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It’s not for DJs.
Since the Technics turntable was revived back in 2015, potential buyers have had to come to terms with the fact that they cost a lot of money – $1,699 is the starting price for the entry-level SL-1200GR model, launched in 2017. The company’s latest turntables are even more expensive though – up to $20,000 a piece.
The two new models – unveiled at CES in Las Vegas – are reboots of the classic SP-10 and SL-1000 decks aimed at audiophiles and home listeners with money to burn. According to Trusted Reviews, the new SP-10R will set you back $10,000 and the SL-1000R will cost $20,000.
So what do you get for this premium price tag? Well, the SP-10R is powered by a coreless direct drive motor, with the rubber-dampened aluminium platter stabilized by a 10mmm brass weight, giving it a mass of 7.9kg. Wow and flutter is a low 0.015 percent, and Technics promises low background noise and a clearer audio signal. However, you’ll need to pay extra for a tonearm, though it is backwards compatible with the previous models.
The SL-1000R adds a base and S-shaped tone arm alongside a dust cover and tungsten peripheral weights. Whether that’s all worth $20,000 is debatable, but it sure does look shiny.
Despite these high price tags, there could be hope for those of us without a spare $10k lying around. Technics has been known to release more realistically priced versions of its turntables after the premium models have dropped – though it’s likely that wouldn’t happen until 2019 at the earliest.
Read next: The 8 best budget turntables that won’t ruin your records
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