Profound Speed and Pitch Stability Plus Perfectionist Engineering Lead to Breathtaking Vinyl Playback: Technics SL-1000R Direct-Drive Turntable System Defines Reference

Stability is defined by the authorities at Merriam-Webster as "the quality, state, or degree of being stable," with the latter meaning "firmly established" and "placed so as to resist forces tending to cause motion or change of motion." In analog, stability could easily be defined by the Technics Reference Class SL-1000R direct-drive turnable system. Providing profound speed and pitch stability, and practically immune to exterior noise and distortion, SL-1000R arrives built to perfectionist-pleasing degrees with the singular goal of achieving breathtaking vinyl LP playback. Looking at this exquisite component clearly gives you an idea of just how seriously Technics considered every element, but until you hear it, you cannot even imagine what it does for music.

With the 88.7-pound SL-1000R, everything begins with the double-coil twin rotor-type coreless direct-drive motor that attains 12-pole, 18-coil drive and high enough torque to drive the massive 17.4-pound platter. By offsetting the coils on both sides 60 degrees, the rigidity of the substrate improves, suppressing fine vibrations and reducing self-inductance. In technical terms, the designs allow ultra-stable rotation with less than 0.015% wow and flutter – considered to be the measurement limit. In addition to SL-1000R offering a motor with an extremely low center of gravity, the reinforced thrust bearings supporting the platter use a custom-created plastic to supply extra rigidity and reliability. To further suppress motor vibration, two stainless-steel weights with high specific gravity are placed at the bottom of the chassis to maintain the preferred gravity, leading to extraordinary precision and signal-to-noise ratio.

As you may have noticed, the gorgeous platter on SL-1000R alone qualifies as a work of art. One dozen application-specific tungsten weights are positioned on the outer periphery of a 10mm-thick brass weight, itself laminated onto die-cast aluminum to grant the platter an inertial mass of approximately one ton/cm. Last but not least, a deadening rubber located at the bottom forms the final piece of three-layer construction that epitomizes high rigidity and excellent vibration-damping ability. When it comes to exterior construction, SL-1000R takes no shortcuts. No fewer than five layers of different materials (BMC cabinet, 30mm-thick aluminum top panel, more BMC, die-cast aluminum, 25mm-thick aluminum top panel) conspire to provide stunning rigidity. The supporting feet prove equally resolute. Each features a special silicon rubber insulator reinforced by a microcell-polymer cylindrical tube to absorb vibrations in horizontal directions. Everything gets contained in a zinc die-cast housing for even more isolation.

Naturally, on a 'table of SL-1000R's pedigree, the control unit remains separated from the turntable itself. A switching power supply equipped with unique technology provides voltage with minimal noise. And, to temper noise even during communication between the units, a highly reliable system that resists the effects of external noise performs to such an elevated level that, with all measures employed, SL-1000R achieves the world's highest-level signal-to-noise ratio to date. It treats rotation speed adjustments with the same obsessiveness. Compatible with 33, 45, and 78RPM, SL-1000R permits you to tweak the speed – and see it displayed on an OLED with accuracy down to two decimal places.

Additionally, SL-1000R arrives with a luxurious tonearm and base for standard-setting tracking. Complete with OFC wiring, the 10-inch, static-balance, S-type, gimbal-suspension arm comes fully assembled and adjusted by master craftsmen, and thereby realizes high initial-motion sensitivity to precisely trace LP grooves. Furthermore, the relationship of the tonearm bearings, turntable bearings, and needle position always stays constant, adhering to SL-1000R's theme of stability and rigidity, and leading to optimal performance. (Up to two optional tonearm bases can also be purchased, enabling the addition of an existing short or long-type tonearm.)

Rounded out by a gold-plated five-pin DIN terminal and integrated, machined aluminum housing, SL-1000R also comes with a turntable mat, 45RPM adapter, balance weight, three auxiliary weights, overhang gauge, required hardware, and dust cover. Our 100% Music Direct Satisfaction Guarantee encourages you to get inspired.

"The SL-1000R sits at the top in Technics' hierarchy, and to say it’s a beast is no understatement…. The record player's overall build and finish is just as good as the price point demands, and the SL-1000R gives off such an impression of quality and obsessive attention to detail that we wouldn't bet against a life span of many decades…. It is able to stand toe-to-toe with any rival without worry, and that’s something worth celebrating."
—What HiFi?, five-star review

"If there was one trait that was abundantly clear from extended listening, it was that the almost supernatural speed stability allowed complicated passages to resound in full glory without any of the attendant muddiness or blurriness that can sometimes plague vinyl playback…. [The] overall performance of the Technics is so compelling, particularly at its price point, that it represents a superlative accomplishment."
—Jacob Heilbrunn, The Absolute Sound