Audio enthusiasts received some great news in 2014 when Panasonic revived its Technics brand and unveiled several new Technics components—particularly turntables, for which the brand is famous. The first Technics ’tables released after the brand’s revival were rather expensive, but as time passed, more-affordable models appeared. Recently, Technics introduced the lowest-priced models of the new era, the SL‑40CBT and SL‑50C, both of which have a built-in phono preamp and come with a pre-installed cartridge. The SL‑40CBT comes with an Audio‑Technica AT‑VM95C cartridge and has a Bluetooth transmitter. The SL‑50C foregoes the Bluetooth output in favor of a better cartridge, the Ortofon 2M Red. Otherwise the two models are identical. The price is the same for both: US$899.99 or CA$999. As of late March, the SL‑50C is not available in the UK or EU. The SL‑40CBT is available in the UK for £749.
Description
The SL‑50C differs from Technics’ more costly turntables by employing a plinth made from MDF, rather than Technics’ proprietary metal-polymer blend. It is offered in three colors: Charcoal Black, Light Gray (the version I received; I liked the looks), and Terracotta (a very attractive rust-red). It measures 5″H × 16.9″W × 13.9″D and weighs 15.7 pounds.
The SL‑50C’s S-shaped aluminum tonearm, finished in black, has an interchangeable headshell, which makes swapping cartridges easy. Like all of Technics’ ’tables, it is a direct-drive design, and like almost all of them, it uses a brushless DC motor. The SL‑50C is a three-speed unit, with settings for 33⅓, 45, and 78 rpm. Of course, if you want to play 78s, you’ll need a stylus designed for those records—in this case, Ortofon’s 2M 78 (US$137.99).
Packed in the carton along with the turntable are a heavy-duty dustcover, an AC power cord, a 45‑rpm adapter, the headshell with pre-mounted cartridge, the counterweight for the tonearm, a set of basic interconnects and ground wire, and a very thorough owner’s manual in English and French. Of course, the box also contains the heavy (2.8 pounds, including mat) cast-aluminum platter and, in a departure from most other Technics ’tables, a felt platter mat, rather than the usual heavy rubber one.
The SL‑50C is a manual unit, so controls are minimal. On the lower-left of the plinth surface is a panel with the on-off switch, the three speed switches, and a start-stop button. The turntable includes Technics’ excellent tonearm lift, which lowers and raises the arm with precision and delicacy.
The rear of the SL‑50C is somewhat unusual in that there are two sets of RCA jacks: one for direct output from the cartridge, and another for the output of the built-in phono preamp. In between the two sets is a slide switch that allows the user to choose the desired output. There’s also a ground thumb-nut terminal on the far left, and the socket for the AC power cord on the far right.
The RPM Speed & Wow app on my Android phone showed outstanding wow figures for 33⅓ and 45 rpm; measured speeds were very slightly slow. Rotational speed at 33⅓ was 33.26 rpm (0.32% slow), and wow was a mere ±0.02% (wow!). Measured speed at 45 was 44.92 rpm (0.17% slow), with only ±0.03% wow.
Unpacking and setup
One of the things I love about Technics turntables is that their manuals provide unpacking and re-packing diagrams to ensure both operations go smoothly. Unpacking involves first removing the dustcover from its plastic bag, then taking the turntable out of the box. The platter is held in place below by the turntable’s securing forms, and it comes out last.
The turntable should be mounted on a sturdy, level surface. Use a bubble level to determine whether the turntable plinth is level. If it is not, the feet of the SL‑50C are adjustable, enabling users to make corrections. A turntable that is not level will not provide optimal sound.
The first setup step is to remove the plastic magnet cover from the underside of the platter. With that gone, the platter slips easily onto the spindle. Place the felt mat on the platter.
Next, install the counterweight onto the rear end of the tonearm and the headshell with its pre-mounted Ortofon 2M Red cartridge onto the front end of the arm. The SL‑50C, like so many other turntables, uses a static-balance system in which the first step is make the arm balance parallel to the plinth. Remember to remove the stylus protector so the arm balances correctly. When all that is achieved, hold the back of the counterweight and adjust the stylus-pressure gauge to 0. Turn the counterweight and gauge together until the gauge reads 1.8, which corresponds to the recommended tracking force for the 2M Red—1.8g. Set the antiskating dial to 1.8 as well.
Then, if your amplifier or receiver has an onboard phono preamplifier stage, plug the RCA interconnects into the turntable’s Phono Out jacks and the phono inputs on your amplifier, and make sure the Phono-Line switch is set to Phono. If your amplifier does not have an onboard phono stage, set the switch to Line and plug the interconnects into the Line Out jacks on the turntable and a pair of line-level inputs on your amp. If you’re using the turntable’s phono output connect the ground wire to the turntable on one end and your amplifier’s ground screw on the other. Don’t use the ground wire if you’re using the turntable’s line output. The last steps are to fit the dustcover onto the hinges and connect the mains power cord to its receptacle on the back.
For most of my listening, I bypassed the SL‑50C’s built-in phono stage. The SL‑50C was connected to the Phono 2 inputs of my vintage Apt Holman preamplifier using the Technics-supplied cables, while my Technics SL‑100C (equipped with a Goldring E4 cartridge) stayed connected to my preamp’s Phono 1 jacks via Pro‑Ject’s Connect it E phono cables. The Apt Holman preamp fed my NAD C 275BEE power amplifier via Morrow Audio MA1 interconnects, and Nakamichi Excel 12-gauge OFC speaker cables connected the amp to my Acoustic Energy Radiance 3 tower speakers.
Listening
For several years in my misspent early middle age, I subscribed to a classical-music record club that regularly sent me recordings from Deutsche Grammophon. I eventually cancelled my subscription, because I thought the DG recordings sounded too shrill. One exception was a recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (Deutsche Grammophon Privilege 2535 105‑10) by the Festival Strings Lucerne, conducted by Rudolf Baumgartner, with violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan. In the first concerto, “La Primavera” (“Spring”), the soloist is placed firmly in the center of the soundstage, with the other strings and a harpsichord arrayed behind him. I was impressed with how well the SL‑50C and 2M Red reproduced Schneiderhan’s precise attacks and releases and the timbral quality of his instrument.
I recently acquired several used jazz recordings, all in fabulous condition, from Vinyl Pursuit in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. One of them was Kenton’s West Side Story (Capitol ST‑1609), a 1961 release by Stan Kenton’s band. I auditioned the track “Something’s Coming.” While the recording is a bit lacking in bass, the soundstage is absolutely incredible. Through the SL‑50C, it stretched all the way across my room, from the left speaker to the right, with instruments well placed and presenting good depth. This was a big band for the era: 25 guys. Of particular interest was the placement of the mellophoniums (a bell-forward brass instrument somewhere between a trumpet and a French horn), which seemed suspended well above the rest of the band.
I’ve always thought the 2M Red was made for rock’n’roll, and the title track of One Fine Morning by Lighthouse (Evolution 3007) reinforced that opinion. The trumpets, electric guitar, piano, and tambourine showed the Red’s high-frequency chops. I heard a fair amount of sibilance on Bob McBride’s lead vocal, and on the tambourine as well. However, the sound of the brass was tight, the electric guitar’s notes were very crisp, and the piano sounded like many studio pianos: not exactly in tune.
One of my favorite Linda Ronstadt songs is her version of Neil Young’s “Love Is a Rose” from her 1975 album Prisoner in Disguise (Asylum 8690). It has a country-bluegrass flavor reminiscent of her first solo album, Hand Sown . . . Home Grown. One thing that really impressed me was how well the SL‑50C–2M Red combo reproduced the tight harmonies of Ronstadt with Kenny Edwards, Andrew Gold, and Herb Pedersen (of the Dillards); I could pick out individual voices, but there was also a fine blend. Jim Conner’s harmonica at the end had precisely the right timbre, and I could hear how he moved his head back and forth in front of the mike.
I recently read an article that listed 35 songs all audiophiles should play on their systems. One was Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” from his Graceland album (Warner Bros. 1‑25447). Whoever mixed this song was an absolute genius. I’ve rarely heard such an intricately detailed soundstage. Simon, as one might expect, was right in the middle, with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on backup vocals just to the left and rear of Simon, and the Soweto rhythm section across the stage. The detail of all the instruments was exceptional—very crisp and clear. Simon’s voice was sibilant on many of the “S” sounds, which I attribute to the 2M Red (I’ve found in the past it can be harsh on sibilants). But overall, I found the performance entirely satisfying, due to the outstanding placement of voices and instruments.
Another suggestion from the list was Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” from Brothers in Arms, and I definitely agree with this pick. I have this album on CD, regular LP, and a 45-rpm Mobile Fidelity LP reissue; the Mo‑Fi version (MFSL 2‑441) sounds the best. From the very first note to the fade-out at the end, the SL‑50C performed admirably. The snappy sound of the Ortofon 2M Red enhanced the high notes, while bass notes were deep and resonant. Mark Knopfler’s lead guitar was sharp on attacks, and its overall tone was spot-on. As I’ve found playing this track on other fine turntables, the soundstage was enormous, stretching all the way across the sound field. And Sting’s “I want my MTV” had an especially ethereal sound, as if it were floating above and behind Knopfler.
Comparisons
As noted, I did most of my listening with the Technics ’table connected to a phono input on my Apt Holman preamp, bypassing the SL‑50C’s built-in phono stage. To assess how my preamp’s phono stage compares with the SL‑50C’s, I enabled the turntable’s phono preamp, connected its line-level outputs to the Aux 1 inputs on the Apt Holman, then played “Evil Woman” by Electric Light Orchestra from their 1975 album, Face the Music (United Artists UA-LA-546-G).
When I used the SL‑50C’s phono stage, the first thing I noticed was the forward sound of the cymbal, which I attribute to the 2M Red cartridge. The soundstage was quite wide. The kick drum had good heft, as did the bass; the guitar notes were quite crisp and the strings were very sonorous. The vocals were nicely centered and sounded natural. While I thought there was some imbalance to the sound, overall, the SL‑50C’s stage offered decent performance.
Playing the same song using the SL‑50C’s phono outputs and the Apt Holman’s phono stage, I found octave-to-octave balance somewhat smoother. As with the ’table’s built-in phono preamp, the bass was prominent but not excessive, and it showed some real slam. The strings were slightly more unified-sounding. In all, the reproduction was slightly better using the Apt Holman’s phono preamp.
An important note: It’s easy to miss the caution in the owner’s manual not to connect the ground wire when using the SL‑50C’s line-level outputs. I made that mistake early in the review period, and found the sound midrange-heavy and unbalanced. With the ground wire unconnected, the sound of the SL‑50C’s phono stage was quite good, if not quite up to the Apt Holman’s standard—which makes sense given that Tomlinson Holman made his early reputation with his phono-stage designs. I would not hesitate to use the SL‑50C’s line-level outputs if my setup lacked a phono preamp.
Next, I compared the SL‑50C–2M Red setup with my reference analog rig, the Technics SL‑100C and Goldring E4 cartridge. Both turntables were routed through the phono stage in my Apt Holman preamp. For this comparison, I chose “Fantasy” from Earth Wind & Fire and Friends: Their Ultimate Collection (Sony/Columbia 19439951261).
On the SL‑50C, the sound was quite good. The band sounded as tight as a snare-drum head. The synthesized strings were behind the vocalists and most of the instruments, but in front of the brass section. Through most of the tune the cymbals are muted, but in one passage where they play full-bore, there was some obvious sibilance. In general, EW&F and the 2M Red made a good match. The sound was coherent and toe-tapping.
On the SL‑100C, the sound was just a bit more mellow, although attacks and releases were every bit as crisp as on the SL‑50C. Everything seemed slightly more relaxed, while still maintaining the toe-tapping quality. The cymbals near the end were reproduced without sibilance, and the double basses had a tad more fullness. The soundstage was broader and somewhat deeper than on the SL‑50C.
While I enjoyed the more forward sound of the 2M Red on the SL‑50C a great deal, the Goldring on the SL‑100C was much more detailed. In fairness, the Goldring E4 costs about three times as much as the Ortofon 2M Red. For its price, the 2M Red is a fine cartridge.
Conclusion
The SL‑50C is a more-than-worthy addition to the Technics turntables line. It’s a basic manual turntable that gets just about everything right. It’s solid. Its direct-drive motor is a champ, with near-perfect speed regulation and almost no wow. In practice, I didn’t find much difference between the SL‑50C’s felt platter mat and the SL‑100C’s rubber one. The SL‑50C is more subject to vibration and thumps, as its plinth is made from a somewhat less-dense material, but this is a minor consideration in most cases—I’ve reviewed turntables that react much more dramatically to external vibrations. And the SL‑50C’s built-in phono stage is more than serviceable.
I really like Technics turntables for their quality, reliability, and, above all, sound. I believe the SL‑50C could be many people’s “forever” turntable. If you’re in the market for a basic but very-high-quality vinyl spinner, put the SL‑50C on your list.
. . . Thom Moon
thom@soundstagenetwork.com
Associated Equipment
- Loudspeakers: Acoustic Energy Radiance 3
- Power amplifier: NAD C 275BEE
- Preamplifier: Apt Corporation Holman
- Turntable: Technics SL‑100C with Goldring E4 cartridge
- Interconnects: Manufacturer-supplied for SL‑50C, Pro‑Ject Connect it E for SL‑100C, Morrow Audio MA1 analog from preamp to power amp
- Speaker cables: Nakamichi Excel 12-gauge, OFC
Technics SL‑50C turntable and Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
Price US$899.99, CA$999
Warranty: Three years, parts and labor
Technics Division, Panasonic Corporation
2-15 Matsuba-cho, Kadoma City,
Osaka 571-8503, Japan
Phone: +81 (06) 6908-1121
Website: jp.technics.com
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Two Riverfront Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102-5490
Phone: 1-877-803-8492
Website: us.technics.com
