After a disappointing discontinuation of Technics’ classic SL-1200 deck in 2010, excitement was high among dance music enthusiasts when Panasonic unveiled the newest version of the turntable earlier this year.
The SL-1200 deck has been a global standard in the EDM scene for years, yet excitement was slightly lowered when the price of the newest deck was revealed to be more than double the cost of the previous verison, at $4000.
The CTO of Technics, Tetsuya Itani has attempted to justify this hefty price tag at the Bristol Sound & Vision show. When Itani spoke with What Hi-Fi?, he explained that the new model has undergone a redesign using new tools and new manufacturing.
Check out his entire explanation below:
“The cost was the biggest problem for us, from the start of the project. Because the original 1210 turntables were manufactured for so many years, the manufacturing process had got to a very low cost. Now we need to invest in all the tools again, and the price now is much higher than the 1970s. We began to study just a few months prior to IFA, maybe summer 2014, for the new SL-1200. We learned that it was impossible [to make the same deck], as almost all the tools for manufacturing were gone or heavily damaged – only one “die” remained, and that was for the dust cover. All the documents were kept, all the drafts, but it was not the Technics way. If we have a chance to start from scratch, we should. With new technology, new theory – that is this guy [the SL-1200G]. So it’s a new model from scratch. Everything is new, except for the dust cover. The weight of the platter is nearly three times the old 1200, and we also have a new motor, which is a very important point of the new model. The feet too. It’s heavy, the old 1200 was more plastic. Every part is designed for better sound quality.”
If the $4000 cost is out of your price range, Itani also mentioned plans for a more affordable alternative in the future. For now, the newest SL-1200 deck will be available as of winter this year.
Via: What Hi-Fi?