Hey guys im contemplating buying a 1210mk2 from KAB but unsure which would be the best features to go for, I live in europe and with high shipping costs I need to get the best bang for my buck

Kevin offers RCA out or 5 Pin Din which im sure you are aware of, would 5 Pin Din be the best option? im reading around the internet and everyone seems to say a fully balanced table and phono preamp would be the best way to go and there seems to be loads of hype surrounding it. im relatively new to this and didn't realize Din would offer a balanced output? or maybe im wrong? my phono pre is a Hagerman bulge (RCA I/O) nothing fancy, but if I used a 5 Pin Din to Dual RCA of my Phono would it amount to better results? and also choosing the 5 Pin Din of the Technics would that future proof me for using 5 PIN DIN - XLR of a new balanced Phono If I ever bought one in the future?

Also im on the lookout for a new cart/stylus for it and like the integrated feature of not having to setup and adjust and no need for a headshell, i noticed the cheapest on KAB he has is the stanton, but $179 seems to be very pricey, can anyone recommend a cheaper integrated cart/stylus that offers good sound for the money? nothing for deejaying strictly audiophile playback quality.

my ultimate goal is to digitize my vinyl collection with the best/cheapest solution possible and I feel a 1200 is the way to go with some mods, so good advise is appreciative
thanks

If it was my wallet opening..

Tonearm dampener.
Cardas arm rewire.
Strobe disabler.

Since it's you wallet we're using I might add..

Outboard power supply.

^^ thanks I am well aware of the options but that didnt really answer my question regarding which tonearm rewire is best, I am not inclined to solder anything so a rewire wouldn't be viable for me, but I could do the dampener myself later. If I buy direct from KAB a tonearm rewire will be the only mod I will get or can afford for the moment including a new cart & 1/4'' mat

KAB will do all the work. Consult with Kevin on what you want to do and he give you the straight scoop on the DIN versus RCA conversion. I generally try to avoid giving input on things I've never tried.

I tried to consult with kevin and his answers were short and pretty uninformative to say the least, thats why i thought maybe consulting with some kindred folk at audiokarma

I recently bought a KAB Technics SL1200MK5 with:
Tonearm rewire & RCA jacks
Tonearm dampener
Outboard power supply
78 rpm speed
Ortofon ProS40

My preamp is the Bugle Pro, so I asked myself "why would I want a DIN tonearm output?" I've got plenty of RCA cables on hand and as far as I can tell, the output is perfectly balanced. So I can't tell you if the DIN output is better or not, just that I'm completely satisfied with what I've got.

Based on my needs, all of the above modifications were "best features."

This is what I did and am VERY happy with it. Start with a Technics 1210M5G, it has far and away the best tonearm in the series. Since it already has better tonearm wire and interconnect cables you may wish to skip the cardas rewire. Also the tables signal to noise ratio is so low that getting the strobe disabler only makes sense if you have an amplifier that can resolve that level of detail, which frankly not many have. The fluid damper is a must, and the pignose record clamp is more than enough though if you want to spring for the threaded go ahead. Best of luck to you.

Hey guys im contemplating buying a 1210mk2 from KAB but unsure which would be the best features to go for, I live in europe and with high shipping costs I need to get the best bang for my buck

Kevin offers RCA out or 5 Pin Din which im sure you are aware of, would 5 Pin Din be the best option? im reading around the internet and everyone seems to say a fully balanced table and phono preamp would be the best way to go and there seems to be loads of hype surrounding it. im relatively new to this and didn't realize Din would offer a balanced output? or maybe im wrong? my phono pre is a Hagerman bulge (RCA I/O) nothing fancy, but if I used a 5 Pin Din to Dual RCA of my Phono would it amount to better results? and also choosing the 5 Pin Din of the Technics would that future proof me for using 5 PIN DIN - XLR of a new balanced Phono If I ever bought one in the future?

Also im on the lookout for a new cart/stylus for it and like the integrated feature of not having to setup and adjust and no need for a headshell, i noticed the cheapest on KAB he has is the stanton, but $179 seems to be very pricey, can anyone recommend a cheaper integrated cart/stylus that offers good sound for the money? nothing for deejaying strictly audiophile playback quality.

my ultimate goal is to digitize my vinyl collection with the best/cheapest solution possible and I feel a 1200 is the way to go with some mods, so good advise is appreciative
thanks
No, the DIN output is simply a different connector for those with preamps/amps that have a DIN input. An unbalanced circuit is simply one where the signal is carried in one direction and the return is the ground. All turntables are by definition "unbalanced" in this regard. Is has nothing to do with sound quality or whether the output is DIN or RCA. You may have read of people using "balanced" cables thinking that improves sound, but it is based in fantasy and not electrical theory.

There are components that used balanced interconnects, but they involve line level connections (not turntable) and are much more expensive. They supposedly do sound better, but it's a non-issue in this case. If you were to use a turntable in a system like that, you would use an amp with both balanced and unbalanced connections and plug the tt into the unbalanced jacks.

So the moral of the story is...get the RCA connectors. It will sound excellent with the Bugle.

Also, you don't mean integrated cart/stylus--you mean integrated headshell/cart. There may be some Ortofons currently in production that are hi-fi grade--you'd have to look around. CHeck lpgear and needledoctor. Other than that occasionally older ones crop up on ebay and you can just get a new stylus.

The best is always the simplest. You should get the RCA connectors and wiring to match your Hagerman. In the future, if you buy a nice German pre-amp or something you can get a RCA to DIN cable and make that connection then. For now just stay basic. I agree with Da Boom King - pick the best basic model and go from there.

If it were me, I'd get it w/o any cartridge. Get a local shop over there to install an Ortofon OM30 or 2M Bronze and set up as part of the sale. Get a few extra headshells off the 'Bay and wait around for good deals to come up on used carts where you are at. You can get styli after you get the cartridge bodies.

Clear Audio is in Germany and if you want something better than the Orto's, get one of their carts. Goldring is in UK and you can get one of their's if that's what you desire. It'll be about "borrowing" a test play cart from someone you know or the store and trying them before you plunk down serious cartridge money. But the EU is a good place to get very good carts :)

RCA connectors are fine.

Getting a local cartridge and having them do the setup is a great idea. You don't want to be limited to the integrateds.

If you want to digitize your vinyl, you may want to look at Hagerman's Ripper instead of the Bugle. The Ripper includes the Bugle phono amp and ADC/DAC with USB output all in one. It's made to rip vinyl well...hence the name.

Not a knock on the 1200, but why pay a fortune to ship it across the ocean when there are some very nice European tables available for the same, if not lower, final cost. I'm sure the lower dollar will help some, but still sounds like an expensive proposition. Then there are duties and taxes. Also, you give up one of the advantages of buying new, in that you will not have any warranty support over there. Kevin is a great guy and all, but if you have any problems, I doubt he can afford to cover the shipping there and back.
I am not sure, but for what you are looking at paying, you could probably get a lot more table for your money. A used LP-12 for instance. While I agree the 1200 is one of the finest $500 tables you can buy, seems like you are going to be paying a LOT more for a great $500 table....

Just my thoughts...

(snip)
Also, you don't mean integrated cart/stylus--you mean integrated headshell/cart. There may be some Ortofons currently in production that are hi-fi grade--you'd have to look around. CHeck lpgear and needledoctor. Other than that occasionally older ones crop up on ebay and you can just get a new stylus.

The KAB Ortofon ProS40 I'm using on my new SL-1200MK5 is one (integrated cartridge/headshell). No need to look very far, KAB stocks it. It's an excellent cartridge, with a Fritz-Geiger 5/70 uM stylus. Lower cost versions are also available, with the only difference being the stylus. So you could always start with the lower cost cartridge and upgrade to the Fritz-Geiger stylus as budget allows.

Besides the excellent sound, the beauty of the ProS40 is that it's damn near a 'plug-and-play' set up since tracking, overhang and azimuth are already fixed. It took me all of five minutes to mount it on the tonearm, adjust VTF, antiskate, and VTA. Not that I don't know how to install and align conventional cartridges (I've done it countless times), but it sure is a pleasure to have an easy set up and be spinning records in a matter of minutes.

See the pic... that ain't no scratch cartridge homeboy. :music:

thanks for the input fellows, ive made a decision and bought a used one here in europe its 2 years old very good quality and has an Ortofon ProS cart/stylus already fitted, but im sure ill need a new STYLUS for it so can someone suggest a good one from Kab that dosent cost the earth?
In relation to A Kab customize he said I could send the arm assembly and he could do a Cardas rewire to 5 pin DIN only, so ill need a 5pin to RCA connection to my phono, any ideas on some good shielded interconnects?
thanks guys

Awesome picture Cactus!