Technics' New $3300 SL-1300G Turntable Combines SL-1200GR2's ΔΣ Drive With $4300 1200G's Platter And Motor!
produces a "happy in between place" in the Technics turntable lineup
The Technics turntable line-up can be confusing. Lots of models, lots of numbers and superficially they can look identical but they are not! A few days ago at IFA in Berlin, the company launched a variety of products including this new SL-1300G turntable. While it may appear to be a helping of "number salad", it's actually very significant product launch.
Simply put, the new $3300 1300G combines the highly evolved ΔΣ Drive motor drive system introduced last year in the $2200 SL-1200GR2 reviewed here last year, with the considerably upgraded platter and iron-coreless type double rotor/single stator motor of the $4300 SL-1200G. However, this motor has been further upgraded from the SL-1200G's with a newly reinforced coil mounting circuit board, said to further reduce mechanical vibrations.
Using this motor allows Technics to employ a more massive, three-layer platter, featuring a highly rigid aluminium die-cast foundation and carefully bonded to it a 2mm-thick brass top layer. The platter's underside features a rubber compound layer to further dampen vibrations. The considerable additional mass improves rotational inertia and thus speed accuracy via the optical encoder.
Also new for the 1300G is a multistage "Silent Power Supply" similar to the one used in the reference SL-1000R turntable that combines low-noise, high-speed (working at over 100kHz) and a noise canceling circuit that injects the reverse-phase current of whatever actual noise is present. The result, Technics claims, is a very low noise floor, exceptional S/N ratio and thus improved overall performance.
The chassis appears to be the same or similar to the SL-1200G's two-layered one made of die-cast aluminium and BMC (Bulk Moulding Compound), though in the SL-1300G, the thickness of this aluminium die-cast bottom chassis has been increased for higher rigidity. In addition the chassis bottom includes a thoroughly re-designed rib structure between the motor and the tonearm to further keep mechanical motor vibrations away from the tonearm. The 'table sits on newly enhanced isolation feet.
In addition, note that the "disco-slider" has been removed—along with the integrated into the platter strobe marks to further differentiate this high fidelity turntable from the "scratchers".
The rear shot looks as if Technics has made easier RCA jack access and while there's not a photo of the IEC A.C. ack that is probably on the other side, hopefully on this model it will not require a newly acquired skill set to plug it in! Not sure, but hopeful!
The new 1300G will be available at authorized Technics retailers this December for $3299.00. I'll be attending a Technics press event on September 17th and will file a full report from there, hopefully with some listening notes.
