About the Technics SL-1500C
A new turntable with an excellent pedigree
A new turntable with an excellent pedigree
Technics introduced the first direct-drive turntable to the market in 1970, and though they took a break for a while, they've returned with an excellent lineup. The SL-1500C is an audiophile-quality turntable that comes in at a very reasonable price, and doesn't skimp on technological goodies for the serious vinyl lover. At the heart of this turntable is Technics' signature coreless direct-drive motor. It delivers high torque and rotational stability, and eliminates an audible effect called "cogging" that lesser motors may exhibit.
Flexible connections
The SL-1500C has a built-in phono preamp, so you can hook up to a receiver or pair of powered speakers without going through an outboard preamp first. There's a dedicated RCA stereo line output for the preamp, which can be switched off when not in use to eliminate a potential source of performance-robbing noise.
An adaptable tonearm
When I was a kid, I had a cheap turntable, and one of my favorite records was slightly warped. Someone told me to put a penny on top of the cartridge, so the extra weight would keep the needle from skipping out of the hilly groove. Imagine my amazement when a Technics trainer intentionally played us a record with a very visible warped section. The turntable's static-balanced tonearm played the record perfectly, moving easily with the flaw in the vinyl — no loose change required.
A high-quality Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is pre-installed on a removable headshell, so you can easily upgrade or swap to a custom needle at any time. To help save unwanted wear and tear on the stylus, the SL-1500C is equipped with a defeatable auto-lift mechanism that will raise the needle when it reaches the lead-out groove at the end of a record side.
Rugged build quality
The SL-1500C's two-layer, die-cast aluminum chassis is integrated with a mixture of ABS and glass fiber to resist external vibrations. The dense platter — also made of die-cast aluminum — is backed by a sound-damping layer of rubber that helps ensure you hear nothing but the music contained on your records.
Product highlights:
- Featured in our article: Best turntables for 2023
- coreless direct-drive motor offers high torque performance
- lightweight static-balance S-shaped aluminum tonearm reads grooves accurately
- factory-installed Ortofon 2M red cartridge on removable headshell
- die-cast aluminum platter
- two-layer structure with anti-resonance rubber backing
- automatic tonearm lift (defeatable)
- platter continues to spin after tonearm lifts
- tonearm must be returned to rest manually
- high-precision motor controller increases rotational stability
- built-in phono preamp compatible with moving magnet cartridges
- when switch is set to ON, the right-hand RCA output must be connected to a standard line input (labeled AUX, CD, or TAPE)
- when switch is set to OFF, the left-hand RCA output must be connected to an outboard phono preamp or dedicated phono input
- stereo RCA phono output with ground terminal
- stereo RCA line-level output
- 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm speeds
- 78 rpm playback of some older pressings requires Audio-Technica VM670SP or similar stylus (stylus not included)
- wow and flutter: 0.025%
Dimensions and warranty:
- 17-7/8"W x 6-11/16"H x 14-11/16"D (with dust cover down)
- weight: 21.9 lbs.
- warranty: 2 years
- Our 60-day money-back guarantee
- MFR # SL-1500C
What's in the box:
Technics SL-1500C owner's manual
- Turntable
- Tone-arm (pre-installed)
- Headshell (with catridge and stylus)
- 45RPM adapter
- Balance weight
- Auxiliary weight
- Mat
- Dust cover
- 63" AC power cord
- 58" Stereo RCA cable
- 58" Ground wire
- Owner's Manual
- Sticker labels
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More details on the Technics SL-1500C
Features & specs
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Color | Silver | |
| Operation | Semi Automatic | |
| Speeds | 33-1/3, 45, 78 | |
| Drive Type | Direct | |
| Pitch Control | No | |
| Phono Preamp | Built-in | |
| USB Output | No | |
| Bluetooth Built-In | No | |
| 45 RPM Adapter | Yes | |
| Audio Cable | Detachable | |
| Power Cable | Detachable AC Cable (3-pole) | |
| Materials and Construction | ||
| Plinth | Aluminum/ABS/Glass Fiber | |
| Platter | Aluminum | |
| Tone Arm Shape | S-shaped | |
| Tone Arm Material | Aluminum | |
| Tone Arm Lift | Finger, Lever | |
| Cartridge Info | ||
| Included Cartridge | Ortofon 2M RED | |
| Cartridge Type | MM | |
| Removable Headshell | Straight | |
| Tracking Weight | 1.8 g (1.8mN) | |
| Frequency Response | 20-20,000 | |
| Output Voltage | 5.5 | |
| Load Impedance | 47,000 | |
| Load Capacitance | 100-200 | |
| Audio Specs | ||
| Signal to Noise Ratio | --- | |
| Wow and Flutter | 0.025 | |
| Dimensions and Warranty | ||
| Width (Inches) | 17.875 | |
| Height (Inches) | 6.6875 | |
| Depth (Inches) | 14.625 | |
| Weight | 21.9 lbs. | |
| Turntable Parts Warranty | 2 Years | |
| Turntable Labor Warranty | 2 Years | |
| Cartridge Parts Warranty | 1 Year | |
| Cartridge Labor Warranty | 1 Year | |
Product Research
Features
Coreless Direct Drive Motor: The Technics SL-1500C turntable utilizes a direct drive motor to achieve high precision, stable rotation and high reliability. Stable rotation is achieved by combining the coreless direct drive motor that reduces minute vibration during rotation with the motor control technology that switches the drive mode. The technologies acquired through the development of Technics' SL-1200 Series and the high-end SL-1000R model were inserted into the motor drive unit of the SL-1500C turntable. The motor exclusively tunes the single-rotor, coreless direct drive motor in order to read the high rotation accuracy and high-precision signals of the record. Optimal motor control is conducted for the inertial mass of the two-layer structure platter on which the vinyl record is placed with deadening rubber on the entire back surface to eliminate unwanted resonance in the aluminum die-cast platter to eliminate the rotation irregularity called cogging. In addition to providing superior performance, the direct drive motor requires no parts replacement or maintenance.
Built-in Phono Equalizer: The SL-1500C features a built-in phono equalizer, making it easy to connect with a wide range of integrated amplifiers and receivers. The shield structure of the built-in phono equalizer suppresses the effects of external noise and noise from the power supply. It is also equipped with a switch to turn the Line output off when it is not being used. The turntable has been designed to thoroughly shut-out adverse effects to the Phono output. The dedicated power supply for the Phono output terminal is isolated from the power supply of the Line output terminal, and has been designed to prioritize sound quality by minimizing the wiring of the Phono signal. The isolated terminals also prevent wiring mistakes.
Highly Sensitive Tone Arm: The tonearm is a static-balance universal S-shape tonearm, another Technics tradition. By adopting a high-precision bearing using the same gimbal suspension construction and machined housing as the SL-1200 Series, high initial sensitivity is achieved. The machine-cut, high precisions bearing used in the tone arm bearing with gimbal suspension allows for high initial response sensitivity and accurate record tracking.
Ortofon 2M Red MM Cartridge: An Ortofon 2M RED cartridge, which is highly acclaimed as an MM cartridge, has been selected for the Technics SL-1500C direct drive turntable. Combining this high-quality cartridge with the performance of the SL-1500C will maximize the sound quality of your vinyl record collection. The included cartridge must be installed. The Ortofon 2M Red cartridge supports playback of 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records. A special cartridge/stylus assembly (sold separately) is recommended for playing 78 RPM records.
Auto Lifter Function: When the tonearm reaches the end of the record, the Auto Lifter function automatically raises the cartridge. This prevents unnecessary wear on your valuable vinyl records and stylus. By embedding the Auto Lifter function in the base portion of the tonearm, it eliminates impacts to the tonearm. Due to a simple design that doesn't use motor power, there is no electrical or vibrational impact and it will not prevent the movement of the tonearm. In response to requests from many users regarding the Auto Lifter function, a design that prioritizes sound quality was adopted. The functions required to playback records were kept to a bare minimum, achieving simple and easy-to-use operability.
Gold-Plated RCA Outputs: The Technics SL-1500C direct drive turntable is outfitted with dedicated, gold-plated RCA jacks for the Phono and Line output terminals for excellent signal transfer with less sound quality degradation. A 58" stereo RCA cable and ground wire are provided.
Anti-Resonance Rigid Chassis: The SL-1500C direct drive turntable's aluminum die-cast chassis is rigidly integrated with a special material consisting of ABS mixed with glass fiber to achieve a two-layer construction. The insulator feet are comprised of a spring and rubber to provide optimal vibration-damping characteristics.
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Great turntable. Nice improvement from our old Technics SL 1300. Arm is very slow to lift after album has finished playing. Great customer service from Crutchfield.
Penny from Houlton, ME