Technics 1200 bearing upgrade. videos on maintenance.

Technics 1200 bearing upgrade. All reports on the benefits or downsides welcome.

Technics 1200 bearing upgrade On my 1200 i have now, the arm bearing was trash and i got a new arm assembly shipped from Japan for under $100 and installed it in less than an hour and now good as new. Well, just my thought. I’ve upgraded my (already very good) 1200G tonearm to an SME V. So that is a cheap improvement to consider if you don't want to buy one of the (very good) replacement bearings. Thank you guys so much. It's not necessary to call KAB for his mods if you own G or GR which must be a huge upgrade comparing to the old 1200 series. I'v used MC cartridges on both a SL-1200 and SP-25, I'v havn't heard any noise useing either MM or MC. The only way of Mike's bearing is a bespoke item from the ground up (the only full custom manufactured aftermarket bearing for the 1200 in existence, matter-of-factly). I considered two other bearing upgrades, the first being the Timestep by Sound HiFi and the other by Mike New. This is the bearing that was in my Technics SL-1200 MK2: This does not look like other photos I've seen of the stock SL-1200/1210 bearing. 5 microns. They definitely knew what they were doing but, still, Technics did engineer it to a price point. All reports on the benefits or downsides welcome. In any case, a very worthwhile upgrade and an absolute steal at the price. I have a ton of upgrades - if I had a stock 1200 - I'd rewire the tonearm, get the damper, feet are equally important (I love my Isonoes) and use a Clamp. Guys while cleaning out my back room I found a new tech 1200 mk. A tonearm damper from another maker. I got a technics 1200 two years ago, the turntable itself looked incredible but the tonearm bearing was shot. All others are With the recent announcement of and a final release date for Technics new turntable, a direct drive (no surprise there) called the SL1200 GAE (initially a limited edition model) to retail for KAB has a couple "upgrades" for the tonearm that are economical and worthwhile. Close-up of the Technics gimbal-bearing arm assembly, with anti-skate force adjustment, arm height adjustment and arm lift lever. Power supply upgrades? Bearing upgrades? Foot upgrades? What have you done that has given the best return on your money? My current system is SL-1200 TT, Ortofon MC20MKII with Ortofon MCA-76 step up box, Bottlehead Seduction phono stage, Yamaha C-85 preamp, Yamaha M-65 amp, and Polk monitor 7's with lots of upgrades. Mike New Audio Technics 1200 Bearing Upgrade [Expired] no longer for sale. Then extracting the bearing. Everything else seems to function great and it still sounds great. The hype will get you. The question is do you want to mod it a little or a lot. It becomes much clearer with an overall soundstage upgrade. How hard was the arm swap? I ask because I have a 1200 in a box that I want to upgrade. Technics 1210 bearing upgrade . Best way to remove platter. main thrust bearing upgrade 4. There are other tonearm options, but the Jelco fits quite nicely with the aesthetics of the 1200/10 as well as improving the sound. So I did the research and found the Origin Live Rega arm adapters which allow the use of Rega arms on the 1200's. but if you are wanting the best sound quality you can afford, I would look at other tables. SACD DVD-Audio 3. 75 gram range. It Technics SL-1210 Mk2 (Cardas Litz Rewired) +KAB PS-1200GX Power Supply +KAB Delrin-AF Thrust Plate +KAB TD-1200 Fluid Damper +Klotz MC5000 Phono Cable +Hana SL +Audio-Technica LT13s +Cardas 33 AWG PCCE BAC / Cinemag CMQEE-3440AH (25 dB) / Sander'Z MM Tube Phono Stage (Mullard CV4004) / VdH Mainsserver / Audient iD14 USB / Hi all, l am going to upgrade my mat on mat on my SL1200, and intend to do other upgrades at a later date ( PSU, bearing etc), l have the Isonoe feet, Sumiko headshell, Nagaoka MP110 cart at the moment, but l have an SME V l will be putting on at a later date, so my question is this, is the copper mat(£245) worth the extra beans over a Funk Firm Anchromat (£75), has Hi, I am newbie to vinyl world. Now that the Technics spindle bearing price has risen, it will likely cost more. Thread starter RD_93; Start date Oct 10, 2024; As long as you are in the table may as well replace the factory bearing plate with a KAB unit. I like that idea and will probably I may try to mod/upgrade the stock bearing. Messages: 1,459 Location: West Portland OR. Blu-Ray-Audio DVD 2. Multi piece counterweight. 36 MkII Pezzer Ritter Wenne Knecht! 11-01-2012, 18:54 #6. Did the research and ordered a VM 540ML but wondering if the AT33PTG/2 is worth the 2X price of the 540 with this table/arm? 3. First thing I need (seem) to do is replace the bad and cheap tonearm of the sl-1200. With the KAB upgrades I felt that I had reached the maximum potential of the table and that it would not be worthwhile to continue to upgrade the technics table. Any gigging DJ's out there will find the mods transform their deck - by contrast the original sounds flabby, bloated, loose, ponderous, confused and undynamic" Hi Fi World"If you have a Technics SL1200 Mk. Of course there are Utube. - Mike New ETP platter - Origin Live Silver/ Jelco 750D tonearm/ FX arm Pictures show mat upon Technics 1200 Platter, not included. Post subject: Technics sl-1200 mk2 tonearm upgrade recommendations. The gimbal suspension construction tonearm uses high-precision bearings. It sounds the best on the previous Technics 1200 GR tone arm vs 1200G. But if I were to spend all the money you spend on modding a 1200, I'd rather put together an SP-10, with a good arm and a custom plinth - no 1200 can compete with that, however modded. Indeed, the bearing on the Technics can be improved. Can someone suggest me what upgrade shall i look on my TT. Audio Isolation System - Isonoe Electronics I do insist on a Technics due to the direct drive and the ease of changing cartridges. upgrade the phono preamp. Music titles on vinyl CDs 24. They are often aimed at DJs. If you're using it for music listening, it's probably worth it. Thread starter Lordlidder; Start date 2017-12-04 6:50 pm; Status This old topic is closed. Life interfered and that project was forgotten. The bearing and spindle are cleaned and re oiled. New spindle thrust plate with wax block under spindle bearing. CD SACDs 6. patient_ot likes this. FINALLY AFTER 15 YEARS OF RESEARCH WE ARE PLEASED TO RELEASE THE KREBS UPGRADE TO TECHNICS SL1200, SP10 MK 2 SP 10 MK 3 AND KENWOOD (TRIO) LO7D OWNERS Structural changes are also made to the bearing support on the MK3. The SL-1200, SL-1210 upgrade is US$450 The SP-10 Timestep Technics SL1200 gr EVO. For older SL-1200s and SL-1210s that have a raised outer I'm restoring a 1200 Mk2 right now that has a beat bearing on the top of the pivot and is missing a lock screw on the side. My other TT hookup is an LP12 / Grace 707 / Dynavector 10x5 trying to optimise the SL1200 for a MM Cartridge playback chain. Add the Technics thin mat TEFX5019 to your Poly mat for the perfect thickness and record coupling. My upgrades so far has been relatively low cost (KAB Fluid Damper, Mains PSU, Achromat 1200, Isonoe). I'm hoping they come out with an inbetween model. Metal MD, Aug 16, 2015. Hi Flavio, Short term experience and long term experience could be different. I had the dreaded "skip" problem (more accurately the stuck needle problem) with my 1200. This is based on a modified Technics bearing modified in a way that minimises cost. f1sport SME Technics 1200 Mounting Plate / Armboard Superb condition. May order the MikeNew bearing upgrade, if the Tonearm delivers a marked improvement in resolution, as the problem with the med-mass Technics arm is one of omission as it basically sucks the life out of cartridges. The owner of Applied Fidelity, whose jewel bearings were receiving raves, passed from cancer a month or two before I The Technics SL-1200/1210MK2 is indeed a solid foundations to mod. Technics publishes their bearing friction numbers; nobody else The 1400 tonearm doesn't use the same bearing system though. Solid Brass base and a precision crafted spindle. It may be worth having in mind that the bearing friction is very low in the Technics arm, compared to the Rega. If you want to upgrade it to KAB broadcast standard with adding 78rpm I have a belt on order but after doing some reading it seems most likely the bearings may need oil - or the bearings have gone bad. However, the improved bearing by Applied Fidelity puts the 1200 table into a new league. Oyaide HS-TF Carbon headshell, MCRU Linear External PSU, High Fidelity Crystal glass turntable matt, Blue LED upgrade, Denon AVR-2808CI Amp I did the upgrades over several years: + Tone arm rewire, RCA jacks, cotton in tonearm for stabilization + DC-1200 for voltage regulation (prep for outboard power supply), TD-1200 tone arm dampening, Isonoe feet + SX-1200 Strobe, outboard PS. But I digress Well it's tax time here in Australia and I have a nice return on it's way so I was planning to do the bearing upgrade to one of his Technics 1200's. Heck, maybe I If there's one part of the SL-1200 that has proven near-indestructable after three decades of DJ abuse, it's the Panasonic bearing on the SL-1200. KAB damper on stock tonearm: everything tightened up from LF to HF, audibly better tracking when tested with an LP Test Record Trans-Fi T3 Pro arm: substantially lowered, if not completely eliminated, IGD, it used to be so obvious that the last song on the LP was playing, now I often find myself not opening my eyes until the stylus is in the run-out Mike New Audio Technics 1200 Arm Upgrade. I have a pair of 1200 MK3D's that I like quite a bit for DJ use. I get the feeling it is slightly bent but would like a second opinion. Also, the acrylic lid is kind of expensive as well and goes for over 100$. Has anyone had any first hand experience comparing the benefits of the bearing upgrades available from the three mentioned in the heading. For a Technics new tonearm just means the tube and pivot assembly, it doesn't come with a lot of The majority of the site is about upgrading & modding Technics 1200's. 5. Register; Login; Place an Ad Free for hobbyists! Hardware . Best of luck! rebellovw , Aug 16, 2015 With the many upgrades and mods that are available for the Technics Sl-1200 series table, I was very curious (yet remained skeptical) about the improved bearing mod by Applied Fidelity. Oelewapper Plays vinyl instead of installing Last week, I 'operated' on my Technics 1200 and upgraded the tonearm wires, RCAs, and put heat shrink tubing on the tonearm tube to further help with dampening. I am taking simultaneous steps to build it slowly. Ortofon 2M Black Cart, Isonoe isolation feet , MN bearing and Funk Firm platter upgrade, Oyaide RCA Tone Arm and speaker cables, Jelco SA-750D Tonearm. Some years ago I bought two Technics SL-1200 5G turntables with the intention of upgrading one and keeping the other as a comparison. So there is some room for both measurable and subjective improvement with the 1200. When users tried the ceramic ball upgrade for the spindle bearing the performance improved but a year later they found out that the ceramic balls were eating out the spindle base and the performance degraded. noviygera member Posts: 33 Joined: 07 Jan 2020 06:49 The KAB thrust plate looks good but has anyone tried the more advanced bearing upgrades? Top. I recommend the Technics 1200/1210 extra thick mat sold by KAB USA. Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Dr. The Achromat 1200 is a definite improvement from the stock mat. turning japanese. The method I use allows for you to keep all your Based on different threads and posts on this forum I have made a sorted list on what upgrades to the Technics SL12xx turntables that might give noticeable improvements in The SL 1200/10 MKII is a great turntable but to perform at its best, it needs heavy tweaking and it is not only the arm. thickness of the actual LP's? The MO-FI ultradeck has a –68. Technics SL-1200MK2 Upgrades (Pictoral) Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by 56GoldTop, Dec 29, To each his own. 2 that I bought years ago when kids were young- I forgot I even had it!!- It has pretty much all the KAB upgrades- How good a table is this compared to todays table- In other words how much would I need to spend to equal this table While the B&O is out of commission, I was going to pick up a new Technics SL-1200 MK7 turntable to tide me over for the multiple year restoration. Technics SL-1200 turntables have had a thriving upgrade scene for years, concentrating on the popular Mk2 and Mk5 models. Back in stock. I set it back in place and locked it down and then adjusted the top bearing as Kevin instructed. Home Forums > Discussions > Audio Hardware > Technics SL-1200MK2 Upgrades (Pictoral) Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by 56GoldTop, Dec 29, 2014 There's nothing wrong with the stock bearing. This is done by opening up your unit from the top. The Technics SL-1200 tonearm is specified to have a bearing finish of ± 0. It takes the 1200 to a I've done some KAB upgrades on my 90's SL1200 MK2. Thread Status: Not open for further replies. It went away with the tonearm assembly I purchased from DJHenray. Such upgrades have been touted for the Garrard 301/401 also. jfine Super Member. Stock one will be sent back to UK for discount . I recently got an upgraded main bearing from Applied Fidelity and decided to finally install it today. The arm bearing system is IMO very good. videos on maintenance. It’s basically a suspension of rubber rings. Discussion in 'Turntables' started by jfine, Jun 24, 2007. The original bearing was very good and accomplished the I would buy the traditional S-curve Technics tonearm assembly rather than his custom straight arm, which I think is more for DJ use. As for the debate over the bearings you might want to read the Technics G/GAE thread to get a sense of what transpired there could apply here. The three next upgrades will be high cost upgrades: - Mike New Bearing. DVD-Audio Blu-Ray-Audio 0. The deciding factor was numerous reports of better performance of other TTs useing upgraded bearings and I feel that there is no reason this shouldn't work for the SL-1200Mk2/SP-25. I was able to clean it up and blast some penetrating oil through it and then re-lube it with the Technics bearing oil. There are some disassembly videos of the 1200 on YouTube. I have a well used second hand one if you are interested as I now have an Isonoe Isolation feet are a common upgrade for the feet on any 1200. Introduced in 1972, the SL-1200 garnered sales of more than three million units by the time production New to me late 90's Technics 1200 MK2 all stock including headshell. It is important to note that the1200 arm was designed at a time when tracking forces were pushing the 0. 95: KAB Poly Mats & Techics Thin Mat. In fact they use the same bearing on just about EVERY model except the SP10. Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:33 pm . I know there are many tweaks which can transform Technics tt to different level, but money will play a part as well. This upgrade results in an astounding increase in sound quality. It's a meaningless replacement, like getting rid of the engine of a Unfortunately the original bearings are not available anymore unless you find used components with bearings still in them. 5cm/sec), and a through-groove rumble of –71. It has the fluid damper, their rubber platter mat, 3 speed conversion (78 RPM added) and also had Grover interconnects to replace the stock ones. This turntable was in storage for a very long time and we mainly cleaned, repainted, replaced capacitors, upgraded to an LED pop up light, replaced the pitch fader and Technics SL1210 MK2 fully rebuilt and repainted. Browse all Hardware Ads; Browse categories; Software . I view it this way because it's not my only deck, I like having more than one decks so I can afford to do that. Thread Status: adjustable vta and detachable headshell are real nice touches the wire inside the stock arm can be upgraded and also the bearings can be fettled to give much better performance at a low bang for buck cost dont forget to oil up the But I picked up this used Technics 1200 Mk2 and am unsure about the tonearm. Technics 1210 bearing upgrade. It’s also nice upgrade. Suitable to mount the SME309 The fact they make them to order has a bearing on the price. Timestep - Technics SL-1200-1210 EVO gr. Just things to consider Technics 1200 KAB Tonearm Rewire + RCA Upgrade Guide. One essential item is to service and / or upgrade the bearing. 0dB through-bearing rumble (DIN-B wtd, re. Hi, I finally decided to get a technics sl-1200 on ebay and upgrade it as my first table. It's controversial, but I marginally preferred this to the MNB! Superb condition. I have the Applied Fidelity bearing in my SL1200mk2 Good upgrade but around 5th on my personal must do upgrade list IMO - the The KAB dampener is an immediate improvement, anyone who has a stock 1200/1210 will benefit from it. Highly skilled Japanese craftsmen handle all assembly and adjustment to achieve a Technics SL 1200 MK2. Overall I think the tonearm wire was probably best bang for buck and most impactful to sound quality. cafe latte vinyl engineer Posts: 15644 Joined: 11 Oct 2009 04:27 One of the top upgrades one can make to the Technics 1200. Technics stopped making the Mk2 and Mk5 many years ago, but clearly regretted leaving the turntable market and came back in a few years ago with the special edition SL-1200GAE and later on the SL-1200G and SL-1200GR. New set-over deck from UK. Thread starter TENER; Start date Jan 19, 2024; 1; 2; KAB Accoustics web site has maintenance info, tips and upgrade parts for SL1200 series. This and For someone wanting a no fuss option that isn't terribly expensive, there may not be a better choice than a Technics 1200. Stainless-steel bearings in the base of the outer body block the transfer of energy by keeping the point of physical contact area On the issue of upgrading the 1200 bearing, I had been thinking of getting an Applied Fidelity bearing for quite awhile. There are a number of good aftermarket 1200 upgrade and repair shops on The original Technics SL-1200 turntable was one of the most widely sold and broadly influential turntable designs ever made. Metal MD, Sep 29, 2015. It's just that the other bearings are immensely better. And Technics also sold better turntables with superior plinths, feet, tonearms, wiring, etc. . Blu-Ray movies Technics 1200 Rega Tonearm Upgrade. I will rewire and check or even upgrade the arm's bearings but I won't change anything else. Technics 1200 tweaked,Ianmac Bearing,DACT DIY Phono Pre, Belcanto CD-2, Engineered Switzerland DIY Renderer, Benchmark DAC2, Hypex NCore, ATC SCM40 2nd system --Engineered Switzerland DIY streamer, Sony CDP11,Topping D50 DAC, Hypex NCore. Kevin Barnes of KABUSA is very, very fond of the stock arm. 7 posts • Page 1 of 1. We have garnered quite a reputation for our intelligent (and fully sanctioned) modifications of various iconic Technics turntables. power supply upgrade. Seems that making improved Technics 1200 is bad for your health. All 1200 mk2 owners should know what I'm saying by when you float the arm most of the time it never stays where you put it, even when fitting new replacement arms it's the same story. Will quiet the table down a bit. It was a The good news is that Technics has been building the SL-1200 for a long time and the core turntable mechanism (motor, base and platter) is robustly built. FalseMetal666, Jun 15, 2020 #113. After posting this and putting on spherical needles and carefully rebalancing everything and adjusting the bearing screws I got one side basically fine and the other with little slop so that cueing and mixing are totally fine. I have a predecessor of the SL-1200, the SL-1800, made in 1978. An absolutely outstanding upgrade that is fun to perform. The bearing friction of the Technics is lower than 5mg where no one of the tonearms named here has. Channel Z, May 3, 2022 #19. The stock cables are barely sufficient and I speculate Technics expected the consumer to upgrade from them anyway. The modded and damped Technics arm (needs the damping mod) will beat some very expensive arms indeed for sure beat the Rega. I once did a "swing test" shoot-out with an SL-1200Mk2 arm and a Rega With the many upgrades and mods that are available for the Technics Sl-1200 series table, I was very curious (yet remained skeptical) about the improved bearing mod by Applied Fidelity, aka tubesforever. We recently had the privilege to restore a Technics 1200 MK2. A good many TTs have the power supply in the plinth and if power supply noise was a common problem I would think the reverse would be to see all power supplies outside the plinth. $74. I upgraded from a BSR to a Technics sl220 - in around 1980 (I bought the Technics from Pacific Stereo) - huge upgrade - got back into vinyl around 2008 - dusted off the old sl220 - cleaned the pots If you are using the stock tonearm you should upgrade it first. Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:16 pm Posts: 774 Location: Vancouver, BC, CA For a recent SL-1200 or SL-1210 (Mk7, GR, G, GAE) or SL-100C or SL-1500C model, all of which have a completely flat platter, you want: standard hole, 4mm, 295mm full size. This and the extra closeness of pivot center to the bearings results in a minimal friction of 7 milligrams. Vinyl 89. I have a 37 yr old Technics SL 1600 with essentially the same bearing in it Manufactured by IanMac of this forum as an upgrade of the standard Technics bearing. I really don't know though if putting $1000 in to the 1200 ($600 for upgrades / $400 cart) would make it sound as good as a linn axis with a $400 cart upgrade. Last edited: Mar 3, 2018. Yeah the 1500 replacement arms seems to be the move if I want to get back to perfectly balanced arms. If a rumble figure is a good representation of the quality of the factory bearing, then bearing upgrades might not be the best way to spend money. 2, this OL kit is a great You should look into how to check a tonearm bearing on this. I'm waiting on a Applied Fidelity improved bearing for my Technics SP-25 and should have it back in a couple of weeks. The 1650 has an actual, conventional ball bearing that the brass spindle rod slides through and sits/rotates on top of. Micro Seiki mat is not only a huge upgrade for powerfull direct drives, but it make any DD turntable looks like a luxury unit. Technics SL-1210/1200 Tonearm improvement . Thread Status: itch that needs scratching and I scratched it as well with a bearing upgrade, powersupply etc - all things that make a great deal of sense - but the damn Technics sounds so good to start with I am pondering if I should upgrade my Technics deck, as I feel I can get more out of it. Many years ago this kinda puzzled me thinking it was dodgy bearings so I replaced the whole arm to still have Technics SL-1200 MK2 Mainboard Confusion. I already have Mike New's bearing fitted to my deck, and it takes the SL1200 to completely different level, to call it an "upgrade" would be an understatement IMHO. I did compare it against a fairly obscure brand -Holbo- which was more expensive than the 1200 but nowhere near  "Follow this path and you'll have a Technics to die for. This should be every step you need to complete this absolutely fantastic upgrade. There is absolutely no point in rewiring an arm that is the main problem of this turntable. Reactions: Ilikevinyl I had one on which the bottom bearing screw walked loose. New tonearm Mogami cable. PoeRaider, Mar 3, 2018 #187. If you can get hold on of Jelco 750 or 850 at a reasonable price the upgrade is well worth it before buying a new table. Technics doesn’t have an upper thrust bearing, so don’t use a clamp or you will damage the spindle. Average: Research Pricing: Brand New, never installed. The sound difference is extremely noticeable. Many seem to have had success with that. Then Technics just announced the $2200 SL-1200GR2 with power supply and speed control upgrades that are significant performance upgrades which are almost too good to pass up. Enjoy. Nice. Technics 1200 run through a Rega phono board I don't necessarily think the stock bearing is horrible. Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Neilson77, Feb 23, 2014. I mostly agree with Tattoo that the stock 1200 arm is the weakest link. I don't recall seeing that black plastic Technics 1200 tonearm bearing damage. Clean, open, tight, punchy and very musical. It takes about a minute to do and can save you ~400$ in repairs. All parts originally came with it is high quality. It's the most user This post discusses the legendary Technics SL-1200 direct-drive turntable and some applicable basic maintenance. He, and a few others, appear quite convinced that the stock 1200 arm is the equal or better of most audiophile tonearms, in that: The bearing friction is extremely low and may be superior to most low-end audiophile tables. The direct-drive mechanism has a lot of torque and the table has a very weighty presentation with a fair amount of bass detail despite its other shortcomings. I'm fairly certain the arm tube itself is the same, but that's just a small piece of the puzzle with tonearms. What do you guys suggest? i then can invert it and prop the bearing end up with something heave (cans of food work) so i can remove and replace the cart conveniently. With a newly improved bearing, the The KAB thrust plate looks good but has anyone tried the more advanced bearing upgrades? My current system is SL-1200 TT, Ortofon MC20MKII with Ortofon MCA-76 step up box, Bottlehead Seduction phono stage, Yamaha C-85 preamp, Yamaha M-65 amp, and Polk monitor 7's with lots of upgrades. fknchino Posts: 4 Joined: 14 Oct 2015 11:55 Location: Melbourne. Some say the Technics rubber compound offers the best interface to It all comes down to the bearing rumble, and in groove noise, if a weight/clamp will make a noticeable effect. One of the top upgrades one can make to Best Technics 1200 modifications for sound quality/performance. The price of the Timestep is probably my limit for a bearing upgrade. DVD movies Blu-Ray 2. This LP is especially convincing with the forceful drive provided by the Technics SL-1200G and the resonance control of the factory magesium arm and the Audio Technica ART9 cartridge. Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by wgdrumsticks, May 17, 2020. ALL of these TT obove will cost about the same as a fully modified Technics deck. Hendertuckie Forum Here is link to a Have alook at the "Technics SL-1210 M3D Upgrade Project / Build "thread and its mention of the "improving the stock Technics bearing" thread I am currently offering forum members a limited run of a bearing I have designed. I personally started with new tonearm wire & a new Cardas phono interconnect hardwired to the deck, so now I have pure litz wire going from the cartridge to the phono pre. IanMac bearing, heat shrink Technics 1200GR Mat Upgrade. I've got a Mike New bearing in one of my 1200's and will be looking into the possibility of modding the bearing of my rebuilt 1500MK2 (perhaps by Applied Fidelity or Vantage). a cartridge The Ortofon 2M Red is a favourite of mine for replacing the shitty DJ cartridges Hi, I use a KAB modded Technics SL-1200 at Ingrid's house. The arm tube stinks. Yes, it really is that good. 4dB, which works out as twice as noisy as the Technics. There is lots of talk on this upgrade in certain audio circles. Last edited: Dec 25, 2010 BHamm Current bearing options for Technics 1200? turning japanese. It really does put the table into a totally new level of performance. thanks The 1200 MK2 is an iconic deck (IMO) and I like the stock look, I got a NOS one and I won't change it. Classifieds: WANTED - Mike New Audio Technics 1200 Bearing Upgrade. The sl1200mk2 has from memory 7mg of friction on the bearings which to compare to the Jelco for example which is 25mg, the bearings on the Technics are very very good indeed and known to be so. Too bad my evil audiophile side tells me there's more to be had out of these. Rewiring the tonearm gives another very noticeable improvement, but you need to have some skills to DIY, I botched New bearing - Technics SL-1200/1210 MK2 MKII stock Shaft - 30 € Maybe cheaper bearing upgrade later on Digital source: Squeezebox Touch Analogue Source: Technics SL-1210, AT-95E cartridge Amplifier: XTZ A100 D3 Speakers: XTZ 99. Upgrade I guess The silver 1200 was purchased used but I believe the stock bearing is good. Without possibly doing trama to it's bearing. Technics SL-1200 Mk2 recapped / Audio Technica AT-OC9ml/II Thorens TD 160 / TP16 / Denon DL103R - boron - microridge tip - higher compliance suspension That type of usage would eventually damage bearings, the tone arm assembly and just about every other stationary or moving part of the table. Very thin and resonant. It worked well after. Stock tonearm wire/pcb are nothing special either. No KAB dampening well (at least yet). Certainly nothing wrong with a stock 1200. In my book better Sound for your Pound. Of all typical TT upgrades, this is by far the best. It outperforms the Townshend Rock MK III table with modified rega arm that I have for example. jvawue lmyi zdyprj gfyjc hbkun ratc axfw awss hhspali cmkx