Technics is going to make turntables again!

This new GR variation is probably listed at $2000 or over; the GAE (which I posted last year) is $4000, and actually sold out its initial run quite quickly. These new tables (both last year's GAE and this year's GR) look almost the same as the original 1200 series, but are completely redesigned from the ground up. I saw the GAE at AXPONA last April and the build quality of it was superb.
A long overdue update.

The SL-1200GR has a list price of $1,699, which lands it smack dab in the middle of competitive turntables in that price range. The SL-1210GR is the black version.

The SL-1200G is still available at a $3,999 list price. The 1200GAE ("Grand Anniversary Edition") was the limited edition, numbered version of the 1200G that was virtually identical except for the numbering.

As mentioned earlier, these look like the 1200s of old, but mechanically they are completely different products and are upgraded in every way. Personally (and like others), I wish they had ditched the "DJ" controls, and that they had an arm without the removable SME-style headshell arrangement. But those who have reviewed it favorably found no issues with either feature.

Another model that hasn't yet been mentioned here is the SP-10R and SL-1000R. The SP-10R is the successor in the SP-10 series (whose motors still power cutting lathes to this day), which is the standalone direct drive turntable unit, requiring mounting in a plinth and the addition of a tonearm. I believe the dimensions are such that you could remove your old SP-10 and drop this right in its place. Even the external control unit has the same dimensions. And as above, everything else from the ground up has been redesigned, and resembles the old SP-10 in appearance only.

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The SL-1000R is mounted in a base and comes with tonearm:

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You can add the SH-TB10 tonearm base if you have additional arms to mount:

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List price on the SL-1000R is $18,000, which puts it within (if a little below) some of the highest-tier turntables out there.
 
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