Compact Disc - Why Technics' Radical SL 10 Turntable Was Vinyl's Fierce Last Stand

[@matthewhunt1449]

As ever the most enjoyable hifi videos on the web for enthusiasts of a certain age. Its so nice to remember back than always looks at what is new. There is so much great kit on the secondhand market that can still sound fantastic. Thanks

[@Zockopa]

The SL-10 from `79 was followed by the SL-15 in `81 that came with the EPC-P 205 C MK 3 MM instead of the EPC-310 and offered programable track play,but had no MC pre. The SL-15 was considerable more expensive than the SL-10 tho. Anyway,around 1980 was the high time of linear tracking turntables. Many japanese top brands at that time released top class turntables in that category,although the most high endish ones usualy were Japan exclusives.

[@m6j159]

Thoroughly enjoyed that - thank you, Gents. I think the SL10 is a thing of beauty...exquisite Japanese engineering from the golden era. Thank you for sharing👍👍👍

[@utegregori]

So glad you've done this one, and noteworthy that David is the Backpanel Bandit in this Riff. I've still got my SL-10 I bought secondhand in the early 90's. Still runs ok apart from the occasional times it decides to lift the arm and returns to the stop position. It was the polar opposite of British audiophile decks, you put the record on the platter, close the lid, press the start button and it does the rest - sense the record size 7,10 or 12 inch, set the default speed, cue, play and return the arm to rest at the end of the record. As well as the record puck, it had a pop up 45rpm adapter for the 7"s that needed it. Mine also had the black paper discs which could be used to over-ride the light sensors in the platter in case of transparent vinyl or odd shaped records. Stylistically it matches very well with the Quad99 components I have, being the same width and colour. I read somewhere that the experience Technics gained by developing the programable track play in later models was useful when CD came along.

[@Hi-FiRiff]

Backpanel bandit... Priceless 🤣🤣 Mike

[@kjbunnyboiler]

Afternoon guys, keep up the great work👍👍

[@jimfarrell4635]

The SL 7 is actually slightly heavier than the SL 10 and some people seem to prefer it to the SL10 as cartridges are cheaper and easier to find and its easier to repair and service ( or so the Gods of Google say ). They are both lovely pieces, and, as you say, there are a few of each on eBay as we speak. Must. Resist.

[@dannyfannyfoodle]

Beat me to it. I was actively looking for an SL-10 but struggled to find a nice, clean example for a decent price. Found a mint SL-7 for a very good price and I’m very happy with it. It is, indeed, heavier than the SL-10. My late dad had an SL-10 that got trashed in a move so I dumped it, but he did have a NOS Audio Technica AT-152LP with a boron cantilever and it sounds absolutely incredible. Certainly on par with my Marantz TT-15 S1 with a Clearaudio Virtuoso cartridge. And the Technjcs SOOO easy to use. It has become my daily driver. I probably use it 10X more than the Marantz just because it’s so fun and simple to operate.

[@jimfarrell4635]

​@danhirschler4387 It's a hobby, Dan. If anyone on KZbin mentions the weight of something , I immediately Google it, and if they are wrong, take great pleasure in correcting them I do it with the height of C list celebrities also, though that's more niche. Slightly more seriously, I run two tables already, a Clearaudio and a Mofi, but the fact these can stand up means I can probably squeeze it in somewhere and I always fancied a full auto after watching Techmoan who loves them, and now the GRiffters. As of 30 secs ago that's what I call them. It's like looking in a mirror when I see you folks on the couch. Except my hair is somewhere in between too much and not enough.

[@scottwolf8633]

I'm the original owner of a Revox B 790 TT, Linatrak system, with a tonearm 1.75 inches long, bought in '78, still works. BTW I have the same EL&P LP.

[@JeHaVe]

I have the 'little brother' the SL-7...😊 And the housing is also made of cast aluminium, not plastic.

[@timothyfreeseha4056]

So futuristic! Almost like a suitcase. You could just go & take the album with you, if you wanted to.

[@DK640OBrianYT]

For a time Technics had a set of aluminium cast...thingy-pieces in the same color scheme, which the feet would fit into, that lifted the back side up, with the result that the turntable would stand at a 45 or so degree angle downward towards the user.

[@LyndonSoulGroove]

Well I learned something new , machines like this some had Moving coil cartridges,, wow .. remember seeing these kind of turntable in shop windows in early 80's the time I had a mono battery only philips transistor radio listening to Human League at xmas

[@mescko]

Technics, Ortofon, Sumiko A-T, and I know there are others that made MC T4P carts.

[@kieranchurch9923]

I have one of these, with an original cartridge still in great condition (for a few more hours...). I love mine and it will be one of things I would never sell/ trade.

[@dhp1231]

Love the channel..

[@majtextwriter1794]

Cool and fun!! :-))

[@bikdav]

I remember the Technics SL10 and others like it. The audiophile community around me nearly “killed me” for being impressed with these. The only trouble with these were their complexity.

[@1jhnpennington]

I have a later, larger Technics linear tracker the SL-QL1, fitted with an Ortofon OMP with OM20 stylus. What level of turntable would I have to go to in today's market to improve the sound quality?

[@Hi-FiRiff]

Excellent question @MrVinylista

[@jimfarrell4635]

Arthur bloody Negus. Stop. Making. Me. Feel. So. Old. with the references to cultural icons of yesteryear.

[@chriswills9437]

As to general specs, all are exactly the same except the weight, SL-7 is 7kg and SL10 is 6.5kg. The SL-10 was supplied with a MC cartridge with a preamp for the cartridge built into the turntable. The SL-7 was supplied with a MM cartridge.

[@MrVinylista]

Thanks for the correction. I was thinking of the SL-5, when I mentioned the weight. We didn't really have time to go into all the sub-variants of the SL-10, and all their small respective differences. The point is that the SL-10 was the original and in my view therefore the best. An iconic product like the Garrard 301 or Quad ESL-57. Still widely ignored, though.

[@chriswills9437]

@@MrVinylista I have an SL7 which still works.. finding good P Mount cartridge is hard. An Audio Technica AT85EP is probably the best. It does found very solid. I would buy a working SL10 it looks nicer too.

[@mescko]

​@@chriswills9437 Monitor the used market. There were world-class P-mounts made back in the day, identical to the 1/2" versions. Shure V-15, Stanton 881, Ortofon OM (OMP), Empires...there are equally excellent new styli for all these. I've got an Ortofon X1-MCP HOMC p-mount that is wonderful.

[@chriswills9437]

@@mescko Thanks for the information

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

Are yous doing a Christmas special again

[@Hi-FiRiff]

We are recording it this afternoon for Xmas day release :-)

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

@@Hi-FiRiff brilliant 👍😊

[@oliverbeard7912]

Frank Spencer reviewing hifi Lol 😊

[@vonster22]

But looking back we see Vinyl was better than CD's...Just like we will plainly see gas is better than EV's

[@Hi-FiRiff]

I'm sure we would both agree! Mike

[@razisn]

Even if it had come earlier it wouldn't have caught on. Ivor, the turntable cottage industry and the British press would have killed it along with the large percentage of vinyl users who were masochists. Today, 100% of vinyl users are masochists btw.

[@1jhnpennington]

I have a larger, heavier version of this called the SL-QL1, with an Ortofon OMP cartridge with OM20 stylus. Just an excellent sounding, easy to use turntable.

[@razisn]

@@maddog31255 Lol that's exactly the point. Masochists enjoy what they're doing.

[@richardsinger01]

@@razisnI enjoy a good meal over a ready meal.

[@JacquesLarouche]

I still own and use that turntable. Bought in 1982 😏

[@uweb.7586]

This device is THE tangential player of all. Not only is it a technical masterpiece that was years ahead of its time, it is also a work of art. One copy is permanently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Two years ago I was able to purchase one of these players. It was a replacement device. Completely unused for 40! years and fully functional. Of course with the original cartridge. I would never give this device away again. The design, the curious technology and, last but not least, the unsurpassable sound. There is no such thing anymore today. A true masterpiece.

[@johnricketts4732]

In the nicest possible way because they were comedy royalty, I'm still trying to work out between the two of you, who is Stan and who is Oliver.

[@MrVinylista]

Glad you find Mike's silly behaviour worthy of comparison with these iconic comedy greats!

[@johnricketts4732]

@@MrVinylistaKeep up the good work guys and David your regular feature in connected is always a pleasure to read.

[@NigeSavage]

"I am Arthur Negus". On that bombshell!! Merry Christmas guys and thanks for all the fantastic entertainment this year. Looking forward to more in 2024! Oh and David, thanks for the advice on the best upgrade path for my system, which I took (any excuse to part with cash) and am absolutely loving :)

[@titntin5178]

What a fantastic thing! It appeals to the child in me that watched 'Joe 90'. Thanks as always guys...

[@DalstonVinyl]

Thanks guys, I really enjoyed this video!! 😅

[@nickevans3190]

Another great rift lads I have the WiiMPro and I'm looking forward to your rift on it I will say the wiim's internal DAC isn't great but I have mine connected to my separate naim DAC and with that and in my system it sounds really really good for a £120 budget streamer

[@MrVinylista]

Absolutely - it's a great little bit of kit and benefits from a good DAC. We'll be reviewing it soon.

[@EddyTeetree]

Haha I honestly thought it was a clever Japanese sandwich press. Clever for having the glass lid to see if your toasties were ready. Good to know it also makes music 🙂 How about a Riff on your careers in Hifi Journalism. You guys must have some stories. Merry Christmas.

[@timleelim9930]

Wow. It looks just like what turntables of the future should look like 😂

[@johnmalone8790]

These two have probably forgotten more than I'll ever know about Hi-Fi..... Just fascinating 👍

[@TheFibtastic]

I’ve had two of them. They are super cool and… don’t sound that great.

[@vonster22]

I HAVE A SL-J3 AND I LIKE IT ALOT BUT THAT ONE IS BADASS

[@jimfarrell4635]

So after this video, and doing a bit of research, I have dropped a few quid on an SL-L1, which I believe was the first of these types of decks from Technics and is an overengineered, quality record player. It is a wider format than the SL-10 and doesnt play vertically, but is less collectable and so a good bit cheaper. If anyone has experience of these I would be keen to hear your take. It hasnt arrived yet, of course.

[@jimfarrell4635]

Correction. The SL-L1 was not an early premium model, but a more budget model from 1985. I fear I was misled, unintentionally I am sure, by some bloke on KZbin. Having said that, it was cheap, in great condition, sounds very good and I have two other quality tables, so I am happy. Technics naming conventions in the 80s are super confusing. I began to wonder when I noted no way of monitoring the speed, and the fact it did not automatically sense disc size. It also, while well built, did not feel as heavy as I expected.

[@jimfarrell4635]

Ha! Got an actual SL-10 coming tomorrow! The SL-L1 is really good, so looking forward to the real thing. Got it on Cash Converters, a surprisingly good source for vintage hifi. Often cheaper than eBay and they give a 12 month guarantee. Erm, perhaps I should have kept that to myself, though let's face it no one will read this..

[@mescko]

@@jimfarrell4635 I did (read this), and I have an SL-10, but I need to get it sorted as I've yet to test it out. The larger form factor tables to have is the SL-DL1 or SL-QL1 (quartz-lock model). SL-QL15 was the track-programmable version of SL-QL1. So what is your assessment of the 10?

[@swiss889]

Are we having a best of 2023 video?

[@Hi-FiRiff]

Yes - recording it this afternoon :-)

[@swiss889]

@@Hi-FiRiff can't wait 🙌

[@leehazlewoodism]

I just added an SL-10 to my second system in place of the SL-7 that was there. Properly isolated and with a good phono stage, it really sounds excellent. It had an EPC310 cartridge which I've sent off to be repaired so for now I'm slumming it with an EPC-202. The arm drive belt has been changed but I really ought to replace the electrolytic caps. PS the SL-7 was actually heavier than the SL10 despite the plastic lid and had the advantage of being able to manually select the record size with a switch rather than paper discs

[@leehazlewoodism]

Just got the 310MC back from Andy Kim aka Needle Clinic or Phono Cartridge Retipping. He put a new boron cantilever with a microline tip on the cart. It's stunning, $450 well spent

[@thomasvolkl8080]

Thank you guys once again for showing "gems of hifi" like this turntable. It reminds me of my Grundig PS 35 I bought in 1986, which used kind of a similar techique. It was different than most of the other turtables at that time, with its motorized tangential tonearm - but I liked it. What a lovely memory of that time.

[@thevoid7480]

After a very loud but polite discussion about analog vs. digital audio (me being on team digital), I decided that I actually needed to know for myself what I'm talking about, when talking about vinyl. So I looked around and decided to get the SL-10 and found one in absolute mint condition. Unfortunately it doesn't have the MC cartridge, but sounds great nonetheless. I actually bought it from a guy who has his own recording studio and vinyl cutter, so we also had a chat about the mixing & production process of vinyl. I think I couldn't have made a better choice for my first vinyl record player. I still have my digital setup next to it. There's a time and place for analog as there is for digital, and I'm happy to have the choice now. The record player actually broke some weeks later, with me fiddling around for hours, till I found the problem. That experience actually made me like the SL-10 even more. And yes, I do understand now what the fuzz is about vinyl in the 21st century, but I also understand why that is, and how the limitations of the medium can be used to it's advantage when properly mixed.

[@Hi-FiRiff]

Great story 👍😁