Pros: Simple, plug and play design gets the new user up and running quickly.
Cons: Outdated tonearm means very pedestrian reproduction quality.
The Bottom Line: If you just want to spin old vinyl once in a while, and aren't really concerned about sound quality, you could do worse. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
Watski1's Full Review: Technics SL-BD20D Turntable
I purchased this unit over 15 years ago from a typical home electronics retailer. The targeted market then, as now, is the home stereo user who does not want to part with their vinyl collection in favor of digital media. like many listeners, I have well over 500 titles on vinyl; replacing them for their optical counterparts is neither cost-effective nor altogether possible, as many older titles will never be released on CD.
The main features of this unit are fairly obvious:
1) The tonearm only accepts T4P (aka "P-mount" format) cartridges. For those of you unfamiliar with the parlance, this format was designed back in the mid '80s (I believe) to provide a simplified standard way to mount a new cartridge (the thing that holds the stylus, which rides in the grooves of the record) for the user who cannot or does not want to fiddle with "standard" mount carts.
2) This unit provides for no adjustment of Vertical Tracking Angle, Anti-skate and other fine tuning aspects. Tracking force adjustment is crude and rudimentary. The T4P standard was supposed to make these adjustments unnecessary; truth be told, it limits the fine tuning of the listening experience as minute adjustments can often drastically improve the sound quality.
3) Belt drive design provides isolation from the drive motor's vibration (compared to direct drive units in this price range). This is highly desirable, as small vibrations making their way to the cartridge will muddy up the focus and clarity of the music.
All to say the BD20D was designed to provide an essentially "plug and play" experience to the user. It allowed those who knew (or cared) nothing about tweaking and making small adjustments to immediately enjoy their record collection. This is an admirable design goal.
However, given the general quality of P-mount cartridges, the tonearm does not allow any significant upgrade or growth path for the listener who wants to really learn what all the fuss is about vinyl.
To whit, a very strong case can be made that vinyl still surpasses digital in reproducing the natural timbre, warmth, balance and focus of recorded music.
Comparing well-recorded vinyl to well-recorded Red Book CD consistently demonstrates a head-and-shoulders advantage to vinyl; most audiophiles (even diehard digital advocates) will confirm this, albeit grudgingly in some cases.
This turntable, given the target consumer level, provides no way to dig out this quality from the disc. At one time, of course, quality turntables sold at a price level so far above the domain of the SL-BD20D that one never expected more - you don't expect a Chevette to come with the appointments of a Mercedes.
But this is no longer true. While audiophile turntables can still reach into the five-digit price range, Music Hall, VPI and Rega (to name a few) all have "entry level" units which provide a taste of the audiophile realm by allowing use of far better quality phono cartridges, than this beloved Technics allows.
A few years ago I retired my old SL-BD20D into the garage. It was a fine option at the time, but vinyl reproduction is now one of the fastest growing segments of the audiophile market, and the expansion of available alternatives now provides plenty of better options than this Technics.
Panasonic-Technics DC servo belt-drive semi-automatic turntable Auto return and auto shutoff; includes premounted P-mount cartridge Turntable plays at...More at Amazon Marketplace
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