Since its launch in 1972, the Technics SL-1200 turntable has acquired legendary status among DJs and other audio enthusiasts thanks to its direct-drive mechanism and reliable performance. Now that the SL-1200 is officially 50 years old, Technics is celebrating the milestone with a limited edition version, known as the SL-1200M7L. Only 12,000 will be made, and buyers will have seven colors to choose from: Black, red, blue, white, green, yellow, and beige. You can pre-order it from Technics and select retailers starting April 7, for $1,100, with deliveries expected to begin in June 2022.
Other than the availability of all of those colors, the 50th-anniversary edition will sport these unique traits:
- Gold anodized tonearm
- Top panel features a special badge with an engraved serial number
- A slipmat with a gold-colored Technics logo
- A 50th-anniversary sticker
In every other respect, the SL-1200M7L is identical to the current SL-1200MK7. For those who aren’t familiar with the model’s attributes, they are:
- Coreless direct-drive motor achieving stable rotation free of cogging and powerful torque
- Highly sensitive, yet robust tonearm accurately reading the signal engraved in the record groove
- Two-layer structure platter with improved vibration damping performance
- High rigidity cabinet and high damping insulator for thorough shut-out of all vibrations, even during harsh operation conditions
- Starting torque/brake speed adjustment function
- Pitch control function enables accurate and stable pitch adjustment
- Reverse play function expands the flexibility of DJ playing styles
- Stylus illuminator featuring a high-brightness and long-life LED
Notably, the SL-1200M7L does not come with a cartridge, so you’ll have to buy one or use an existing cartridge before you can enjoy your vinyl on these limited editions platters.
