Vibration in the horizontal direction is absorbed by reinforcement with cylindrical tubes using microcell polymers. While inheriting the technology of the SL-1200G, the insulators have had tuning performed specifically for the SL-1210GR.

The installation section of the insulators is also equipped with a vertical adjustment mechanism using screws. This eliminates the rattle that occurs when the turntable is installed in a rack, and prevents unwanted vibration.

In addition, exact horizontal adjustment of the platter and record surface reduces rotation irregularity due to slanting, thereby enabling more stable record playing.