The Technics SL-10 was a direct-drive, linear tracking automatic turntable produced from 1981-1985.
Platter Type: 300mm diameter die-cast aluminium[1]
Speed Accuracy: +/- 0.002%
Wow and Flutter: 0.025%
Rumble: -78 dB
Tonearm Type: Dynamic balanced linear tracking gimbal suspension
Effective Tonearm Length: 105 mm
Original Cartridge: EPC-310MC
Cartridge Frequency Response: 10 to 60,000 Hz
Dimensions: 315 x 88 x 315 mm
Weight: 6.5 kg
The SL-10 was the first linear-tracking turntable to feature direct drive, a Technics innovation dating back to 1969 with the SP-10 Mk I. The SL-10, along with its fully programmable stablemate the SL-15, was able to penetrate the consumer electronics market much more effectively than any preceding linear-tracking turntable, and it spawned a wave of imitators throughout the 1980s, along with many derivations by Technics itself.
Unlike many of the inexpensive copycat designs that followed it, the SL-10 was cast from aluminum and weighed 6.5 kilograms. Its chassis was the same size as a standard LP jacket, and its styling was severe, doing away with the large plinth, visible tonearm and general bulk associated with conventional radial-tracking turntables that the public was familiar with up to that point. The SL-10 came equipped with the Technics EPS-310MC moving-coil cartridge. Due to the low output of the moving-coil cartridge, the SL-10 included a built-in, bypassable step-up preamp to allow it to connect to standard phono inputs. The SL-10 was capable of being powered by an external DC power adapter or a standard AC power supply. The motor was quartz-locked, providing accurate rotational speed.
Perhaps the SL-10's most striking feature was its ability to play records in any position, even vertical. With the lid closed, the SL-10's internal disc clamp held the record in place, and the tonearm, being dynamically balanced, maintained a consistent tracking force regardless of the turntable position.
An example of the SL-10 is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.[2]
Replacement Cartridges: The original Technics EPS-310MC moving-coil cartridge was designed to be replaced as a unit; the stylus was not removable. The cartridge has since been discontinued. The SL-10 will accept any P-mount/T4P cartridge.