The Technics SL-1200 is quite possibly the most iconic turntable ever.

Introduced in 1972, when I was 8 years old, I immediately fell in love with it. Everything about it - the direct drive motor, the pitch control with stroboscope control, the S-shaped arm, just screamed high tech. It became the standard turntable used by DJs all over the world, and even today most DJ turntables are influenced by the design.

So, when Technics decided to introduce a limited edition 50th anniversary Mark 7 model that comes in 7 colours, I knew I had to buy one. I decided on the red colour, with a matching red Audio Technica cartridge.

I am pairing it with the Musical Fidelity A3cr amplifier. It sounds surprisingly good, with a solid “club” sound that you will be familiar with if you’ve ever been to a nightclub with a DJ spinning records.

Compared to my other turntable (a highly speced Linn Sondek LP12) the sound is not as detailed or refined, but considering it is 1/10 the price of my LP12 system I would say it holds quite well. The LP12 is renowned for PRaT (pace, rhythm and timing) and the SL1200 is just a little bit less danceable but the pitch control and the ability to play backwards makes it so much fun!