cactuscowboy
Super Member
From where I sit, the biggest weakness in the 1200 is the arm. However, there is a good conversion kit available to allow a bolt on swap to a Rega. I am sure a 1200 with a good Rega arm would be a killer sounding table.
"Biggest Weakness".... ???? Gotta disagree on this one. The stock tonearm on the Technics is beautifully designed and performs flawlessly. Aside from the unwarranted expense, putting a Rega tonearm on the SL-1200 would be a step backwards, IMO. For example, the Rega design does not allow for interchangeable headshells. This is a huge disadvantage if one wants to swap out different cartridges frequently. The Technics tonearm also offers adjustable VTA on-the-fly (if done carefully), a great feature for the obsessive tweakers among us.
My SL-1200 arrived with the Cardas tonearm wire modification, so I never had a chance to do an A-B comparison with the stock wiring. However, do a little research on this and other forums, and you'll read about guys who made this modification and noticed an improvement. The KAB tonearm dampener for the SL1200 tonearm offers an improvement in sound and tracking ability. I can attest to this based on personal experience, having installed this option myself.
With two relatively inexpensive modifications, the Technics tonearm is an excellent performer. Installing a Rega tonearm on the Technics would be akin to a guy pulling the 289 V8 out of his classic Mustang to drop a Chevy small block into it..... Why bother?
If I were to replace the tonearm on my Technics, I'd be looking at a high-end linear tracking tonearm.