Technics, the audio brand of Japanese giant Panasonic, has today announced that its Grand Class Direct Drive Turntable System SL-1200G will release in Autumn 2016 (or Spring if you're in Australia).
The announcement follows the release of the limited edition SL-1200GAE, which saw its limited run of 300 sell out in just half an hour when it was released in Japan. 900 units were later released worldwide.
We were first introduced to the SL-1200G at CES earlier this year. The turntable may be using a vintage music format, but its design and construction employs a number of modern innovations to overcome issues that have historically been associated with the format.
Vintage sound without vintage problems
Older turntables have historically seen their sound suffer due to vibrations of the motor and rotational speed fluctuations, which creates a problem known as 'cogging'.
However the SL-1200G includes unique microprocessor controlled high-precision rotary positioning sensors, which work to eliminate vibrations introduced by the turntable's motor. The problem of cogging is also reduced by the motor's lack of an iron core.
In addition, an encoder at the bottom of the motor detects the rotating angle of the platter to smooth rotary control according to Technics. The platter itself is a three-layered construction consisting of heavy layers of brass and aluminium, and a rubber layer to further reduce unwanted vibrations.
Vinyl has seen a renaissance in recent years, with the format being prized amongst collectors for its analogue sound. However with the recent news that almost half of people that buy vinyl records don't end up playing them the renaissance may be more about aesthetics than audio quality.
Technics have been producing record players for 50 years, but the brand recently lay dormant until 2014 when Panasonic re-launched it.
The SL-1200G will release in Autumn 2016 for £2,799 (around $4,000).
