Unboxing Technics SL1200Mk5 :-D

Dearest Friends, presenting to you, the unboxing video of the Mint Technics SL1200Mk5 I bought from Japan, and had hand carried back home. The unboxing was done on the same day I had touched down in Singapore from Japan: 19th Jan 2016.
I had earlier concerns about direct drives, with the common concern of rumble. 3months ago, my good friend Mr Fong, helped to bring in acquire one SL1200Mk3D for the Vinyl Seminar a few months ago, and another friend Malcolm, shown me the conjunctive use of the Herbie’s Platter Mat. I detected quick response of bass transients and treble harmonics are detail and clear. I find no apparent lack of detail when compared to Rega RP1 and a Pro-Ject Debut. And the noise floor is clean with the Technics. The Technics is living up to its name of a deck made by Technics for audiophiles. There are many used samples in the market.

At the end of the video you will see that I will be embarking on a massive project :-D. This end clip is filmed just today.

I have always enjoyed MM cartridges and find ABSOLUTELY no reason why certain audiophiles feel that the vinyl magic cannot be appreciated at a sub-1k turntable-tonearm-cartridge-phono combination. We should be able to engage new vinylphiles who come in with great systems the thrill and awe, but WITHOUT a hefty price tag.

For the purpose of the new project, this Technics SL1200Mk5 (USD$500) with Herbie’s Mat (USD75) and Schiit Mani (USD130), will be tasked to evaluate the real world performance of 12 affordable MM cartridges (all between USD75 to USD115) which I have bought new. The Avid turntable+SME tonearm+Avid pulsare2 phonostage with adjustable capacitance will be used to countercheck the performance of the cartridges. However, the 99% of us listen to vinyl records with a turntable system more affordable than $1k. The Technics+Herbie+SchiitMani total cost is USD700. Matched with any of these affordable MM cartridges, the cost is still about USD800.
I have bought 12 Jelco HS-25 headshells to match with these 12 cartridges.

The ubiquitous but classic Technics is ALSO chosen :-) because it has:
1.Detachable headshells, so that I can swap between the 12cartridges (each already aligned for Overhang and Azimuth painstakingly and detailedly by me before the audition and sound performance testing),
2.VTA adjustment, for easy adjusting to different cartridges’ “ride” height as I switch between the headshell-cartridges.
(one cannot do that with a Rega turntable without the need of using spacers).

We will know the real world performance of these 12cartridges from AudioTechnica, Goldring, Grado, Nagaoka, Ortofon, Shure and Sumiko very soon along the way.

Thank you Friends! :-D It will be exciting to know. Some preliminary astounding results are already in!!! I am still running in all 12cartridges fairly for at least 30-50hours. It will take time, and lots of efforts and detailing.

Sincerely,
Ian.

Music used with permission from
http://www.bensound.com
For Mimi by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
Down The Way by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Видео Unboxing Technics SL1200Mk5 :-D канала HiViNyws channel