Features
Direct Drive Turntable: Parts that were inherited from Technics' highly renowned SL-1200G were newly developed for their SL-1210GR turntable, beginning with the coreless direct-drive motor and precise motor control technology that eliminates the cogging that originates from rotation irregularities, and includes a low-vibration, high-rigidity platter and high-sensitivity tonearm. The Technics SL-1210GR lets you enjoy your vinyl record music collection with rich and robust, high-quality sound.
Coreless Direct-Drive Motor: In 1970, Technics designed its first direct-drive turntable, and the system took the world by storm. Unlike belt-drive and other systems, direct-drive systems rotate the motor at low speed and directly drive the platter, thus providing numerous advantages, such as the almost complete absence of degradation in S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio due to motor vibration and deceleration mechanisms, as well as high reliability over a long period time because of not requiring parts replacement. And in 2016, Technics developed the twin-rotor, surface-facing, coreless direct-drive motor with rotor magnets placed on both sides, thereby eliminating the rotation irregularity of the motor, referred to as "cogging," which was a unique issue for direct-drive systems. This motor was adopted for the SL-1200G, which once again drew a significant response in the hi-fi market. The SL-1210GR inherits the same design philosophy with the new development of a single-rotor, surface-facing, coreless direct-drive motor, resulting in the elimination of cogging.
High-Precision Motor Control: The rotation control, which verifies and corrects the precision of the motor, uses the latest motor control technology cultivated in the development of 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 previous 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 2.2kg x cm with only a single rotor and the same startup time of 0.7s (at 33-1/3rpm) as the SL-1200G has been achieved.
High Initial-Motion Sensitivity Tonearm: 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 aluminum pipe with excellent light weight and rigidity for the material of the tonearm pipe. 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 5mg 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, a headshell and weights are included for a variety of cartridges/stylus assemblies (sold separately). that can be installed. The applicable cartridge weight when using the supplied auxiliary weight is 10-16.4g (not including the supplied head shell).
Note: The Technics SL-1210GR direct drive turntable does not come with a cartridge/stylus assembly (only the head shell); a cartridge/stylus assembly must be purchased separately (see Accessories Tab).
Speed & Pitch Controls: The Technics SL-1210GR direct drive turntable supports playback speeds of 33-1/3, 45, and 78 RPM records (cartridge/stylus not included and sold separately - see Accessories Tab). It also offers variable pitch control of +/-8% and +/-16%. In addition, you can adjust the turntable's startup and brake speed. You can manually adjust the startup speed faster or slower, or select Auto mode (recommended). The brake speed can manually be adjusted slower or faster.
Two-Layer Construction Platter: 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 aluminum 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 aluminum die-cast portion was optimized by simulation. At 2.5kg (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.
High Rigidity Chassis with Vibration Damping Feet: The SL-1210GR ensures high rigidity by using a body with a two-layered construction solidly unifying the BMC and the aluminum 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. Also, the installation section of the insulators is equipped with a vertical adjustment mechanism using screws. This eliminates the rattle that occurs when the turntable is installed in a rack or the like, 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.
Gold-Plated RCA Outputs: The Technics SL-1210GR direct drive turntable uses gold-plated phono terminals for detachable cables, 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. The turntable must be connected to a Phono MM input on the back of your integrated amplifier or AV receiver. If your amplifier or receiver does not have a suitable Phono MM input, a separate phono preamplifier (sold separately - see Accessories Tab) is required to connect the turntable to your amp or receiver.
