Analog Gear News

Technics has just announced the next generation of their direct-drive turntables — namely, the new Grand Class SL-1200GR2 (in silver) and SL-1210GR2 (in black), both of which are meant to replace their notable SL-1200 and SL-1210GR predecessors. Read on to see what’s what with the tech updates for these two new GR2 marvels, and when they’ll be available. . .

In a sign of the times, one of our favorite turntable companies, Pro-Ject, has just introduced their first Wi-Fi-capable ’table, the T2 W — a ’table that also meets the build-quality standards of one of its T Line predecessors: the no-plastic, zero-resonance T1. Read on to find out all the features and specs for the T2 W, as well as see Pro-Ject’s explanation for why the integrity of this turntable’s analog output remains true. . .

New Jersey-based VPI Industries are quite well-known for their rightly vaunted lines of high-quality turntables and tonearms respectively, but when they decided to get into the cartridge engineering universe, they turned to Audio-Technica for the manufacturing assist. Read on to find out what’s what with one of VPI’s latest MC cart offerings, the Goldy moving coil cartridge. . .

We’re always on the lookout for great, current turntable options at various price levels, more often than not with an eye toward what we consider to be relatively affordable options these days. With that in mind, we wanted to look at what’s what with the vaunted British company Vertere — and thus, we’ve taken to eyeballing their DG-1S turntable, which is currently available in three different configurations. Read on to find out what each Vertere DG-1S ’table entails, and what their respective SRPs are. . .

Venerable German manufacturer ELAC returned to LP-spinning form in 2016 by shoring up their turntable line with the Miracord 90 Anniversary ’table, one that ultimately garnered a well-deserved EISA Award in 2017. While the properly feted 90 Anniversary and its subsequent “regular 90” version are no longer available, the Miracord series lives on with a trio of turntables that continue to make good on the ELAC name. Read on to learn more about what’s what with the current Miracord turntable series. . .

We’ve long admired SME’s turntable-and-tonearm combos, but often wondered if/when we’d be able to get any of the Sussex, England-based manufacturer’s fine M2 Series tonearms separately here in North America. Their management and distribution teams must have been tuned into our thought patterns here, seeing how SME and Bluebird Music distribution have just announced four M2 Series tonearms are now becoming standalone product offerings on this side of the Pond. Read on to find out more about the quartet of SME M2 Series tonearms that are being offered, and what their respective SRPs are in both the U.S. and Canada. . .