Technics announces SP-10R Reference Class turntable. Your wallet announces you can't afford it

If you thought Technics' rebooted SL1200 was awesome and a tad pricey, prepare to reconsider

Duncan Bell
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Technics today unveiled, at Berlin-based tech jamboree IFA 2017, a prototype of what will be its flagship, reference-grade, broadcast-quality, you-can't-afford-it vinyl turntable (or 'record player', if you're over 30). 

With an all-new, coreless direct drive motor and a platter that weighs a faintly ludicrous 7 KILOS – yes, Kilos – Technics is describing the Reference Class SP-10R as its 'most premium analogue, direct drive turntable to date.' To put that in context, last year's SL-1200G was hardly cheap at around £3,000.

The headline boasts are 'the world’s best signal-to-noise ratio and rotational stability', bolstered by 'Technics’ most advanced digital and analogue technologies'. For those of you who appreciate the more arcane points of turntable shopping, the signal-to-noise is 92 dB, with wow & flutter rated at 0.015%,

The SP-10R takes the same two-sided rotor drive system as the SL-1200G, but then adds stator coils on both sides of the rotor, 'for a more powerful and accurate sound.' 

The platter's awesome girth is built up from three layers: one each of brass, die-cast aluminium, with sonically deadening rubber on top – again this follows the template laid down by the SL-1200G. 

'By optimising the natural frequency of each layer,' Technics assures us, 'external vibrations are thoroughly suppressed resulting in a beautifully clear and crisp audio experience.'

As you'd expect, the switching power supply is both separate from the main body of the turntable, and designed to be as near to silent as is scientifically possible, suppressing unwanted hum and vibrations. 

The SP-10R is slated for launch in 'early summer 2018'. It succeeds 1975's SP10MK2 and 1981's SP-10MK3 as Technics contribution to the world of turntables aimed at professional broadcasters. A matching tonearm 'and other components' will also be made available.

Pricing has not been announced but I'll tell you this: you will wince when you see it.

Now why not check out the rest of our coverage from IFA 2017

Duncan Bell
Duncan Bell

Duncan is the former lifestyle editor of T3 and has been writing about tech for almost 15 years. He has covered everything from smartphones to headphones, TV to AC and air fryers to the movies of James Bond and obscure anime. His current brief is everything to do with the home and kitchen, which is good because he is an excellent cook, if he says so himself. He also covers cycling and ebikes – like over-using italics, this is another passion of his. In his long and varied lifestyle-tech career he is one of the few people to have been a fitness editor despite being unfit and a cars editor for not one but two websites, despite being unable to drive. He also has about 400 vacuum cleaners, and is possibly the UK's leading expert on cordless vacuum cleaners, despite being decidedly messy. A cricket fan for over 30 years, he also recently become T3's cricket editor, writing about how to stream obscure T20 tournaments, and turning out some typically no-nonsense opinions on the world's top teams and players.

Before T3, Duncan was a music and film reviewer, worked for a magazine about gambling that employed a surprisingly large number of convicted criminals, and then a magazine called Bizarre that was essentially like a cross between Reddit and DeviantArt, before the invention of the internet. There was also a lengthy period where he essentially wrote all of T3 magazine every month for about 3 years. 

A broadcaster, raconteur and public speaker, Duncan used to be on telly loads, but an unfortunate incident put a stop to that, so he now largely contents himself with telling people, "I used to be on the TV, you know."

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