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Tech · Technics · 1979

Technics SL-1200MK2

The deck that defined DJ booths for decades, now old enough that condition matters more than the model.

Used turntables: the 1200 family and its rivals — #2

Overall

8.3

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Durability (8.8), weakest on Ease of use (7.6), a 1.2-point spread. The 8.3 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Technics SL-1200MK2 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Technics SL-1200MK2: Performance 8.5, Value 8.4, Durability 8.8, Ease of use 7.6, Design 8.4.PerformanceTechnics SL-1200MK2 — Performance 8.5 out of 108.5ValueTechnics SL-1200MK2 — Value 8.4 out of 108.4DurabilityTechnics SL-1200MK2 — Durability 8.8 out of 108.8Ease of useTechnics SL-1200MK2 — Ease of use 7.6 out of 107.6DesignTechnics SL-1200MK2 — Design 8.4 out of 108.4Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Drive
Quartz-locked direct drive
Speeds
33⅓, 45 rpm
Pitch range
±8%
Wow and flutter
0.01% WRMS (Technics)
Tonearm
Static-balanced S-shaped, height adjustable
Cables
Hardwired RCA and ground

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • You want a direct-drive deck that can be serviced by almost any turntable shop
  • You like buying the classic and do not need 78 rpm
  • You plan to replace the cartridge anyway

Skip it if

  • The listing cannot show the deck playing, the pitch slider, and the tonearm moving freely
  • Frayed or repaired RCA cables would be a problem, since they are wired in
  • You play 78s

The 1200 line ran from the 1979 MK2 until Technics paused production in 2010, with small revisions along the way, so parts for it are still easy to find. That longevity is the case for it: a worn one can be put right by almost any shop that works on turntables.

Age is the case against. Every MK2 on eBay has decades on it, and many spent years in clubs. Ask for a video of the deck at both speeds with the pitch slider at zero. Watch the strobe dots on the platter edge for drift, and ask the seller to wiggle the tonearm gently at the pivot. Any side-to-side play means worn bearings.

The RCA cables are wired in, so a frayed cable is a soldering job rather than a swap. Older units can also hum from aging capacitors in the power supply, a common and inexpensive service.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.