- There's a new direct drive deck in town, and I like it
- The SL-1500CS is a an update on the award-winning SL-1500C
- Technics' proprietary ΔΣ Drive tech, for £1,099 (around $1,480 or AU$2,100)
Technics is a name you'll need to know if you're into scratch DJ-ing (for the excellent SL-1210) or just for serious vinyl appreciation – see the Technics SL-1300G, emphatically one of the best turntables in recent memory.
So when Technics tells you that the new SL-1500CS Direct Drive Turntable is a "superior, upgraded model of the award-winning SL-1500C, featuring the brand’s revolutionary ΔΣ (DeltaSigma) Drive line-up," it's worth listening. I'd argue it's worth making notes, even.
This deck is, of course, built on the SL-1200GR2/1210GR2 duo, the very first Technics turntable with the ΔΣ-Drive, which was released in 2023, as well as the subsequent and aforementioned SL-1300G, where the new technology was implemented within a higher-grade direct drive motor, including twin-rotor and single stator.
The sector of Technics' turntable portfolio that has so far lacked this famed ΔΣ-Drive technology? That would be the lower end of the line-up, where belt-driven solutions are typically the norm. And now – hurrah! – this gap will be filled by the SL-1500CS.
Said ΔΣ-Drive technology is, says Frank Balzuweit, Senior Product Manager at Technics Europe, "All about eliminating motor vibrations down to the very limits of measurable… Through this, the new SL-1500CS achieves sonic performance levels far beyond the perceived standards of its class”.
You drive me crazy (I just can't sleep)
Elsewhere, the overall mechanical design has been largely inherited from the SL-1500C. The arm is a static-balance universal S-shape tonearm, another Technics calling card. Its pipe is made of lightweight, high-rigidity aluminium, and the bearing section of the gimbal suspension construction consists of a machined housing and a high-precision bearing, to boast high sensitivity.
You also get a built-in phono stage compatible with MM cartridges, so the SL-1500CS can be connected to a device without phono input terminals. A classical Phono output is also on board, if you've got your own, so it's a flexible bit of kit.
The SL-1500CS comes equipped with an MM pickup cartridge, too: the supplied universal head shell is fitted with an Ortofon 2M RED cartridge for "immediate plug and play satisfaction".
Lastly, the SL-1500CS comes with an automatic tonearm lift, so when the tonearm reaches the end of the record, the auto lifter automatically raises it. This is always a nice feature, because it helps prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your vinyl and stylus.
Oh, and who could forget the new, elegant finish? It comes in a "unique metallic gray", apparently.
The new SL-1500CS turntable is available from March 2026 via authorized Technics retailers, at an RRP of £1,099 (about $1,480 or AU$2,100, give or take).
And – stay with me now – Technics tells me that this month, the new SL-1200GME will also land, also featuring the ΔΣ-Drive technology but in a limited-edition turntable, which the company says will likely become “one of the most desirable collectibles Technics has ever produced”.
No price information on that one, sadly… still, this particular SL deck looks just fine to me.
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