So apparently Technics released some new turntables yesterday. First up—unlike the megabucks decks of the last couple years billed as successors to the iconic 1200mk2—was the 1200mk7.
Visually (except for it's brand-new all black color) it looks to be the direct descendant of the legendary 1200mk2 line—almost to the point they located the original manufacturing dies. A closer look of course reveals more than a few not-so-subtle differences: a new tonearm, new motor, and new electronics. Pretty much everything has been updated for the 21st century while retaining the same iconic look.
No pricing announced yet, but everything seems to point to less than $1K, which would put it on equal footing with what much-desired used 1200s have been going for on eBay.
More than anything it looks like perhaps Panasonic has actually been listening to their customers who were unimpressed with the wholesale revisions—and astronomical price tags—of what they had earlier released as replacements for the 1200. Did this news make me want to give up my venerable 1300mk2 and run out and buy one?
Not exactly.
But this…
OMFG. When I first saw it I swear I had a spontaneous ejaculation.
Sexy. As. Fuck.
Most definitely not a DJ deck, the sl1500c is a fresh take on their wonderful direct drive home turntables of years long past. While the 1500 moniker implies a completely manual deck, this one lifts the arm and shuts off at the end of the record (more like their old 1400 series machines), but I'm not going to quibble. It has no pitch controls, but other than that seems to boast the same guts as the new 1200s. And the aesthetic? TOTALLY Technics.
I sure don't need one, but I definitely want one. And the 1500 is available in silver.
Could this actually mark the rebirth of the Technics brand?
They just released the pricing. $1200.
If you take inflation into account, that's about par with what its predecessor sold for back in the day.