Technics Unveils Plan to Launch New Budget SL-1200 Turntables for 126,99€

The Technics 1200 has long been revered by DJs for its high-torque, direct-drive platter that ensures flawless mixes and incredibly precise scratch performances. Until last year, the latest version of the turntable, the MK6, had been released in Japan back in 2008. Then in January 2016, the brand owned by CES, Panasonic announced it had revived the turntable with the new Grand Class Technics SL-1200G and limited edition Grand Class SL-1200GAE.

Panasonic did the product line justice, getting the form factor right and going so far as to making key improvements inside. Direct-drive turntables like the Technics SL-1200 have sufficient torque to get its platter spinning at the appropriate speed almost instantly. But vibrations in the motor, which cause subtle speed fluctuations, do take away from the vinyl listening experience. With the new SL-1200G, Panasonic and Technics developed a direct-drive motor that’s lacking the iron core often blamed for those speed fluctuations in the platter. Any remaining vibrations from the turntable’s electric motor are further suppressed and corrected using new processor-controlled rotational positioning sensors inside the SL-1200G’s housing.

The problem and barrier to entry remained price, until today. Panasonic has now unveiled its plans for a brand-new Technics model, the 1200 SL-1200 B17. The B17, which stands for Budget 17, aims to remove the high price of entry connected with the current Technicals model on the market, making it available for the more budget-conscious consumer, most of which do happen to be DJs who use it to spin records.

The idea was to make our brand, and the quality of the Technics 1200 SL-1200 line, accessible to more people. In order to do that we had to make some structural and changes to bring the price point down, all the while keeping the inside design intact to maintain the top-tier quality that has long been the hallmark of the Technics name.

The turntables will cost $134.99 / £107.99 / €126.99 depending on your country of origin.

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