Technics SL-1200 Mk7 Turntable Review

The interesting thing about this Technics SL-1200 Mk7 is at first glance it looks like a copy of other Technics turntables.

SPECIFICATION:

• Drive Method: Direct Drive
• Turntable Speeds: 33 1/3, 45rpm (with switch 78 rpm)
• Starting Torque: 0.18N･m / 1.8kg･cm (1.56 lbs-in)
• Build-up Characteristics: 0.7 s. from standstill to 33 1/3 rpm
• Wow and Flutter: 0.025% W.R.M.S.
• Turntable Platter: Aluminum die-cast
• Diameter：332mm (13-5/64″)
• Weight： Approx. 1.8kg (4.0 lbs)

It’s Technics but if you took the name off, then it looks like one of the many copies that have appeared over the years since they withdrew the techniques 1200 and 1210. So this is a Technics SL-1200 Mk7, it’s their return to the deejay market.

FIRST GLANCE AT TECHNICS SL-1200 MK7

So let’s look at what’s different about this turntable compared to the originals.
At first glance it doesn’t look like much has changed. It’s got a new black livery.

The tonearm, is exactly the same as the one we know and love, though it’s had a kind of black dressing up, a few of the changes on it got me a little bit curious.

The iconic on-off switch which is used to do the deejay break when you turn it off and the turntable slowly stops, looks like the ones that have appeared since techniques withdrew this turntable from the market from other brands. Other stuff is all the same.

It’s still got the press both buttons at once to get the 78 Rpm a little trick on it. One of the first things I tested, and it works great. There is a little popup light to shine light across the turntable for a dramatic effect.

It’s like on the other copies. It’s got a little click on it. It just kind of flies up, it hasn’t got that damping field that was so much fun in the original turntable. That was quite ironic from the original turntable.

At the back, it’s got a little hole so you can use it to pop your cartridge in when you’re not using it. So more useful is if you roll up to the turntable with your own cartridges, you can plug the ones that are fitted into them, and them kind of stand upside down. So you can plug your own cartridges in. That’s quite nice.

FRONT I/O

Around the front of the turntable where the speed control is off, there is now a little switch that lets you switch to double the pitch variance, -/+ 16% instead of 8%. There’s also the lock switch which was appearing on later versions of this turntable as well before they withdrew it.

And of course the iconic but utterly useless converter for playing old jukebox records because we all do that nowadays on the turntable. Right!

BACK I/O

So one other change which I want to point out is around the back. They now have what has become standard which is a socket for plug-in your RCA. You still got the earth (ground) there which is a bit curious and strange.

Most turntables nowadays don’t have that little cable (earth cable). You got the power switch as well. So on the old techniques, these things were all hard-wired in. Now you can plug them in with standard leads and unplug them when you don’t want it plugged in.

HIDDEN INNOVATIONS

To be fair there are one or two innovations that are a little bit hidden from view on the turntable.

So I’ve lifted the lid off this one. Have a look underneath the platter. So there are these little switches here which are changeable by the user.

Clearly not every time you deejay on the thing but they do a few interesting things. They turn on or off the 78 Rpm speed. They let you reverse function on the turntable and they also let you switch the LED around the edge from red to blue.

So one of the things about the original techniques was reassuring the weight of the turntable. But this feels a lot lighter. Taken into account also the fact that the finish as I sad it’s got a new darker livery but it doesn’t feel like a Technics.

It feels like a copy of a Technics turntable, that’s the best I can say about it. As a turntable is fine does the job, nice to have your back technique. But Reloop got some really innovative turntable technology.

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF THE TECHNICS SL-1200 MK7?

And the price is the other big bugbear I have with $1200 each. And yet you could buy two really exciting turntable digital-analog hybrid devices. For instance Reloop with lots of buttons on them, they work with Serato accessories and they do all this stuff and you get a pair for $1400.

So this is really curious. There’s going to be a whole generation of people who use turntables since these were withdrawn from the market we’ll be scratching their heads thinking: Why?

NOT SPECIAL

What’s so special about Technics SL 1200 Mk7?

And the truth is: Looking at this I can’t tell you anything. So we’ll see how they do but I think they need to hold the price of it if they want to sell any of these Technics turntables. Time will tell. So that’s the new technics SL-1210 MK7.