SL-1200GR

GRAND CLASS TURNTABLE

The new standard model inheriting the technology of the SL-1200G, which was developed as a reference direct-drive turntable for the next generation

Features
Fusing Technics' traditional analogue and leading-edge digital technologies
Launched in 2016, the SL-1200G combined Technics‘ traditional analogue technology and advanced digital technology, while redesigning parts throughout. Its outstanding performance literally rocked the hi-fi market and redefined the reference for direct-drive turntables. Parts that were inherited from the SL-1200G were newly developed for the SL-1200GR, beginning with the coreless direct-drive motor and precise motor control technology that eliminated the cogging that originated from rotation irregularity, and including a low-vibration, high-rigidity platter and high-sensitivity tonearm. By these measures, the level of performance clearly outperforms the usual standards of its class. The SL-1200GR invites more audio enthusiasts to enjoy music with the rich, robust sound of analogue records.

Coreless Direct-Drive Motor Achieving Stable Rotation

In 1970, Technics commercialized the world‘s 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 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-1200GR 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 for Ideal Rotation Conditions

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 conventional SL-1200MK5. In addition, the electrical circuitry has had tuning performed so that the newly developed motor of the SL-1200GR achieves maximum performance. The starting torque achieves 2.2 kg x cm with only a single rotor. The same startup time of 0.7 s (at 33 1/3 rpm) as the SL-1200G has been achieved.