A complete Technics direct-drive turntable with a built-in phono stage and an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, ready to play out of the box.
The SL-1500C brings Technics' 1200-series engineering to a simpler, all-in-one package. A coreless direct-drive motor gives stable, cog-free rotation, with its control tuned to a die-cast aluminum platter damped with rubber on the underside. The chassis combines die-cast aluminum with a glass-fiber-reinforced ABS layer and sits on spring-and-rubber insulating feet. The static-balance S-shaped tonearm uses the same high-precision gimbal bearing as the SL-1200 series and takes standard detachable headshells. An Ortofon 2M Red moving-magnet cartridge comes with it. A built-in phono equalizer lets you connect straight to any line input, or you can use the phono output with a separate phono stage. A motor-free auto-lifter raises the arm at the end of a side without affecting the sound. It comes in silver, black or white.
What Hi-Fi? heard a crisp, detailed and musical sound with strong bass, and rated it among the best turntables at its price. They found the built-in phono stage good enough that you don't need an outboard one to get great results, and called the 2M Red a well-proven match. It plays 33, 45 and 78 rpm. It's a great choice if you want real hi-fi sound without assembling separates, and it leaves room to grow: a better cartridge or a separate phono stage are both easy upgrades later.
| Drive | Direct drive, coreless motor |
| Speeds | 33⅓, 45 and 78 rpm |
| Wow and flutter | 0.025% W.R.M.S. |
| Platter | Die-cast aluminum with rubber damping, 13 in (332 mm), approx. 2.0 kg with mat |
| Tonearm | Static-balance S-shaped arm, gimbal bearing, 230 mm (9") effective length, auto-lift |
| Overhang | 15 mm |
| Cartridge weight range | 5.6–12.0 g (10.0–16.4 g with auxiliary weight) |
| Headshell | Detachable (included) |
| Cartridge | Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet (included) |
| Phono stage | Built-in phono equalizer; PHONO and LINE outputs |
| Finishes | Silver, black, white |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 17.8 × 6.7 × 14.6 in (453 × 169 × 372 mm) |
| Weight | 21.8 lb (9.9 kg) |
| Power consumption | 8 W (0.2 W standby) |
Pearl Audio is an authorized Technics dealer. The SL-1500C is on demonstration in our Portland showroom.
