Technics drops 50th anniversary SL-1200 turntable

By Simon Cohen April 6, 2022

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.

Technics SL-1200M7L turntables in multiple colors. — Technics

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.

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