Technics SP 10R Direct Drive Turntable With CTO/Chief Engineer Tetsuya (Tony) Itani

At the 2017 Tokyo International Audio Show, Technics' CTO/Chief Engineer Tetsuya (Tony) Itani talks with AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer about the still in the developmental stage new SP-10R Direct Drive turntable.

[@XjunkieNL]

Amazing to see the back wall with all the parts that make up a SL-1200G. The engineering on this turntable is incredible. These guys were very seriously about reintroducing the SL-1200. Thnaks for showing, Michael. All the best. /Paul

[@kwd-kwd]

when this gets released, we need another Technics VS The Caliburn!

[@gojdartamas34]

Even hearing the turntable from the background was fantastic!

[@dippin1523]

Technics is serious with these tables, very serious

[@sw247x5]

That is sleek as it looks, very nice. Looking forward to seeing the final finish.

[@karaokedogs2618]

Very cool video 👍. Thank you, Michael!

[@leyland9999]

Thank you for this video!! So good also to hear Carly Simon again! Just a small piece of critisism though. The original SL-1200 design has never been developped for the DJ spcifically. At the time it was a top quality design for both private and studio use. So it had to be sturdy and easy to operate. Its tone arm could acommodate a very wide range of cartridges with a clear limit as for those having very high compliances like the ADC XLM or the Stanton 881-S. These did not feel quite comfortable on the standard SL-1200 tone arm. Having said that, later on another end user group appeared on the scene: yes, the DJ. At the time, the SL-1200 design was about the only turntable that could withstand the abuse and terror it had to undergo in the hands of the turntabelists. If it wasn't for the SL-1200, records were extinct I guess. But we may disagree on that one! Kind greetings from Hekelingen, Holland. Oh, by the way, I have sold and set up more than 150 new SL-1200's during my time as a retailer. It was during the final days of the LP record. And the very last one I sold, was the one I still have here. It is working like new and performs without any difference next to its end of the line production unit. Bought that one in 2010. Bye!

[@AceTechHD]

leyland9999 Technics forever!

[@felixokeefe]

Very happy to see Technics making a comeback. Very good news for Hi-Fi in general.

[@kudalaMangalooru]

@ 12:57 Fremer says " Can I have any? " LOL :) Mike, you will need another house to 'house' all these records! :) Great video! Even greater one was the one you shot in your home showing your amazing audio gear. Thanks. :)

[@vinylcity1599]

Wow, an amazing machine! Very nice classical record's!

[@PorscheChile]

Awesome video....Michael....thank you..... I love Technics.........

[@rickg8015]

Lol on the dustcover.. Impressive engineering on that wall - bling on the inside. That TOTL AT cart is the business.

[@neverknowit11]

In the background is a cello playing Kol Nidre.

[@albertbalendran5513]

Mike, thx for the clip. I too wanted to know if Technics still had all their foundry of the SP 10 and you just clarified that for me.

[@technics-n-thuiast8346]

Awesome video. SP 10R is really something Technics needed to complete its Reference system portfolio. For those who are wondering about the price, a source I can not disclose right now says 16-18k euros in EU. That buys you a complete turntable, platter, power supply, tonearm and the plinth. For some unexplainable reason, i can see those Japanese audiophiles dropping this into one of those stereograms:)....and that is kinda cool to me. Wait a minute, let us see them pics too:))))

[@shannabint3399]

OMG I need one.

[@ProjectOverseer]

Hope you get to review the SP10R ... 👍

[@jaapaap5]

hope to see this TT in munich in mai.

[@theaudiophilecorner]

With the reintroduction of the sp-10, I hope technics will reintroduce the sp-25 / 15 which were awesome turntables.

[@michaelhorgan9525]

Would not be difficult as the 25 could be based on the 1200GR and the 15 based on the 1200G.

[@matereo]

They should have demoed with the nagaoka MP500.. Perfect for the new 1200G .

[@seeyouinmist3924]

far better demo than the UK technics guys at the Bristol Hifi Show!

[@stevenhudson2928]

The big band song is Sing, Sing, Sing. That specific version, according to Siri, is Malta & Sumida Big Band, but Benny Goodman may have been the original artist.

[@terrywho22]

Louis Prima wrote the music and lyrics, but yeah, its Benny Goodman's instrumental version that we all are all familiar with.

[@movixproductions]

Hey Michael, which Microphone are you using to capture audio? Impressive sound field.

[@madeinengland6784]

Is this square mounting hole like mk2 or round like mk3? Looks round.

[@ianmedium]

Michael. Due to crappy computer speakers I can´t make out the beautiful Cello piece playing. Could you tell me what it is, I would love to buy a copy.

[@thegrimyeaper]

Buy less crappy speakers first.

[@ianmedium]

I see no point in watching KZbin videos with expensive speakers and external DAC´s unless the up-loader has recorded with high quality recording gear and had no compression from KZbin. 95% of KZbin videos are compressed and no matter what external DAC or speakers you use crap in is still crap out! Like the old days of radio KZbin for me is a way to hear new music so that I can buy it then play it on my proper replay system and enjoy it! My basic little Logitech speakers are more than good enough for the crap audio that comes from KZbin!

[@Flux799]

Spend 70,000 on pc speakers.

[@ianmedium]

Thanks Michael. Trust you to do the best you can with the limitations of youtube. Every time I think about investing in a DAC and better speakers for this I think of how I only watch youtube with music on my computer and think the money is better spent on upgrading my proper system instead. As I said in my comment, I am an old enough old fart to remember listening to the BBC when I grew up in the UK to get an idea for new music and stuff I liked I went out and bought so good old medium wave (am) was good enough just as what I have to listen to music on youtube is good enough. If the music gets to my heart then the wallet comes out and not only do I get to enjoy new music but the artists gets something as well, old fashioned I know! Thank you for all that you do in forwarding good music reproduction. It took real guts to stick to your guns all those years and I hope you realise that taking that risk is a big reason for the resurgence of vinyl and good systems to get the most out of the emotional investment a musician makes when they create their art!

[@Nextolic]

It's Kol Nidrei, Op.47 by Max Bruch. I prefer the Pablo Casals version which sounds like the one playing. The other versions always sound too rushed to me. Pierre Fournier version is pretty good too.

[@johnmartin996]

Thanks for this video Michael ...... Great first edgy question, love it! I'm probably ahead of myself here and we''ll have too wait for the final version, normally I'm a positive kinda guy, but I'm not convinced, smacks of insincerity to me.... The new Technics 1200G has 3.3kg of torque, double this to 6.6kg for the new sp10 R as stated in the video, compared with the old MK2 which is 9kg and the MK3 a massive 16kg of torque... not that it's all about torque, right? We'll wait and hear how it sounds.... would love a side by side comparison with either a mk2 or mk3 in a Albert Porter plinth or a straight shoot out with a Artisan Fidelity sp10 ..... Still there are some positives to the new sp10 r - modern styling and a new looking platter.... whoosh!

[@karaokedogs2618]

It is easier to produce more torque with a cored motor (original SL1200 and SP10 series), but the torque ripple (a.k.a cogging) tends to be higher (although this can be partly mitigated with slotless rotors or skewed coils). A coreless motor (SL-1200G, SP-10R) is the opposite - the lack of iron in the coil formers makes it more difficult to produce torque, but the rotational smoothness is improved. In their old turntable series, Technics emphasized torque, and quick starting speeds (which is what made these desirable for radio stations and DJs). The new turntable series is placing a higher priority on smoother rotation, with Technics compensating for the reduced torque of coreless motors by increasing the motor diameter (SL-1200G), also stacking the coils (SP-10R). Clearly Technics is not attempting to simply rehash their old designs, but improve them.

[@johnmartin996]

Hey Karaoke Dogs, thanks for taking the time and explaining, very interesting.... I do have a question, doesn't that torque help keep the pitch stability of the TT?

[@karaokedogs2618]

John, I don't believe that much torque is required to maintain pitch stability. For example, the oft-lauded JVC TT-101 only had 1.2kg/cm. Subjectively, however, the low-torque DD turntables with lighter platters (examples include Sony TTS-8000, JVC TT-101) tend to be a bit less capable at conveying rhythm and dynamics than similarly low-torque DD turntables with heavier platters (examples include Yamaha's GT-2000 series, which used JVC-designed coreless motors). That said, evidence suggests that the arm-cartridge fundamental resonance frequency and how effectively the resonance is damped plays a bigger role in pitch stability than has been previously assumed. If you don't mind over 70 pages of technical discussion and mathematics, I highly recommend reading the "Turntable speed stability" thread on diyAudio. www.diyaudio.com/forums/analogue-source/309349-turntable-speed-stabilty.html

[@johnmartin996]

thanks .... diyaudio always has interesting bits and bobs! will give this some reading....

[@technics-n-thuiast8346]

As far as I know, new SP10 R is to have 9.7kg of torque. Plater weights at 7.85kg. That is the info i have on it. But keep in mind that this is the mockup only. Still in R&D phase.

[@viveka8966]

Thanks for the nice interview and specially for the 1200G detais! Any guess about the big band record playing in the background during part of the interview???

[@Malangsufi]

Anyone know what the music playing in the background?

[@delukxy]

Big band jazz, Buddy Rich? Female vocal is posted as Carly Simon, I assume her new album.

[@Nextolic]

If you mean the cello, it's Kol Nidrei, Op.47 by Max Bruch.

[@NascimentoBrasil]

SL 1000R is a good turntable, but the manufacturer should remember the thousands of consumers who spent thousands of dollars to buy the SP10MK3 (I bought) and now need the MN6042 IC to get back to work! Techinics, do you help us with the repositioning of this IC or should we throw in the trash, our beloved turntables?

[@andrejensen7837]

When I look at this and my lp12 , the lp12 looks like a joke.

[@HermieDaddy]

Michael..so sad your lack of engineering understanding and fraility of mind..