Latest Technics turntable is a more affordable successor to the SL-1500C

Technics SL-100C
(Image credit: Technics)

Legendary turntable brand Technics has announced it’s adding a new entry-level deck to its product lineup, the SL-100C.

Technics says the turntable will act as a more affordable successor to the excellent SL-1500C, maintaining its older sibling’s winning combination of value, sound quality and compatibility.

To keep costs down, the company has dropped the phono stage of its predecessor and fitted the SL-100C with a different cartridge, Audio-Technica's VM95C, while retaining the same iron-coreless direct-drive motor and S-shaped aluminum tonearm. 

The SL-100C will also come equipped with the same two-layer platter design, along with a high-rigidity cabinet and high-damping insulator which Technics claims will minimize vibrations and ensure a smooth vinyl-tracking process.

What’s more, the aforementioned aluminum tonearm (which looks just as great before, by the way) will come with an auto-lift function to lessen the risk of needle wear-out – though this is a feature we expect to see on most of the best turntables you can buy today.

The SL-100C will be available in Europe from June 2021, and retail for £799 (around $1,100 / AU$1,450) at launch, with global availability still to be confirmed. That's not cheap by any means, but is still about $100 / £100 less than its predecessor.

Entry-level value

When it comes to mixing with the best decks out there, the SL-100C isn’t likely to make a scratch on the competition, not least the best turntable of 2021, the Pro-Ject Carbon Debut Evo

That said, it’s intended as a more budget-friendly alternative from a brand which boasts some of the most established heritage in the turntable industry.

If the SL-100C is anything like its predecessor, sound-staging will be impressive, and individual instruments will be given the space to make their presence felt. It looks pretty damn good, too – like something you’d be happy enough to sit and stare at, let alone listen to. 

Axel Metz
Senior Staff Writer

Axel is a London-based Senior Staff Writer at TechRadar, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest movies as part of the site's daily news output. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. 


Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.