Coreless Direct Drive Motor
At the center of our direct drive turntable is an advanced motor derived from the coreless direct drive design first introduced with the trailblazing SL-1200G in 2016. This drive system has been thoroughly reworked and upgraded for even higher performance. The latest double-coil, twin-rotor coreless direct drive motor positions coils on both sides of the rotor, delivering a 12-pole, 18-coil configuration with powerful torque that easily drives the heavyweight platter, which tips the scales at approximately 7.9 kg.
The opposing coils are arranged with a 60-degree offset, which substantially improves the rigidity of the mounting substrate. This layout suppresses micro-vibrations and lowers self-inductance, enabling exceptionally stable rotation with wow and flutter held to 0.015% or less—effectively approaching the bounds of measurable accuracy. Supporting the massive platter, the thrust bearings employ a specially formulated high-performance plastic that delivers both outstanding stiffness and long-term durability. The result is a turntable engineered for reference-level precision, rotational stability, and consistent high-end performance.
Suppressing Unwanted Motor Vibration
Our direct drive motor concept originates from the ingenious design of the SL-1200G's motor, which serves as the technological blueprint for this model. Building on that foundation, we incorporated a dual-coil structure, highly rigid thrust bearings, and a reinforced chassis to create a motor unit with a very low center of gravity and rock-solid stability. A crucial design element is the installation of two stainless steel weights—chosen for their exceptional rigidity and high specific gravity—at the lowest section of the chassis. This careful placement preserves both structural strength and a low center of mass. By systematically controlling unwanted vibrations through these measures, we have attained motor rotation accuracy of an extraordinary level, significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio and elevating overall sonic clarity.
Heavyweight-class Turntable Platter
The platter design combines multiple materials to achieve both mass and damping. Tungsten weights—chosen for their extremely high density and demanding machining requirements—are arranged around the perimeter of a 10-mm-thick brass weight ring. This brass element is securely bonded to an aluminum die-cast body, yielding a total platter weight of about 7.9 kg and an impressive moment of inertia of roughly 1 ton·cm. To further suppress resonance, a specially formulated damping rubber is applied to the rear surface, creating a sophisticated 3-layer composite structure. This multilayer construction enhances overall rigidity while providing superb vibration absorption, allowing the platter to rotate with exceptional stability and minimal intrusion from external or self-generated vibrations.
Separate Control Unit
The pursuit of the cleanest possible audio reproduction is reflected in the architecture of the system. The control unit is physically separated from the main turntable assembly to minimize electrical and mechanical noise reaching the sensitive analog components. To supply the high-torque drive with optimal power regulation, we employ a carefully engineered switching power supply. This supply is further refined with an original "unwanted noise reduction circuit," which delivers a particularly clean DC output. The resulting low-noise supply helps prevent interference from propagating toward the pickup and signal path. In addition, the communication link between the turntable and the control unit uses a robust, noise-resistant protocol designed to withstand external disturbances during data transfer. Together, these strategies yield a remarkably high signal-to-noise ratio and position the system among the most refined turntable solutions available.
Minute Adjustment and Indication of Rotations
This turntable is designed to support a wide spectrum of analog formats, including standard LP (33 1/3 rpm), single EP (45 rpm) records, and the classic SP (78 rpm) format. For precise speed control, the rotational frequency can be finely adjusted in increments down to two decimal places, within a range of up to ±16% using the control unit. The integrated OLED display reflects these adjustments in real time, showing speed values with the same two-decimal-place resolution, so you can visually confirm the exact rpm while listening. This high degree of accuracy ensures faithful pitch and timing reproduction, allowing the music’s dynamics and subtleties to be presented exactly as intended.
High-sensitivity Tonearm
Technics continues its longstanding tradition of precise record tracking with a static-balance, S-type universal tonearm. The arm tube is crafted from lightweight, high-damping magnesium, enabling accurate tracing of groove modulations while minimizing resonances. Its gimbal suspension mechanism incorporates ultra-precise bearings, which contribute to extremely low friction and high tracking accuracy. Expert Japanese technicians handle the assembly and calibration of each tonearm, carefully adjusting it to achieve exceptionally high initial-motion sensitivity so that even the most delicate groove information is picked up. Inside the arm, OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) wiring is used to carry the signal from the cartridge, maintaining signal integrity and preserving the musical vitality captured in the recording. Combined, these choices result in vivid, lifelike sound reproduction that honors the original performance.
Tonearm Base
The tonearm base is structurally integrated with the turntable chassis, reflecting our emphasis on mechanical integrity. This integrated approach ensures a rigid, stable link between the platter section and the tonearm, maintaining precise geometric relationships among the tonearm bearings, platter bearings, and stylus position. By stabilizing these reference points, the design reduces the influence of vibrations transmitted through the base materials and allows the tonearm to perform at its full potential. For users seeking a more tailored setup, an optional tonearm base can be added. This extension broadens compatibility beyond the supplied arm, accommodating a variety of short or long tonearms from renowned brands such as SME and Ortofon. In total, up to three tonearms, including the standard one, can be mounted, providing exceptional flexibility while preserving the precision and performance standards of the system.
