@tholt946
You aren't alone on this one. I sold mine for a few bucks in college and regretted it ever since - until I snagged this. Won't be selling this bad boy. Great video!
@dennismaher8059
Thank you for the review. I bought the SL-1500C a few years ago and am very satisfied. I did upgrade the cartridge from the 2M Red to the 2M Blue and it made a huge difference in the sound. I am now using the 2M Bronze and love it as well, but the difference between it and the 2M Blue is not as significant as the upgrade from the Red to the Blue. I do look forward to all your postings. Keep up the great work.
@cameronkrause4712
this is so well explained that I felt that I learned something not just about this turntable, but I learned a little bit more about hifi at the same time. One of the best reviews I have watched from anyone!
@RunRisk69
I love that you include your emotional connection to some gear you have had in the past (like the 1200) which influences the criteria you develop when considering new gear. How well that new gear can ellicit the feelings the old one did is a valid criterion in my opinion. Music is an emotional phenomenon, after all, and we do become emotionally drawn to the earliest gear that first elevated the sound to new heights beyond what was coming out of radios, and nowadays phones, etc. For some, it became the trigger for becoming an audiophile in search of audio perfection however we define it. But we never forget that early gear and how it made us feel. Of course specs matter, but many reviewers downplay or exclude their emotional attraction to gear (maybe in an effort to seem hyper-rational an maybe more unbiased?). You decribe the features and qualities of the gear that made you feel that way which to me is more powerful than a dry recitation on specs (which of course are important but not the sole reason some of us decide on a certain piece of gear). A great review! P.S. My first "real" turntable was my 1978 Technics SL-1800, bought new when I was eighteen, which gratefully I still have and use daily. Ironically, because of long work hours, few expenses, and heavy research that first system was my best. Because of a life not staying in one place for long, I often did not have an audio system. But that turntable always rode to my new address in the passenger seat of the car, carefully wrapped in a blanket, never being moved by anyone but me. When I finally settled down and put a system together in my mid-fifties, my SL-1800 became the crown jewel of my system which I'd describe as "budget audiophile" due to a low income resulting from chronic health issues. Now sporting an Audio-Technica VMN40ML cartridge, and never having required a repair, I am still in love with that turntable and would be severely bummed if anything happened to it.
@tubularbells0677
Found this in 2023 while looking for a new turntable and having the 1500C on my list of choices. Your thorough and passionate review convinced me to double-plus my budget and buy this turntable. I hope in the interim since you made this video you were finally able to obtain one for yourself!
@Lee.Higginbotham
Been a technics fan since 1976!! Thanks for the great review and personal comments! The price alone for this would enrage the audio technica people!! They prefer to disassemble and try to improve the lack of quality parts and engineering while I prefer to doing a needle drop and enjoying my technics!!
@mikemoroney5204
Im still burnin my Technics sl 3300 i bought in 78. My first and only table i have ever owned.
@mccarthyd6603
Closed my eyes and briefly thought you were reviewing a vintage Merlot from the vineyards of a distant town in France.....
@jeffsloane8628
Great review Andrew. You did an excellent job of articulating the product characteristics and "place in the market" for this turn table. I've been hunting a SL-1200 Mark 3, or later, for years.
@ScottHillllman
Just like to say thanks for this video. I had been looking at the 1500 for a while and your review helped me decide to purchase one. What a great table. My model came from Turntable Lab with the 2M Blue upgrade. I immediately got the lack of warmth but exchange the stock rubber mat with a rubber/cork composite mat that added warmth and did not sacrifice the energy. I’m looking forward to getting to know it even more… Thanks again, Scott
@chronojae
Probably the best tech review I've ever watched/heard! Your detailed way of analysis and creative descriptors is honestly unique. I just subscribed today and really look forward to exploring the rest of your content & future videos :-)
@GaryL2707
I've had one of these for nearly a year now, and would echo everything you say. I fitted upgraded leads, and a blue Ortofon stylus which made quite a difference. All in all, a very good and easy to use turntable.
@adampoll4977
"INfamous" Sl-1200? Really? Also, as far as I know it was never originally built as a DJ turntable, it was adopted as one. 1200s still out-measure many modern "audiophile" decks due to the damping in the chassis, platter etc and the outstanding speed stability and torque. Very few decks that aren't going for ridiculous money are built to the standard these were. Managed to acquire an SL-1210mk2 (the black one) a while back for a very good price which had suffered a decade or 2 of DJ abuse. Works like a swiss watch. Opened it up to restore the ground wire (a common DJ mod is to ground via the phono leads for convenience - but if Technics made it with a separate ground wire, they did it for a good reason) and was amazed at how it's put together inside and all the mass and anti-resonance efforts. No wonder they decided to stop manufacture when the tooling wore out - they must have cost a bomb to make, which is now reflected in the price of the new lines. BTW - love those orange covers on the JBLs :)
@djsoulfilter
I love my Technics SL-1300. Bought it used for $40. It's often overlooked because everybody wants a 1200 deck. The 1300 is also built like a tank!
@ClemFandango72
AR - watching this now because I just bought this unit. Fun to watch your older stuff, you’ve gotten so much more comfortable and camera savvy 😂. Love your stuff
@poetryonplastic
The 1200 was never designed to be a DJ table, DJs merely adopted it. It was an audiophile table when it came out, but through the 90s and 2000s DJs were the only thing keeping turntable sales alive, which is why Technics didnt do any major redesigns.
@kevinbrislawn5918
I love this guy he's pretty darn good at his job of discernment on stereo Systems
@rlwings
Great review guy! ... I might add that the 'drawbacks' you mention (less bass, rolled off highs) are mainly due to the low level 2M Red cart and the built-in preamp, as well as the headshell, it's wires and the stock RCA interconnects. These items can make or break the sound of a turntable... I have the 1200GR with the Schiit Mani preamp, Nagaoka MP-200 cart, Lintz headshell wires, a Jelco heasdhell, and quality low capacitance RCA interconnects and it sounds like a different turntable. Simply brilliant! It doesn't have to cost a lot to maximize the sound of the Technics family of turntables. Their potential goes way beyond what's provided in the box.
@figo3924
I installed a 2M Black on my SL-1500C and it improves the sound drastically!!!!!! Perfect match with the In-Built Pre-Amp.
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