DirectDrive Museum - Technics

National/Technics is one of the pioneers in developing Direct-Drive turntables. This was the brand name under which the big japanese company Matsushita became a big player in the audio business back in the 60s. 1969 Technics introduced the first direct-drive deck, the Technics SP-10. Successfull as it was Technics developed a number of decks in the 70s that are considered among the best Direct-Drives ever built. In common sense the sonics of the quarz-controlled models of the second half of the 70s are better than their ancestors. Besides the famous SP-Series which were all offered without a plinth there was also the SL-series with some of them offered without a tonearm which will make for quite a good deck even today.

Technics SP-10 Mk1

This is the grandfather of all Direct-Drive turntables the famous Technics SP-10Mk1. Rarely seen today its sonics do not match those of the later models in fact ist sonics are inferior to a Thorens TD-125. The motor was controlled by reading fluctuations of speed of the platter by a tachometer and comparing that signal to an electronic reference signal. So the speed has to drift a little before it is regulated again. These effects are audible with critical program like classical music or piano-concerts. The power-supply unlike the later SP-10MkII is located in the deck and the motor has not the ultimate torque of the later models. Rarely seen the Technics SP-10Mk2 is more interesting for collectors than for audiophiles. The price for a good model may even reach 400,- to 500,- dollars.

Technics SP-10 Mk2

This is the legend with thousands of them on daily duty in radio-stations, recording-studios, clubs and audiophiles. The PLL-Quarz controlled motor-regulation works almost perfect the motor has unbelievable torque which won't even slow down when 500 carts with 2,0ponds each would be put on the platter.
The electronics of the SP-10Mk2 consists of an impressible 108 transistors, 14 ICs and 32 diodes and condensators.
Construction and build quality was almost perfect and achieved such a steady turning of the platter that even most of todays decks simply fail to have. Sonically the SP-10 has a razor-sharp precision, an effortless authority, stable imaging even with loud orchestra-passages and astounding dynamics. For me it's one of the best decks ever built and compared to its sonic qualities its price on the 2nd hand market is quite moderate at 400,- Dollars up. SP-10Mk2s are quite common even today as masses of them where used everywhere in professional and home audio. There is also a professional version of this deck it goes by the name SP-10Mk2P which featured adjustable speeds. Below you see the power-supply SH-10EP and the combined regulator and phono-preamp SH-10U which houses parts of the motor-electronics.

Some SP-10s were modified by broadcasting-stations - mostly some kind of remote-control was established. Take care that this remote-control comes with the deck! A BBC-version SP-10Mk2 without remote-control will not start at all!

Technics SL-1000

This is the domestic version of the SP-10Mk2 comin with a not so bad plinth made out of obsidian (SH10-B3 and SH-10B7). If you come across a SL-1000 on the 2nd hand-market you'll discover that unlike the naked SP-10Mk2 these decks will fetch very high prices around 1200-1500,- Dollars. The plinth and the tonearm EPA-100 do not justify these high prices sonically.

And finally here is the professional version of the SL-1000, the SL-1000P:

Technics SP-10 MkIII

Now this is the ultimative SP-10 introduced in 1981 mostly for asian audiomaniacs. It was sold at the same time like the Mk2 which remained the standard for professionals until the end of the 80s. The platter weighs a whopping 20pds and is bolted to the motor. There are rumours that the motor of the Mk3 had such a high torque that it was able to spin the platter with a man standing on it... Mk3s are very expensive and outside of asia they're almost impossible to find.

Technics SP-10 / Kaneta

Akito Kaneta modified a Technics SP-10 and published the results. The result is an advanced concept. For details look at the Kaneta-Pages.

Technics SP-12

Now this is a real rare bird, the almost unknown Technics SP-12.

Technics SP-15 / SP-20 / SP-25

These are the little brothers of the SP-10 with the SP-20 introduced in 1976 seems to be a bit of a mystique deck as I never came across one.

The SP-15 from 1979 and the SP-25 are very good decks but lacking the last bits of bullet-proof build-quality and sonic performance of the SP-10. As they are not considerable cheaper than the original I would opt to go for an SP-10Mk2. Above you see an SP-25 in its full glory complete with plinth and the EPA-500 tonearm which featured changeable armtubes. As the armtube together with all weights is changed you have the possibility to change between various carts in a few seconds. Keep in mind that armtubes for the EPA-500 now are very rare and hard to find.