For the life of me, I can't think of anything that should make this a $1400 turntable but I don't remember its selling price when it was mass-produced.
With cost reduction due to manufacturing advances and foreign money valuation/labor, I would think it could be made for less, although the economies of scale aren't what they were.The Mk2 version of the SL-1500 pictured below retailed for $390 back in '77-'78. That's about $1,600 today inflation adjusted.
I had one when it was brand new. It is a very robust turntable. Very heavy platter and the motor was based on the Technics SP-15 which was more robust than the SP-25 series motors.
While I have seen the new 1200 GAE I have not seen the new 1500c in person but I can tell you that something like the old SL-1500Mk2 was not a "toy". I would probably take even an old SL-1500Mk2 over any sub $1k new deck today especially if it's a DD (I'll take Technics DD motor over a Hanpin unit any day of the week).
I'm not so fond of using standard inflation calcs when comparing gear. Remember, nobody paid retail back then so it's not really a fair comparison. It was a totally different market.
Carts were even often thrown in to seal the deal.Thrown in? Sometimes, but mostly, the various brands had at least one line that cost very little and could be sold for half off, which was a good way to package them, but in many cases, we would sell the middle of the line and explain that the upper models only varied in the stylus, not the body. We were pretty reasonable with replacement styli prices, too- full blast was too much of an eye gouge and we wanted happy customers. As far as paying retail, it depended on what the item was- if it was in high demand and low supply, yeah, it was sold for retail. We had some people offering more than retail, for some things.I'm not so fond of using standard inflation calcs when comparing gear. Remember, nobody paid retail back then so it's not really a fair comparison. It was a totally different market.
I bought some sort of technics Direct Drive TT with the strobe in 1978. Don't remember the model or exact price but I think it came with an Empire 2000e for $300 or so. Great little setup but I eventually went to belt drive TTs and Shure carts. Of course the Shures are long gone but I still have a belt drive Rega.
My first system came with a BSR turntable/ADC cartridge and as soon as I saw what some of the others had at school, I realized that A) mine was a POS, B) it was ruining my LPs and C) I wanted a better one. A friend was working at a stereo store, so I went there and found one that seemed pretty decent, so I bought it. That one had an Empire 2002e and sounded much better but once I had upgraded the speakers, I found that it was susceptible to feedback. This wasn't much of a problem if the cover was left open, so I did that.
Empire Scientific made pretty good reasonably priced phono carts. They have passed into audio history like so many other good brands. (sigh) I bet a lot of peeps on this thread have at some time owned an Empire cart.
Found a crate on the street before going to work today. My vinyl will be happy. Rahahaha
Yep everyone had Big Box speaker’s with 15” or bigger driver’s in them.
Man you got the best luck finding good deals!bump to this thread.
Yep, had two 15” Realistic their top of the line back in the late 70’s and 80’s they didn’t hit hard at all.Yet many of those 15" speakers weren't digging very low either
Yeah I had a buddy back in the late 70s who had some 15 inch Ultralinear speakers which didn't really dig the deep. When I finally got some new advents a year later I heard some deep bass.Yet many of those 15" speakers weren't digging very low either
man it wasn’t till the mid 90’s till when I found out what bass really was. I picked up a pair of Cerwinvegas 18” drivers in them got a Carver TFM 25 amp paired with a Sony ES AVR which was my first ever AVR, My wife at the time would use ear plugs.
I wouldn't say that nobody had subs back then- M&K was pretty big, JBL offered subs (needed crossover and amp) and other brands were available.
While I loved my Original Advents (72) and they had decent bass, I'd still have preferred to have had subs with them but I don't think the audio stores I shopped at even had one anywhere thru the early 80s. Another speaker I'd love to have had subs with were my Carver Amazing Speakers....they needed help.
