dleague's Full Review: Technics SL-BD20D Turntable
This is a magnificent turntable for critical listeners. Please everyone, if you don't know about turntables, read a guide to things like tone arms and cartridges. Rarely do any price turntables come with a good cartridge. This is a P-mount design, which means the tone arm is preset for all p-mount cartridges for weight and anti-skate. This design was a last ditch effort to simplify cartridges and tone arms. P-mount cartridges come in all prices and quality, just like the standard mounts. This tone arm is very light, and tracks flawlessly with a good cartridge.
The turntable motor/platter is top notch, wow & flutter .045%, rumble -70db, specs normally reserved for audiophile turntables. The servo-motor design locks the speed, but this design also keeps the speed accurate when the belt stretches and wears. The base is made of a material that doesn't transfer vibration. The dust cover can be removed, especially good if you are transferring lp to cd (special cable, software required).
As I said earlier, the cartridge stylus is the lowest quality. However, there's good news, LPGear sells an excellent replacement elliptical stylus for about $30. I suggest an Audio Technica AT311EP cartridge, which transforms this low cost turntable into high end sound. LPGear also sales the shibata diamond stylus for $50 dollars. I stop here, for with the new AT cartridge and shibata stylus, you have a turntable that can easily compete with a $350 audiophile table. Yes I own this and the Denon DP300F, and I truly am amazed at how both do an amazing job.
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