SL-1500CS Direct Drive Turntable wih Delta Sigma Drive

Precision refined. In metallic gray. The evolution of the beloved SL-1500C, elevated by ΔΣ-Drive and finished in metallic gray. 1. Sound Quality Single-Rotor Coreless DD Motor ΔΣ-Drive: Advanced digital control Precise Mechanical Engineering of SL-1500C (2-layered Platter & Body / Aluminum S-Shaped Tonearm / Insulator) High-grade built-in Phono EQ 2. Easy to Set-up / Use / Maintenance Built-in Phono EQ + Included cartridge = Plug & Play (Ortofon 2M Red – same as SL-1500C) Technics' traditional and intuitive panel layout Direct Drive motor = no need for maintenance Building on the beloved SL-1500C, the new model preserves Technics' precision coreless direct-drive rotation, premium aluminum craftsmanship, and meticulous mechanical engineering. Now finished in a new metallic grey, it further elevates rotational accuracy through advanced digital control with ΔΣ-Drive — a faithful evolution of the original. With ΔΣ-Drive, a digital control technology developed for our Grand Class, even subtle noise in the motor-drive signal is eliminated, pushing rotational accuracy to an even higher level. It also comes equipped with a meticulously engineered, high-quality built-in phono EQ and the Ortofon 2M Red as standard, delivering a complete setup that lets you enjoy Technics sound right out of the box. A true evolutionary model that inherits the trusted engineering of the 1500C while advancing the precision of its sound. Equipped with the same coreless direct-drive motor as the SL-1500C/SL-1200MK7, achieving high rotational accuracy equivalent to higher-end models (wow and flutter: 0.025% W.R.M.S). Technics' direct-drive system delivers an exceptional signal-to-noise ratio and high rotational accuracy. To minimize cogging—uneven rotation that has traditionally been a challenge to Direct Drive—we employ a coreless direct-drive motor that uses stators without iron core. A rotor yoke is also incorporated to prevent magnetic flux leakage, thereby eliminating magnetic interference with the cartridge. The same 12-pole, 9-coil, three-phase brushless DC motor used in our higher-end models, the SL-1500C and SL-1200MK7, is adopted here. The drive circuitry is precisely tuned to match the weight of the platter, maximizing performance. This achieves the same high rotational precision as the SL-1200MK7, with wow and flutter rated at 0.025% and a startup time of just 0.7 seconds (at 33⅓ RPM). Startup torque is not disclosed. In the SL-1500CS, a ΔΣ (Delta-Sigma) conversion minimizes calculation errors, further reducing even the slightest distortion remaining in the drive signal to achieve higher rotation accuracy. Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ) Modulation Since PWM gives signal levels in time (pulse) width, resolution is degraded in low-level signals, and distortion increases. Delta-sigma modulation, which is also used in JENO-Engine, is a technique for achieving high resolution even when the signal level is low. Making high-precision PWM pulses. By centering the PWM pulses (rather than left-justifying), distortion is reduced. This results in a cleaner, more accurate drive signal delivered to the coreless motor. Two-layer Structure with Improved Vibration Damping Performance The platter on which a vinyl record is placed features a two-layer structure with deadening rubber on the entire back surface to eliminate unwanted resonance in the aluminum die-cast platter. The platter offers high rigidity and outstanding vibration-damping characteristics to prevent harmful vibration from being transmitted to the record and delivers clear sound. To increase the inertial mass and minimize vibration, the shape of the aluminum die-cast section was optimized through simulation. For extra rigidity, reinforcing ribs were added to the back side. The increased area of contact with the deadening rubber contributes to the outstanding vibration-damping characteristic that is more than two times higher than that of the SL-1200MK5. High Sensitive Tonearm (Accurately reads signals from the groove on the record) The tonearm, which is responsible for accurately reading the signal by tracking the groove on the phono record, is a static-balance universal S-shape tonearm, another Technics tradition. The tonearm pipe is made of lightweight, high-rigidity aluminum. The bearing section of the gimbal suspension construction tonearm consists of a machined housing and a high-precision bearing to provide high initial sensitivity. All in all, the tonearm accurately traces the groove on the record and reads the signal. Phono Cartridge (High-sound-quality MM cartridge provided) The supplied universal head shell is mounted with an Ortofon 2M RED cartridge. So, you can play a record immediately after purchasing the SL-1500C. The tonearm height can be easily adjusted within a range of 6 mm to enable the use of various other phono cartridges. Using the auxiliary weight that comes with the product, a cartridge weighing 14.3 to 25.1 g (including the supplied head shell) can be used. Auto Lifter (This function can be turned off.) (Minimizes wear on records and stylus) When the tonearm reaches the end of the record, the auto lifter automatically raises the tonearm. This prevents unnecessary wear on your valuable vinyl records and stylus, thus letting you enjoy playing records more comfortably.s. Cabinet featuring an anti-vibration construction for thorough shut-out of all vibrations High Rigidity Cabinet and High Damping Insulator The chassis, an essential part for reducing external vibrations, inherits the audio quality enhancement technology fostered through the development of high-end turntables. The aluminum die-cast chassis is rigidly integrated with a special material consisting of ABS mixed with glass fiber to achieve a two-layer construction. The combination of this special high-rigidity material and a metal chassis raised the rigidity and vibration-damping performance to higher levels, realizing a robust cabinet for beautiful sound reproduction. The insulator is comprised of a spring and rubber to provide optimal frequency characteristics. This not only assures high sound quality and superb howling resistance, but also effectively shuts out external vibrations under high sound level conditions. A phono EQ refined through rigorous listening tests for premium vinyl playback. Benefits of the Built-in Phono EQ: The built-in MM phono equalizer allows direct connection even to devices without a PHONO input, enabling immediate playback without external units. With all wiring kept inside the chassis, noise is minimized and the PHONO signal is routed through the shortest path to reduce loss. When using an external phono EQ, the internal circuit can be fully bypassed to maintain signal purity. LINE/PHONO output switching provides optimal compatibility with any system. Circuit Design for Pure Sound: A low-noise FET is used at the input stage to handle the cartridge's delicate signal, and the design eliminates input coupling capacitors to preserve purity. A carefully tuned combination of discrete components and an op-amp—refined through repeated listening tests—delivers high sound quality. The phono section is shielded against external noise, powered by its own ± supply, and grounded separately from the motor system to reduce interference. Configuration of the Phono Equalizer in the SL-1500C/CS Key Design Principles: High-quality design using discrete circuitry and operational amplifiers. Low-noise architecture featuring dedicated positive and negative power supplies, with the ground isolated from the motor circuitry. Input coupling capacitors and filter circuits are eliminated, allowing the cartridge to be connected directly to preserve sonic purity. The SL-1500C/CS is equipped with a built-in MM-type phono equalizer. By integrating the equalizer into the main unit, we can eliminate the need for routing a phono cable, which brings a significant sonic advantage. The circuit is designed using a combination of low-noise discrete components—such as FETs and transistors—together with operational amplifiers. This approach keeps costs under control while ensuring that the key sound-quality factors are met. The first-stage circuit uses the same low-noise FET found in the SU-R1000. Because FETs have high input impedance, they are well-suited for handling the delicate signals from MM cartridges, which cannot supply much current. Furthermore, by adopting a circuit configuration that suppresses leakage current from the FET, we were able to eliminate concerns about leakage and remove the need for an input coupling capacitor. Normally, high-impedance circuits such as phono equalizers require an input filter to protect against noise from strong electromagnetic fields (for example, from broadcast towers). However, because this design is dedicated to MM cartridges and housed within the turntable itself, we were able to remove the filter. As a result, the signal path from the cartridge output to the first-stage FET is directly connected, enabling a simple yet highly transparent and vivid sound. Additionally, the phono equalizer is powered by its own dedicated positive and negative power supplies, completely separate from the motor circuitry, to minimize interference. The grounding for the phono equalizer is also fully isolated from the motor and other circuits, and the shielded chassis structure blocks external noise, preventing mutual interference.