Technic Parts - Update...

[optic]

So it seems the wonderful people @ Technics, actually Panasonic, or even more so Matsushita Corp (the parent company of them all), has decided to start discontinuing parts for the famed SL1200MK2 / SL1210MK2 turntables. They've started by discontinuing all of the Circuit Boards, asking technicians to repair any issues at the component level on the board. The problem is that some of these components are now also being discontinued. More specifically they are discontinuing some very important IC's (Integrated Circuits), which are pretty much what makes this unit so powerful.

So, now what? We have a lot of Technics 1200 series turntables just sitting in the shop, waiting for repair, but we can't do anything because we can't get parts. We are trying to see if the MK5 or M5G parts will work, but haven't performed any tests as of yet.

Common issues with the main board that affect these units are irregular pitch / drive issues:
- spins too fast
- spins too slow
- extremely slow start up
- washing machine affect (back and forth jerking)
- wont stop when the start/stop button is pressed

All of these issues are directly related to one or more of the ICs on the main board. So if you are experiencing any of these issues, I thought it would be good to know what your up against.

Not sure what the plan is, but we were told by a sales rep @ Matsushita, they eventually want to phase out the MK2, and even the MK5 - which is the purpose for the MK6 release!

- O

[sooperdj]

I had a pair of 1200's from 1987-2000, they never let me down, but I finally sold them for $500 and bought a pair for the Denon Digital DJ151(not sure bout that model #) turntables with the SPDIF digital coax output, so I could begin converting my huge vinyl collection to digital. By using the Denon's with a high end sound card and the SPDIF digital output from the turntable direct to my soundcard, I'm very happy with the results. The Denon turntables themselves are very comparable to the 1200's but they also have the option of line or phone output, and the line output feature, enable a key adjust, just like the Denon CD decks which is very nice. I still have a place in my heart for the old 1200's but, I had to let them go for the new technology. As far as the new USB turntables, I don't thing the quality will match up to Denon's SPDIF output, but I'll have to check them out.

[optic]

Seems there is a lot of buzz on this topic. At last check there were 300+ sites linking to this specific post. Wow. Didn't realize we hit a nerve.

To give everyone an update on the Technics issue...

Technics was discontinued by Matsushita about 15 years ago, with the exception of it's DJ Line. The DJ Line itself is still very profitable for Matsushita, so they wont touch it.

THE CHANGES:
The SL1200MK2 and MK5 are discontinued. Production of the MK2 stopped about 3 years ago (2005). What they are selling now, is what they have in stock. The MK5 stopped being produced last year (2008), and both models will be replaced by the SL1200MK6 / SL-1210MK6 models. Prices for the MK2 and MK5 have increased DRAMATICALLY - An astounding 40-60% in many markets. Putting the price of the MK2 at well over $550 - where previously, you could obtain a brand new one in the $400-450 range - depending on where you bought it. We sold them for $430/ea. Now we are forced to sell @ $550/ea.

THE REASONS:
It's not that Technics/Matsushita is shutting down the DJ Line. They are adapting to market & global changes which affect their bottom line. The most important change in the new MK6 models are the materials used in the production of these new units. Mainly the less toxic chemicals used to develop the Printed Circuit Boards - which explains the reason why they have discontinued ALL PC Boards for previous models. They are TOXIC. All PC Boards are toxic, but due to WEEE and RoHS directives - essentially banning the sale of any electronic equipment which do not adhere to these strict guidelines - it will affect MULTIPLE markets for Matsushita - Europe, Asia, Americas, etc.

THE FUTURE:
The SL1200MK6 and SL1210MK6 are slated for arrival in the European markets by Jan/Feb 2010 - and scheduled for the America's by March/April 2010 - there are many sites out there taking Pre-Orders for these, but be aware, these are just estimate dates. They are not Confirmed dates.

MK2 owners... just hope that IC301 does not go bad. The only way to get this part now is to purchase the entire Main PC Board, which is a $180 part, and only available to authorized service centers. We have a waiting list for these boards, for the multiple units we have here that need them. Current wait is anywhere from 4-8 months for the board. In addition, many other parts for the MK2 have been discontinued. Luckily, we are still able to use many of the MK5 parts, but now they are slowly discontinuing those as well.

MK5 owners... you don't have much to fear. However, most of the MK5's have the new PC Boards on them, which are essentially garbage compared to the older MK2 boards. The IC's perform more functions, and if they fail, you'll see a whole slew of issues with your unit. IC failure has been very common in the MK5 models compared to the MK2 series.

M5G owners... you also don't have much to fear. The PC Boards used in these models are RoHS compliant, and no parts have been discontinued for this model (not yet).

FROM MATSUSHITA:
We've been told by our Matsushita contact that the M5G and the MK6 will be the only available models in production.

So there you have. Straight from the Horses Mouth.

[optic]

In addition, when I went to Panasonic NJ to get my re-certification for Technics, the Technics 'division' was reduced, and only run by 2 people. 2 years ago, it was operated by 8 people. 6 years ago, it was an office with about 20 people working Technics USA.

I was told that I was the LAST Technics Authorized Service Technician in the USA as of July 2009. My certification would only be extended until 2012, before I would have to switch it over to a Panasonic level certification ---- which I could care less about. I don't work on DVD players or Plasma's. I work on Technics.

Whatever, we'll still support.

[Scotty]

Hello optic!

I'm looking for a new reliable turntable for studio work and the Technics 1210 is on top of my list.

The SL1200MK6 and SL1210MK6 are slated for arrival in the European markets by Jan/Feb 2010 - and scheduled for the America's by March/April 2010 - there are many sites out there taking Pre-Orders for these, but be aware, these are just estimate dates. They are not Confirmed dates.

Any updates regarding the SL1210MK6?

BTW what are the exact differences between the M5G and the MK6? My Japanese is simply too bad to figure it out by my own and it also doesn't unveil what's really under the hood (you know the electronic parts). Do you already have any experience with the MK6 model?

Are all Technics 1210 models share the same headshell? I would like to install a Shure M44-7-H system as well from time to time, since my old pal Steve Hoffman highly recommended it for older records (or airplay).

Is it correct that the Technics SL-1210M5G and SL-1200GLD models are identical except the "gold"?

IC failure has been very common in the MK5 models compared to the MK2 series.

Does the M5G has more reliable PC Boards than the discontinued MK5 model?

Many thanks for your help in advance.

Best
"Scotty"

[optic]

The main change with the MK5 to the MK6 is ROHS compliance with its electronics. Meaning, they are not as toxic as they use to be.

The problem... well, we don't know if these new technologies are reliable - they just haven't been tested or on the market long enough. Only time will tell in regards to any failures that occur.

I'm 100% for saving the planet, etc, but we are in the testing phases of anything right now, and we just wont know how these new planet friendly technologies will affect things.

For instance, take Lead-Free Solder. Yes, it's a great that it's Lead-Free, but the downfall of it currently is that it doesn't bond as well as the old stuff. So we'll see a lot of cold solder joints, cracked solder, etc. It will be some time before they can actually make something that works. So, for now, I just use an extractor, a simple mask, and that's it. The fumes are minimized, and the quality is not suffered.

As for the MK6's boards being better.... again, only time will tell.

The headshells are the same on all models - same quality.

No word on the official U.S. release of the MK6 turntables as of yet! Nor information on when parts will become available.