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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Technics by Panasonic SL-BD22 Turntables by Orso

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REVIEW: Technics by Panasonic SL-BD22 Turntables

69.250.172.130


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Model: SL-BD22
Category: Turntables
Suggested Retail Price: $150
Description: Semi-Automatic Turntable
Manufacturer URL: Technics by Panasonic
Manufacturer URL: Technics by Panasonic

Review by Orso ( A ) on March 05, 2005 at 15:49:09
IP Address: 69.250.172.130
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for the SL-BD22


I saw this listed on here with no reviews, so I thought I would put one up, for what it's worth. I bought this turntable because I wanted a new table with pitch control and auto shutoff, so my choices were limited. I don't have much of a basis for comparison with the many new turntables available because my previous tables were vintage (a Garrard Zero 100 and a Dual 1229). Therefore, I will do this as just my impressions.

On first sight, this seems to be just a mass market consumer turntable. The plinth is plastic; Technics calls it TNRC, which I can only guess stands for something like "Technics nonresonant compound." Marketing mumbo jumbo? In any event, the plastic is slick and smooth (like Toyota dashboard materials perhaps?). The platter is very lightweight. The arm has a double gimbal configuration that looks somewhat like later Duals. This is a P mount arm, and there are no adjustments for tracking force (though I hear it can be done), antiskate, tracking angle, or azimuth. (The label says it was "precisely adjusted at the factory.") This plug-and-play setup is great for the neophyte or someone not to into turntable tweaking--just plug in a cartridge, screw it in, and go. I chose an Audio Technica AT316 EP to pair with the table.

Mechanics

This is a very quiet turntable. You can hear the motor whirring if you put your head near the plinth, but in play, it is absolutely silent. Speed stability is excellent, as judged by the strobe. The cuinig mechanism is gentle and silky smooth, although the arm is somewhat wobbly when you move it into cue position. The auto return mechanism is the slickest and quietest I've ever seen. I grew up in the era of automatic turntables, and I have to say that there is absolutely no gear-and-pawl clatter in this mechanism. None. Nicely done.

Sound Impressions

When I first played this table, I didn't like it much. I thought it sounded thin and strident. But after the cartridge and table ran in, they revealed themselves to be quite good. My first impression after the break-in is that this turntable-cartridge combination reveals detail very nicely. I play mostly rock music, and the delination of instruments was very good. Better than that, though, was this table's sense of rhythm. It rocks. My test standard is "Sin After Sin" by Judas Priest. It may be an odd choice, but it really shows a turntable's muster. This record can sound downright muddy on some tables (my previous ones), but on here, it came to life. Simon Philips's drums slammed, and the guitar solos were meaty and full, with nice overtones and decay. Rob Halford's voice was a bit strident (isn't it always?) but nicely placed. This record sounded better on this table than on the others I've used. Turning to more atmospheric music, The Smiths "The Queen Is Dead" likewise sounded great. The bass lines were forceful, Johnny Marr's guitars shimmered, and Morrisey's tremulous voice was full of emotion and resonance. Not bad for a sub-$200 table. Speaking of bass, this turntable-cartridge combination has plenty of it. This is evident in the sole album by American Girls (anyone remember them?). The song "One Last Prayer" has an overdriven bass line that flummoxed my other tables, but on here, it was reproduced cleanly. I don't have much classical music, but I dug out a beat-up copy of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" to see what would happen. Again, it came over nicely. This piece has varied loud-soft dynamics, and the table reproduced them without a hitch. In fact, the quiet parts were reproduced with delicacy and a good quiet background. It also had no problem keeping up with the fast parts, of which this piece has many, and instrument delination was good as well.

Other Considerations

This table tracks very well, better than the others I have used. I don't get any skips or distortion, even on the last tracks. Note, however, that the output on this table is a bit shy (my Zero 100 with Shure M91E cartridge has the hottest output, but it's also the most noisy). Another good thing is that this has detachable cables, so you can swap out the cables of your choice.

Conclusions

This is a great turntable for the money. It acquits itself very well and is a bargain to boot. Technics has made this same basic design for more than 20 years now, so it must be doing something right. Will I upgrade? Probably, in due time. But, for now, I'm enjoying this table. If you are looking for an inexpensive turntable that sounds good and doesn't require much attention, look no further.


Product Weakness: P mount cartridge limits cartridge choices, lack of adjustments may be a hindrance for some, somewhat low output.
Product Strengths: Excellent sound reproduction, quiet operation and play, excellent speed stability, smooth mechanisms, no-fuss setup and operation, interchangeable cables, Panasonic durability.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: NAD C320BEE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): NAD PP2 phono preamp
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Technics SL-BD22
Speakers: Dynaco A35
Cables/Interconnects: generic
Music Used (Genre/Selections): rock
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 15 x 9
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Technics by Panasonic SL-BD22 Turntables - Orso 15:49:09 03/5/05 ( 2)