good inexpensive turntables?

[Roboturner91]

I'm not a musician (at least, not professionally) but I'm also very sensitive to pitch. The vast majority of the time, when I hear pitchiness, the problem is with the record being off center or warped (or, to a lesser extent, dirty).

As an aside it seems like about half the brand-new records I've bought over the last couple of years have a significant manufacturing defect, and I'm not just talking about smaller and independent labels either. I spent $70 on a new copy of Physical Graffiti and one side was so far off center you could see it from across the room.

I'm guessing that more high-end/expensive tables are a lot better at tracking less-than-perfect records but my experience with cheaper belt drives, both new and vintage, is that they are typically well within my tolerances for pitchiness as long as the record is good.

 

[patient_ot]

I'm not a musician (at least, not professionally) but I'm also very sensitive to pitch. The vast majority of the time, when I hear pitchiness, the problem is with the record being off center or warped (or, to a lesser extent, dirty).

As an aside it seems like about half the brand-new records I've bought over the last couple of years have a significant manufacturing defect, and I'm not just talking about smaller and independent labels either. I spent $70 on a new copy of Physical Graffiti and one side was so far off center you could see it from across the room.

I'm guessing that more high-end/expensive tables are a lot better at tracking less-than-perfect records but my experience with cheaper belt drives, both new and vintage, is that they are typically well within my tolerances for pitchiness as long as the record is good.

Off-center records are a real problem, especially with certain plants. All you can do is bore out the center and try to manually center yourself, or send the record back and hope you get one that is pressed correctly.

 

[Ken Boyd]

Different design goals with both of those tables, and they have different strengths.

The 1200's are reliable, have nice fit and feel, are inexpensive to maintain, but they have a dead sound to them. If I had to own one for my personal listening needs, I would forget about analog and listen to CD. They lose the texture and essence of music. But sure they stay on speed with the dedication of a Japanese salary man.

The Rega do a far better job at getting to the texture of music, showing nuance and decay in a way the Technics does not. No they are not as robust in build, and the lightness is actually a design consideration as it works with the concept that low mass dissipates energy quicker. But they do benefit from an isolation platform also. Is the speed stability as precise as a Technics 1200. Not likely. But the question becomes what contributes the most to the illusion of music? Decay, texture, tone, and shading, or speed within a micro percentage of optimum?

For me it is the former not the latter. If forced I would take the Rega, but it would not be my choice either. But between the two...

Cheers
Mister Pig

Do you have an idea what contributes to the Technics lack of essence to music? Would it be the tonearm, the plinth, platter, as having dead accurate speed wouldn't be a contributing factor. I know you seem to be pleased with the SP-10 MkII which is quite a different beast, but also a Technics product. I have seen post from member JP who thinks the 1200's have a decent tone arm, at least that was what I took from a previous post.

I am curious as I have quite a number of tables, and really I don't notice much difference from one table to another other then the differences in carts.

If I am to buy a new table in the future, I sure hope it would at least be able to provide the essence of music, and be able to have dead accurate speed.


As to the OP I couldn't be of much help as I have not purchased a new turntable in a long time, only used ones. And of those I have made it a practice to not buy an old turntable unless it is near TOTL and a steal. I don't need more tables, so the only reason I have so many is if one falls my way, and it is something that was near TOTL, and interested me, I would buy it knowing that I could sell it for far more than I paid for it.

 

[Mister Pig]

Do you have an idea what contributes to the Technics lack of essence to music? Would it be the tonearm, the plinth, platter, as having dead accurate speed wouldn't be a contributing factor. I know you seem to be pleased with the SP-10 MkII which is quite a different beast, but also a Technics product. I have seen post from member JP who thinks the 1200's have a decent tone arm, at least that was what I took from a previous post.

I am curious as I have quite a number of tables, and really I don't notice much difference from one table to another other then the differences in carts.

If I am to buy a new table in the future, I sure hope it would at least be able to provide the essence of music, and be able to have dead accurate speed.


As to the OP I couldn't be of much help as I have not purchased a new turntable in a long time, only used ones. And of those I have made it a practice to not buy an old turntable unless it is near TOTL and a steal. I don't need more tables, so the only reason I have so many is if one falls my way, and it is something that was near TOTL, and interested me, I would buy it knowing that I could sell it for far more than I paid for it.

To be honest I am not sure. When I did my SP 25 and SP 15 experiments I used good tone arms, and they were bolted to heavy plinths. Yet they both had that kind of dead sound like the 1200. I was really surprised when the SP 10 MK II did not do the same thing, as it was what I expected. It has to be some kind of pathway where resonance gets through the frame or the bearing assembly and into the platter. But I have no proof of that, its just conjecture. So far the only direct drives I have liked are the SP 10 MK II and the Denon DP 75, and both are quite nice.

With that being said, I found my Marc Morin modified AR XA was even better in terms of layering and the subtlest of overtones from trailing notes. This does lead me to suspect that there are fundamental differences between DD and belt drives, and that the best of belt drives are competitive with the good direct drives in spite of the issues of belt creep and perhaps less precise speed control.

But with any luck the table I have on order has the Phoenix Engineering speed control system for its motor, and I am thinking it will be as stable and precise as a direct drive, so that may eliminate that weakness.

Cheers
Mister Pig

 

[Decibel_116]

I'm not a musician (at least, not professionally) but I'm also very sensitive to pitch. The vast majority of the time, when I hear pitchiness, the problem is with the record being off center or warped (or, to a lesser extent, dirty).

As an aside it seems like about half the brand-new records I've bought over the last couple of years have a significant manufacturing defect, and I'm not just talking about smaller and independent labels either. I spent $70 on a new copy of Physical Graffiti and one side was so far off center you could see it from across the room.

I'm guessing that more high-end/expensive tables are a lot better at tracking less-than-perfect records but my experience with cheaper belt drives, both new and vintage, is that they are typically well within my tolerances for pitchiness as long as the record is good.

You make a good point that some people are not all that sensitive to minor speed variations (wow). However, some people (like myself) are extremely sensitive to it. In my case, I have to have a table that is as speed stable as possible to take the contributions of the turntable concerning pitch instability out of the equation. As you already mentioned, the record pressings add their own contributions because of eccentricity and other issues. So, it's not a good situation to start with. When you add record pressing issues together with turntable speed issues, it becomes much more noticeable. If you can deal with a little higher wow performance from a turntable, count yourself lucky. It will save you a lot of frustration in the long run as you can choose from a much larger range of turntable offerings. Enjoy!

 

[cafe latte]

Different design goals with both of those tables, and they have different strengths.

The 1200's are reliable, have nice fit and feel, are inexpensive to maintain, but they have a dead sound to them. If I had to own one for my personal listening needs, I would forget about analog and listen to CD. They lose the texture and essence of music. But sure they stay on speed with the dedication of a Japanese salary man.

The Rega do a far better job at getting to the texture of music, showing nuance and decay in a way the Technics does not. No they are not as robust in build, and the lightness is actually a design consideration as it works with the concept that low mass dissipates energy quicker. But they do benefit from an isolation platform also. Is the speed stability as precise as a Technics 1200. Not likely. But the question becomes what contributes the most to the illusion of music? Decay, texture, tone, and shading, or speed within a micro percentage of optimum?

For me it is the former not the latter. If forced I would take the Rega, but it would not be my choice either. But between the two...

Cheers
Mister Pig

Have you set one up in your system and compared it with the same carts you have on your regular turntable? Also the sl1200mk2 NEEDS the Kab damper or a new arm after which it is transformed into something quite special. Decent external psu again takes it another step up with strobe disable etc. Anyone who really want to compare a sl1200mk2 to high end turntables needs to at the very least fit the arm damper. I liked my sl1210mk2 and sold my Project rpm 6.1sb after a direct comparison trying same carts on both on same system. That said when I tried some MC carts on it I felt like there was some sort of wall sonically that had been hit some carts sounded closed a little too safe. I started to think that as many said that the arm probably needed changing, but I bought the Kab damper and tried that relatively cheap mod. Wow all or a sudden the music could breath, quite a big difference, most people who fit this to a Technics report the same. Next up was strobe disable and psu, again not really that expensive for what it is. This made a difference but not the massive difference that the damper made, but it made detail better and made everything sweeter wider and smoother but in a subtle way.
Is a stock standard sl1200mk2 a giant killer? No it is not, but there is a reason people fit arm like SMEV to them an arm that costs many many many times more than the Technics does as the motor unit is that good it is worth it. Yes a stock standard Technics can sound a bit safe, a bit closed in, but this is fixed with a cheap arm damper proving the issues are laid at the door of the arm, add a few other mods like the psu, feet, maybe platter mat and bearing damping and they will sound better than you can believe.
My plan was always to change the arm, but now I have an SP10mk2 also with my Eminent Technology arm on it so I already have a Technics with a nice arm so at this point I have not modded the sl1210mk2 further as not felt the need. The SP10mk2 win sonically but really not by much at all and honestly some carts really sing on the SP10mk2 and some sing on the sl1210mk2 so which is better is a mute point IMO. The sl1210mk2 with a little modding can be very very good indeed. I have 5 turntables currently so I have plenty to compare the humble Technics too and quite a lot of carts and believe me the Technics arm with the damper can handle some really nice MC's.
Chris

 

[cafe latte]

To be honest I am not sure. When I did my SP 25 and SP 15 experiments I used good tone arms, and they were bolted to heavy plinths. Yet they both had that kind of dead sound like the 1200. I was really surprised when the SP 10 MK II did not do the same thing, as it was what I expected. It has to be some kind of pathway where resonance gets through the frame or the bearing assembly and into the platter. But I have no proof of that, its just conjecture. So far the only direct drives I have liked are the SP 10 MK II and the Denon DP 75, and both are quite nice.

With that being said, I found my Marc Morin modified AR XA was even better in terms of layering and the subtlest of overtones from trailing notes. This does lead me to suspect that there are fundamental differences between DD and belt drives, and that the best of belt drives are competitive with the good direct drives in spite of the issues of belt creep and perhaps less precise speed control.

But with any luck the table I have on order has the Phoenix Engineering speed control system for its motor, and I am thinking it will be as stable and precise as a direct drive, so that may eliminate that weakness.

Cheers
Mister Pig

The SP10mk2 has a very good psu the sl1200mk2 does not as much as the damper should be first the psu is essential as an upgrade if we want to compare the sl1200mk2 to anything really decent.

 

[Mister Pig]

Have you set one up in your system and compared it with the same carts you have on your regular turntable? Also the sl1200mk2 NEEDS the Kab damper or a new arm after which it is transformed into something quite special. Decent external psu again takes it another step up with strobe disable etc. Anyone who really want to compare a sl1200mk2 to high end turntables needs to at the very least fit the arm damper. I liked my sl1210mk2 and sold my Project rpm 6.1sb after a direct comparison trying same carts on both on same system. That said when I tried some MC carts on it I felt like there was some sort of wall sonically that had been hit some carts sounded closed a little too safe. I started to think that as many said that the arm probably needed changing, but I bought the Kab damper and tried that relatively cheap mod. Wow all or a sudden the music could breath, quite a big difference, most people who fit this to a Technics report the same. Next up was strobe disable and psu, again not really that expensive for what it is. This made a difference but not the massive difference that the damper made, but it made detail better and made everything sweeter wider and smoother but in a subtle way.
Is a stock standard sl1200mk2 a giant killer? No it is not, but there is a reason people fit arm like SMEV to them an arm that costs many many many times more than the Technics does as the motor unit is that good it is worth it. Yes a stock standard Technics can sound a bit safe, a bit closed in, but this is fixed with a cheap arm damper proving the issues are laid at the door of the arm, add a few other mods like the psu, feet, maybe platter mat and bearing damping and they will sound better than you can believe.
My plan was always to change the arm, but now I have an SP10mk2 also with my Eminent Technology arm on it so I already have a Technics with a nice arm so at this point I have not modded the sl1210mk2 further as not felt the need. The SP10mk2 win sonically but really not by much at all and honestly some carts really sing on the SP10mk2 and some sing on the sl1210mk2 so which is better is a mute point IMO. The sl1210mk2 with a little modding can be very very good indeed. I have 5 turntables currently so I have plenty to compare the humble Technics too and quite a lot of carts and believe me the Technics arm with the damper can handle some really nice MC's.
Chris

I am not going through this long discussion again, I have had pages of it. I have had 1200's in my system, and I have spent money on SP 25 and 15's. The 25/15 are very mundane drive units, and don't do what I need a table to do. I used very good arms on it, including my 12" Riggle String Theory arm that is currently on my SP 10 MK II. I also used a SAEC 407/N arm in my evaluation sessions, with cartridges from ZYX, Benz Micro, and I believe a Sumiko Blackbird. Technics people say the SP 25 is essentially a 1200 drive unit minus the arm and body. And that one was horribly disappointing. But really the 15 was not any better.

As far as the 1200 I have had it here in the house for extended listening. As mediocre as it sounds, I wouldnt spend money on an outboard power supply and arm damper, its not a table that presents a lot of potential. In the Tri Cities I knew someone who had a KAB damper on it, never thought it sounded good either.

Bottom line is I would never own the table, I don't care for how it sounds, and I really have no interest in having an extended discussion about how all I would have to do is this or that with it. I am afraid I will not be a 1200 convert, althugh I believe there is a place for it in this hobby.

Cheers
Mister Pig

 

[cafe latte]

Just a topic side step for anyone who is interested..
Sl1200mk2 and everything

I am not going through this long discussion again, I have had pages of it. I have had 1200's in my system, and I have spent money on SP 25 and 15's. The 25/15 are very mundane drive units, and don't do what I need a table to do. I used very good arms on it, including my 12" Riggle String Theory arm that is currently on my SP 10 MK II. I also used a SAEC 407/N arm in my evaluation sessions, with cartridges from ZYX, Benz Micro, and I believe a Sumiko Blackbird. Technics people say the SP 25 is essentially a 1200 drive unit minus the arm and body. And that one was horribly disappointing. But really the 15 was not any better.

As far as the 1200 I have had it here in the house for extended listening. As mediocre as it sounds, I wouldnt spend money on an outboard power supply and arm damper, its not a table that presents a lot of potential. In the Tri Cities I knew someone who had a KAB damper on it, never thought it sounded good either.

Bottom line is I would never own the table, I don't care for how it sounds, and I really have no interest in having an extended discussion about how all I would have to do is this or that with it. I am afraid I will not be a 1200 convert, althugh I believe there is a place for it in this hobby.

Cheers
Mister Pig

The sp25 though is an sp25 not a sl1200 there are differences. The psu and damper are needed, the SP10mk2 as I said has an external psu the regulation of the onboard sl1200mk2 is not that good and the strobe injects noise and transformer on later models is quite noisy too.. Just plonking a good arm on a sp25 (not a sl1200) without doing something about the psu is kind of pointless. Remember these are direct drives decent power supply is needed. Also re the damper you said you know someone who said it does not sound good, you need to judge yourself, not I heard someone say something..
Lastly the sp25 is rather old as is the sp15 you did not address the psu they both may have been well off spec too, my sp10mk2 was..
Chris

 

[mprince]

I had an SL-1200 MK2, pulled out all the stops. Arm rewire and resonance control, new RCA's, fluid damper, fancy headshells, external PSU, strobe disable, Isonoe footers, lots of different mats.

The 1200 MK2 is built rock solid, holds speed like a champ, and is easily modded. However, when I sold it and got a table a bit higher up the food chain, I realized how lacking the 1200 was. The difference was not subtle using the same cartridge on both tables. Perhaps an arm replacement would have helped the deadness in the 1200's sound, I don't know as I cut the modification party short.

 

[Decibel_116]

To add my own experiences to this, I can concur with Mr. Pig's evaluation of the SL-1200 when compared to the SP-10mkII. I have an SL-1210m5g with KAB damper. I recently picked up an SL-1000mkII (which has an SP10mkII drive unit and EPA-100mkII tonearm installed in it). The difference between the two are not subtle. I can hear far deeper into the music with the SP-10mkII. I also recently picked up a couple of the new SL-1200G turntables. These are absolutely stunning. I can only attribute the differences to the drive motor system improvements. Now, the SL-1210m5g does not sound "bad", but the other turntables are a few rungs above it in performance. Would a vintage SL-1200 like my SL-1210m5g be a good inexpensive option to get into the hobby. Yes! Absolutely! I have been using one for a couple of years. But, ever since I heard the improvements in the other better models, there is no going back.

 

[Mister Pig]

Just a topic side step for anyone who is interested..
Sl1200mk2 and everything

The sp25 though is an sp25 not a sl1200 there are differences. The psu and damper are needed, the SP10mk2 as I said has an external psu the regulation of the onboard sl1200mk2 is not that good and the strobe injects noise and transformer on later models is quite noisy too.. Just plonking a good arm on a sp25 (not a sl1200) without doing something about the psu is kind of pointless. Remember these are direct drives decent power supply is needed. Also re the damper you said you know someone who said it does not sound good, you need to judge yourself, not I heard someone say something..
Lastly the sp25 is rather old as is the sp15 you did not address the psu they both may have been well off spec too, my sp10mk2 was..
Chris

You found the ignore list. Goodbye.

Cheers
Mister Pig

 

[cafe latte]

Side step for anyone who is interested..
Sl1200 or sl1210mk2 or indeed any other models after excluding the new model (never yet owned the new one so cant comment) stock are quite good but to get the best they can be taken up to another level with modest modding.
Most hifi mags who like them insist the arm needs changing, and probably it does, but the damper really does make a huge difference. I actually internally damped and then rewired the arm. Not convinced the wire did anything but the internal damping I did for sure helped. If anyone want to do this pm me as there are things you need to be aware of or you can damage the arm. The oil Kab damper takes the turntable to another level, but it is still somehow held back but arm damper does a huge amount to resolving the Technics high end issues. The psu is a smaller step up but it is massive too, what it does is open further things up, clean up sound and everything is super smooth now too, a small but needed mod. Strobe disable comes with the psu in the Kab version at least. Internal regs are terrible in the stock Technics these were changed with the psu and it was very cheap and easy to do. The strobe disable is needed too, you have clean battery like power then you inject a noise into it not good, disabling the strobe fixes this issue.
There are also various platter mod options, there is a two piece mat that some say sound very nice indeed but I am yet to try it so cant comment. The feet are ok, but there are many foot upgrade options for the Technics and even sorbothane footers which will all help to improve things. I rewired the rca leads to so I could use any leads, but only because my sl1210mk2 I discovered had high capacitance leads, it turned out some of the last sl1200 in production had 360pf leads. I started a thread and someone told Kab and they told Panasonic and leads were changed. There are just some of the Technics mods, like I said some fit very serious arms to them like SME V and better, you can buy upgraded bearings even whole new platters, whatever you can think of it has been done to the Technics and the reason being is the motor unit is fantastic and it is really worth the effort. Stock it is a bargain IMO, but it can go to another level with modest mods which is why I think it has a following and a fair few haters too which is expected I suppose, it does not even look like a hifi turntable this will upset many.
Worth mentioning lastly the sl1200's have a very good plinth well damped unlike many turntables. Some feel the Technics is lacking as is missing this doubling that many are used to, but this doubling is distortion, but it can falsely fill out the sound. Think of it like removing the damping out of a speaker, I did it a while ago for an experiment without the sound was bigger and fuller, with damping it was less. A quick listen most would pick no damping, but extended listening you realise the fuller sound is the speaker boxes joining is, it is standing waves you are listening to, not good at all. Most turntables have a similar problem with their plinths ie plinth joins in and this is picked up by the cart ie music in slight delay is played again so fuller sound but it is basically like the speaker standing waves. The psu and arm do something bad to the sound of the Technics, which as I discussed is easily fixed, the plinth when you get is amazing as you are just listening to the music, but some feel robbed on first listen, but less really is more IMO when the rest is right.
CHris

 

[cafe latte]

You found the ignore list. Goodbye.

Cheers
Mister Pig

Wow, I was not rude just pointed out that a sl1200 needs a psu upgrade, did not know Pigs were so sensitive Chill mr Pig no offensive meant at all!
Chris

 

[dcmfan]

Side step for anyone who is interested..
Sl1200 or sl1210mk2 or indeed any other models after excluding the new model (never yet owned the new one so cant comment) stock are quite good but to get the best they can be taken up to another level with modest modding.
Most hifi mags who like them insist the arm needs changing, and probably it does, but the damper really does make a huge difference. I actually internally damped and then rewired the arm. Not convinced the wire did anything but the internal damping I did for sure helped. If anyone want to do this pm me as there are things you need to be aware of or you can damage the arm. The oil Kab damper takes the turntable to another level, but it is still somehow held back but arm damper does a huge amount to resolving the Technics high end issues. The psu is a smaller step up but it is massive too, what it does is open further things up, clean up sound and everything is super smooth now too, a small but needed mod. Strobe disable comes with the psu in the Kab version at least. Internal regs are terrible in the stock Technics these were changed with the psu and it was very cheap and easy to do. The strobe disable is needed too, you have clean battery like power then you inject a noise into it not good, disabling the strobe fixes this issue.
There are also various platter mod options, there is a two piece mat that some say sound very nice indeed but I am yet to try it so cant comment. The feet are ok, but there are many foot upgrade options for the Technics and even sorbothane footers which will all help to improve things. I rewired the rca leads to so I could use any leads, but only because my sl1210mk2 I discovered had high capacitance leads, it turned out some of the last sl1200 in production had 360pf leads. I started a thread and someone told Kab and they told Panasonic and leads were changed. There are just some of the Technics mods, like I said some fit very serious arms to them like SME V and better, you can buy upgraded bearings even whole new platters, whatever you can think of it has been done to the Technics and the reason being is the motor unit is fantastic and it is really worth the effort. Stock it is a bargain IMO, but it can go to another level with modest mods which is why I think it has a following and a fair few haters too which is expected I suppose, it does not even look like a hifi turntable this will upset many.
Worth mentioning lastly the sl1200's have a very good plinth well damped unlike many turntables. Some feel the Technics is lacking as is missing this doubling that many are used to, but this doubling is distortion, but it can falsely fill out the sound. Think of it like removing the damping out of a speaker, I did it a while ago for an experiment without the sound was bigger and fuller, with damping it was less. A quick listen most would pick no damping, but extended listening you realise the fuller sound is the speaker boxes joining is, it is standing waves you are listening to, not good at all. Most turntables have a similar problem with their plinths ie plinth joins in and this is picked up by the cart ie music in slight delay is played again so fuller sound but it is basically like the speaker standing waves. The psu and arm do something bad to the sound of the Technics, which as I discussed is easily fixed, the plinth when you get is amazing as you are just listening to the music, but some feel robbed on first listen, but less really is more IMO when the rest is right.
CHris

Ok, ok, ok!
You convinced me.




I'm never gonna buy an SL1200!

 

[cafe latte]

I had an SL-1200 MK2, pulled out all the stops. Arm rewire and resonance control, new RCA's, fluid damper, fancy headshells, external PSU, strobe disable, Isonoe footers, lots of different mats.

The 1200 MK2 is built rock solid, holds speed like a champ, and is easily modded. However, when I sold it and got a table a bit higher up the food chain, I realized how lacking the 1200 was. The difference was not subtle using the same cartridge on both tables. Perhaps an arm replacement would have helped the deadness in the 1200's sound, I don't know as I cut the modification party short.

Comparing other turntables dont hear dead, only in a good way, my Lenco which needs a plinth mod big time I hear what the Technics is doing well ie well damped plinth.
If we all owned the same life would be boring and this turntable section would not have much discussion either. I love my idlers and other turntables, Technics are great IMO but not the only path to nirvana by any means.
Chris

 

[cafe latte]

Ok, ok, ok!
You convinced me.




I'm never gonna buy an SL1200!

And I would not buy a Sota, life would be boring if we all owned the same. Not a fan of Linn either but lots of things I do like including idlers.
Chris

 

[jrtrent]

Sounds like another fluff ball subjective reviewer pulling things out of thin air. It wouldn't be hard to measure pitch stability, which the Technics would trounce those tables on.

I appreciate good lab testing when available, but I also don't mind subjective reviews; after all, that's how I compare things myself when shopping.

I neglected to add a link to the page where his conclusions are given, so that's now given below. He mentions that the Music Hall was using its stock Tracker cartridge. Elsewhere in the review he mentions that both the Rega and the Technics were fitted with OM5E cartridges, which was then the stock cartridge for the Rega.
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/face-best-turntable-budget-page-4#r5EqOJxviTCCQ8ys.99

 

[dcmfan]

And I would not buy a Sota, life would be boring if we all owned the same. Not a fan of Linn either but lots of things I do like including idlers.
Chris

I don't really care what record player you would or wouldn't buy.

But Jesus, God, man - three rambling posts about fluid dampers, strobe lights and power supplies is a bit much, dontcha think?

 

[cafe latte]

I don't really care what record player you would or wouldn't buy.

But Jesus, God, man - three rambling posts about fluid dampers, strobe lights and power supplies is a bit much, dontcha think?

Not really, if we are talking budget turntables and Technics is discussed it is worth pointing out how to get the best from them and what mods to do first, and if you dont mod what to expect. Very relevant IMO. You dont like them fine, not a problem it is just a turntable really not life and death issues. If topic was Lenco for example I could have written similar re that turntable which is helpful if you are looking to buy one.
Chris