The reference-class Technics SL-1000RE-S Direct Drive Turntable System is now available on special order for Australian customers.
Designed for ultimate analog vinyl performance, the SL-1000RE-S has an impressive heritage and continues to provide the reference point for modern high-fidelity turntable technology.
- Ultimate precision is delivered through the legendary direct drive engine redesigned with coreless double stator and twin rotor.
- For uncompromising rotational stability, the heavyweight-class 7.9kg turntable platter utilises inertial mass of approximately 1 ton･
- Users have the versatility to mount 3 different tonearms to match different musical genres.
- The overall impression is a beautifully sculpted showpiece with refined, pristine engineering to satisfy Technics and hi-fi purists.
Aaron Waters, Product Marketing Manager – Audio and Video, Panasonic said: “The new model will be available on order from today, via selected Technics audio specialist retailers. The SL-1000RE-S turntable has a loyal following with audiophiles worldwide, and we’ve already received local enquiries from enthusiasts keen to experience this impressively-engineered model.”
Paul Reid, Managing Director, Panasonic Australia, added: “In further exciting local news, we are also rolling-out Technics components today – an amplifier, speakers and network player. There has been a great response in the market since Technics’ return in late 2019 and I’m pleased to say there is more to come before the end of 2021.”
The Technics SL-1000RE-S Direct Drive Turntable System is priced at $32,999 RRP and is available on special order now via selected Technics audio specialist retailers.
Technics: The Legacy Continues
The great appeal of direct drive technology is its ability to eliminate degradation in sound quality caused by rotation fluctuation and minute vibrations between the motor and transmission mechanism. The SL-1000R is part of a long and successful line of reference case turntable technologies. Technics released the SP-10 as the World’s first Direct Drive Turntable in 1970 and its superb performance and reliability quickly made the SP series both the go-to turntable for broadcast stations and the holy grail of audiophiles worldwide. Committed to creating an emotionally-engaging experience and delivering the power of music to all, Technics has been at the heart of music performance for decades. From the emergence to success of hip hop, enabling the fast rise of celebrity DJs, and allowing audiophiles to hear music exactly as the creators wished, it has been and shall remain the brand that leaders in their field turn to for exceptional performance and reliability.
Achieving Optimal Performance With An Exceptional Tonearm And Base
The Technics SL-1000R system features an S-type universal tonearm with a lightweight, high damping magnesium tonearm pipe. The gimbal suspension construction tonearm uses high-precision bearings, and highly-skilled craftsmen handle all assembly and adjustments to achieve a high initial-motion sensitivity to precisely trace the grooves cut into the records. To further ensure the production of highly-vivid sounds, OFC is used for internal wiring, so that the music signal relayed from the cartridge is not dampened and the musical energy cut into the record is not lost.
The tonearm base, to which the tonearm is mounted, is strongly integrated with the turntable. To safeguard exceptional tonearm performance, the tonearm bearings, turntable bearings and needle position remain constant – providing a structure in which the vibration caused by the rigidity of the turntable base materials has minimal effect.
Coreless Direct Drive Motor
The double coil twin rotor-type coreless direct drive motor has coils on both sides for 12-pole, 18-coil drive, and high enough torque to drive the heavyweight-class platter. This achieves stable rotation of 0.015% wow and flutter or less, which is considered to be the measurement limit.
Suppressing Unwanted Motor Vibration
The motor that was developed for the SL-1200G served as the platform for the direct drive motor. The double coil, reinforced thrust bearings, and a chassis with increased rigidity achieved a stabilised motor with low centre of gravity. By positioning two stainless steel weights with high rigidity and high specific gravity at the bottom of the chassis, the rigidity and low centre of gravity are maintained. These thorough measures to prevent unwanted vibration help to achieve overwhelming rotary precision and improve signal to noise ratio (S/N).
Heavyweight-Class Turntable Platter
The turntable platter positions tungsten weights, which have an extremely high specific weight and are difficult to process, on the outer periphery of a 10-mm-thick brass weight. The brass weight is laminated onto the aluminium die-cast, giving the platter a total weight of approximately 7.9 kg and an inertial mass of approximately 1 ton･cm. A deadening rubber for eliminating unwanted vibration is also attached to the rear surface to form a 3-layer construction and achieve high rigidity and excellent vibration damping characteristics.
Separate Control Unit
To achieve further noise reduction, the control unit is separated from the main unit and its switching power supply is equipped with a unique technology that provides a voltage supply with minimal noise by a newly developed “unwanted noise reduction circuit”. In addition, the communication between the main unit and the control unit is engineered to resist the effects of external noise while increasing reliability. These noise-reduction measures enable the turntable to achieve the world’s highest level S/N.
Minute Adjustment and Indication of Rotations
This turntable supports not only LP (33 1/3 rpm) and EP (45 rpm) analogue records, but also SP (78 rpm). Rotation (rpm) can also be set down to two decimal places (maximum ±16%) from the control unit. The OLED display is also capable of displaying rotation with accuracy down to two decimal places, so the user can both hear and see extremely precise rotation.
A Rigid Cabinet and High Damping Silicon Insulator
The cabinet has a 2-layer construction consisting of BMC (bulk molding compound) and a 30-mm-thick aluminium top panel. The turntable part is a 3-layer construction comprising BMC, aluminium die-cast, and a 25-mm-thick aluminium top panel. This gives the system a construction of 5 layers of different materials to ensure sufficient rigidity. The insulator that supports the cabinet is a special silicon rubber that combines high vibration damping characteristics and long-term reliability. Reinforcement with a cylindrical tube made of a microcell polymer absorbs vibrations in the horizontal direction. These parts are contained in a zinc die-cast housing with high specific gravity, for isolation from external vibrations.
For more information please see: technics.com/au