Technics' 'breathtaking' new turntable is a brass act

(Image credit: Technics)

Technics' new Grand Class hi-fi turntable features something that sadly, you'll rarely see: a beautiful brass-topped platter that looks like it's made from solid gold. But it's not there to be looked at. The 2mm brass top layer is part of a three-layered platter and sits atop an aluminum middle and a rubber lower section to boast exceptional rigidity and vibration damping.

The new SL-1300G is a direct drive turntable that builds on the wildly successful SL-1200GR2. Like that turntable it has Technic's ΔΣ-Drive (Delta Sigma Drive) motor control to eliminate micro-vibrations and deliver a richer soundstage, and in addition to that heavier platter it also adds a more powerful motor.

Technics SL-1300G turntable: key features, pricing and availability

The chassis is made from a rigid two-layer construction of bulk moulding compound and die-cast aluminum atop vibration-dampening feet, and the S-shaped aluminum tonearm with high precision bearings comes cartridge-free, so you can pick your preferred musical partner. Technics says that the new multi-stage silent power supply achieves an exceptionally low noise floor to deliver a superb signal-to-noise ratio.

In our glowing review of the SL-1200GR2, we praised the 2023-issue deck's tank-like build quality and the positive, articulate and revealing sound, but we also noted that price-wise it was very much at the top end of this market – not least because in addition to the ticket price you'd also need to drop around $500 / £500 / AU$650 more on a cartridge worthy of the turntable. Going cheap on the cartridge with a turntable of such a high spec would be a false economy.

That's the case here too: where the SL-1200GR2 cost $2,190 / £1,799 / AU$2,999 the new SL-1300G is considerably more expensive with an RRP of $2,999 / £2,799 / around AU$5,740. That's a lot of money for a turntable. But then again, just look at it.

Technics' new SL-1300G turntable will be available from October 2024 in a choice of black or silver finishes. One for our newly-updated best turntables buying guide? We'll see if we can get our hands on one to give it a full review…

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.