Hands-on with the Technics SL-1200G turntable

Panasonic announced a brand new turntable at CES 2016 for its reinvented Technics range and it’s a beauty.

Since relaunching Technics in 2014 there’s been a gap for vinyl-lovers, but Panasonic realises there’s a growing market for pick-ups.

The Technics SL-1200G (and limited edition SL-1200GAE) is a direct-drive turntable that attempts to overcome all the issues of older analogue turntables.

Everything is geared towards getting rid of all vibrations.

Check out our hands-on video of the Technics SL-1200G Turntable below

The sound quality of traditional analogue turntables was impacted by tiny vibrations from the motor and speed fluctuations. This ‘cogging’ effect has been eliminated, according to Panasonic, by using a newly developed, cordless, direct-drive that eschews an iron core – something often blamed for speed inconsistencies.

Vibrations are further dampened thanks to high-precision rotary positioning sensors guided by a microprocessor – a feature unique to Technics. An encoder at the bottom of the motor also detects the precise rotating angle for smoother rotation.

The twin-rotator construction reduces the bearing load without reducing torque and this also helps limit minute vibrations “making it possible to reproduce the warm sound and subtle nuances of musical expression engraved in the analogue record grooves and craved for by vinyl lovers”.

According to Panasonic, the Technics Sl-1200G beats even broadcast industry turntables thanks to its three-layered construction.

It consists of a heavy brass and aluminium diecast platter with deadening rubber covering its entire rear surface, thereby eliminating unnecessary resonance and providing high rigidity and vibration damping.

Extra dampening comes courtesy of the tonearm. The SL-1000G uses aluminium while the special edition SL-1200GAE magnesium. Aside from that and some badges that’s the only difference between the normal version and the special edition of which only 1,200 will be produced.

High precision bearings and a gimbal suspension construction with a single horizontal and vertical intersection helps improve the sensitivity of the tonearm.

Aside from looking stunning the cabinet is geared to ensure high rigidity and minimising vibration.

It uses a four-layer constructions. The top panel is made of 10mm thick “immaculate” aluminium has been added to the previous three-layered construction of the previous Technics turntable, the SL-1200MK5.

The limited edition SL-1200GAE model is set to go on sale in the summer of 2016 with standard Technics SL-1200G to follow later in the year.

No news yet on price but expect it to be in the thousands.