I may be one of the most qualified people to answer this question and stop this outdated overasked question about "Technics vs other dj turntables" stuff.sorry,but this is REALLY getting old guys.
I posted a whole bunch of this stuff on
www.skratchlounge.comand being an ex tech for Panasonic Canada as an actual licienced repairman FOR Technics 1200 and manage a pro dj shop now as an authoriZed dealer for Stanton,Numark,Vestax, American Audio and (of course) Technics
BTW no serious dj would throw their gear down a flight of stairs....
this is not "fanboy hype" just straight up,from tearing both tables APART,including the other Technics 1200 models,(the 03d,Mk5 Mk5 Flash edition with the +/- 16 extra pitch and "tonearm improvement")
Not being an not a very nice person,but this is the facts,my 6 1200's are NOW in rentals and I use strictly Stanton 150s,now here are the facts:
first build quality/guts/ availability of repair parts:
1) the stanton 150 series top is machined from a SOLID 1/4 inch block of steel (not a faceplate) compared to Technics aluminum die casted top,better feedback resistance,
aluminum is not a good conductor of electricity.but durable,also the st150 has ground lift on the backside and all the cables are removeable,with exception of the Japanese only issue Technics 1200MK4-they have to be desoldered to be removed.
2) ALL of the Stanton 150 internal and external parts are modular (plug in) meaning no repairman needed including the aluminum tonearm (just like Technics)much easier to remove than Technics, just 4 screws and a touch with a soldering iron,the PCB board solder points are labeled
3) the Technics tonearm is better machnied interms of the gimbal suspension tonearm pivot-but a good tech can easily tighten the Stanton arm to reduce "play" and make it truly virtually Unskippable-
no big thing ,serious skratch djs like KID KOALA and others have been adjusting their 1200s arm for years-I posted on
www.skratchlounge.com in the mods section under "loose stanton st150 tone arm" topic how to adjust it yourself-not that hard,just need patience.
4)the stanton st150 torque is truly the toughest on the market,forget what the 'so called dj pros "say about the stiff torque throws off your mix"-practice some more,maybe you suck?
the motor is a more horsepower version of the same 1200Mk2 magnet fg servo design, the technology worked for Technics,why change it? Stanton just made it stronger.
If you are mixing the old school 70's "disco method" of cueing the side of the platter (holding the side of the platter when setting off a mix) instead of the modern way of cueing the record and using "butter rugs" or "magic carpets" under the slipmat,you would "up your skills" and "your game"
5) the brake is adjustable on the stanton 150 and uses an optical non contact sensor and is the best on the market(even better than Vestax series tables,which uses the same technology,when you factor in the extra motor torque,it is better). Even if the sensor burns out (if ever), the part is easily replaceable for like $5
now,updated Technics info for your info,
6) the only reason people worship Technics 1200 series is that about 90% of the worlds clubs still use them (if it does not brak,don't fix it ) and clubs are notoriously known for refusing to upgrade their dj booths -
most djs fear that they use anything else they cannot readajust to Technics in a club-if they are really good,the switch is not a problem,just a fanboy excuse-any good dj can switch EASILY
most of those clubs need their 1200s serviced for overhaul, just because everyone uses thdem does not mean they are the only ones that work,
all of the stanton 150 series parts can be bought over the counter including the motor pcb,tonearm,power supply,platter,and even the main EPROM chip you can get for like $12-
the main Technics 1200 board and motor YOU HAVE TO GET straight from a licienced distributor or repair center,who gets it from PANASONIC USA or Panasonic headquarters-they do not sell them "over the counter" anymore,so costly repairs if anything there goes-older 1200 owners
7) Technics main parts the motor and and PCB board chip (the one that says "Technics" on it) are slowly being discontinued by Panasonic on older 1200 models (an effort by Panasonic to slow down the used 1200 market and generate more sales of new product.
also after Panasonic's over 1 billion dollar loss and 15,000 workers laid off world wide,they are even thinking of killing
the "Technics " brand altogether if you have not been keeping up to date with the Panasonic company,they even killed the "Matsunutsa " title, sign of things to come,you were warned.
8) the Stanton 150 series turntable can get all the same parts from americandj.com. Just look under "buy parts," then "discontinued audio" then finally "htd 4.5 turntable".They sell the whole turntable in parts at very reasonable prices.
Even though a product is discontinued,it is law that they have to continue selling the parts for 7 years in North America.
9) the Stanton 150 series turntable is one of the "superOEM" turntable list (same manufacturer,different brand names sold around the world,so you can get all the parts from one of them also)
here is the "super OEM" list of turntables:
Akiyama Acura
American audio htd 4.5
Citronic pd 45
Kam ddx 5000
Reloop rp 6000
Stanton st/str8 120/150 series
Synq X-trem 1
Koolsound tdj-04
also the famous dutch review of the super OEM turntables at aboutdj.nl (in english version),here is the link:
aboutdj.nl/reviews/draaitafels/232-synq-xtrm1-etc-english-version-of-the-review.html?start=4this link starts on page 4 of the review but go back to page 1 to read all of it.
Omnitronic dd5250
10) the obvious? more functions than a 1200,yeah,for the basic "simple simon " non DMC/ITF world class skratch djs types ot there that think this is over kill,but +/- 50% and 78 rpm means you can mix any 2 records,period.
The line in "key lock' sucks at +/- 5% so don't waste your time-experiment with them-you WILL increase your dj arsenal bag of tricks with the extra stuff- Vestax turntable users have praised them for years on their PDX series of tables -now they are on a much stronger better built turntable -the Stanton 150 series
I think I answered all the questions in a nutshell-if you need more info,just contact me here,I will try to help you.
11)ONE final point for Technics 1200 series of turntables, especially for djs that need to sell their stuff ,they are practically the only turntable that you can pretty much get at least 70%-80% for sellin or pawning them. Real djs don't sell their gear,unless they are upgrading for better
So of you're hard up for cash and have a pair (or loose interest and want to sell out from djing) thats it
