TECHNICS SL-100C > Review in Tracking Angle by Michael Fremer
Whoever at Panasonic pulled the trigger on the Technics SL-1200 re-launch (I think I know), made the right call! In the years since, Technics has introduced a series of new, well-received direct drive turntables, the latest being this one, the SL-100C priced at the magic $999 spot on the turntable dial, complete with an Audio-Technica AT-VM95C cartridge installed on the head shell.
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Conclusion
Technics has been building variants of its classic 1200 direct drive turntable for many decades now. It knows what it’s doing! The SL-100C turntable is a high value, high quality variant that offers much of what the bigger, more costly models do at a lower price. You lose the built-in strobe and cue light and pitch control, but you get a cleaner looking turntable that can still play three speeds and the mechanical end of side auto-lift is an attractive feature and you can adjust VTA/SRA.
It’s a quiet, solid, high-torque performer, with good speed stability and low background noise. The arm is also a “known quantity” that’s long been known to provide a good ride for a wide range of cartridges.
- Michael Fremer, Jan 2023