If you've ever been a DJ, known a DJ, or listened to a DJ, there's a good chance you're familiar with Technics. Panasonic's analog turntables are legend among scratchers and spinners. And now they're gone. UPDATED:
Panny made the announcement that they'd cease Technic SL-1200MK6 turntable production because of "a decline in demand for these analog products and also the growing difficulty of procuring key analog components necessary to sustain production." In a word: obsolescence.
3.5 million SL-1200 turntables sold since 1972. Countless audio mixers and stereo headphones that also bear the Technics name. But with sales of analog decks being just 5% of what they were 10 years ago, Panasonic's finally pulled the plug on a classic.
What made Technics so good? A reliable Direct Drive turning mechanism. A heavy, rock-solid 27 pound base. And three decades of tradition.
It's not that Technics are the only analog turntables in the world. It that they were the analog turntables. And now, like any other technology that gets eclipsed, they're antiques, collectibles, curios for fanatics. Lets hope anyone who's got one keeps it well preserved.
UPDATE: Panasonic is in fact ceasing production of the SL-1200MK6 model specifically, while other Technics turntable models will live on. Phew! Sincere apologies for the misunderstanding. [Tokyo Reporter]