Technics SL-1300G turntable

By: Alan Sircom [hi-fi+ Issue 241]

Technics and the direct-drive turntable are intrinsically linked. This is not surprising; the company has been producing direct-drive turntables since 1970, and as long as ‘Technics’ has existed, so too have ‘Technics direct-drive turntables’. No longer dismissed as mere ‘DJ decks’, this range requires no introduction, though a brief explanation is warranted today. Excluding the pure DJ SL-1200/1210 Mk7 turntables, the range is categorised into Premium, Grand, and Reference classes. The SL-1300G is the latest model in the mid-tier Grand class.

This range is evolving, transitioning from the third generation of turntables (released in 2016) to the fourth, which began with the SL-1200/1210GR2 launched in 2023. The SL-1300G is the next model to receive the fourth-generation treatment. It differs from the SL-1200/1210GR2 because it eliminates speed adjustment and the strobe for enhanced rigidity and features a balanced brass and aluminium platter. In other words, this represents the quintessential audiophile Technics in the emerging Grand class. And ‘grand’ it truly is.

The Generation Game

A brief overview of these four generations is appropriate. The first generation dates back to 1970 and originally featured only the SP-10 turntable design. Nine years later, the second generation emerged, introducing quartz-locked speed control. This innovation produced the iconic SL-1200 Mk2 turntable, which became the standard for every DJ for 30 years. Despite advancements in the fundamental design, the brand had to wait until 2016 to transition to a third-generation design.

Two years after the Technics brand reemerged following its hiatus in 2010, Technics introduced its most significant change in a generation by developing a new coreless motor and digital speed control to eliminate cogging effects. Furthermore, it constructed its turntables to a higher standard with improved tolerances throughout.