Jim Lesurf

I was particularly interested to read the recent review of the Technics SL-1200GR2 [HFN Sep ’24]. This is because for a very long time I’ve owned and been happily using a much earlier example of the direct-drive breed. I can’t now recall exactly when I bought it, but I’ve had a Panasonic/Technics SL-1500 turntable and arm with a Shure V15 series cartridge since about 1973. And it has continued to deliver good performance for about half a century!

The main sign of the SL-1500’s age after so many decades of use is that the small rotary potentiometer, which tweaks the rotation speed, has developed a ‘burn spot’ just at the place that sets 33.33rpm. This means that, nowadays, I have to let the deck run for about a quarter of an hour before use and then check if the speed has settled down correctly, or needs a slight tweak.

A few decades ago, FM radio transmissions - particularly those on BBC Radio 3 - were an excellent way to hear music with a very high level of sound quality. Sadly that has been eroded over the years due to a number of changes, which have occurred for various reasons.

Many years ago I saw a poster which showed a young woman in a wheelchair at the top of a flight of stairs that led down to a public washroom. The point being made was simple: she wasn’t disabled by being unable to walk. The problem was that whoever installed the facility had ignored the existence of people who found the stairs a barrier.