In 2010, Panasonic made the odd decision to stop producing the Technics SL-1200MK2, a turntable that's as much a part of pop culture as it is one of the most revered and reliable ever made. DJs, who depended on the 1200's powerful direct drive motor and solid tone arm to manipulate the sound of records without skipping, had to rely on the second hand market or alternative brands if they needed a new scratch machine. Although, given that units made in the '70s are still going strong, perhaps there wasn't as big a need for Panasonic to keep making the 1200s as the online petitions claimed.
Still, six years on, Panasonic has decided that now's the time to bring back the legendary SL-1200 turntable, Technics branding included. There is a limited-edition 50th Anniversary Grand Class SL-1200GAE, which is limited to 1200 units and goes on sale this summer, and a non-limited Grand Class 1200G, which goes on sale towards the tail end of the year. Panasonic promises DJ-level reliability and audiophile-grade sound quality from both models.
Audiophile-grade sound quality isn't typically associated with the 1200, thanks to its use of a direct drive motor, as opposed to the belt-driven motor often used in an audiophile turntable. The high-torque direct drive motor is excellent for stability, very low wow and flutter (how much the pitch varies during playback), and swift start/stop speeds, but has been criticised in the past for suffering from "cogging," where small speed fluctuations from the motor are transferred though the stylus, causing a degradation in sound quality.
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