Panasonic Technics SLBD20D Semi Automatic Turntable Review
| Product Code | B00005T3Y8 |
| Product Rating |  |
| Price | |
| Where To Buy | See More Details |
| Customer Review | See More Reviews |
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #135771 in Receiver or Amplifier
- Brand: Panasonic
- Model: SLBD20D
- Dimensions: 12.44 pounds
Features
- Panasonic-Technics DC servo belt-drive semi-automatic turntable
- Auto return and auto shutoff; includes premounted P-mount cartridge
- Turntable plays at 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds using the included adapter for playing 45 rpm records
- Antiresonant base cuts down on vibration; all controls can be accessed with the turntable's protective cover closed
- Component measures 16.9 x 3.8 x 15.8 inches (W x H x D)
- Panasonic-Technics DC servo belt-drive semi-automatic turntable
- Auto return and auto shutoff; includes premounted P-mount cartridge
- Turntable plays at 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds using the included adapter for playing 45 rpm records
- Antiresonant base cuts down on vibration; all controls can be accessed with the turntable's protective cover closed
- Component measures 16.9 x 3.8 x 15.8 inches (W x H x D)
Product Description
This Technics turntable is a semiautomatic, belt-driven turntable with DC a servo motor for accurate platter rotation. Also features a full gimbal pivot straight low mass tone-arm, the T4P plug-in connector system, and an anti-resonant/anti-vibration cabinet construction with TNRC and large insulator feet. Front controlled high-performance MM cartridge included. Black finish with clear cover. Imported. Total Dimensions: 21Hx16-1/2Wx8-1/2D". Weight: 10 lbs.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
121 of 125 people found the following review helpful.
Technics Stands the Test (For the Casual LP Listener)
By Armando M. Mesa
I personally own this turntable. It is not a heavy duty dj constructed turntable such as their MK 2 series or the new M3D. It was designed by Technics for practical and casual in home use.It provides excellent and almost perfect accuracy with regard to very low wow and flutter (speed differences that would audibly affect playback).This is for the couch potato who likes to put an lp on and not have to worry about turning it off.The semi-automatic operation takes care of that.In addition, anti-skating and tone arm weight adjustments have already been pre set at the factory so there is no guess work for the owner.The plug in cartridge is easy to replace without having to gauge stylus contact and performance as with a pro dj turntable. However,heed my warning, here are the drawbacks: If you are a heavy vinyl user and enjoy adjusting anti skating or counter weight balance for optimal high end quality sound, this is not the table for that. Their MK2 or M3D are the tables that are suitable for those tasks.Also, I have been able to compare this table's tracking abilities using a slightly warped record (warped around the edge only) and the SLBD20D could not keep up. However, when I tried it on a Technics M3D I was able to adjust the counterweight balance and tracking force, anti-skating, etc. and low and behold the M3D stood its ground.Don't get me wrong, the SLBD20D is a well constructed table run by a very quiet belt-driven dc motor. It's a fine simple machine that sets out to do the simple operation of just playing a record. Also, not everyone can nor is willing (on a tight budget)to fork over several hundreds of dollars for a dj turntable if their lp collection is very limited. This is a great budget turntable with the feel of remarkable Technics engineering behind it !!!
93 of 96 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent No-Fuss Turntable
By Jerry P. Danzig
Attempting to transcribe some rare soundtrack albums unavailable on CD, I discovered to my dismay that my venerable Dual automatic turntable - buried for more than ten years under several stacks of CDs - had given up the ghost.No strobe light. No motion. No nothing. Dead.I saw the Technics SL-BD20D at a refurbished sale recently and decided to take a chance. I'm very glad I did; this is a solid no-frills turntable that does all the basics right and will satisfy the needs of all but the most demanding audiophiles.I did replace the cartridge that came with the machine. Surface noise seemed excessive and the sound seemed a little distant or hollow; in fairness, there was other evidence that the refurbishers might not have done their job properly, and perhaps I bought a unit with a worn needle.At any rate, equipped with a Shure MP94E P-Mount Cartridge, the SL-BD20D sounds great. As I say, it handles basics superbly. This is a serious turntable that will treat your vinyl with respect, not one of those retro novelty machines you see advertised.The SL-BD20D has a straight low-mass tone arm, and the playing geometry is correct. I don't hear the sibilance at the end of record sides that I have heard when a cartridge is improperly aligned or a tone arm improperly mounted. Surface noise is surprisingly low. The servo motor and belt drive provide good steady speed, with no audible hum, wow, or flutter.I read a user griping that you can't set the tracking force or anti-skating on this machine. The whole idea of the P-Mount design is you don't need to; P-Mount cartridges are designed to track properly at this machine's pre-set 1.25 gram force. After several hours of playing records, the SL-BD20D with the Shure cartridge has tracked perfectly, never skipping once in either direction.With the low-mass tone arm and anti-resonant base, bass is full but well damped. I am listening to Fleetwood Mac doing Rhiannon now, and it sounds as good as I remember ever hearing it - even with my beloved old Shure V-15 Type IV.The SL-BD20D is a semi-automatic design; you lower the stylus onto the record with the well-damped cueing mechanism, and the machine returns the tone arm to rest and shuts off automatically at the end of the side.As someone who grew up with generations of what we used to call record players, from Webcors to Garrards to Miracords to Duals, I have seen my share of eccentric and unreliable mechanisms. I am happy to report that the mechanism on the SL-BD20D works very quietly, with smooth and precise movements. Traditional Japanese attention to detail.Otherwise, the SL-BD20D is handsome and comes with a hinged smoked dust cover, 45 adapter, and full-sized turntable to support your vinyl properly. It should be noted, however, that the unit does not include a preamp.You can spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on an audiophile turntable. But if you simply want first-class sound with a minimum of fuss and bother, you can have the SL-BD20D with a good cartridge that's a snap to install for well under $200. That's impressive indeed.
137 of 149 people found the following review helpful.
Last of the view budget tables
By Owen Arthur Laprath
Ok, here is an update - long overdue as the original had a few typos :)(Hey, Amazon, you oughta like this, because your merchants can sell more stuff - because this is all about how to begin with audiophile madness and all the sound upgrades and tweaks one can do - heeeee)This and its pitch controllable sibling BD22 are the very last semi listenable semi automatic entry level turntables below 300 dollars on the market. If you are looking for a machine that will lift the arm at the end of the record, this is pretty much the only one left that will do it and not sound like a plastic cup string telephone.There is a SHAMEFUL glut of ever cheaper tables on the market now, so you can do MUCH worse than this one!It is not the worst I've heard, but PLEASE don't pay attention to die-hard "Technics is the best" fans.There you go - ok machine on a budget - expect ok sound, don't listen for more, stop reading here and buy and do NOT look back, or read on and catch the audio bug :)Most of the Technics fans (I used to be one myself as a teen, must be the name, GREAT marketing!) only read manufacturer's hype sheets and have never tried a Thorens, Dual, Music Hall, Project, etc - not even mentioning giving a listen to a real esoteric piece that will cost more than a garage full of several luxury custom hybrid sedans!Keep in mind that a stylus (the "needle") should be checked at least every 300 hours, and will be due for replacement after 1000 hours, earlier if your records are worn and scratchy, so having 1/2 inch mount for any cartridge of choice, instead of this Technics/Panasonic DB20 T4P mount, is a real advantage in case the needle is no longer available!This P-mount machine is ok, but I am not taking bets for P-mount cartridges and replacement needles to be around as long as 1/2 inch mounts will be - at least for quality replacements!If you are on a strict budget, then for sure this is the best choice under 200 dollars, but don't expect exceptional sound.A good homebaked player to revive your vinyl collection, take it as such, and I think many people will be quite happy with it.If can you get yourself to get out of the chair at the end of the record to lift the arm and return it, then look for a HiFi dealer that carries the contemporary audiophile turntables made by Music Hall or Project. You will have to spring around 300 dollars for their lowest offerings, but you get a real turntable - one that can accept standard 1/2 inch mount cartridges and can be tweaked and upgraded for better sound in small steps - making them ideal as a pre-programmed christmas wishlist that will never leave your better half guess at what you want, from a new platter, to a new cartridge, to cables, to a matt, to a new receiver, speakers - get the picture?This Technics/Panasonic BD20 is ... well, sort of is it, no upgrades :)Even the factory cartridges on the Music Hall MMF 2.1 and the Project 1.2 (both can be ordered with either Goldring or Ortofon cartridges) will sound much better than the T4P style cartridge on the Technics BD20 (there is no longer any really good T4P cartridge on the market for later upgrades) and if you need a new needle or want to upgrade to a better one, your selection will be much bigger down the line.Almost forgot - Gemini, GLI-Pro, and Stanton have completely manual "DJ" tables on the market at a budget lower than a Technics 1200 series.All of them are much sturdier, heavier, with a better platter and base than the BD20, and they take 1/2 inch mount cartridges as well and allow full adjustment and balancing of the tone arm.For good listening DO NOT get the "straight" DJ tone arms I have seen in a few musician stores, you'll ruin your records! Get either the S shaped arms, or make sure the head is angled in, or can mount the cartridge at the proper angle (not always obvious).If you cannot tell the difference between a cheap portable Walmart pocket CD player plugged into your stereo and a good full sized CD player, then the Technics BD20 may be for you, but if you can tell any difference at all, then do yourself a favor: Save the 120 bucks for a better turntable - you won't end up throwing it to Goodwill like so many have done (i've been through a lot of turntables - it's a hobby, I also fix them up for a friend with a second hand store, and I keep peeking around for what's out there)The problem with the new cheap machines is that they are too light. Flimsy platters, and light flexible bases mean a plasticky sound.If you can't afford a new 300 dollar machine you are much better off buying an old used table.SOME of the Technics players were good, the later and current 1200 series is overrated and over priced. Technics models 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1301 are suitable hifi players, never mind the DJ machines.Old Pioneer, Dual, Sansui, Hitachi, etc are all potentially good choices.I know from my dealer friend without ANY failure returns on that model that a brand new Audio Technica AT 120 can be top notch with a higher end cartridge, BUT make sure you get it from a reputable dealer who can assist! If you get it or ANY equipment through "grey" channels, you should know how to install cartridges and check for proper grounding if you run into problem like a few have reported (yes, grounding can be done despite lack of a ground cable on this model, but it takes a wee know how!)The bargain hunter's real secret for a cheap frills table are the OLD Sanyo, Hitachi, Pioneer, and a "Dual" semi auto model 510 is true audiophile grade and can be on ebay for as little as 25 bucks and will not have the problems of the more complex full auto models!For old tables there are a few simple rules:The simpler the better, the heavier the better, direct drive ok as long as it works, don't bother budgeting repairs for direct drives though, so belt drive is preferred!By the way - Dual is still made in Germany!The current semi auto Dual model 505-4 is very good, but a few of their OLDER models were even better - the new 505-4 is set at $1275 MSRP in the US. Buy a vintage Dual, send it to me or anybody with know how for any usually simple repairs (chuckle) and you have BARGAIN!Getting the idea about the value of vintage equipment by now?Beware fully automatic stacking tables in any case. I love them and have a Dual belt drive collection, but they may take a lot of tinkering to get them to work right!Look for a solid belt or direct drive machine with a platter weighing at least 2 pounds, preferrably with a floating chassis (the platter and arm are spring suspended). You can find them for under 50 dollars.Add a new cartridge, like Audio Technica AT110, AT 71, AT440, Shure M97 - Ortofon is rated high, but the OM-5 always sounds dull to me, so spring at least for an OM-10.Ok, and here is my current favorite entry level high end secret for under 60 bucks, the "Sumiko Oyster" - sweet, sweet, sweet!I need to try another Grado myself. While they can be very fatigue free and pleasant, they are very sensitive for the make and model of turntable and arm, more so than anything else I have tried over the years, so a local dealer is best in case of returns!So, a fun hunt, maybe 50 to 150 for the table, plus around 50 to 100 dollars for a decent cartridge, and you have a much better setup.I have an Audio Technica OC-9 moving coil cartridge (expensive - just went from 349 to 699 MSRP), but that is strictly used for burning CD copies. For daily listening the Audio Technica AT440 is hands down one of the best values (if you can find an old stock version, or act FAST on buying one here, as it too just went to triple its old MSRP and is now officially marked at 300 bucks!), along with the Shure M97 and the Sumiko Oyster or Sumiko Pearl.Also keep in mind that you need a "phono" input on your stereo. If you have a modern stereo amp or receiver, chances are you don't have one. A so called phono-preamp will boost the player's signal for use in the "aux" input of your receiver. A good phono preamp is around 50 dollars.NEVER connect anything but a turntable to a phono input, it is meant to be sensitive and it is - plugging a CD player in a phono input can smoke your amp!So never mind the comments about built in phono preamps, the players that have them are mostly shoddy sounding - except the Audio Technica AT120 :)Summary: the Technics BD20 is ok if you're on a budget, but you can do better with a little snooping and effort.
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