Looking at getting a Technics SLBD-22 Turntable for X-Mas (1 Viewer)

[Brett DiMichele]

Hey Gang,

Does anyone here have any of the SL Series Turn Tabes?

I know the MK's are really the best from Technics but I
am not willing to spend $700.00 for a new one, I could get
a Thorens for $500.00 if I was going to spend that kind of
money..

The SLBD-22 is a straight double gimball tonearm with a
P-Mount Headshell Belt Driven with an FGServo motor Anti
Resonant Cabinent and aluminium platter, it also has a
built in stroboscope for 33.3 and 45 rpm. It's a semi auto
table.. Looks to be very well built and very affordable at
$189.00

I was also looking at tipping the tonearm with an Audio
Technica P-Mount moving coil cartridge ($70.00)

Before I even set up and use the turn table I will remove
the stock harness and solder in a good set of RCA's and I
also want to put some brass spike and isolation pads under
the chasis.

Think this will be a decent table for minimal investment?
It's not going to be used to transfer vinyl to cd just to
listen to some vinyl occasionaly.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Well I went ahead and ordered the toys tonight..
Crutchfield wanted $189.99 for the table and $70.00 for
the stylus. I went to J&R and got the table for $169.00
and the stylus for $42.00 and saved enough that I also
bought a Shure Tracking Force Guage.
Here's what the table and stylus look like.

Technics SLBD-22 Semi Auto Turntable

AudioTechnica AT331LP Cartridge and Stylus.
Should work well for my needs!

 

[Danny Tse]

I have the "lesser" brother to the BD22, the SL-BD20. It's not a bad budget turntable at all; you will be surprised by the build and quality. I am going to swap out my Technics P-mount cartridge (came with the turntable) and try one of the Grado P-mount cartridges. I am going to try Vibrapods underneath it as well. By the way, both the RCA interconnects and the power cord are detactable on the SL-BD20, so I think it would be the same on the SL-BD22.
Keep us posted on your reaction once you receive the TT.
Here's a photo of the SL-BD20

 

[Khoa Tran]

you could get a MK used for under 200...

 

[KeithR]

I just bought MK3Ds for 399 a pop from Guitar Center new...

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Danny,
Nice table, I also looked at that model but for a little bit
more the Strobe-O-Scope was a nice addition. I am guessing
they both have the same exact ToneArm.
How do you like the stock Tone Arm is the dampening smooth?
What adjustments are there? From what I gather there is no
Anti Skate adjustment?
You say the cables are detachable, I didn't know that from
what I read it sounded like they were hard soldered onto the
arm. It makes me happy to hear they detatch because I want
to replace them with a good set of balanced/sheilded RCA's.
As for vibration dampening (this is going on top of my A/V
Rack) I think I am going to use Parts Express's Brass Cone
and Pad sets that should help some.
I will let you know what I think of it when I get it.. It
should be here in a few days. Honestly I think for good
quality mainstream tables Technics is probably hard to beat.
I looked at Denon and JVC and Sony and some others and in
the Sub $200.00 price point Technics seemed to be the best
constructed out of the lot. Sure some had other features like
the Denon which had a built in RIAA Preamp but I don't need
that feature. I was more concerned about motor and platter
quality and a good tone arm. And for a stock tone arm it
looks fairly decent.. (Though a Linn Basik would make a nice
upgrade)
Khoa,
I have been watching auctions for MK's on Ebay and it seems
to me like the average selling price is a tad bit higher
than $200 for a very clean boxed unit (I am picky) and
beyond that the MK's are known to most as a DJ'rs favorite
table and well to be honest, I don't want something that
may have been owned by some young scratch master flash
And I have also read that for audiophile use belt drives
tend to work better at playing old viny more gentle on start
ups and such.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Keith,
I am not bagging on your table so please don't take it as
such. I am just wondering why in the $400.00 range you went
with the Technics as oposed to something like this:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/pr...asp?sku=MHMMF5
(Granted this is $499.00 but it also comes with a GoldRing G012
cartridge which is like a $225.00 unit)
At any rate in the $400.00 price range the MK series is a
good table.. A legendary table in mainstream terms..

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Just an update...
I haven't received the table and stylus yet.. I am praying
they come with today's mail delivery (please please please!)
I did recieve my Brass Isolation Cones from Parts Express
and WOW are they a hell of a deal for $20.00... They are
very similar to Lovan's Cones (well, except these ones are
highly polished brass where as the Lovans are highly polished
brass and then 24K Gold Plated, which of course makes no
sense..)
The Lovans go for $100.00 for 4!
Here's what the PE's look like..

They look even better than the picture..
I may ultimately mount these to a piece of thick tempered
glass that way the Turn Table sits on the glass and then
the feet of the table will also help absorb stray vibrations.
I also was rooting around some of my old audio stuff and I
located my old Discwasher D4 Record Cleaner Kit and my S4
Stylus Cleaning Kit, Both are like brand new.. I never used
to listen to vinyl much (junk pioneer turn table, that's
why...)
Well I can't wait till the table gets here! I am all raring
to fire off another order to Parts Express for a pair of
Monster Cable Phonolink 100 RCA connectors and some good
Quad Sheilded Cable to make up a good set of Phono Cables..

 

[Khoa Tran]

right now i'm using a sansui direct drive table from the 70s and i also have a technics sl35 but broken needle wanna buy?

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Khoa,
Thanks for the offer but I bought the SL BD22... Just waiting
for it to get here! (Waiting is driving me crazy!)

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Hey Folks!
Well the turn table arrived today... And.... Umm.....
One word really... WOW!!!!
After I got my nice piece of mirror set up with my feet
under it and got the tabe set on top and leveled and installed
the cartridge and double checked the tracking force and
everything is good (tracking in the .75 Gram range)
I NEVER remember Vinyl sounding this good.. Gee could it
be because dad had a junk pioneer turntable? Yeah I think
so....
This table is well made, it's not the most sophisticated
tonearm in the world but it ain't bad at all.. Pretty much
idiot proof...
I replaced the junk stock RCA's with good heavy guage cables
and later on I am going to install a set of 24K gold RCA
receptacles and rewire the tonearm and if I can replace
the tonearm I may do that later on.. But for now I am
VERY pleased... The sound is very smooth very natural but
the trebbel is not rolled off at all, it's crisp almost
like a CD but it's far "smoother"
Other than needing something better to clean the old records
or just taking more time to clean them.. It sounds SO
GOOD!
Damn I can't believe what I have been missing out on...
Even Dad stood there dumbfounded he was like "Damn, My
turn table never sounded anything like that..."
Ohh I am stocked!
I am using my Onk's Phono Input and I adjusted the Intelli-
Volume (the volume was a little low) now I am cranking out
100DB 5' from the speakers *or so says my Radio Shack Digital
SPL Meter on C Weighting with a Fast Response Time) And I
get absolutely no hum, the low frequency is not affecting
the table, no feedback no nadda! And once that pitch is set
that FG Servo motor is dead nuts on!
Wooooo Hoooo
be back (much) later!

 

[Danny Tse]

Glad you like your turntable, Brett. I suspect most people see the name "Technics", along with price, and automatically think the turntable is junk. I was actually quite surprised by how solid the base of the my SL-BD20 felt, and the opportunity to experiment with different interconnects and power cords just add more confidence.

I may have to try that Audio-Technica AT-331 LP cartridge....

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Danny,

Yep it seems that Technics doesn't get the attention they
deserve and even then it seems like most say "Well you should
be using an MK series"

I am VERY happy with the way this SLBD-22 looks, sounds and
functions.

Honestly I could have bought a Music Hall MMF1 for what I
paid for the SLBD-22 and the AT331-LP but the SL has some
really great features the Music Hall does not have like the
Strobe for one (which I think is a great functional item)

The Base is very well built for sure and with some tweaks
this table can be even better than what it allreay is..

I do plan on doing some tweaking.. I want to replace the
RCA Output connectors with good 24K gold jobs and while I
do that, use some better quality wire in the tone arm. Of
course I am in no rush to do that because it sounds so dang
good allready!

I already did a nice little mod.. I got myself a spirit
"Bullseye" level that's the same size as the 45RPM adapter
and I glued it to the top of the adapter. All I have to do
to check the level is slip the adaptor on and presto you
know the platter is level when you check it from the dead
center.

 

[elMalloc]

We own a technics record player also. I have to buy a phono pre amp though, my harman kardon doesn't support it.
-ELmO

 

[Danny Tse]

Brett,

Great idea regarding the "Bullseye" level; I have to try that.

Another potentially good mod would be the Radio Shack "Little Rat" phono preamp. I believe it's no longer available, but perhaps some RS store will still have it in stock. A lot has been said about how good this phono preamp is, and it's only $30.00.

 

[Philip Hamm]

That looks like a very nice table. Enjoy it. I'm sure it will give you years of service. On the low end (under $200) Technics is hard to beat.

 

[Jeff W.]

That's funny. I have the exact same turntable. I bought it in about 1985 With an Ortofon cart. Don't know how much that cost but I do know the TT was about $99 or $129. Good heavens, the price has gone UP in almost 20 years? That's got to be a first. Anyway, that's a great little table, and obviously it should last you a while (mine is still kicking, using it mostly to convert my vinyl to MP3 now..)

 

[Jeff W.]

That's funny. I have the exact same turntable. I bought it in about 1985 With an Ortofon cart. Don't know how much that cost but I do know the TT was about $99 or $129. Good heavens, the price has gone UP in almost 20 years? That's got to be a first. Anyway, that's a great little table, and obviously it should last you a while (mine is still kicking, using it mostly to convert my vinyl to MP3 now..)

 

[Chris PC]

I had one two. I let it get really dusty but I sold it to a person who appreciated it for the turntable it is. A decent belt drive turntable that isn't expensive, but sounds perfectly good.

 

[Chris PC]

I had one two. I let it get really dusty but I sold it to a person who appreciated it for the turntable it is. A decent belt drive turntable that isn't expensive, but sounds perfectly good.